“Me too,” Skylar replied.
“How are you going to train Majestic?” Brett asked.
She glanced across the table at him. “He’s ready. I’ll start working with his owner this week. I can take it easy and sit back while the owner is on Majestic going through the paces. He wants him ready for the first of the horse shows starting in August.”
“Not far,” Ramona replied. “I’m sure he’s ready though. Are our sisters ever coming home again?” She asked.
Skylar chuckled. “I don’t think so. Roxy called right before Luka came home. She has a summer class starting soon working towards her Master’s in Psychology. She definitely won’t be home plus she’s started dating a guy she met in her apartment building.”
“I didn’t know that,” Ramona replied. “Of course, she doesn’t call me like she calls you.”
“She’s busy.”
“Stellan will be heartbroken,” Brett teased.
“We can’t all marry Shaw brothers,” Skylar replied without thinking. Then she realized what she had said. She looked up at Brett and Ramona then she glanced at her young daughter who was equally wide-eyed. She took a bite of her sandwich and refused to look at Luka. She knew the shit-eating grin that would be plastered on his face.
Chapter 16
Over the next few days Skylar worked with Majestic’s owner in the practice ring behind her barn. On Tuesday, Luka’s attorney brought a document for her to sign showing she owed Luka three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. On Monday, he had paid off her loans at the savings bank in town. Luka was looking at every angle Tag could use to get even with Luka and Skylar. More members of the towns’ council were requesting that Tag do the right thing and step down especially after the incident at the hospital.
Of his four brothers only one employer had expressed concerns about Tag Richardson’s reach. Dalton’s place of employment; a small steel manufacturer who had loans at the same savings and loan where Skylar banked and Tag’s family stock made them majority owner. For now, Dalton was secure. He was a damn fine welder they didn’t want to lose him.
That morning before Majestic’s owner arrived for their morning workout, Chloe called to say she was coming home for the weekend. She hadn’t been home since Spring break in March. Her sister would be celebrating her nineteenth birthday soon and Ramona and Skylar wanted to see her.
Ramona had called their sister this time to see if she was coming home anytime. Chloe called Skylar back when she couldn’t reach Ramona and let her know that she would come home Friday night and stay through Monday. She had to be back at work on Tuesday morning. Skylar was excited about planning something for Chloe and left a message for Ramona and Luna about a party at the ranch on Saturday night.
Heading outside to the barn to get Majestic ready for his appointment with his owner she hesitated between the house and the barn. A police car was coming up the lane towards the house. As it got closer Skylar realized that it was Isaac in the driver’s seat.
She waited for him at the side of the driveway. Luka had taken Ava into town to get supplies from the feed mill where Brett was the manager.
“Isaac, how are you?” Skylar asked when he got out of the car.
“Doing well Skylar,” he told her. “How’s the head?”
“Just fine,” Skylar replied. “Are you hear to check up on my health or is this official cause I need to get Majestic saddled before his owner arrives?”
He took off his hat and rubbed his hand across his closely cropped hair. “Official.”
“Can we go to the barn so I can saddle the horse while we talk?”
“Sure,” he replied.
He followed her to the barn. She was such a tiny thing he felt badly standing by while she man-handled the heavy saddle onto the back of Majestic. She assured him she did this heavy work every day. She led the horse to the practice ring with Isaac following close behind. His shoes getting dirty in the process. He glanced at the bottom of one shoe and decided not to question what was on it.
“The council voted unanimously that Tag step down voluntarily or they will force him out. The council is appointing an interim Mayor,” Isaac explained. She tied the horse to the fence.
“Uh oh.”
“Yeah.”
“How did he react?” She patted Majestic’s rear and looked up at Isaac waiting for him to tell her just how bad it was.
“How do you think?”
“Not good or you wouldn’t be here,” Skylar replied.
“The Chief escorted him home while he sent me here,” Isaac explained. “He made several threats against you, Luka and Ava. It was the threat against Ava that shocked everyone. She’s a child.”