2. Hadley

2

HADLEY

H adley brushed a curry comb over Star's jaw. The Palomino's golden coat had a shine to it that women often paid the big bucks for at salons. "You're so pretty. Do you know that?" Hadley whispered.

She had just enough education about the horses to be helpful, but someone still needed to be around to answer her never-ending questions.

Jess marched from the tack room to her tiny office in the stables and slammed the door. Star jolted at the thud, and Hadley rested a hand on the horse's side.

"Easy. She's just worked up about…something."

Jess had been stomping around since she came in fifteen minutes ago, and Hadley hadn't worked up the courage to ask what was wrong.

Hadley lucked up when she moved to Blackwater six months ago and scored a job as a children's activities manager at Wolf Creek Ranch. Through the summer months, she and Remi played with the kids who visited the ranch. It was the best job ever, but the ranch closed to guests in the winter months. Thankfully, her boss had offered to let her stick around during the off-season doing odd jobs.

Some of the wranglers went south for the winter, taking up work in Texas or Arizona. For Hadley, her new home was here, and she couldn't imagine leaving.

Star side-stepped for the fourth time, and Hadley crouched to study the horse's legs. Everything looked fine. Why was Star so antsy?

Hooking her arm around Star's right front leg, she inspected the shoe. All good. She made her way around the horse, checking Star's hooves and shoes until she got to the last one.

Shoot. Something white was caked in Star's hoof. What in the world was that?

Hadley rose and scanned the stables. Jess's office door was still closed. Patting Star's side, Hadley headed to get Jess.

The boss, Mr. Chambers, could probably find plenty of people with more experience to do Hadley's job, but the man was what she was coming to know as a blessing. As long as she didn't screw up too much, he might let her stick around. She volunteered for every job and tried her best, but would it be enough?

A man's deep voice echoed in her mind–the one that popped up every once in a while when she got lost or didn't know what to do.

Biggest mistake of my life.

I don't want to see your face again.

I wish you were dead.

That last one jerked her to a stop the way it always did. Hadley shook her head, trying to throw the old memories out.

Mr. Chambers was a nice old man who talked to her like she was any other person— No, he talked to her like she was special, and his kindness had given her courage when those old doubts crept in and threatened to strangle her.

The awful man in her memories didn't even have a face anymore. He had brown hair like her and dark eyes, but she'd been five when her dad left.

Another blessing.

Hadley knocked on the office door, and Jess immediately shouted, "What?"

Hmm. Someone left her cool in the freezer this morning.

Hadley opened the door just enough to poke her head in. "It's me. What's the white stuff in Star's hoof?"

Jess stood and rounded the rickety desk. "Let me take a look. "

Hadley followed as Jess marched through the stables. "Um, where's Brett? I thought he was stopping by tonight too."

"Brett can fall in a hole for all I care." Jess flipped a bucket beside Star and sat on it to inspect the hoof.

Hadley scratched the back of her head. "I've never had a brother, but I think wishing he'd fall into a hole is frowned upon."

"I do not want to talk about it right now." Jess tilted her head to get a better look at the hoof. "How'd things go with your mom yesterday?"

"We don't have results from the MRI yet, but I'm going to assume things are good until I hear otherwise."

Good was a loose term. How good could things be when her mom still had a dozen lingering complications from a stroke?

Hadley had plenty to be thankful for. Her mom was alive. She got to visit her at the long-term care facility all the time. She had a sister who also helped take care of her mom, and neither of them had to worry about where they'd find the money to pay for all the things their mom needed.

That was all thanks to Cheyenne's dad. At least one of them got a good one. Hadley's sister deserved a good dad after years spent without him.

Star sidestepped, jerking her hoof from Jess's hands .

"Hold still, girl. I'm trying to help," Jess said as she reached for the leg again.

"She's a lot easier to manage than some of the kids. Getting them to line up is like herding cats sometimes."

Jess looked up at Hadley with a crease between her brow. Her blonde hair was expertly curled and falling out of the fancy up-do she'd worn to Colt and Remi's wedding a few hours ago. "Why would you need to herd cats?"

Hadley held up her hands. "Just an expression. It means something is difficult, like herding cats would be."

Jess went back to studying the hoof. It was easy to forget that Jess took everything at face value, and Hadley tried her best to keep any figures of speech to a minimum.

Jess let Star's hoof fall and stood with a huff. "Infection. I'll call Tucker, but I think I have the antibiotic she needs." Huffing, Jess pulled out her phone and called the veterinarian. He answered quickly, and while Jess's words relayed the necessary information, her tone was harsh and sharp.

When the call ended, Jess stormed off and returned a few minutes later and tossed a tube of cream at Hadley. "He said use this."

Hadley caught it and read the active ingredients. None of it was familiar. "Um, are you sure you're okay? You seem extra irritated tonight. "

Jess huffed and pulled at the hair at her temples. "Brett is so stupid." She paced in front of Star, throwing her arms around. "Five years ago, some girl ruined our lives, and now she's back and Brett is acting like hanging out with her is a good idea!"

"Who? And she ruined your lives? That's a little extreme. You have a pretty good life now."

Jess stopped her pacing and glared at Hadley. "Brett almost went to prison. Our dad was murdered. Thea was his girlfriend, and she turned her back on him when he needed help. Yeah, I'd say she tried to ruin our lives."

"Okay, well, that sounds like a great bedtime story. Forget I asked."

Jess resumed her stomping around. "I mean, she just left him. Her stupid uncle killed our dad and got away with it. Thea showed up at the wedding tonight, and Brett went with her. He just left with her!"

Hadley looked around. Was there an escape somewhere around here? This was one web she didn't want to get tangled in. "Do we know if he'll be showing up for work in the morning?"

"Probably not. He's at the hospital in Cody fawning over that traitor."

Hadley straightened. "The hospital? Is he okay?"

"It's her. She was hurt, and he went with her."

"That sounds…nice of him."

"It's not nice! She's a Howard. We're Pattons. Our families like to kill each other for sport, and he's acting like he isn't walking right into a trap tonight." Jess's head jerked from one side to the other like a cornered animal. "I'm going outside for a minute."

"I'm sure things will be okay," Hadley said as Jess speed-walked out of the stables.

"Wow. Did you hear that, Star? It kinda sounds like Brett would do anything for that woman." Hadley picked up a brush and started working on the horse's mane. Her thoughts kept turning back to Brett and the mystery woman. She wasn't a gossip, but was it bad that she wished Jess would come back in and talk some more?

Fifteen minutes later, Jess stormed back into the stables and straight to her office.

"Looks like the conversation is over." Hadley picked up the hoof pick and started on the horse's first hoof. "If I was Brett, I wouldn't show up for work tomorrow. It might not be good for his health if Jess is still stomping around."

Jess wasn't prone to exaggeration, and if the situation was as serious as she made it out to be, Brett must really care about that woman to put his safety on the line like that.

If Brett and Thea dated in the past, did he love her? Was that why he'd be willing to face the risk?

"I've never been in love. Well, I love Mom and Cheyenne, but I've never loved a man before." Even the thought of getting that close to a man and trusting him to care for her without hurting her sent a chill up her spine.

The men she worked with on the ranch were pretty good, but she didn't have to work in close quarters with them often. Some of them had girlfriends or even wives, and they were always sweet to each other whenever she saw the couples together.

Even her sister had found love. Though, Hadley still wasn't sure she'd know true love if it hit her in the face. They hadn't grown up with a good example of a loving relationship.

It was for the best. Better to have no dad at all than to live with an abusive one.

Cheyenne not only found love but found out that her dad who left them hadn't actually left them at all. He hadn't known he had a daughter.

Hadley lowered the brush in her hand to her side. Where was her optimism today? Her sister got a happily ever after, but she wasn't holding out hope that things would work out that way for her.

A bang reverberated through the stables from Jess's office followed by shouts. Yeah, Brett really needed to consider taking the day off tomorrow.