Reunited with the Cowboy by Claire McEwen

Author:Claire McEwen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-04-03T18:34:51+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

CALEB TRIED TO slide the halter over Amos’s nose, but the big black gelding tossed his head and backed into the corner of the stall.

Caleb reached into his pocket for the grain he’d stashed there and held a handful out to the worried horse. He’d picked Amos up from a rescue organization about a month ago, which meant the quarter horse mix had probably been abused. Whatever his history, he clearly still had a few mental issues to work out.

Which made two of them.

Caleb hadn’t ever believed in things like ghosts, but now he wondered. He’d had the dream again last night. He closed his eyes at night and the boy was there. Running toward him out of the dark. The bulky shape around his chest.

And then the bang and flash of Caleb’s gun and the still form down in the dust, and Caleb awoke in the dark, his heart banging on his ribs like it was trying to escape.

He’d struggled out of the covers, desperate to get outside, into the cool foggy air, so he could pull in all that clean oxygen and remind himself that he wasn’t there anymore. He wasn’t in Afghanistan, he wasn’t on guard and he wasn’t trying to make impossible life-and-death choices in split-second intervals.

Hobo had followed him outside, weaving his soft and strangely comforting form around Caleb’s ankles, until Caleb scooped him up and cuddled him to his chest.

He’d brought his blankets outside and slept the rest of the night out on the porch, with the cat cuddled close. At least he hadn’t brought a bottle with him this time. Maya was coming to visit this morning. And Caleb was glad to have another day of sobriety under his belt, for both their sakes.

Caleb stretched out his hand to get the grain closer. “Come on, Amos. It’s me. You know me.”

Amos reached his nose as far forward as he could, trying to reach the grain without moving his hooves. Finally, Caleb turned his back on the horse and held out his hand to his side. There was a soft shuffling of hooves on wood shavings as Amos came toward him. A light snuffling of lips on Caleb’s palm. A small victory.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.” Amos was funny in the mornings. Like he had bad dreams too. But once he got out into the fresh air, he seemed happier. No wonder he and Caleb seemed to understand each other so well.

Amos finished the grain and nuzzled Caleb’s pockets for more. “Once your halter is on.” This time Amos obliged, letting Caleb slide the halter over his nose and buckle it behind his ears.

Caleb rewarded him with another handful of grain and ran a hand under the horse’s thick, black mane. Amos was a lot of work right now, but he had potential if he could just learn to trust Caleb.

The big horse already liked Hobo. The nutty cat had followed Caleb into the stall and was perched on the old wooden manger.

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