Dammit. He could not catch a break.
Nora looked terrified. The last thing Cade needed was to scare off his daughter’s physical therapist, but the anger was still pumping through him.
Nora’s hands trembled as she swallowed. “You said it was okay to come in.”
“It’s fine,” he said a little too gruffly. He let out a heavy sigh, then slumped back against the wall and slid down to the floor as the adrenaline rush turned to weariness.
She set the cups on the table and hurried toward him. “What happened?”
He dropped his chin and pressed his forehead into his knees. “My girl is hurting and there’s not a damn thing I can do to help her. The person she’s used to relying on is gone.”
Nora sunk to the floor next to him, putting her back against the wall as well. She scooted closer so their shoulders touched. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head as he clenched his fists and pressed them to the sides of his legs. “I just want to be able to say something, to do something, instead of feeling so damn helpless.”
Nora didn’t say anything—what was there to say anyway?—but she gently covered his fist with her hand. He turned his hand over and clasped hers in his. He was probably squeezing it too tight, but she didn’t seem to mind. She was squeezing back just as hard.
He wasn’t sure how long they sat like that—neither of them speaking, just holding tightly to the other’s hand. But his breathing settled, and the tension in his shoulders eased.
A crash came from Allie’s room, and they both dropped the other’s hand and pushed up from the wall.
“You okay?” Cade asked, hurrying toward her.
“I’m fine. Some books fell off the shelf, but it’s fine. You don’t need to hover,” Allie said, knocking into the wall again as she maneuvered the knee scooter through the door. “I just had to pee.”
He stood back and let her pass, then turned back to the kitchen. “You might as well have a cinnamon roll, since you’re up anyway.”
“Fine, whatever,” she said before shutting the bathroom door.
Nora had picked up the picture and hung it back on the wall. “Good as new. Didn’t even break.” She offered him a small smile as she handed him one of the cups of coffee.
He nodded, thankful for her steadfast positivity, and tried to ignore the fact that his hands were still shaking slightly as he accepted the cup and took a sip. The coffee was hot and strong, and helped to soothe his dry throat. “It’s good. Thanks.”
“There’s going to be good days and bad. You just have to focus on the good ones and hope they start to outweigh the bad.”
He nodded as he went to the cupboard and pulled out some plates. He placed cinnamon rolls on them and was carrying them to the table when Allie emerged from the bathroom. She had a brush in her hand and set it on the table before slumping into the chair.
“You want milk?” he asked, turning to the fridge.
“Sure.” She picked up the brush and tried to pull it through her tangled hair. “I shouldn’t have gone to bed with wet hair.”
Cade set the glass of milk in front of her, then held his hand out for the brush. “Give it here. I can get the tangles out and put it in a braid for you.”
She eyed him with skepticism. “You can braid hair?”
“I am a font of talents and abilities.”
“And a nerd too. Who says font?” she sneered, but she handed him the brush.
Score one for nerd dad. He stepped behind his daughter and offered Nora a wink. “Someone who reads a lot of books.” He gently drew her hair back over her shoulders and carefully pulled the brush through it. “And I learned how to braid on my horse’s tail and mane.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“Gypsy thinks so.”
“Gypsy?”
“My horse. I’ll take you over to meet her this morning.” His fingers deftly wove the three sections of hair into a plait. He tilted his head toward Nora. “Could I trouble you to find me a rubber band in that junk drawer next to the stove?”
“I’ll do you one better.” She pulled a ponytail holder from her front pocket and held it out to him. “I always carry one in my pocket. Especially when I’m working.”
“Thanks.” He twisted the elastic band around the end of the braid. “There. You look almost as good as my horse.”
“Almost?” Allie asked.
“Hey, that’s high praise. I have a pretty good-lookin’ horse.”
Allie smiled reluctantly, her lips curving into a wry grin.
“Why don’t you get dressed, and we can go over and meet this good-looking horse?” Nora suggested. “I’d like to meet her too.”
Cade held his breath, thankful Nora had made the suggestion instead of him.
Allie shrugged. “I guess.”
He let out his breath and stood to take their plates, turning his back before Allie could see the relief he was sure was written on his face. He tried to keep his voice nonchalant. “Great. I’ll get this cleaned up while you change.”
“Do you need a hand?” Nora asked her just as casually.
“I got it,” Allie said, pushing to her feet and wheeling the scooter toward the hallway.
“If you want, we can stop in at Bryn’s and I can also introduce you to her puppies,” Cade said.
Allie’s head whipped back. “Puppies?”
“Didn’t I tell you Bryn has some puppies at her house?”
“No.” Cade noticed she was wheeling a little faster to her room. “It will just take me a minute to get dressed, then I’ll be ready.”
He hazarded a glance at Nora once Allie had made it into her room, and this time it was Nora who winked at him.
***
Nora laughed as the wriggling puppy in her lap nipped and licked her chin. “Oh my gosh. He’s so cute,” she gushed.
“So is this one,” Allie said, cuddling a sleepy puppy to her chest. “They all are. But this one is my favorite.” She nuzzled her nose into the fur of the fluffy brown-and-white one.
“The mom’s name is Grace,” Cade told them, scratching the mother dog under the chin. They were sprawled out on Bryn’s living room floor, each with a puppy in their lap and Grace curled against Cade’s leg. She rested her head on his knee, keeping an eye on both him and her pups. “She’s a cattle dog, but from the pup’s markings, I’d guess there’s some border collie mixed in somewhere on either her or the sire’s side.” He grinned down at his daughter, thankful he’d found something that made her laugh. He couldn’t believe how fast she’d gotten ready once he mentioned the puppies.
Allie had on the same shorts and flip-flops as the day before, but today she wore a light pink T-shirt. Between the pink color and the bright smile she wore, she reminded him so much of the sweet little girl he remembered that it made his chest hurt.
“What happened to the other puppies?” Allie asked.
“One of them went to Aunt Sassy, the lady I was telling you about last night. And there was a chunky one named Peanut Butter who went to a girl named Mandy. She’s Elle’s boyfriend’s daughter, and she’s always running around this place.”
Allie perked up. “How old is she?”
“Ten or eleven, I think. You’ll like her. She’s a real sweet kid, and she likes to help out with the horses and the animals. She somehow talked her dad into letting her have two puppies.”
“Huh” was all Allie replied.
“I think one of these guys is going to some neighbor kids down the road.”
“I wonder what will happen to the other two,” she said wistfully, cuddling the puppy under her chin.
Cade was fairly certain he knew what was going to happen to that one.
***
“This is where I first learned to ride a horse,” Cade said half an hour later as he led Nora and Allie into the barn. “My grandpa taught my brother and me how to ride when we were younger than you.”
Allie wheeled the knee scooter behind him but stopped a few feet from the palomino’s stall. “It’s hard to imagine you ever being younger than me.”
He chuckled. “I know, but I haven’t always been this hardened, rough cowboy. It’s taken a lot of years to become this cynical.”
“I’m sure.” Allie peered around the barn. “I wish I could have met my great-grandparents.”
His sardonic smile softened. “I wish you could have too. You would have adored my grandma—she was the sweetest, kindest person I’ve ever known, but she didn’t take crap from me or my brother. She made the best lemon meringue pie you’ve ever tasted, and she was one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. Same with my grandpa. That guy worked from sunup to sundown taking care of this ranch and all the animals. He used to have several hundred head of cattle that he ranched and a bunch of horses. He taught me to ride and rope and how to drive a wagon and bucket-feed a calf. He’s the one who taught me pretty much everything I know about how to cowboy.”
“He sounds like a great guy,” Nora said.
“He was a good man.” Cade cut his eyes to the stall where his horse stood, the memories of those summers spent here with his grandparents closing in on him like the clouds of a thunderstorm. Too bad I didn’t take after him. He swallowed, pushing the memories away as he turned back to Nora and his daughter.
He gestured to their sandaled feet. “Gramps would lose his mind if he saw those flip-flops in the barn. First thing he did every summer was take us kids into the Mercantile in Creedence and get us a new pair of cowboy boots.”
Nora laughed as she brushed hay from her foot. “I can see why.”
“I can see I’ve got my work cut out for me if I’m gonna try to teach a couple of city girls like you two how to cowboy.” His comment earned a grin from Nora and an eye roll from Allie, but he was starting to be able to read her eye rolls and could tell this one didn’t hold as much as annoyance as some. “A good cowboy always starts by taking care of his horse. Gypsy has been with me for fifteen years.”
“That’s a long time to have a horse,” Nora remarked.
He offered her a wry grin. “Longest and most committed relationship I’ve ever had with a member of the female persuasion.”
“It’s longer than you stayed with Mom and me,” Allie muttered.
Ouch. “Besides feeding them and giving them fresh water, you also need to groom your horse,” Cade continued, choosing to ignore Allie’s muttered comment. What could he say anyway? Her dig, though hurtful, was true. He gestured to a bucket of brushes and combs he’d set out earlier that morning. “There’s all sorts of brushes and curry combs you can use.” He grabbed a round brush, put his hand through the leather strap on the back of it, then stepped through the stall door. “I already fed and watered Gypsy this morning, but she still needs a good brushing today.”
He gestured for them to come closer. Nora took a tentative step into the stall, but Allie hung back where she was. “I’m good from here,” she said.
“Suit yourself.” Cade drew the brush down the horse’s neck. “Easy, gentle strokes,” he explained. “The horse might sometimes stamp their feet, but they enjoy the attention.” He held the brush out to Nora. “You want to give it a try?”
She shrank back. “She seemed tall from over there, but now that I’m closer, I realize she’s enormous.”
“Yeah. She’s a hard worker too. She’s gotten me through a lot of tough times and always pulls her weight when there’s work to be done. But she’s also a sweetheart. And she loves to be groomed.” He held out the brush again. “Come on. She won’t hurt you. And I’m right here.”
Nora took the brush and lightly touched it to Gypsy’s neck. “Good horsey,” she cooed, her voice a little breathless.
Cade put his hand over Nora’s and drew it across the horse’s coat. His shoulder brushed against hers, and he was suddenly all too aware of the floral scent of her shampoo. Gypsy turned her head back and gave Cade’s chest a nudge.
“Oh, gosh,” Nora said, taking a step back.
“It’s okay,” he told her. “She’s just saying hello.” Nora might have been unnerved by the horse’s movements, but he was more shaken by the feelings of heat surging over his skin from standing so close to Nora and touching her hand. He took a step back as well and turned his focus to Allie. Which was where his focus should always be, he reminded himself. “You ready to give it a try?”
“I’ll pass,” Allie said, wrinkling her nose.
Cade had a feeling it had more to do with a fear of the size of the horse than disdain.
“Oh, come on. How am I gonna turn you two into cowboys if you’re afraid of horses?”
“I didn’t say I was afraid,” Allie told him, then she let out a shriek as a velvety nose nudged her back. She whipped around to see Shamus standing behind her. “Holy crap. You scared me.”
Cade chuckled. He’d seen the mini-horse come in the front door of the barn and had been waiting for Allie to notice him.
Now that her initial fright was over, she smiled down at him. “How did you get in here?” The horse nuzzled into her side, earning a laugh and a neck scratch from her. He reveled in a few pets, then trotted over to the basket of brushes. He nosed through the choices, then daintily picked up a brush in his teeth and carried it back to Allie.
“I told you they like being brushed,” Cade said, grinning at the sound of his daughter’s laughter and the antics of the little horse.
Shamus shook his head then dropped the brush at Allie’s feet. She bent down and picked it up, then tentatively drew it over his back. He nodded his head and scooted closer to her. She giggled and did another long stroke from his neck to his rump. Shamus let out a contented huff, then turned around and nudged her with his backside. She laughed as she obliged his obvious request. “This guy is hilarious. But he likes this. He really does like it.”
“I told you. Horses enjoy affection just like dogs and cats. And people for that matter.” He loved watching his daughter interact with the little horse. Shamus was doing in ten seconds what he hadn’t managed to get her to do in ten minutes.
The horse turned his head and nudged her hip. “Why does he keep doing that?”
“He’s checking your pocket for snacks. He’s used to all of us giving him treats. I usually have some carrots or apple slices for him.”
“Do you have any today?”
“Not on me. But I’ve got some apples back at the house we could slice up for him.”
“Cool. I’ll go get some.”
“I can…” Cade stopped as Nora rested a hand gently on his arm. “I can wait here.”
Nora squeezed his arm. “We’ll be out here if you need us,” she told Allie.
Allie raised a skeptical eyebrow. “What would I need either of you for? I’m not a child. I’m just slicing up an apple and there was a whole bowl of them on the counter.”
“Yeah, of course,” Cade said, turning back to Gypsy. “Why would you need us?” He focused on taking deep breaths as he stroked his horse’s neck and listened for the sound of her wheeling out of the barn.
Nora patted his shoulder. “Good job, Dad. I know it’s hard, but the more things she does for herself, the better off you’ll both be. And just making the trip to the bunkhouse and back is good for her. The more she gets out walking and doing stuff, the better. We’ve made great progress this morning with the horses and the time we spent with the puppies.”
“I know. You’re right.”
The sound of a truck engine drew their attention. Shamus turned and trotted out the barn door to fulfill his duties as official ranch greeter. Cade closed up Gypsy’s stall, then he and Nora followed.
Zane and Bryn were back with the new rescue horse. Zane had his window down and was waving Shamus out of the way as he backed the trailer up toward the front of the barn. Bryn got out and hurried around to the back end of the trailer. “I hope you got the stall ready,” Bryn hollered in Cade’s direction. “She’s been pissed about being in this trailer the whole drive back.”
“It’s ready for her,” Cade said, stepping forward to open the back door of the trailer.
The horse inside was a small quarter horse, and she was indeed pissed off. Her body was gaunt, and her eyes were wild as she huffed and stamped her displeasure at the trailer. She was tied to the side bar with a weathered lead rope that looked like she’d been chewing on it. She reared back and the rope snapped, and she charged out of the trailer.
Zane was coming around the far side of the truck, and he held out his arms to try to calm her. He reached to grab what was left of the dangling rope but missed. His border collie, Hope, ran around his legs, letting out a sharp bark as she tried to herd the horse toward the barn.
Wild-eyed, the horse tossed back her head and reared up on her hind legs. Zane and Cade were standing to the left of the trailer, blocking the horse’s way.
Cade hollered to Nora as he took a protective step in front of her. “Get back in the barn.” From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Allie, who had just come off the porch of the bunkhouse and was heading their way, holding a bowl full of sliced apples.
The horse bucked again and took off in a terrified gallop heading straight for his daughter.