Blame It on the Rodeo. Amanda Renee

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СКАЧАТЬ two that I dumped a drink on someone for lesser reasons. Let it go.”

      “If you say so.” Bridgett placed a muffin in a white paper bag and handed Lexi her order. “I’ll catch up with you at the ribbon cutting this afternoon.”

      Lexi stopped by Charlie’s table on her way out. “People bought more drinks when I got on that stage than they did all night with Elvis playing the same drivel he plays every Saturday. I did you a favor, so the way I see it, we’re even. Trust me when I say, you don’t want his kind around there.”

      A few minutes later Lexi pulled into the animal hospital’s parking lot. She knew Mazie probably saw her from the kitchen window of the Bed & Biscuit next door and would want to talk. When the old Victorian went up for sale a few years ago, Mazie realized its proximity to the animal hospital and the bark park would attract future clients by catering to their pets’ every need.

      Checking her watch, Lexi knew fifteen minutes wasn’t enough time to visit with her sister. She loved Mazie, but her propensity to chat for hours wore thin when Lexi had a packed day ahead of her. Relieved when she saw Dr. Cerf park his SUV, she quickly picked up the vaccines and headed to Bridle Dance.

      Lexi’s cell phone rang.

      “Good morning, Mazie,” Lexi said without even looking at the caller ID.

      “You should have stopped in. I’m pulling one of your favorites out of the oven right now. Spinach and mushroom frittata. Do you have time to turn around and have a little breakfast? We haven’t had a chance to really talk in a few weeks.”

      “I’m sorry, my schedule is super tight today.” Lexi turned off the main road. “I have a lot to do before the ribbon cutting, but I promise we’ll catch up there. I love you, sis, but right now, I do have to go.”

      Lexi dropped the phone on the seat next to her and rolled her shoulders to ease the stress she felt starting to build. She loved her job, but some days, the constant running between ranches wore thin.

      The rearing bronze horse statues at the entrance to Bridle Dance glinted in the morning light. The fully expanded foliage of the pecan trees shaded the entire length of the dirt road, while puddles of water formed near their trunks from the ranch’s buried drip irrigation. Lexi’s father had helped Joe Langtry design the system to maintain constant water levels during the summer dry spells.

      A white canopy stood off to the side of the new equine facility in preparation for the afternoon ceremony. The massive building with beige siding sat behind a series of corrals used for the rodeo school. The rear of the building incorporated secluded pastures for hippotherapy use. In front of the double carriage-house-inspired entrance, two statues were draped in dark cloth and tied at the bottom, waiting for their unveiling in a few hours.

      Local cowboys gathered around the nearest round pen. “When are you going to marry me, Lexi?” one of them called out to her.

      “When you’re old enough to shave,” she hollered back.

      “I’m twenty-one. I’m legal.” The other men egged him on. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

      “You boys go on.” Nicolino waved them off. “Good morning, Lexi. Will you be at the grand opening today? Ella was talking about you this morning, saying how long it’s been since she’s seen you.”

      Shouts came from within one of the corrals. With a quick nod in her direction, Shane sat atop a bareback and raised his arm in the air to signal the chute gate to open. Bucking wildly, man and horse twisted and turned through the dust-filled eight-second ride. With all the flair and skill he’d exhibit in a competitive event, Shane grabbed his pickup man as he rode by and dismounted with the grace of a gymnast, bowing her way.

      Lexi shook her head and redirected her attention to Nicolino. Starting out as a ranch hand fresh from Italy when Lexi was in grade school, the newcomer had barely spoken a word of English when Joe hired him. He’d grown to be a part of their family and married Kay’s niece Ella Slater, the eldest daughter of her brother Charlie. Five kids and two loyal decades later, Cole had promoted him to general operations manager in January. Raised in the butteri cowboy tradition, he opted to wear heavy cotton pants and a wide-brimmed hat instead of chaps and a Stetson. The mazzarella staff he carried was used to threaten unruly teenagers more than it was to herd the horses.

      “I’ll be there.” Lexi looked in the stalls. “I have a couple of mares to vaccinate and some paperwork to fill out here, then I’ll return after making my rounds.”

      “Don’t you want to stick around and see the show Shane’s putting on for you?” Nicolino feigned shock that she’d dare leave in the middle of such an event.

      “Eh, you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”

      Nicolino’s laughter followed her through the open doors.

      Rivaling the size of a football field, the country French stone-and-stucco facility featured Craftsman-style windows and timber archways. A ground-level covered walkway with exposed rafters encircled the building. A large second-story cupola was perched atop the center of the sand-colored structure and housed the ranch’s main office, while miniature cupolas lined the roof on either side, allowing extra light to filter through to the stalls below.

      Joe Langtry had called the building his horse mansion. A better description didn’t exist in Lexi’s mind. Grooms and trainers hurried about, placing the finishing touches on everything before today’s events.

      Lexi made her way down the exposed timber interior hallway. Horse stalls with full-height mahogany-stained doors and bars prevented cribbing or chewing. Otherwise the horses could gnaw on the wood and wear down their teeth or cause colic and stomach ulcers.

      Not wanting to waste time today with so much to do, she plucked her phone from her pocket and called Billy. “Vaccination lesson today. Meet me in the office so I can show you the forms and then we’ll check on Crystal.”

      Crystal was carrying Joe Langtry’s dream baby. Dam Tenny Bay and sire King’s Obsession were two of the highest earners in cutting horse competition. Bridle Dance didn’t own either horse, but Joe had arranged the match before his death last year. Determined to see the surrogacy all the way through, the Langtry family had continued with Joe’s plans and were anxiously anticipating the foal’s arrival. It was the very last project Joe set in motion, and eleven months later, the day was almost upon them.

      A few hours later, Lexi gathered her bags and headed outside the stables. She loved a day without problems, especially when she finished ahead of schedule. She swung by the rodeo school and saw Kay Langtry resting her arms on the top rail of the round pen.

      “You got it!” Kay shouted to one of the teens astride a bucking horse. “You boys look great out there.”

      Shane stood outside the pen, Ever perched on a bale of hay next to him. “Ride ’em high like Uncle Shane!” the little girl shouted. Shane lifted her onto his shoulders, giving her a high ride of her own.

      “He’s really good with her and the rest of the hippotherapy kids,” Kay commented, her mood pensive. “How different everything was a year ago.”

      Lexi draped her arm across the older woman’s shoulders and rested her head against Kay’s. Joe’s heart attack shocked the entire community and the family infighting that ensued for months afterward had taken its toll on the Langtry matriarch, but Kay stuck with her husband’s wishes and built СКАЧАТЬ