ONE WEEK LATER
The following weekend, Tyrell gave Danny a ride to Meg’s place.
He glanced over at Danny. “Nervous?”
“No.”
“She’s a hot wire.”
Danny ignored him.
“I can’t believe it. Little brother’s first girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“What are you two gonna do?”
Danny shrugged. “Got any ideas?”
“Well—”
“I’m kidding!”
The radio blasted country music. Ruby stood in his lap, sniffing the crisp air flowing into the cab. Two fly rods rattled in the truck bed.
Tyrell grinned. “Dad’s going to love this.”
Danny turned and raised a fist.
“Okay, okay, I’ll keep my mouth shut. But he’s going to find out anyway, and rub it in worse than me. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“So listen, I’ll pick you up around five…unless, that is, she sends you packing early.” He laughed.
Danny had wondered about that.
The night before, Danny had worked up his nerve and called Meg. He’d told her about Spike taking Banjo, and how it went with Mr. Brodie. He was feeling so good, he asked if he could visit her. He’d been thinking of her constantly, of how she’d cared for Banjo, and how she wasn’t about to give him up until she knew he was in good hands. He liked her for that. A lot…even though she’d thought he was a skunk.
Meg Harris.
He smiled.
Tyrell drove up the drive. “Look.”
Meg was sitting on a bale of hay, reading something with a cat in her lap.
“She’s waiting for you. In case you’re not picking up on it, that’s a good sign.”
Danny dried his palms on his jeans as Tyrell pulled up. He tucked Ruby under one arm and got out, jamming her leash in his back pocket.
Meg set the cat down and jumped up. “A puppy!”
Danny handed her over. “Her name’s Ruby.”
He grabbed the two fishing rigs out of the truck. “Thanks, Tyrell. See you around five.”
Tyrell gave Danny and Meg a two-finger salute and drove off.
“She’s so cute!” Meg said. “Ruby. What a beautiful name. Where’d you get her?”
“You won’t believe this, but Mr. Brodie gave her to me.”
“You’re kidding.”
Danny reached over and scratched Ruby’s head. “He lost four sheep to wild dogs and coyotes last year, which is why he was so dead set on going after Banjo. He was just being a rancher. But he felt bad when Dad told him I’d shot my own dog, so he brought Ruby over. His border collie had a litter of ’em.”
“I guess you just never know about people, do you?” Meg said.
“Ain’t that the truth.” Danny thought of what he’d expected at Spike’s house. And he’d been wrong about Mr. Brodie, too, and even Dad.
He nodded to the card in her hand. “Mail?”
Meg looked at it, as if just remembering she had it. “Oh. Yeah. It’s from my friend Josie. She sent this from Seattle.”
Danny nodded. “Been to Seattle once. Big place. Huge.”
Meg laughed. “That’s just what she wrote on this card. Funny.”
They fell silent. Looked at Ruby.
“I miss Banjo,” Danny said. “He was the best dog.”
“Jacob had a dog once, but he got kicked by one of the horses. It was awful. We never got another one.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah…So what do you want to do?”
“I brought some fly rods. Thought maybe we could find a stream and catch some trout. You like to fish?”
Meg wrinkled her nose.
“What?”
“I don’t like to kill things.”
“I use barbless hooks and throw them back.”
“Do you, now.”
He liked the way she was squinting at him, eyes lit up with some kind of mischief.
“Are you a hunter?”
That took Danny by surprise. “Well…sure. Everybody hunts. Around here.”
“I don’t believe people should kill animals. I think it’s wrong.”
“Okay.”
He could live with that.
“What does okay mean?” Meg asked.
“Well, I guess it means it’s fine with me that you don’t believe people should hunt.”
“Good.”
Meg started over to the arena. “Come.”
Danny took Ruby and leashed her. In the arena, the spunky horse watched them approach, head high, ears forward.
“What grade are you in?” Meg asked.
Man, she sure changes directions. “Uh, just finished seventh.”
“Hey, me too!”
“Cool.”
Meg climbed up on the first rung of the fence and hung her arms over the top. Danny hung his over, too, only he could do it from the ground. His arm brushed hers. They glanced at each other, and heat flushed over Danny’s face. But neither of them moved their arm away.
He turned back to the horse. “Mustang?”
“Good eye. I got him over in Prineville from a guy who couldn’t handle him. I call him Amigo…but he’s not all that friendly. I’ve been working with him, or trying to. He’s still got a lot of wild in him.”
“So he’s not saddle broke?”
“Look at him,” Meg said. “He’s watching us. No, he’s not ready for a saddle. I haven’t even put a halter on him. I’m still trying to earn his trust.”
Amigo took a few steps closer, following the fence to get a better look at Meg and Danny.
“Mind if I try?” he asked, tying Ruby’s leash to the fence.
“Try what?”
“Put a halter on him.”
Meg studied Amigo. “Let’s both do it. I’ll get a halter.”
“Get a saddle blanket, too.”
She smiled. He didn’t know how hard she’d worked just to get close to Amigo. He’d soon find out how wary this horse was. She shrugged. “What’s the harm?”
She headed to the barn.
When she came back with the halter and saddle blanket, Danny was out in the arena heading toward Amigo, slow and patient. Meg tossed the saddle blanket on the top rail of the fence.
She crossed her arms and watched.
Amigo eyed Danny, then huffed and burst away, running stiff-legged to the other side.
Meg grinned.
Danny started after him, but Meg called, “I got this.”
Danny nodded.
She headed out into the arena. When Amigo stopped to watch her, she angled away, turning her back on him. Amigo tossed his head, keeping his eyes on her.
Danny leaned against the fence.
Meg kept on walking away from Amigo.
After a moment, Amigo started to follow her, neck stretched, head low. When she stopped, Amigo stopped. When she went on, Amigo went on.
Danny smiled. Something special is going on between those two.
Meg picked up a handful of dirt, and let it run through her fingers.
Amigo crept closer, sniffing the air. Meg couldn’t help but think of the old saying about cats and their curiosity. She grinned. Come on, Amigo. Investigate.
Amigo stopped three feet behind her.
Over her shoulder, Meg said, “Don’t you worry about that guy over by the fence, Amigo. Just think about you and me. Let’s show him what we can do.”
Meg eased around to face him. She kept from looking into his eyes, which seemed to be important to him. She walked closer and very slowly reached out to lay her hand on his neck.
Amigo gave a slight flick of his head.
She waited a moment, then stroked and rubbed his cheek. “There we go, now, there we go.”
Danny nodded. Beautiful.
Meg reached back and pulled the halter from her back pocket. She held it out for Amigo to sniff. Then she rubbed it along his neck and shoulders, which he didn’t seem to mind. “Nothing here to worry about,” she whispered.
She stroked Amigo’s face and slipped the halter over his ears.
Amigo tossed his head, and she quickly pulled the halter off.
It was the closest she’d ever come.
Danny watched, spellbound. That wild horse could kick a nail into a two-by-four, and there he was accepting Meg’s hand.
Meg felt light-headed. Breathe. Breathe.
Danny headed over, a huge grin on his face. He stopped halfway and said, low, “He’s learning to trust you.”
“I know,” Meg said, barely loud enough to hear.
Danny’s skin tingled. “That was amazing.”
She looked at him and almost went over to hug him but caught herself.
Danny looked away. “I’ll go get…you know…the blanket.”
“Yeah! The blanket.”
He started toward the fence.
“Amigo,” Meg whispered. “See that boy? His name is Danny, our new amigo. I think you’re going to like him as much as I do.”