“Yeah. The newly built barn. We haven’t moved any animals in yet. There are still some supplies inside we need to put away.”
“This is all so cool. I never thought I’d be on a ranch like this.” He let go of me and twirled slowly with his arms outstretched. The knot in his robe belt slipped, showing off the thin material of a camisole molded to his body. My mouth went dry. I dragged my gaze away painfully and focused elsewhere. On the corral, up ahead.
“You don’t regret getting married here, then?”
That’s it. Talk about the wedding and keep his relationship with your son in mind.
“I’m actually excited about getting married here. I’m still deciding between a midafternoon or late-evening wedding. What do you think?”
“Nope. I promised not to interfere.”
“Too late for that, Mr. Magnuson. You already interfered when you insisted we get married here.”
His words carried no heat, so I figured he’d come to terms with having the ceremony on the ranch. After all, what were a few hours compared to the two weeks of honeymoon I was gifting them? The money Carter would inherit after his wedding was enough to settle the two of them in a nice lifestyle in the city.
“What’s that?” Ozzie pointed toward the corral. I hadn’t intended to bring him there.
We had walked farther than I had planned, but I didn’t want the night to end. I worked with dozens of men, but I’d never had a conversation like this with anyone in almost ten years. Eventhe ranch hands were so used to working the land that they no longer appreciated the beauty of it.
“It’s the corral for the horses,” I said. “Do you want to go back?”
“Not yet. I want to see the horses.” He plunged ahead like a little kid who was excited about a new toy, his robe fluttering behind him. I followed him as he ran to the sturdy wood and metal fence.
He stopped and leaned over to get a better look at the horses. “Why are there only two?”
I propped my boot onto one of the rails, resting my arms on the top one. “That’s Snow White and Beast.”
A laugh startled out of Ozzie. “Why do I feel like this has been ‘Mess with Ozzie Night’?”
“Scout’s honor. Those are their names.”
Ozzie slowly looked me up and down, then raised his head. Our eyes met, and his mouth bobbed, but no sound came out. Electrical current crackled between us, and I clung to the post. Was this not…one-sided? Or was this wishful thinking?
Ozzie cleared his throat. “I believe you.”
“Snow White’s in heat,” I said as matter-of-factly as possible. I kept my attention on the mare, who neighed softly to warn away Beast, the chestnut Arabian stallion. More than anything, I wanted to look at Ozzie to see what he was thinking, but I didn’t dare. “Let’s go back.”
But Ozzie didn’t move. His gaze was fixed on Beast, who was courting the hell out of Snow White, but each time the mare acted receptive, she shied away from him. They exchanged soft neighs and whinnies, and Beast nuzzled Snow White’s long, flowing mane that had earned her her name. The scene was primal and beautiful, a delicate dance of attraction, of rejection and acceptance. Of patience.
We’d corralled the two horses alone, hoping their mating would lead to breeding. They were two fine horses that should breed superior offspring.
“What’s he doing?” Ozzie asked. “It looks like…”
“He’s courting her, testing her readiness. Each time she kicks at him and steps away, she’s telling him she’s not ready. It might take them a while, so if you want to go to bed, we can head back.”
“Not yet. I want to see how she responds. He’s being such a gentleman.”
“He’s a domestic horse. Had he been in the wild, he might have been more dominant. We typically leave them out in the corral for mating to let nature take its course as much as possible. This is Snow White’s first time being bred.”
“Yeah? How do you know when they are ready?”
“It can depend on the breed.”
“Oh.”
His tone told me he didn’t fully understand. “Generally, fillies go through puberty between twelve to fifteen months, although some start as early as nine. But they can’t be successfully bred until their reproductive tract matures.”
“That’s so young.”
