Texas Tall (The Tylers of Texas 3)

“Sky’s always telling me to think like a horse, so that’s what I try to do,” Erin said. “I wish he was here. I really miss him.”

“We all miss him,” Tori said. “At least your dad said he was doing better this morning.”

“Next time somebody goes to see him in the hospital, can I go, too?”

“We’ll decide that later.” Seeing Sky burned and bandaged could be too much for the girl, Tori thought. But then, her daughter was mature beyond her years. She would probably handle it fine.

“Remember what we talked about in the kitchen, Erin. Are you ready?” Natalie pulled two sets of latex gloves out of a packet in her bag and handed one pair to Erin. “Can you hold the mare out of the way, Tori? She might not understand what we’re doing to her baby.”

“Got her.” Tori didn’t have the Tyler touch with horses, but she was confident enough to grasp Lupita’s halter and, with pats and reassurance, ease the mare to the far side of the makeshift stall.

Erin had put on the latex gloves Natalie had given her. Tori watched in disbelief as Natalie took Tesoro’s head and stepped back to make room for Erin in the stall. “You’re the one he trusts, Erin,” Natalie said. “Go ahead.”

The area around the gash in Tesoro’s shoulder had been lightly shaved, and there was a gauze dressing taped in place. Singing softly to her trembling foal—as Tori had known Sky to do—Erin stroked his neck with her left hand, while her right gently peeled away the tape and lifted off the gauze dressing. “What do you think?” she asked, stepping back so Natalie could see.

The eight-inch wound, probably a skin rip from an exposed nail or splintered wood in the barn, didn’t look as bad as Tori had feared it would. However, the sight of the torn edge, gleaming with ointment, made her knees go watery. She soothed the nervous mare, her hand gripping the rope halter, her eyes on her daughter. She’d never realized Erin was capable of doing what she was doing now.

“The wound doesn’t look infected.” Natalie spoke in answer to Erin’s question. “But it’s still oozing a little. I’d say we should keep the dressing on it at least one more day. Here.” She handed Erin a fresh, ointment-coated gauze pad. Erin pressed it gently into place and secured it with lengths of surgical tape. The golden foal quivered, but didn’t try to move.

“Good job,” Natalie said as Erin stepped back. “It might fall off later. If it does, don’t worry. Just let the wound heal in the air.”

Tori let go of the mare. “You did great,” she told her daughter as they walked back to the house. “I was proud of you. Maybe you should think of becoming a vet, like Natalie, one day.”

“I have thought about it.” Erin sounded surprisingly grown-up. “I wouldn’t mind being a vet, but I’d have to go away for my schooling—for years. I don’t want to leave the ranch that long.”

“But, surely, you’ll want to go to college,” Tori said. “The money’s there. Your grandpa Bull left it to you in his will.”

“Dad never went to college,” Erin said. “Neither did Sky. I want to stay right here on the ranch and train horses. I can learn all I need to know right here.”

Tori gazed at her daughter, already growing so tall. This was a child speaking, she reminded herself. A child just short of her thirteenth birthday.

“I know the ranch needs money right now,” Erin said. “I’m going to tell Dad he can use what Grandpa left me.”

“Erin! Your dad would never take that money from you!”

“Not even to help save the ranch?”

“Not for anything,” Tori said, knowing she was right. “Do you want to go into town with me this morning? We could get lunch at Burger Shack. You must be getting tired of leftover turkey.”

Erin hesitated, then shook her head. “I’ll stay here. I want to keep an eye on Tesoro. If I go, I’ll be worried about him.”

“All right. I’ll see you later, then.” Tori watched her daughter scamper off toward the coop to gather eggs for Bernice. Maybe by the time she finished high school, Erin would change her mind about college. But she had inherited her father’s stubborn nature and his love for the land. Something told Tori that her decision was final. As a mother she could only hope and pray it was the right one.

After changing her jacket and collecting her briefcase, Tori went out to her wagon and headed for town. When had her little girl become such a determined young woman? she wondered as she drove. What would Erin do if the worst happened and the Rimrock was no longer there for her?

Tori remembered Will’s request—that if he was sentenced to prison, she and Erin would move back to the ranch. She’d told him she’d have to think it over. But now, after hearing Erin’s decision, she knew it would be her only option.

How would that limit Tori’s life, especially if things became serious with Drew? But how could she even think about that when Will was facing years behind bars?

The jangle of her cell phone broke into her thoughts. With her free hand, she fished it out of her purse. The caller was Drew.

“Hi,” she said, realizing she’d scarcely given him a thought since the barn fire. “How’s Omaha?”

“Boring. I missed my favorite lady, so I drove back early. I know you’re busy, but I need to talk to you. How about getting together for lunch?”

CHAPTER 16

Tori had an hour-long appointment with a middle-aged couple, setting up a family trust for their grown children. After they’d left, she spent another hour organizing the paperwork and filling out the formal documents on her computer. The next time she glanced at her watch, it was almost noon—time to meet Drew for a quick lunch at the Burger Shack.