Get Bucked (The Valentine Boys 4)

I nodded.

She did as she was told, letting them all out but the one on the end that didn’t get the choice on carrots or apples.

Once the horses made their way outside, all happy to be out of their stalls for the day, she stopped in front of the last stall and stared.

“I saw this horse, I think,” she said softly. “Is this the one that I mentioned to GQ?”

I nodded.

She held her hand out, and the horse looked at her warily, not even taking the first step in her direction.

“I’m calling her Butterfly,” I told her, coming up to Waylynn’s side and taking a carrot from the bag. Holding it out to Butterfly, I waited like I had all day for her to reach out and take it from me.

She did.

Eventually.

And nearly tripped over herself in her haste to get away from me.

“Beautiful,” Waylynn said. “She’s gorgeous. Very skittish, though. Has she gotten better? Or is she exactly like she was when you first got her?”

I laughed then.

“You should’ve seen me getting her into the trailer and bringing her here,” I said. “It was a sight to be seen.”

Waylynn laughed then, making my entire being feel lighter.

“Gave you hell, did she?” Waylynn snickered.

Remembering how much hell the horse gave me was comical to say the least.

“Oh, yeah,” I said. “Big time.”

We worked in companionable silence after that. At one point, I lost my t-shirt and Waylynn lost hers, too.

I tried not to look at her belly.

But I couldn’t stop myself.

It wasn’t tight and toned. It was a little bit flabby and she had a few stretch marks on her sides.

But, goddamn, was she breathtaking.

It was a freakin’ miracle to see someone that wasn’t tight and toned and perfect.

I got plenty of that at the freakin’ rodeo.

Girls that seemed more fake than real.

“What about her?” Waylynn asked.

I looked at the horse and shrugged. “I tried to get her out of here the first day, but nobody else was able to get her back up. It seems mean to leave her cooped up in here.”

“If your brothers have a problem, I’m sure they’ll call,” Waylynn said.

I’d imagine they would.

They wouldn’t miss an opportunity to give me shit if they could help it.

“Agreed,” I said, sliding the lock out of the wood. “Can you go stand back there? I’m not saying that she’s going to hurt you, but she might get scared.”

She did as I asked and backed up, giving me plenty of room to work.

After pushing the barn door open so she’d have an easy escape, I went back to the stall and swung the door open.

She took one look at me, the open stall door, and the open barn door, and flew out of there as fast as her skinny legs would take her.

I backed up just in time not to take a hoof to my left foot.

“She’s pretty fast,” Waylynn said. “She could’ve been a barrel racer with that speed.”

I agreed.

“I made the mistake of letting her off her rope that first day I was trying to get her into the trailer,” I said, watching as the horse ran circles in the pasture. “Won’t make that mistake again.”

Waylynn came up beside me and pressed her shoulder to mine.

Neither of us moved for a few seconds as we watched the horse run.

“Do you think she was ever able to run?” she wondered.

I backed away from the door and closed it up, ensuring that the horses wouldn’t be entering into the barn without supervision and possibly getting let loose if someone came in through the main door.

Then I cleaned out the last stall while Waylynn watched.

When we were all done, I stowed the shit back where it belonged, and gestured to Waylynn to precede me out of the barn.

“I’m gonna go grab some clothes from my room,” I said. “Wait for me in the kitchen?”

She only nodded.

Being careful to move on the spots of the floor that didn’t creak, I made it to my bedroom without waking one of my brothers.

After packing my bag and grabbing a few essentials, I made my way back out of the kitchen to see Waylynn looking around warily.

“What?” I asked curiously.

She gestured to the open space.

“You’re sure you don’t want to stay here for breakfast?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Negative. Let’s go.”

The sooner the better, actually.

I didn’t want to chance running into one of my brothers and having to actually talk to them.

She must have understood my eagerness to leave, because without another word she turned and walked out.

I followed close on her heels, bag slung over my shoulder and keys in hand.

“Have you decided to stay with me yet?” she asked.

I opened my passenger side door for her and waited for her to get in before slamming it closed.

Tossing my bag into the back of the truck, I got in and slammed my door closed as well.