Everything looked like it was going smoother on the second pass through until Dakota bumped Aedyn one time too many. He knew how you were supposed to go around an obstacle, and he was losing patience with Aedyn dragging behind and getting in his way. “That’s it!” he grumbled and threw down the leash. “I’m done with this dog!”
That was all the freedom Dakota wanted. Like a wild thing, he dashed for the next barrel—apparently, he’d already memorized the pattern. But it wasn’t enough to run full speed through the obstacles with his tongue lolling. He had to stop and nip at Daisy’s heels on his way by.
Daisy was a tough little herding dog—wiry and stubborn, and she didn’t take that kind of treatment lying down. Lickey-split, she was after Dakota like a stray calf. Billy kept up for about three frantic strides, then the leash ripped out of his hand, and he toppled forward in the dirt. And the dogs didn’t stop.
Dakota was rounding the barrels with his eyes wide like a gleeful savage, and Daisy was after him with the snarl of a frustrated cow dog when the stock won’t mind. All the kids started squealing and yelling, egging the dogs on and cheering for the one they wanted to win the impromptu race.
I was dying. I couldn’t help a little shriek of laughter, and Dusty wasn’t holding it together much better. He couldn’t speak, and his face was turning red, his eyes filling with tears as he tried to hold back. It was all I could do to stay upright, and I grabbed his arm to hide my face behind his shoulder. He swayed a little and looked around, and for a second, his eyes held mine. And he wasn’t laughing anymore.
I saw his throat bob. His smile changed in an instant from mirth to something softer. It was that crooked Walker grin that had been breaking hearts all over the valley for years, and mine did a little flip.
I’d never touched Dusty before. Odd, how that suddenly sprang to mind. I don’t think I’d ever even shaken his hand… no, that wasn’t right. He’d touched my hand when we were giving the kids Christmas presents. And I still remembered how his fingers felt.
Still, there wasn’t much precedent, but it had seemed so natural to reach for him like a friend sharing a good laugh. Had I gone too far? That smile told me I hadn’t, but I’d changed something, even if only for a moment. I let my hand slide down his arm, wondering how to retreat from this. Or if I should try.
Dusty rested a hand on mine—a friendly squeeze before I dropped it, that was all—and turned his attention back to the kids. “All right, settle down!” he called. “I think we have to proclaim Billy’s team the winners of today’s stock handling challenge because he didn’t quit trying. We’ll mix it up and try again on Thursday.”
There was a chorus of cheers from the winners and “Awe, man!” from the losers, but Dusty put his hands up. “And remember, next week we’ll start holding class up at the new facility. Make sure you have a pair of mud boots because you’ll need them!”
It wasn’t long before all the kids had been picked up, and Dusty and I began loading our horses up to take them home. “I wonder if Morgan will hear any complaints about kids getting plowed down by wild dogs,” I said as Dusty secured the back of the trailer.
His face split into a wide grin. “Probably. I think I’ve decided it was worth it.”
“Think we’ll get fired for that little stunt?”
He chuckled as he fished the truck keys out of his pocket. “You can’t fire volunteers. No, I think it’s more likely that we’ll have an audience of parents next time, trying to catch the show.” He walked around to the truck's passenger side and opened the door for me. “We should totally bring the dogs again.”
I paused before I got in and smiled up at him, with his hat rimmed in the early evening darkness by the lights of the barn, and the fog rising from his breath. There was something there that I’d missed, all those years. I’d always thought Dusty was unsociable, even awkward.
But now that we had something in common, something to talk about, being with him was like slipping on a favorite pair of boots. Not flashy or sensational in any way, but comfortable and work-worn and dependable. He offered his hand to help me step up into the truck, and I took it.
We didn’t talk much on the way back to my house, but it was a space that didn’t seem like it needed to be filled. Dusty had a gentle, relaxed smile, and occasionally he would turn my way to share it with me. He didn’t demand anything from me or act like he wanted my attention. He just seemed content to be there, in that warm truck cab with the headlights cutting through the darkness toward home.
He got out when we arrived and helped me get Nash all settled in for the night. There wasn’t much to do, just buckling his blanket back on and checking his water, but I didn’t have to do it alone. Once I rolled the stall door closed, Dusty stepped back, his hands fumbling for his pockets. “Guess I’ll head out.” He flicked his wrist over as if remembering something. “Good grief, is it only five-thirty? It feels like a lot later.”
“Yeah, it does. I get home just in time for dinner on Tuesdays, but it feels like eight.”
His face fell. “I wish it were. It’s Luke’s turn to cook again. Don’t ever let him talk you into trying his cabbage stew.”
I laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. I already learned my lesson about having dinner with Luke. I don’t love footballthatmuch.”
Dusty’s cheek twitched. “Hah. Yeah. Uh…” He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “You wouldn’t want to… that is, sometime. Maybe some evening, after…”
I squinted, trying to make out what he was saying, but a pair of headlights sliced through the yard behind him. And then I remembered—I had somewhere I was supposed to be tonight.
“Hang on, Dusty, I’m sorry.” I held my hand up. “I think that’s Austen pulling in. I almost forgot that we were supposed to go out for Taco Tuesday at the diner, and I’m still wearing muddy jeans. I’d better go!”
He put his hands back in his coat pocket and stepped back. “Oh. Yeah, sure. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”
“Thank you for understanding!” I started to walk out of the barn ahead of him but stopped. “Thanks for the ride today, though.”
He was looking down, but his eyes lifted for just a second, and he gave a tight-lipped smile. “Anytime, Jess.”
Chapter 17
Dusty
Iwascountingdownthe hours until Thursday.