Hope on the Range

by Cindi Madsen

  Tanya’s gasp yanked Brady’s attention back to her. He followed her gaze, and bile coated his throat as he got his first full look at the horse. So skinny he could see ribs and hip bones jutting through the coat, which was shedding in dull, lumpy chunks. Dark-red blood oozed from cuts where the barbs had dug in, and the horse’s body sagged on the fence. The mare gave a weak whinny, no longer seeming to care about the barbs digging into its belly—if it could even be called a belly anymore.

  Anger ignited low in Brady’s gut and spread, but he clenched his jaw and forced himself to hold his temper in check. Horse first, and then he’d deal with the son of a bitch who’d left her in such a debilitated state.

  “We’re going to cut her loose,” Brady said to the deputy, because he was afraid if he looked at the negligent owner, his rage would take the wheel.

  The cop nodded, and the owner released a vitriol of swear words about his horse and his property. He also threatened to shoot them, even though his gun was unloaded and out of reach.

  “I warned you that I’d have to put you in cuffs if you didn’t calm down,” the deputy said, and Brady wondered why he hadn’t already.

  This is probably why Edgar called Tanya.

  Brady left them to sort that out, while he and Tanya approached the horse.

  “It’s okay,” she said in a soothing voice as he got to work cutting away the wires. She let the horse sniff her hand and then slowly moved her palm over its neck. “We’re going to get you freed and all fixed up, and I promise you’ll never have to go hungry or see that bastard again.”

  Due to several bad experiences with the teens at Turn Around Ranch, Brady knew the law often had too many loopholes. Sure, in a perfect world, parents would get clean and give their children love and affection and learn not to hit them. They’d feed them and care for them in the way they deserved. Same with animal owners. But he was of the belief that some people had lost their chances.

  Take Nash’s father. The system gave him chance after chance to beat the shit out of his son. Warnings were issued and ignored. Nothing changed. Even a hospitalization hadn’t been enough.

  The lid Brady was doing his damnedest to keep on his anger rocked, the steam demanding escape but having nowhere to go.

  Tanya continued cooing at the horse while she also cut at the wires around its legs and chest. This type of situation—as well as Nash’s case—made Brady want to be a one-strike kind of guy, but he’d also seen second chances that’d changed lives for the better.

  Those people had to work at changing, though.

  That was what it truly came down to. If people put in the work instead of waiting for a magic fix. Right now, he was choosing to believe in the good. Because this mare was going to get a second chance, and she definitely deserved one.

  Eventually, he and Tanya managed to snap the last of the wires. They carefully guided the mare to the ground, and Brady immediately went to work on the biggest cuts.

  “…not malnourished,” the abusive asshole yelled. “That’s how you train a horse. Haven’t you heard about how they trained Arabian horses by denying them food and water for several days to see if they’d still obey when their owner rang a bell? It’s the sign of a strong horse.”

  Brady recalled the analogy on obedience and self-control. After days of deprivation, the horse was released with water in view. As soon as the animal began running toward it, the owner would ring a bell. If the horse didn’t stop and return, the horse was deemed unworthy.

  A mixture of myth and religious indoctrination, most likely. Even if it were true, at that time, the horses were also used for war in the middle of the desert. These days, that kind of training was unnecessary and cruel, and he’d argue it was back then as well. There were much healthier, more effective ways to teach horses to obey.

  Each irate throb of his pulse echoed through Brady’s head, and in order to maintain his focus, he exhaled, exhaled, exhaled as he treated the cuts the best he could. Meanwhile, Tanya tugged handfuls of alfalfa from the field the horse had been trying to get to and offered the clumps to the mare.

  “Hey! That bitch destroys my fence, and now she’s stealing my crops! Why don’t you arrest her?”

  Brady shot to his feet and whirled around, fists clenched into weapons of mass destruction. Time was up, the lid blowing clean off his anger. He took a step toward the despicable piece of shit. Let’s see how well he likes being trained.

  A small hand wrapped around his upper arm. “Brady, don’t,” Tanya said. “He’s already going in the back of that cop car, and I can’t have you there with him. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve for you to rearrange his face, but right now, this horse needs you. I need you.”

  The fury that’d replaced his blood called for retribution, but as soon as he looked at Tanya, her eyes wide and imploring, her fingers around his arm, it calmed to a low simmer. She was right. The horse was more important, and as tempting as it was to give people a taste of their own medicine, it rarely did any good.

  The sad truth was that life was full of disappointments, hardships, and inflicted hurts that couldn’t be healed quickly and simply. Hating it didn’t change things, so sometimes all you could do was put the past where it belonged and take on things one at a time.

  Brady supported the mare the best he could as he and Tanya guided it into the trailer. The deputy had forced the lunatic owner into the cruiser, and if Brady ever saw the guy again, he doubted he’d be able to restrain his temper.

  The deputy handed Tanya his card, Edgar thanked them for their help and asked to be updated on the horse’s health, and then they all headed to their respective vehicles.

  As tough as Tanya was, this kind of thing got to her. Brady didn’t know many people it wouldn’t affect. Her face was pale, and now that the horse had been freed, the fight slipped out of her, sorrow rising up instead.

  Tears filled her eyes as she studied the blood on her hands and arms. Mostly the horse’s, although she’d gotten a few gashes while removing the sharp wires. Brady wanted to tell her it was okay, but it wasn’t. Placing a hand on her lower back, he led her to her truck. He opened the driver’s side door for her, climbed in behind her, and fired up the engine.

  They headed one way, and the cruiser headed the other.

  “Why don’t you call Doc Mullens’s office and ask him to meet us at Bullhead Valley?” It needed to be done, and Brady hoped it’d give her a job to focus on. “I don’t want to move the horse more than we have to.”

  She nodded, over and over, and dialed the number. But when a tinny voice picked up the line, Tanya extended her cell to him. “Can you? I…” A shaky breath shuddered from her lips, and the tears that’d bordered her eyes broke free.

  Brady gave the receptionist the details and confirmed it was an emergency. As soon as he hung up, he wrapped his arm around Tanya, holding her as tightly as he could between driving and shifting.

  * * *

  Tanya straightened and wiped her cheeks as they neared the ranch. She didn’t want to look like she’d been crying, despite shedding plenty of tears. The drive home had been quieter than she remembered a ride ever being with her and Brady in the same truck.

  “Pops isn’t going to be happy about me bringing home another injured animal,” she whispered. Most of the time, she was plenty happy to work with her parents. But having to ask for permission for things like this left her feeling like a stunted teenager, and this was her ranch, too. In theory.

  Only her name wasn’t on the title. The only things she truly owned were the items in the tiny bedroom she’d never bothered updating, since she’d planned to move into one of the cabins eventually.

  At least Brady had held her together for a few minutes so she could get out of the truck and be the kick-ass chick she needed to be. Even if that meant an argument with Pops.

  “You missed breakfast,” Mom said, and then did
a double take at Brady, who extended a hand to Tanya and helped her down.

  Brady returned his arm to around her shoulders, and Tanya wanted to close her eyes, shut out the world, and bask in the comfort as they awaited the vet’s arrival. If she could do that without crying again, she’d consider it a win. She supposed she had to experience mushy emotions here and there, but why didn’t they ever hit at a convenient time?

  “Had to see a guy about a horse,” she said to Mom. True. Sort of. No reason to delay the inevitable, so she broke free of Brady’s grasp and rounded the horse trailer. Metal screeched against metal as she swung open the door.

  Dark eyes that held very little life greeted her, but there, way down deep, was a flicker. Tanya planned on taking hold of that spark and pouring love and affection on the mare until she was healthy, happy, and fat as could be.

  Brady helped her assist the injured horse out of the trailer. It wasn’t like the mare could run, and Tanya didn’t want to move her far, so they guided her to a patch of grass where she could rest and munch.

  Several of the guests at the dude ranch had come out to see what the ruckus was about, including Eric. He cautiously approached, the expression on his face portraying he was as appalled by the animal abuse as Tanya. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “We don’t want to spook her, so just stay back,” Brady said a bit harshly as he waved him and the other guests away. A fair point, although he could at least pretend to be cordial. She supposed after this morning’s hectic venture, a discussion on proper manners could wait.

  The screen door opened, and Pops pounded down the steps. “Where is everybody? We’ve got a lot to get done today, and we’re already a half hour behind.” The commotion drew his attention, and he charged over, already in one of his moods.

  Tanya winced but kept her poker face in place as Pops glanced from her to the horse to her again. “What in the Sam Hill is going on?”

  “I got a call about an emaciated horse that was stuck in a fence and needed to be rescued,” Tanya said. “Doc Mullens is on his way to check her out now.”

  Pops ran a hand through his thinning hair, his lips parting with a lecture, no doubt.

  “I’ll pay for it,” Tanya said through gritted teeth. “I’ll handle everything, I promise.”

  Pops sighed, nice and loud so everyone in the vicinity could hear. “I thought you were gonna stop making impulsive decisions. We can’t afford to take in every hurt animal in the county. When are you going to learn to think things through?”

  The frustration that’d been simmering under the surface rushed forward, bringing years of repression along for the ride. She had thought things through. Which was why she’d called Brady for backup.

  “Pops, this is different than dyeing my hair or challenging strangers to race for money.” She’d lost a couple hundred dollars she didn’t have that way, but she’d also been seventeen at the time. And sure, she’d made other errors in judgment, enough so he could probably stand there and list them off until her past mistakes crushed her. But this was different, and it killed her that he didn’t see that. “I heard a horse was in trouble, and I acted. Sometimes you have to make an executive decision.”

  “You’re hardly an executive.” His loud voice carried over their audience and across to her, where it struck her square in the chest.

  “Yeah, because you treat me like a child,” she snapped, speaking words she’d only thought before.

  “Listen here—” Pops started, but Mom stepped between them.

  Finally. It was about seven years too late, but Mom was actually going to intervene. “That’s enough.” It was as stern as Tanya had ever heard her mother talk to her father, and by some miracle, Pops listened. Then she turned her scowl on Tanya. “Both of you.”

  Okay, so she was in hot water, too, and maybe even deserved to be. Still it’d felt good to get that out.

  The sound of an engine cut through the tension hanging in the air, and Tanya caught sight of the shiny grill of Doc Mullens’s truck. She dropped down next to the injured horse, putting her energy into keeping the mare calm. Then she looked to Brady, not caring that it made her a bit of a hypocrite to criticize him for his lack of tact with their audience and implore him to use it on them minutes later.

  Without her having to speak her wishes aloud, he understood. In a low yet firm voice, Brady asked everyone to head to their cabins so the vet would have plenty of room to work.

  While Doc Mullens and Brady hooked a horse sled up to a four-wheeler, Tanya quickly cleaned a stall. Once the guys delivered the mare to the stables, she helped them get the horse off the sled and settled in her new quarters.

  Doc Mullens immediately started an IV, and as he doctored the cuts, Tanya lightly brushed the horse’s coat, removing the tangles of hair she’d shed due to lack of food.

  “You need a name, don’t you, baby,” Tanya said. “A brand-new start.”

  The horse weakly nickered and turned her nose to Tanya’s cheek. There were certain animals she’d instantly clicked with, and right then and there, that connection snapped into place. Just like that, Tanya’s heart nearly burst.

  Names flitted through her mind, but none of them seemed to fit.

  Shiloh, Banjo, Arizona…

  That last one wasn’t quite right, but it led her to the perfect name. “How about Phoenix? It’s a mythological bird that goes through fire, regenerates, and rises again. How do you like that?”

  The horse rested her head on Tanya’s lap and loudly exhaled, which incontestably meant she was happy with the new moniker. Tanya’s neck prickled with awareness, and she glanced up to see Brady grinning down at her. “Go ahead and tease me about being a softie if you must, but this horse is my new baby.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Brady said, although the quirk of his lips said otherwise. The type of tenderness he didn’t normally show came along for the ride, and that made it safer for her to go all-in on the horsey cuddling.

  After Doc Mullens had finished his ministrations, Brady extended a hand and helped Tanya to her feet. The doctor told her to start with grass hay and move up to grain and then alfalfa. He gave them directions for the bandages, topical ointment, and how often to change out the IV bag.

  With that, the doctor wished them a good day, and then it was just her, Brady, Phoenix, and the rest of the horses.

  Exhaustion set in as the impact of everything that’d happened—not just rescuing the horse but also with her father—hit Tanya. As nice as crawling back in bed sounded, she was already behind on her day and wouldn’t get a chance to flop onto her mattress until late tonight.

  Brady skimmed a knuckle down her arm, and her pulse chased after his touch as he linked their fingers together. He didn’t say anything, simply gave her a tiny squeeze to let her know he was there whenever she was ready to talk.

  Tanya gave in to the butterflies and his assuring presence, her eyes still fixated on the drowsy horse in the stall as she rested her head on Brady’s firm shoulder. “Is this how it feels? With the teens who come to Turn Around Ranch?”

  “Which part?” Brady asked, his voice low and raspy with emotion. “Looking at a broken creature and wanting to hurt whoever hurt them? Hoping you can help them recover and live a better life?”

  “Yes,” she said, because it all applied.

  “Yeah. Only most of the time, the teens look just fine. With a horse, at least you can see the injuries. It makes it easier to treat.” He dragged his thumb over her knuckles, soothing and riling with such a simple touch. “Not that what you did this morning was easy.”

  “What we did.” She tightened her grip on his hand. Admittedly, constantly thinking up witty lines and putting out the vibe had also been exhausting. Being on autopilot for this moment—which had resulted in handholding, so yay—reminded her of the many reasons she’d failed to avoid falling in love with Brady Dawson
. “Thank you for being there whenever I need you.”

  “Always.”

  Warmth suffused her, and she found herself fighting tears for the second time today. Suddenly, she was questioning being in love with Brady all over again. Not because she wasn’t—her heart thumped faster and faster, each beat confirming the fact that she was beyond head over heels—but because what if she lost this?

  Then again, what if this could be even better?

  Hadn’t she already analyzed and overthought all this? It was hardly the time, yet her brain whirred too quickly to stop it. “Do you promise?”

  His blue eyes met hers, and the world ground to a halt. “I promise,” he said, and she flung her arms around his waist and hugged him for all she was worth.

  Chapter 7

  “Hey, Harlow.”

  Chill bumps skated across her skin at hearing her name in that deep, incomparable voice, and she spun around so fast she smacked into the large side mirror of her truck. “Ouch.”

  A chuckle came out, and Maddox asked, “You okay?”

  She growled in response.

  “I’ll take that as yes.”

  When she started away from the mirror, a sharp pain pricked her scalp. She twisted to see why she couldn’t move without pain and discovered her hair was caught. Newer models didn’t have the large mirrors that stuck out as far as the ones on her older truck. While she appreciated being able to see so much of the road in their reflection, she wasn’t ready to lose a chunk of her hair to them.

  This is what I get for not braiding my hair today.

  She attempted to work the strands free but couldn’t quite see whether they were stuck in the crease or on a screw, so it wasn’t going great.

  “Here.” Maddox stepped closer, and with his body nearly touching hers, she caught a whiff of his cologne. Unlike the boys she attended high school with, who used a gallon of Axe body spray—sometimes in place of showering—the subtle hint of citrus and note of pine smelled nice and fresh. Like the forest after rain.