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“’Course he’s okay.” Dad’s voice takes me by surprise. He steps in from the shadows of the hallway. “That horse is a tank. He’ll live to be a thousand. He’s never gotten sick a single day in his life.”
“Yes, sir,” I do my best to agree. Chief has been healthy for years, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have issues. “We’re just checking him over, that’s all.”
His thick brow furrows with anger. “You’ll do nothing of the sort, not you or that girl. Neither one of you is qualified anyway. You’ll end up screwing him up in all your exuberance to be the hero again.”
“Sunny says he’s got a quiet gut, and he’s been a little listless.”
Dad won’t have any of it. “You keep her away from my horse, you hear me, Everett?”
I feel like the ten-year-old I was when I arrived here. Out of place, small, and wanting to prove I belong. “Yes, sir. I’ll be sure to tell her.”
His thick finger comes up to point at me. “You tell her this. If I hear she’s done something to play vet with my horse, I’ll call the sheriff and have her pulled off this ranch by force. Nothing you or anyone else says will save her. You hear me?”
“Yes, sir. I hear you.”
I stare down at my food as he leaves, appetite vanished without a trace. It’s times like these where I know my title is nothing more than decoration. He’s the one in charge. A part of me thinks that’ll never change. He’ll never see me as more than a ten-year-old boy wishing I had a family and willing to do anything to prove I do.
The room falls silent once Dad’s gone. No one wants to look at me. No one wants to acknowledge the way he’s emasculated me in front of my whole crew. One by one, they disappear with one lame excuse after another. Finally, not willing to hear one more, “I need to do my laundry,” I stand up, leaving my bowl behind.
“I better go tell Sunny,” I say to no one in particular.
Cookie meets me at the door, container full of soup and a plastic spoon in hand. “Take her some food, would you? I doubt she’s going to come in even if you tell her what he said.”
I nod, taking the soup from him. If he’s right, then this could be my last night with Sunny. Dad won’t back down from a threat. He’ll call the sheriff if he knows Sunny refused to listen. It won’t be long after that before those two goons catch wind of it, and she’ll be gone. The least I can do is keep her company until then.
Sunny
I could sit in the office, but I’m not willing to leave Chief. He still doesn’t look bad. Well, not worse than he ever looks. Sway in his back, caverns above his eyes, he’s the poster pony for senior equine, that’s for sure, but I don’t trust him enough to leave him alone. I’d feel horrible if I could have helped.
Footsteps sound in the runway outside the stall. I don’t have to look to know it’s Rhett. I have the cadence of his steps memorized. I wait for him to stop outside the door, but his rhythm slows as he approaches, as though he doesn’t want to arrive. Finally, he appears in the top half of the stall door.
“How’s he doing?” Rhett nods toward Chief, still not eating, but standing peacefully.
“Seems fine.”
“So, you’ll come in?”
“No. He hasn’t passed anything either. He could be impacted.”
Rhett watches Chief for a minute, clearly not convinced enough to join me on the floor of the stall in my bed of shavings. “He’d be more distressed. He looks like he always does.”
“Elevated heartrate. Elevated breathing. He’s been biting at his flank. By this time at night, he’s normally passed out, but look at him staring at the wall.”
Rhett exhales through his nose. “You must have found the stethoscope.”
I hold it up from where I had it beside me in the shavings. “Chief is the most mellow horse I’ve ever met. I think this is him freaking out.”
“He’s gonna be fine, Sunny. Come back to the bunkhouse.”
“No.” I stay focused on Chief. “I’m fine. I swear.”
Rhett’s chin drops to his chest. “You have to come with me, please.”
He’s never told me what to do, not like this. I stare at him, trying to understand why he won’t let me stay. “No, I won’t.”
“If you stay out here,” Rhett’s jaw shifts from one side to the other, “Dad said he’s going to turn you into the sheriff. I imagine it’ll alert anyone who’s looking for you. It would probably only be a matter of time. But if you come with me now, he’ll let it go. He doesn’t want you working on Chief.”
I don’t doubt that he would do it. It’s not like Buddy has wanted me here from day one. Forget that I’ve been the one to save his ranch. I’m about to push to my feet when Chief falters and groans. The front feet start pawing. My heart picks up speed. The old horse sinks to the floor. Thoughts of giving in to what Buddy wanted flee in an instant. I grab the stethoscope and start listening to his belly.
