Worth the Ride

by Casey Peeler

  “Good point.”

  “I’m in, but I think I’m missin’ church tomorrow. I’ve got to start unloading and I’m exhausted.”

  “I’ll give you a pass this week young lady, but you know the deal, in this house we praise the Lord on Sundays.”

  “Yes sir, guess it’s a good thing I’ll be in the loft,” I say with a laugh.

  I stand and give him a hug before I take the spoons and glasses to the sink as he places the banana pudding in the fridge.

  Chapter 5

  Weston

  After lunch, Bryndle and I head toward Mr. Strange’s farm. It’s not a far drive, but I’m interested in seeing this horse, and more importantly, finding out why he has it. He’s not the kind of guy that typically takes on a wild one.

  “Daddy, what does he want you to do to this horse?”

  “Tame it.”

  “How do you do that?”

  That’s a question I ask myself quite frequently. “I’m the horse whisperer.” Bryndle begins to laugh and so do I.

  “Maybe I could help you?” she questions. I know she’s trying to get what she wants.

  “We’ll see.”

  She looks in my direction and smiles, knowing she’s hooked me again. I don’t want her anywhere near a wild horse, but I can see she’s just like me. The moment I tell her no she’ll be out there alone, and that’s dangerous.

  As we walk toward the pasture, I notice a beautiful horse the color of midnight roaming the field. She has a dominant air about her.

  “She’s beautiful!” Bryndle says as she starts to walk toward the fence. I take her arm and make her pause. Looking at me, she understands. This horse is different and can’t be treated like Poncho, our quarter horse.

  “Why are some horses wild and others not?”

  “It’s just like people. Everyone’s different, and that’s what makes this world an amazing place.”

  Mr. Strange approaches us and we shake hands. I introduce him to Bryndle, and then we talk business. This horse was found in the mountains and brought here by some friends of his. He doesn’t want anything to do with it, but he knew I would. He thought I could possibly sell her to the rodeo or use her myself. I hate to tell him, but that’s not how the rodeo works.

  I start to tell him no when Bryndle speaks up. “Daddy, can we buy her?”

  “Bryndle, that’s not what this is about. We can’t afford any more animals.”

  “You can have her, Weston. It’s not like I bought her. Let the girl take her. You’re the only one I know that can do anything with her anyways. Dr. Sellers is on his way to check her out then she’s yours.”

  Bryndle takes my hand and looks up at me. “Please Daddy!”

  “As long as Lyle says she’s okay.” I can’t believe I just agreed to this.

  Bryndle begins to jump up and down, and I have no idea who this girl is. “Thank you, Daddy! You’re the best! I promise I’ll help you like I do with Poncho.” I nod.

  I turn to finish up with Mr. Strange when she starts to walk back to the fence.

  “Bryndle, stay close okay?” She nods her head in agreement.

  We walk toward the barn as Lyle’s truck pulls up. Mr. Strange begins to tell me what he knows about the horse when I see someone that is strangely familiar. I do a double take when I realize who it is. Holy shit. Timber Sellers is back.

  As they approach us, I try to keep myself in check because I know she’s about to make some smart-ass comment. That’s how she is.

  “Hey Doc, hope you don’t mind, but I called Weston to see what he could do with her.”

  “No problem, Mr. Strange. This is my daughter, Timber. She’s moved back to work with me.”

  “Hello, Timber. Nice to meet you.”

  “Hello, Mr. Strange. Nice to meet you too.”

  “If you don’t mind, we’d like to check her out. You think you can get her close?” Mr. Sellers asks, looking in my direction.

  “Let’s see if I can help you with that,” I say, waiting for Timber to comment but she just follows behind us.

  Turning toward the pasture, my heart jumps out of my chest as panic sets in. Bryndle is inside the fence with the horse. “Bryndle Cole! Don’t move!” I say, running toward her with Timber right on my heels.

  As I get closer I slow down to keep from startling the horse. “Hush, Daddy. You’ll scare her,” she whispers without taking her eyes off the horse. That’s when I realize that this wild horse, just inches from her, is calm as a cucumber.

  I approach them cautiously. I can’t afford to have something happen to her. “Take a step back slowly,” I instruct.

  “I’m fine, Daddy. She likes me. Don’t you, Scarlett?” Scarlett? Crap, she’s named her already.

  Pausing, I quickly evaluate the situation and realize that this horse trusts Bryndle. As I take a step toward her, she begins to get agitated. I know that, for Bryndle’s safety, I must keep my distance. “Bryn, you’re doing great, but the vet needs to check her out. So if you don’t mind, will you prance yourself safely to the other side of the fence?” I ask in a low, calm voice.

  “But Daddy!”

  “No buts. Just do it.”

  Timber

  I do a double take as the fearless Weston Parker tries to pretend he’s not scared shitless, but it’s obvious that he’s terrified. Looking at Daddy, I give him a nod as we walk calmly to the fence trying not to do anything to spook the horse.

  As we approach, I look to Weston. If it were just us, I’d call him a pansy and tell him to get out of the way, but I think my mama would kill me if she knew I talked like that in front of his little girl. Plus, I know we have to think about her safety.

  “Mind if I?” I ask as I move toward Bryndle and her new friend. He gives me the go-ahead. “Hi, I’m Timber.”

  “Daddy and Forrest have told me about you,” Bryndle says and I nod.

  “How about you stay right here with her while I check her. Is that okay, Weston?” His face hardens.

  “That’s fine, but I’m not moving.”

  Nodding, I take a step closer as Daddy brings the medical bag to us. I start talking to the horse and when she begins to stir, Bryndle takes a step closer. It seems to calm her.

  “She likes you.”

  “I think so too.”

  Smiling, I look to Weston and back to her. “Bryndle, can you talk to her while I work, but keep a safe distance? No matter what, always stand to the front side of her.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I start to giggle. I don’t think I’ve ever been called ma’am. As I do a quick check of the horse, I’m impressed by how Bryndle handles her, and how they seem to click. I know for a fact that any animal can turn in a minute, but it’s obvious that Bryndle has been exposed to this type of animal.

  As we finish, the horse becomes antsy. When we all begin to walk toward the fence, I see Weston pick up the pace. But when Bryndle doesn’t follow him, the old Weston comes out.

  “Sweet Peach, pick it up. She’s not a happy camper.”

  “Daddy, we’re fine.”

  He looks in her direction, and it’s like he speaks without a word. Those eyes of his heed warning, and it even makes me shake in my boots a bit but then I remember the Weston whose ass I use to whoop on a daily basis fishing in the pond.

  As we clear the fence, Weston lights into her. “Bryndle Cole, what were you thinking? I told you not to go out there, but you did it anyways. There’s no way this horse is going with us. If you can’t follow directions then I can’t risk her at our farm.”

  “But, Daddy!’

  “No buts – ” he starts to say, but I cut him off.

  “Give her a break, Weston, it’s not like you didn’t do the same thing at that age.” He doesn’t say a word. Instead, he looks at me. His eyes tell me this isn’t my place and to keep my mouth shut. “That was me. Not her. She didn’t follow directions.”

  “And?” I banter back, unable to keep my mouth shut as usual.

  �
��She knew she wasn’t supposed to do that. She could have gotten hurt.”

  “And?”

  “And? Is that all you can say, Timber?” he asks as he takes his cowboy hat from his head and wipes the sweat from his brow.

  “Nope. Close your ears, Bryndle,” I say and she puts her hands over her ears. “I was going to say, get off your damn high horse. So what if she’s a girl? She did something amazing out there. There’ve been plenty of times you didn’t follow the rules, and you turned out okay.” Weston is fuming at this point and I can’t help myself. I grin like a dang opossum and that really ticks him off. Man, being home is going to be so much fun and messing with Weston Parker is going to make it even better.

  Looking at Bryndle, I see that she still has her hands over her ears so I motion for her to pull them down. “You were awesome out there, and if he won’t let you take her, I will.” Bending down to whisper loud enough for Weston to hear, I say, “Even if he’s not happy about it.”

  Weston looks at me like he’s ready to come to blows like the old days. I smile sweetly, and head toward Daddy’s truck like I didn’t just put him in this place. As I open the door, I look back toward them. “I’ll stop by the farm tomorrow once she’s settled to check on her again and move her to my place if needed.”

  Chapter 6

  Weston

  What the fuck just happened? My daughter just witnessed a Timber tornado, and I’m speechless. I look to Bryndle and then to Timber, who is hightailing it to Lyle’s truck. Mr. Strange, Mr. Sellers and I discuss the option of moving the horse today, but I decide after what just happened, I need to make sure everything is in place before deciding if she’ll come home with us or the Sellers. I promise Mr. Strange I’ll return after Bryndle goes to school tomorrow and Lyle agrees to meet me here as well. We finish business and then head toward the truck.

  As Bryndle buckles her seatbelt, I let her know I didn’t mean to get so mad. Between her going in there and scaring the shit out of me, and Timber’s smart mouth, I lost my gasket.

  “I like her,” Bryndle says quietly as she looks out the window toward the horse.

  “I know you do, Sweet Peach, but you scared me today with her. If she comes to the farm, you have to promise me that you’ll follow all of the rules.”

  “I meant Timber,” she says with attitude.

  I begin to cackle at Timber and her spitfire attitude. “Yeah, I’ve always liked her too. You never have to guess what she’s thinkin’.”

  “So you didn’t always follow the rules, huh?”

  “Listen, young lady, I wasn’t always perfect and I took risks but you are my little girl and I don’t want anything to happen to you. Working with a wild horse can really get you hurt and you need to be careful around them. If you follow the rules, I’ll teach you everything I know.”

  “Okay, Daddy. Thank you.”

  Timber

  While I wait for Daddy in the truck, I take out my phone to check social media. When I’m finished I watch the horse in the pasture. I still can’t fathom how Bryndle was so calm with her. It’s almost like she’s got a big hunk of her daddy inside that little bitty body. Looking at Weston, I know Daddy’s going to give me an earful for calling him out, but dang it, he got all pissed off and she did amazing. He’s always been the first one to break the rules, but I guess when it’s your kid, it’s different. Man, I’ve never seen him that pissed off except when he found out Hannah was preggo. Lord have mercy, I just happened to be at the barn with Forrest and he broke all kinds of shit that night. I felt so bad for him, but then again, he’s the one that rolled around in the hay with her.

  As Daddy starts for the truck, I focus on the tongue-lashing I’m about to get. Five, four, three, two, one.

  “What in Sam Hill was that, Timber?”

  “She was awesome out there, and if he doesn’t want the horse I’ll take her.”

  “And keep her where? I can’t have a wild horse near people’s pets.”

  Crap I didn’t think that through.

  “Maybe Weston will let us keep her at his place.”

  “You think? With the way you just ran your trap to him? Y’all aren’t kids anymore. You’re grown ass adults. You’re gonna have to lay off of him. He’s got a lot on him between Bryndle, the peach season about to hit, and now this horse.”

  “Honestly, he ticked me off. I know it had to have scared him to see her out there, but he should have been proud of her.”

  “Maybe you’re right, but that boy has had a tough road and done well. You aren’t her mother. You can’t undermine him in front of her. He’s got his reasons, and you better pray that he takes that horse because we’re not.”

  Chapter 7

  Weston

  As my alarm clock buzzes that awful sound, I place my feet on the floor, wipe the sleep from my eyes, and slide on my jeans, shirt, boots, and ratty ball cap. Glancing at the clock, I know I’ve got a lot of ground to cover this morning on the farm as well as checking the pasture and barn for everything we need for Scarlett. Yes, I swore we wouldn’t take her, but I know good and well that Timber doesn’t need that horse at her place. People would go ape shit if they knew their precious pups were out there with that wild one.

  I quickly check on Bryndle and whisper to her that I’ll be back. I set the alarm on her tablet and make my way outside.

  As I gather the containers to start picking, Forrest pulls up, along with the other guys that work for me. They start preparing for the day’s work. Glancing at my watch, I know I have about thirty minutes before I’ve got to go inside and get Bryndle ready for school.

  Forrest and the crew take over the boxes as I go to check the barn for everything that I’m going to need this morning. Of course there’s food and essentials, but I take the Gator out and check the perimeter fence for any gaps that could give Scarlett a chance of escape or anything that could hinder her success. Finally, I stop by the pen to ensure that there aren’t any weak boards and that it’s secure for her.

  When the sun starts to peak over the horizon, I know I’ve finished just in time. Driving back to the house, my phone begins to ring and I see that it’s the Sellers’ Clinic.

  “Hey, Lyle.”

  “Nope, Timber. What time you going over there this morning?”

  “After I take Bryndle to school and load up the trailer. Why?”

  “I’m going with ya. I’ll meet you at your place around eight thirty.”

  Before I have time to come up with an excuse, she’s hung up and I’m speechless. How did she even know I was going to take the horse? I turn and start walking to the house when I see Forrest.

  “Sheeee’s back,” he says with a laugh. “Sorry, man. I can’t do anything with that girl.”

  “No one ever has been able to.”

  Walking into the house, I hear the alarm clock going off but there is no sign of Bryndle. I bet she hasn’t even moved. Glancing at the clock, I know we’ve got to hurry. I knock on the door to give her a little privacy if she’s up, but when I don’t hear anything but the alarm, I go on in. Walking to her bed, I try to wake her as gently as possible. She doesn’t respond, so I take a seat beside her and brush her hair away from her face.

  “Mornin’, Sweet Peach. Time to rise and shine. Daylight’s burnin’.” A mumble comes through the cover. “If you don’t want me to pick your clothes out, I suggest you start movin’.” She tosses the covers back and lets out a harsh breath as her eyes begin to flutter open.

  “Fine.” She sits up, rubbing her eyes and stretching as she starts to move. I stand, walk toward the door, flip on the light, and look in her direction.

  “Cereal or cinnamon roll for breakfast?”

  “Cereal.” I go to the kitchen and get it ready. After ten minutes, I go back to check on her and see her standing there with the hairbrush caught in her hair.

  “Need some help?”

  She looks at me with pleading eyes, and I go to her rescue. Wrapping my hand around the handle, I try my best to
pry her hair free without hurting her so that she doesn’t have a meltdown. She flinches several times, but eventually we get the brush free and her hair free of tangles. Once the knots are gone, I hand her the brush and she takes her headband and slides it in place.

  “Let’s eat,” I say as we walk into the kitchen. We have a quick breakfast together before I drop her off at school.

  Arriving back at the farm, I head straight to the barn. I load up the trailer with everything I might need to make this horse feel safe and willing to climb in. As I put the last of the supplies inside, I hear a truck coming down the driveway at full throttle. It takes me less than two seconds to know who’s speeding in on two wheels.

  Turning, I see Timber hopping out of the truck, hurriedly slamming the door. She grabs a bag off the back and walks my way. I do a double take when I see her. She looks completely different from yesterday, but maybe it’s because I was pissed then. She’s not the girl that used to play baseball and whoop my tail, she’s a grown woman – tits and all. Her hair is curled and down, her jeans fit her legs perfectly and she’s wearing a tight tank top. When her eyes meet mine, she smiles and waves. Who is this girl and where is the old Timber?

  Timber

  Walking toward Weston, I can feel him staring at me. I give him a smile and wave, but I really want to flip him off. However, Daddy’s words from this morning are ringing through my mind. Whatever you do, Timber, remember whose clinic you represent. That little come-to-Jesus meeting this morning made it clear that I better be on my best behavior, but I’m positive that’s only in front of clients and Weston Parker isn’t a client, he’s the dang boy next door. So, I do what I want to do and flip him off, and he returns one my way.

  Approaching him, I see that he’s obviously been working pretty hard this morning. “Need any help?” I question.

  “Nah. I think I’m good, but you know you really don’t have to come. I’m sure I’ve got this under control.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you do. Kinda like yesterday, huh?”

  He pauses and looks my way. “Oh I’m good today. You caught a glimpse of me on daddy duty. There’s nothing I won’t do for her, and you better be glad she was there and we had an audience because it took everything I had not to fall into your little trap.”