Eden smiled. “Sure. Have fun exploring the town.” She kissed them all goodbye and walked out the back door. The path to the refuge was easy enough to follow, and this early, it wasn’t miserably hot. She enjoyed the sounds of the birds in the cedar and oak trees. She’d spotted a raccoon, squirrels, a roadrunner and several jackrabbits on her way.
But whatever was following her this morning was larger.
She heard him before she saw him, his soft whinny making her wait. “Fester,” she said, stopping so the horse could come closer. “Good morning. Were you waiting for me?” She stood still, letting the animal give her a hug. “You need a brushing.” She ran her fingers through his mane on the side of his neck, noting the burs and twigs trapped in the long black hair.
Fester shook his head, making her laugh.
“No brushing?” she asked. “A bath, maybe?” She started walking again, talking to Fester the whole time. He listened, she could tell. His ears cocked toward her, the occasional nicker a sort of conversation.
By the time they reached the refuge, Eden slowed, placing her hand on the horse’s neck. She paused by the steps of the administration office. “I wish you could tell me what you wanted, Fester. Archer wants to make you happy. So do I.” She rubbed his well-muscled neck with long, slow strokes.
“That’s all he wants,” Archer said, his voice low and coaxing.
Fester’s ears twitched, but he stayed by her side.
“What?” Eden asked.
“You,” Archer said. “I’ve never seen him so calm.”
She glanced at Archer, painfully aware of how handsome he looked in his pressed button-down shirt and tight, worn jeans. She continued stroking Fester’s neck, smiling when Fester turned toward her, breathing against her chest. “He’s a beautiful boy.” She saw the heavy scarring along his back right leg. “What happened to him?”
“He was caught in barbed wire when I got the call. Half-starved and dehydrated, trapped and pissed at the world. His leg was in a bad way. Think he blames me for the pain he went through.” Archer moved a little closer, keeping his voice low.
“It’s easy to lash out, isn’t it?” she asked Fester. “But Archer’s a friend. Where were his owners?”
“A couple owned him pretty much his whole life. The husband got sick so they moved up north to their daughter’s place. They thought someone had come to get him, but...”
“He was left behind.” She rested her forehead against Fester’s neck and closed her eyes, overcome with sympathy for the animal. Fester didn’t know where his people went. All he knew was he was alone. He must have been terrified, waiting for his people, trapped and hurting. “Does he like other horses?” she asked.
Archer sat on the bottom step of the porch, a few feet away.
Fester made an odd sound, stepping back.
“Don’t know. He gets agitated and jumps the fence as soon as the gate closes—before he sees the other horses.” Archer shook his head.
Eden stared at the horse. “Can we try again?”
Archer didn’t answer right away. “We can. He needs everyone to know he’s in charge. He’s special.”
Eden looked at Archer, hesitant. “Is there a group that won’t challenge him? Timid animals? That might want a leader?”
“We could try to get him in with the two waiting to be companion animals,” Toben called out from where he was leaning on the porch railing, keeping his distance but close enough to hear. “Can’t get more docile than that.”
“Bring them up to the front pasture, so we can break them up if we need to,” Archer said, standing.
“On it,” Toben said, sprinting off.
“Question is, how do we convince him to go inside a gate?” Archer sighed.
She already knew the answer to that. She rested her hand on the horse’s back. “I’ll walk in with him. Stay for a while.”
“Eden, I don’t want you trapped inside. If he does get riled up—”
“You’ll tell me before that happens. You’re the animal behaviorist. Would Fester hurt me?” Her gaze locked with his.
There was a long pause, his blue eyes boring into her own. “No, he loves you.” His voice was low, gruff.
It was hard to breathe. “Why do you say that?”