Rancher Under the Mistletoe by Joanne Rock

Author:Joanne Rock
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-09-07T12:19:01+00:00

Eight

Of the two agitated animals, Clayton had gambled that it would be easier to calm the mare first. He’d brought a rope from the barn, prepared to secure the dappled gray, but when he’d cautiously slid from the SUV to analyze the situation, the loose horse’s prancing and pawing warned him he would be foolish to approach by himself.

Waiting beside the vehicle for his brother to arrive, Clay flexed his fingers and tried to breathe out the tension in his muscles as he kept watch on the animals. He knew how well horses picked up on anxiety in the people around them, so he needed to be calm and relaxed when he approached the overwrought pair. He hadn’t been at Kingsland when his stepmother had been trampled by a horse while trying to separate Quinton from a rearing animal, but he’d felt the trauma her death had left on the Kingsley family. She’d been an excellent horsewoman too, so Clay didn’t deceive himself for a moment that he could fare any better with an agitated animal. He only hoped the stallion didn’t further injure himself with a fretful mare dancing just out of reach.

A hope dwindling fast with the gray lady horse posturing in a way that signaled she was in heat.

Thankfully, a pair of headlights cut through the night gloom at the same time, the sound of an engine muffled by the fresh snowfall. It had to be Gavin since his half brother’s spread, Broken Spur Ranch, was next door to Kingsland, both properties built along the Madison River.

At the sight of Gavin’s four-wheeled ATV trundling easily over the soft snow, some of Clay’s tension eased. Of Duke Kingsley’s four sons, Gavin outstripped them all in horsemanship, a fact supported by his decorated rodeo career as well as his efforts to spearhead the new breeding program at Kingsland.

“Thanks for waiting for me,” Gavin called out as he switched off the four-wheeler and hopped off the machine. “I’m glad to see the time in Alaska hasn’t eroded your horse sense.”

Clay couldn’t read his brother’s expression in the moonlight, though he could see well enough to recognize Gavin was unfastening a bucket of grain from the back of the ATV.

Was that a hint of bitterness in his voice?

A loud whinny split the air, speeding Gavin’s movements.

“I prefer to think of it as animal sense,” Clay explained as Gavin joined him, the grain bucket in his hand. “And it applies to other creatures besides horses. I wouldn’t approach a polar bear solo either.”

His words got a light laugh from his sibling, which had been Clay’s hope. For the horse separation to go well, they both needed to be calm and relaxed. Even now, the stallion reared, his frustration evident.

“Fair enough,” Gavin admitted, passing Clayton the bucket of grain he’d brought as incentive. “Do you want to do the talking and offer Ms. Hot to Trot some feed while I get the rope around her?”

“Sure thing.” Pail in hand, Clay approached the mare

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.