Stud in Texas (Rugged and Risque 4)

The horse’s head jerked, as though he actually understood her words.

Sam said, “He definitely likes your voice.” Probably her face too, which Sam himself had already committed to memory.

Beside him, Reese sing-songed in a conspiratorial whisper, “Someone’s got a crush.” She beamed up at him. “And it ain’t just the horse I’m talking about.”

He snickered. Apparently, his soon-to-be sister-in-law had caught his gaze easing down Sky’s back to her shapely butt, not quite covered by the jacket. She had long legs he couldn’t keep from imagining wrapped around his hips. He wouldn’t mind getting all tangled up with the blue-eyed beauty, despite the fact his focus these days was on horses, not women.

To Reese, he said, “Don’t get all high and mighty on me. I can keep my hands to myself.”

Maybe.

She laughed. “I wasn’t suggesting that at all.”

Sam crossed his arms over his chest and waited a while longer while Sky talked to Midnight. When she returned to where he and Reese stood, she pulled in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

“Okay,” she said. “Tell me what happened to him.”

“Probably not a good idea,” Reese was quick to say. To Sam, she explained, “Sky loves horses. She used to have one, in fact. Midnight’s story will break her heart.”

“All the stories will break my heart,” Sky said. “But I want to know about him. He’s the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen.”

With a nod—because Sam understood the compassion of a true horse lover—he told her, “Midnight’s owner was moving, but he didn’t have a trailer. So he tied the stallion to the hitch on the back of his truck and had the horse trot along behind him as he drove the back roads of Hill Country. Not too fast, but still…”

Sky stared at him, incredulous.

Sam continued. “It was a hot day and the horse hadn’t been fed or watered in some time, not to mention he’d been inhaling exhaust from the old truck. He might have been fatigued or he might have just stumbled, but he lost his footing and went down. The guy had the bed of his truck piled so high with stuff, he didn’t know right off that he was dragging the horse along the asphalt, especially since they were going downhill.”

“Good Lord.” Her hand clamped over her mouth and horror filled her eyes.

Sam’s gut clenched. She easily tugged at his heartstrings with her reaction to what the horse had suffered. The unexpected sensation took Sam by surprise. He couldn’t shake it off.

Reese stepped in when he remained silent. “Thankfully, the back bumper ripped off rather quickly from the weight of the horse. The sheriff found Midnight in the middle of the road, outside of town, and called Caleb. He’s been with us for a while. The very first horse we rescued.”

Sam watched Sky swallow hard and then her hand slipped away and she asked, “What in the world made that man think tying his horse to the back of his truck was a good idea? And how could he not have felt the sudden extra weight pulling on the vehicle?”

Sam shrugged. He only knew what the sheriff had told him, after the owner had been located in Wilder and hauled in. But he said, “Plenty of stupid people out there, darlin’.”

“No kidding.”

She appeared thoroughly disgusted and even went pale. Sam reached a hand out to her, gently holding onto her elbow.

“You all right?”

She shook her head. “It’s not just stupid. It’s plain cruel. Inhumane. Makes me sick to even think about it.”

“Agreed,” he said. “But it happens all the time. Not just to horses, but to puppies, kittens, people.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “At least some people are able to fight back. Defend themselves.”

“True. These horses didn’t stand much of a chance. But they’ll get better here and then we’ll turn them over to someone who will be kind to them. Someone who will respect them.”

Sky let out a half snort. “There shouldn’t be a need for this type of facility in the first place. Makes you want to kick all those owners in the balls, doesn’t it?”

He grinned, despite the touchy subject matter. He liked her spunk. “Why, yes it does. Though they don’t all have balls. Our American Morgan’s last owner is a woman.”

“Then I’d like to smack some sense into her.”

“Wouldn’t we all,” Reese said. Her gaze fell on Sky as she asked, “What do you think now? I know it’s a tough cause to reconcile in your mind, but certainly a rewarding and necessary one. Do you think you can work at the inn, knowing what’s going on around the ranch?”