“She did. We’re working on it.” The owner hadn’t disclosed Vicki’s penchant for taking nibbles, which so far had not caused anyone harm. But it could. And biters would have to be replaced. “I’ll get an apology out of her later.” I pulled out my phone and gave it a glance. “Look at the time. I have a group coming in ten minutes.”Hint, hint. Go away.
“There’s some paperwork at the office I need you to sign,” Miller said. “The Department of Veterans Affairs needs more information for your grant renewal. I’ve filled out my part, the rest is yours. Swing by before you leave today.”
“Right. Okay. Yep.”
“They also need you to schedule a walk-through of the farm.”
My eyes drifted to his lips, which had played a starring role in my dream. “Sure. Right. Totally.”
His frown deepened. “Are you dehydrated? Your eyes look a little…dazed.” Miller reached out and put his hand at the back of my neck.
“Stop that.” I swatted his hand away. “I’m fine. More than fine. I’m fully hydrated and not the least bit…overheated.”
Miller looked doubtful. “Grab some water and a hat before your next session.”
I nodded and walked Vicki toward the gate. “Thank you for the concern. See you later.”
“Hattie—”
“Goodbye, Miller.”
Chapter Fourteen
Watching Ernie was like watching poetry in motion. He was a master, a virtuoso, a man gifted with a talent that couldn’t be replicated.
That afternoon he stood in the pasture and demonstrated the simple task of how to halter a horse. I’d seen the action performed a million times, but Ernie’s movements were an art form. He executed every step efficiently, yet was so tuned into the horse I couldn’t look away.
For this last group session of the day, Ernie was working with a horse named Conway. The horse adored him, just as all the animals did. It was riveting to watch the connection. Ernie had said horses had saved him, and it was like every day he was showing them his thanks.
“All right,” I said to our group of four veterans when the tutorial was finished. “Now I’d like you to spend some time with your horse. When you feel ready, put the halter on.”
“That’s it?” Dana Chen asked. She was former Army, stood five-foot-two, and was afraid of nothing. “That’s all we do?”
“Yes.” I smiled at her disappointed expression. I wasn’t sure what she had expected from the program, but I was beginning to get the idea Dana had hoped to graduate doing trick stunts like standing on the saddle as the horse galloped beneath her. Easy stuff like that.
“How’s it going over here, Garrett?” I asked twenty minutes later as I finally made my way over. I’d hung back for as long as I could while Garrett merely stood beside his horse, Harvey, petting the paint horse and softly talking.
“It’s okay.” Garrett looked up at the tall creature.
“Just okay?”
He wiped a sheen of sweat from his brow. “Last week it felt different between us. I made him trot with no problem.”
“How would it feel to you if you rephrased that and said, ‘I asked him to trot’?”
Garrett thought about this. “Because he’s my partner?”
I nodded. “Exactly. We don’t necessarily force the horses to do anything. We connect with them first, then request an action. We invite them to participate.”
His cheek sank in as he chewed on the inside. “I get it. I’m not a fan of being pushed into something I don’t want to do either.”
Ernie joined me, and we stepped back and observed the group. “Boss know Garrett’s coming regular now?” he asked.
I kept my focus on Garrett, noticing how tense he seemed, even from a distance. “If you mean Miller, I didn’t know I needed to run that by him.”
Ernie snorted beneath his cowboy hat. “He’s gonna blow steam right outta that high-dollar haircut of his.”
“Garrett signed up for equine-assisted therapy of his own volition, and there was no way I was turning him down. Miller’s welcome to rail all he wants to.” I pushed last night’s vision of heroic Miller right out of my mind. “I can handle it.”
