Heart's Desire Page 5

  “What’s wrong with what I have on?” He looked down at his polo shirt.

  Jessie shook her head. “I can’t believe those are the clothes you brought. Don’t you remember anything?” She finished her coffee and chuckled as she put the cup into the dishwasher. “I’ll have Bailey grab you some of Justin’s clothes and swing them by your cabin before she heads to the clinic. You’ll thank me later.”

  “Justin’s clothes will be too big and you know it. I’ll be swimming in them.”

  Jessie didn’t even bother to hide her grin as she raised her hands in mock apology. Nathan stood and leaned over the table, straightening the documents. It was the first bit of humor he’d seen from her, the first genuine smile she’d even directed his way, and he found himself enjoying the glimpse far more than he should.

  “I get the feeling you’re going to make me regret this.” When he looked up, the moment of good-natured teasing had passed. She stopped with her hand on the kitchen door.

  “You probably will regret it, but it won’t be my fault.” A frown marred Jessie’s brow, and her eyes looked sad again. “I’ll meet you at the pasture by the barn in an hour.”

  NATHAN SHIFTED AGAIN from his position on the porch. How in the world did Justin wear these jeans all day long? They were too big in the waist, so he’d cinched them with a belt, but they were still falling off. He adjusted the weather-beaten baseball cap on his head and sent up a prayer of thanks that no paparazzi had found him here. He’d never live down a picture of him looking like the most uncomfortable redneck alive in an oversized, ratty T-shirt, beat-up cowboy boots, and a camouflage John Deere cap.

  He watched Jessie as she stood in the smallest pasture, waiting for the truck and stock trailer creeping down the driveway. She glanced back at him nervously and then leaned over to say something to her brother. Justin was standing beside her wearing the same redneck attire as Nathan, although his hat was on backward. Nathan made his way down the steps to where the pair waited and saw Jessie tense, her shoulders rising and her hands clenching into fists at her side. He wondered how many times he was going to have to apologize before she stopped getting defensive whenever he approached.

  “Why don’t you stand over there, Nathan?” Justin pointed near the fence. “We don’t know how these horses are going to act, and it’s better to be safe.”

  Nathan took a step backward. “What do you mean ‘safe’?”

  “Be as quiet as possible,” Jessie ordered. “Stay out of the way and don’t come in here, no matter what happens.”

  Her instructions weren’t putting him any more at ease. With anxiety bunching in his muscles like a current with no release, he watched the pair as the truck pulled up to the pasture and came to a slow, easy stop.

  A woman leaned out the window toward Jessie. “You want them in here?”

  Jessie took a few steps toward the truck. “Are they okay together?”

  The woman nodded and Justin move toward the gate, opening it as the woman backed her aluminum stock trailer inside. The near silence from Jessie and Justin had him curious. He could feel the tension coursing through them, but with nothing to base it on, it seemed odd. He felt out of place, like he was missing some crucial clue, and he gripped the fence hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.

  Justin stood by the gate, while the woman parked the truck and moved to the back of the trailer. Unlatching the back door and swinging it wide, she blocked Nathan’s view of the animals inside, but he didn’t miss the look of horror on Jessie’s face. Her eyes immediately widened before welling with tears, as she pinched her lips together, trying not to cry. He recognized pain and anger waging war within her and felt the desire to pull her close, to protect her from the emotions he could see written clearly in her face.

  Jessie stepped into the trailer and he heard her murmuring quiet words and nonsense phrases. Slow thumps of what he assumed were hooves came from inside. While he watched in silence from the fence, Jessie led the first animal to Justin for inspection.

  What little he was able to see was gut-wrenching.

  The animal was nothing but skin stretched tightly over large bones, sunken in unnatural places. Ribs were plainly visible, and he could see each and every bump and ridge of the animal’s hip bones. It looked as if the miserable creature was wasting away from disease with open, festering sores dotting the mangy coat, oozing sickeningly. Its hooves were so unkempt they curled up from the ground, and the weak animal could barely lift its head.

  Jessie ran a careful hand over the animal’s neck, speaking quietly in a soothing tone, almost a purr, and he watched in amazement as the neglected animal buried its head against her chest, seeking comfort.

  “Okay, Justin, this girl’s going to need your help more than mine.”

  Nathan heard the hitch in her voice, as if she was choking back tears, and he tried to swallow the lump lodged in his own throat at the sight of the defeated animal. Justin ran his hands over the horse’s shoulders, inspecting the festering sores. His friend had always had a soft spot for animals in need. It didn’t surprise him that, for all his talk of Jessie making them horse-poor, Justin couldn’t turn the abused animals away without helping them, any more than Jessie could.

  “She needs to be in a stall, Jess.” Justin’s voice was thick, as if he was having difficulty speaking as well. “She’s going to need antibiotics, and these sores need to be cleaned several times a day, but I think they will heal up, although they might leave some discoloration on her hide. We should give her a dose of wormer and her shot series. I doubt she’s had them. Let’s get her some food and water first.”

  A loud, shrill whinny came from inside the trailer where two other horses waited. There was a crash, and Jessie’s head snapped back to the trailer.

  “Deb,” she called to the woman who’d delivered the animals, “why don’t you take her into the first stall on the left so we can get these other two out?”

  “You might want to be careful of the next one, Jess,” the other woman said. “He’s pretty attached to the other two, and we had a tough time getting him haltered. I had to tranquilize him and put him between the mares just to get him into the trailer. He’s pretty rank.”

  “Sounds like it’s worn off.” Jessie gave Deb a wary glance before looking back at Justin, who simply raised a solitary brow at her stubborn determination before shaking his head. “Relax, I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “Why don’t you man the gate and I’ll let this one come out on his own? We’ll give him some space to explore first.”

  Nathan watched as Jessie headed to the side of the trailer, out of his line of sight. He quickly shot a glance at Justin, shocked he’d let his slip of a sister near that metal coffin with what sounded like a crazed animal. He heard several loud bangs come from inside. This situation was dangerous, and he felt completely helpless. He wanted to intercede, to grab Jessie, and to yank her back to safety, but he doubted she’d appreciate him butting into her business, especially after her warning. But if this animal was anywhere close to as dangerous as this woman claimed, Jessie was sure to get hurt.

  Why the hell was Justin still standing at the gate? Why didn’t he go check on her?

  “Justin, is that horse dangerous?”

  “Of course he is.”

  “Then go get her. Why are you letting her in there?” His friend’s glance instantly silenced him.

  The damn fool woman was going to get herself killed. He heard another slam from inside the trailer and saw Jessie pressed up against the side through the slats. If Justin wasn’t going to make sure she wasn’t being killed, he would. He wasn’t about to stand by and watch it happen.

  Nathan opened the gate to the corral and stepped inside as a jet black horse bolted from the back of the trailer like a flash of dark lightning. Baring teeth, the animal reared, striking the ground with his front hooves, intent on doing damage to whomever or whatever might be unlucky enough to cross his path. Right now, that was Nathan.

  As the horse
charged, rough hands yanked him backward by the collar of his shirt. Jessie ran from the side of the trailer in time to see his butt hit the ground with a thud outside the pasture. Justin jerked the gate shut just as the horse’s teeth snapped the air where Nathan’s head had been moments before. The horse spun back toward Jessie, pawing at the dirt.

  Justin glared down at Nathan as he latched the gate. “What the hell are you doing? She said, ‘stay out’!”

  “What the hell are you doing leaving her in there with that insane horse? She’s going to get herself hurt.” He jumped up and headed for the gate again but Justin grasped his arm.

  “She knows what she’s doing. The only one who’s going to get hurt around here is you.”

  Nathan watched Jessie calmly stand her ground, even as the animal reared high into the air, kicking out with his front hooves. He looked far healthier than the other two, at least physically, but he was completely out of control. As the horse dropped back onto all fours, Jessie edged away from the trailer and along the side of the fence, across from where the two of them waited. She cocked her head slightly, peering at the horse as the animal snorted loudly, eyes wide. He pawed at the ground again, watching her intently. When she didn’t react, the animal took a few steps toward her and paused, ears flicking nervously back and forth.

  “You’re not so bad, are you?” She was completely focused on the horse, tuning out everything else. “You’ve just got a lot of spirit.”

  Nathan’s fingers gripped the top rail, using every ounce of self-control he possessed to remain outside the fence when everything in him screamed to rescue her. The horse bounced on his front feet threateningly, but Jessie remained alert, yet oddly relaxed, turning to face the beast before taking another step toward him.

  “Come on, boy. You know better than this. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Nathan couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. “Jessie, could you get your ass out of there before you give me a heart attack?”

  Her eyes darted to him, and the horse snapped his teeth at her, his ears flat against his head. She immediately looked back at the horse, but a slight smile slid to her lips as she reached behind a post and grabbed what appeared to be a long stick with a piece of material tied to the end. “Watch and learn, Wall Street.” She took a length of rope from the post.

  Nathan cringed as Justin laughed. “Wall Street?”

  “Yes, Bailey’s been calling me that, and it appears it’s sticking.”

  His eyes never left her as she pointed the end of the stick toward the ground and swung the rope at her side in circles. The horse immediately jumped into motion, taking off in a gallop around the pasture. Jessie moved to the center of the area and let the horse move out. Nathan watched as the animal circled the pasture twice before stopping and turning to face her. She stopped spinning the rope as he quieted.

  He didn’t look any less dangerous to Nathan, but Jessie saw what she wanted and walked slowly toward the horse. The animal pinned his ears against his head, lunging forward slightly. Calmly, she circled the rope, and he took off at a run, circling the pasture again. When he started to come too close, she would lift the stick straight in front of her, pointing ahead, and the animal immediately moved away from it.

  Seeing that she seemed to not only be safe but also in control of the animal, at least for the moment, Nathan relaxed his grip on the railing and turned to Justin. “Isn’t she just scaring him more?”

  “He’s aggressive because he’s afraid. She’s just making him realize he can’t dominate or scare her. He’s trying to bluff her, and she’s not taking it from him. Watch,” he instructed.

  After repeating the sequence several times, Nathan saw the horse stop and turn toward Jessie, this time, hanging his head slightly and licking his lips. He took a few steps toward her and stopped. Jessie dropped her hands to her sides, the rope hanging against her leg, but she didn’t move toward the horse.

  “He’s quiet now; why doesn’t she just lead him out like Deb did the other one?”

  He’d been watching Jessie so intently, he hadn’t even noticed Deb’s return until she laughed beside him. “She’s reading his body language. Dropping her hands like that and softening her body language means he’s welcome to approach. But making him move toward her means he trusts her and respects her authority. He’s acknowledging her as the leader of his ‘herd.’ It’s almost like she knows exactly what he’s thinking. That’s what makes her one of the best I’ve ever seen.“

  Nathan arched a brow in disbelief. “She’s his leader? She’s five foot nothing and that animal has to weigh over a thousand pounds.”

  “Yep, and if anyone can gentle that horse, it’s Jessie. She’ll teach him to lose his fear, but he will respect her.”

  They watched as the horse approached her warily, his ears continually moving back and forth, as Jessie spoke softly to him. The animal stopped, stretching his neck as far as he could, sniffing at her while still trying to remain too far away for her to touch. Nathan was surprised to see her take a few steps back, away from the horse. He moved toward her again, his head low, but this time she allowed him to sniff her before sliding a rope halter around his neck. When he didn’t pull away, she moved it over his nose and tied it on one side.

  Nathan stared at Jessie, walking the horse around the pasture as the animal tried to bite her twice. What in the hell was she thinking? That thing was twelve hundred pounds of muscle and temperamental hooves. He was too dangerous ever to be sellable. Even if she could, who would want to ride something that mean? She was obviously great with horses, so why was she wasting time with animals like this when she could be training animals that would make the ranch money?

  “Is this what you were talking about?” Nathan asked Justin.

  Justin unlatched the gate for Jessie to exit. “Yep. It’s a pretty rare gift, but now you can say you’ve seen a ‘horse whisperer’ in action.”

  Jessie walked past them, pretending not to hear the conversation, but Nathan saw a flicker of frustration in her blue eyes.

  “Too bad it doesn’t make us a dime,” Justin muttered.

  Chapter Six

  WHAT THE HELL was Nathan thinking, coming into the pasture like that?

  “A better question might be, what I was thinking,” she murmured to the stallion as she led him to the stall.

  She should never have suggested Nathan watch. He shouldn’t even be on the ranch, let alone near these horses. Resignation settled in her chest, followed closely by a burning resentment that found its target square on Nathan’s broad back.

  She’d hoped seeing the brutality done to these horses would give him a small understanding of what she was trying to do. That maybe he would help her find a way to keep the ranch afloat while she continued to rescue abused horses for rehabilitation. She’d assumed when Nathan saw how much these horses needed her, how much she could help them, she could explain how she and her father had planned to make the change before the accident and he’d be onboard. His approval would go a long way to convincing Justin.

  But after what he’d just seen, she was certain Nathan wasn’t going to help. Instead of seeing a scared animal in need, he saw a wild, dangerous beast. He’d questioned her methods and thought her incapable because of her size. She’d specifically told him just to watch and not get involved. When that stallion bolted from the trailer, charging Nathan, her heart dropped to her toes before speeding ahead like a locomotive. He’d nearly gotten himself killed because he couldn’t follow her simple instructions—stay quiet and stay out. As soon as she finished with these horses, she was going to rip that pain-in-the-ass accountant a new one.

  The stud balked several times on the way to the barn, but when he heard the other horses, he entered the stall eagerly. Still, getting him settled took longer than she expected. Jessie knew she had to be patient with him and take her time if she wanted him to respond with trust instead of fear. By the time she made her way back to the pasture, Deb was leading the third horse from
the trailer. The mare looked battle weary, barely bothering to look at her new surroundings, even when the stallion whinnied shrilly from the barn.

  Jessie hurried past, ignoring her brother and Nathan as she entered the pasture again, her eyes focused on the mare. “Has she been like this the entire time?”

  The mare was in dire need of some good food, but the dulled look in her eyes spoke of an entirely different kind of need. This animal was depressed. Jessie ran a hand over the mare’s shoulders and back, feeling her bones protruding.

  Neglect had that effect on many horses. As long as this girl didn’t show any signs of aggression in the next few days, she would be a great prospect for Michael and Aleta to work with on the ground. The love and attention they could give her would remind the mare that humans were friends instead of enemies and give all three of them direction.

  Deb passed Jessie the lead rope, leaning in to her. “Who’s the stiff?”

  “Just a friend of Justin’s who should be gone in a couple days.” She ran a hand over the mare’s face, and the horse tucked her head against Jessie’s side. The gesture of trust wasn’t lost on Jessie, and she scratched behind the mare’s ears.

  “So, the stallion is the only one with behavioral issues?” she asked, changing the subject. She didn’t want to talk about Nathan. She’d like to forget his presence altogether and hoped Deb would catch the hint.

  “This one has been pretty down, but I think with some attention, she’ll come around to be a nice mare. You know that stud colt is going to test you again, right?” Deb said.

  “Of course.”

  Deb jerked her chin toward Nathan who was still watching them intently from the gate, not about to let Jessie get away without telling her more. “I wouldn’t turn that one away if he wanted to come by my place.” She winked at him, and Nathan quickly looked away, pretending he hadn’t seen her.

  Jessie snorted, trying to hold back her laughter. At nearly forty-three and divorced for over ten years, Deb was a gritty woman who didn’t hesitate to speak her mind, bluntly most of the time, but Jessie adored her. They’d met over a common desire to rescue a horse from a feedlot. Deb quickly became a confidante and an advocate when Jessie wanted to broach the idea of starting a rescue and rehabilitation center with her father. Deb was there when Jessie was notified about her parents and was the first to offer to relieve her of a few horses if it became necessary. She hated that she might have to take her up on the offer because of her own incompetence.