“Thanks.” I took the bowl from Walt, taking a seat at the table. Walt finally joined us and it felt like the tension could be cut with a knife.
“So, what’d you do with your afternoon?”
“Nothing. Brushed the horses and went for a walk.”
“There’s plenty of walking you can do here.” I nodded, faking a smile.
"Sure is."
"Well, I hope you enjoyed some time to yourself."
"Yes, I did. It was nice."
I picked at the food in my bowl, stealing a glance at Colt. He hadn’t looked up once since I sat down. I could feel the tension. It was so strong and I was afraid Walt would pick up on it. We were almost finished with our food, and none of us had spoken since Walt’s last comment.
“Everything okay?” I looked up from my bowl at Walt.
“With me?”
“With either of you. You ain’t speaking. Cat got y'alls tongue?”
“No, sir. Everything’s fine.”
“It’s all good, Dad.”
“Well, I’m off to bed. Y’all be sure to get some sleep and be ready to go in the morning. Don't stay up too late now.”
I took a deep breath, realizing that Colt and I were now alone. This is the one thing I didn’t want to happen. Not tonight.
“Daisy, I know you need some space.” I didn’t answer him. “I am sorry.”
“No worries. You want me to do the dishes, or do you have it?”
“No, I can do it.”
“Alright. Well, I’m going to bed.”
I wanted Colt to make the first move, but not just by apologizing again. He owed me an explanation. I deserved that much. If I had to wait, I would.
Chapter Nineteen
Colt
Igot back outside after grabbing a quick sandwich and headed to the barn. I knew my dad said we needed to shoe Titan, and he’d need help doing so. I squatted beside the horse, knowing I was only moments away from breaking a sweat.
“Hold him steady, Colt. He doesn’t need to be moving around too much while I’m trying to do this.”
“Got it, Dad.” I put a hand on Titan’s neck. I could sense his nervousness, and in that sense, we were the same. I rubbed my hand down his neck, speaking softly to keep him calm while my dad was at work. “Easy now, boy. Just a little bit longer.” My dad continued to work while I tried to ease Titan’s anxiety. He fit the shoe on, driving the nails with precision. I had never done this, but I was sure that after seeing my dad do it for so many years that I could.
“You know, Colt, this is a good skill to have.” My dad looked over his shoulder at me. My dad had his wisdom, too, but he didn’t share it as often as my mother used to. “Thistakes practice, but patience is key.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“I get it. Wish it didn’t take so long, though.” This was one of those tasks that weren’t my favorite on the ranch. I was glad my dad still handled this, and I was only needed for some assistance.
“Son, you have to remember that you can’t rush things.” I guess he did know the right words to saysometimes. He was right. I needed to be patient with Daisy, even if all I wanted to do was run and find her, squeezing her tight and kissing her with all the passion I had in my body. I wanted to make her feel the way I felt, and I knew she felt at the bar. “You have to build trust.”
“I know, dad.” We finished with the shoeing. It seemed like it took forever, and I was so happy for it to be over.
“We need to check their water.” I nodded at him, making sure each horse had their water trough full. My dad had started checking with me, but he ended up propping himself against Titan’s stall, rubbing his head.
