Page 50 of Heartstrings & Horseshoes

Connor takes out his phone and gets lost searching for information on farriers while I put lunch together for everyone. Some simple sandwiches, potato chips, watermelon slices, and Oreos. I search the cupboards until I find a large picnic basket and pack everything in.

“This is really fucking cool. It’s not just trimming the hooves. You have to know how to adjust for their gait, pressure points, shit like that. If their feet are fucked up, it hurts all their joints and their spine.” His face lights with interest.

He follows me out of the main house, still buried in his phone. As we walk back to the construction site, he tosses out his findings, growing more excited by the minute.

“Damnit.” He huffs.

“What?”

“You have to take a bunch of classes with hands-on training to get certified, and then apprentice under an experienced farrier. The process takes over a year, and it’s a full-time commitment.” Dejected, he pockets his phone and jerks his hat off to run his hands through his hair in frustration.

“If you’re not happy working on the highway anymore, maybe it’s time for a change. A year is nothing in the grand scheme of things. You’re twenty-five, not fifty. Changing careers is super common when you’re this young. You’d already have two careers under your belt by the time I freaking graduate.” I sigh.

“Hey, don’t say shit like that. You’ve worked your ass off. It’s not a competition.” He takes the heavy picnic basket, and we walk the rest of the way in silence.

“It ain’t a bad idea,” Reid says, scratching at his beard. “I’ve been thinkin’ about hiring a full-time farrier. The ranch is at a crossroads. To grow, we have to make some big moves like acquiring a lot more horses, which means we’ll need to hire a stable manager and ranch hands and bring in specialists. I take tireless care of my horses, and with a stable full, I’m going to need help to sustain the expansion.”

“What kind of expansion? I thought it was just the guest houses?” Connor asks.

“Some people will come to relax, but having more activities will draw in a wider customer base,” Reid says.

Isabelle joins in, “We want to offer trail rides, riding lessons, school field trips, and teambuilding activities. And we’ll need horses and guides if we ever want to offer daytrips or camping.”

“Not to mention Delilah will be graduating soon and will be the best equine therapist this side of the divide,” Izzy gushes. Heat rises to my face, and not from the summer sun.

She turns to me. “You know, Reid and I have talked about it a lot, and we’d love to offer equine therapy at the ranch—but only if you’ll take the reins.”

My eyes bounce back and forth between the two of them. “Are you…serious? You’d let me start a program here?”

“If it’s something you want. We have the resources. This is something we’d like to do for you,” Reid offers, his generosity surprising me.

“It’d be easy enough to set up the logistics. I can check on zoning and you’d need to beef up your liability insurance. Waivers, forms, shit like that doesn’t take any time at all,” James helpfully offers. The Andersens and their businesses are lucky to have a lawyer for a son.

“I don’t know fuck about shit, but I grew up here with these dickheads. Me and Liv would be happy to pitch in any way we can,” Greyson offers. Olivia echoes her support.

This found family of mine blurs together from the tears filling my eyes.

“Y’all would do…all of that for me? What if I’m terrible at it? What if no one comes and I waste your money?”

“Never going to happen,” Connor says, sternly. “Everyone here has complete faith in you.” He squeezes my bouncing knee, grounding me.

“What do you say, twinie?” Izzy asks, hope blooming on her face.

“Yes. I say yes! Oh my god! This is a dream come true. I couldn’t ask for anything better!” I exclaim.

Izzy meets my eyes, and I use our twin telepathy to tell her this could be a perfect solution all around. My eyes flit to Connor, and that’s all it takes. She moves to sit in Reid’s lap and wraps her arms around his neck.

“Thank you, baby.” She kisses him.

“Anything for you, sugar,” he replies.

Izzy toys with the hair at the back of his neck, luring him under her spell. “We’re already in desperate need of a stable manager. It might be nice to have someone we trust, keep it in the family…”

“Everyone’s got full-time jobs, sugar. I don’t think keeping it in the family’s an option,” Reid says.

I nudge Connor’s knee with my own and scream at him with my eyes this is your chance!

He clears his throat and speaks confidently. “If you’re lookin’, I’d be up for the challenge. Haven’t consistently ridden since I was a kid, but I’d love to get back in the saddle.”