“Hey, Lexi girl.” Her father reached out, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Your dad is out here obsessing about a little bit of smoke.”
“I’m telling you, the fire is bigger than it was a little while ago.”
Was it? Lexi couldn’t tell. “Well, you can’t put it out by staring at it, Dad.”
Her father glanced down at her. “Is Austin up there?”
She nodded. “He’s staffing a roadblock. He had to close the parks and campgrounds.”
Her father chuckled. “I bet all the tourists love him for that.”
“Yeah, not so much.”
“Don’t worry about Austin, Lexi, dear,” Rose said. “He’ll be fine.”
But Lexi hadn’t been worried—not till that moment. Her irritation sparked. How like Rose to put a worry in her head that hadn’t been there. “Of course, he’ll be fine.”
Nate West leanedagainst the wooden fence, watching while his nephew, Chase, rode Buckwheat around the corral, the sun beating down on them, wind kicking up clouds of dust. “You’re doing great. Now bring him to a trot.”
Chase clicked with his tongue, squeezed his legs, and Buckwheat responded, moving easily into a trot. “Good job, Buckwheat.”
Buckwheat was Emily’s horse—or he’d become Emily’s horse after she and Megan had moved to the ranch. He was the gentlest gelding Nate had ever known, as mild as he was beautiful, his palomino coloring gleaming in the sun.
“Good job, Chase!” Nate called out.
All the kids had ridden twice this morning already. Then they’d had lunch out on the deck—burgers and homemade French fries. This was Chase’s third turn on Buckwheat, while Addy and Maire played horses in the yard behind the house and little Tristan played with Jackson and Lily in the playroom.
“I want to ride Buckwheat.” Emily stood at Nate’s elbow kicking the dirt with her boots, impatient to have another turn.
“Your cousins don’t get to ride all that often. You get to ride every day. I know it’s hard, but try to be patient.”
Sophie met Nate’s gaze and leaned down. “Thanks for letting Chase ride Buckwheat. It’s awfully sweet of you, and it makes Chase so happy.”
“Why doesn’t Chase have his own horse?”
“We live in a house in the city,” Sophie explained. “There isn’t room for a horse.”
“Oh.” Emily clearly thought that was the most disappointing news ever.
Out in the corral, Chase was having the time of his life. Nate gave him a few more minutes, knowing that the kid lived for this.
“You know, Sophie, if he and Addy want to come up and stay here for a week or so, we’d be happy to have them. They could ride every day. I would work with them myself. They’re both good with horses.”
“Are you sure? They can be a handful.”
“What kid isn’t? We’ve got plenty of room, and you know my old man loves nothing more than a full house and spoiling other people’s kids.”
Sophie laughed. “It’s true.”
Nate climbed over the fence. “Okay, buddy, bring him back to a walk. That’s right. Just like that. Now, when you’re ready, bring him to a halt. Good job, buddy.”
Nate walked over to horse and rider and lifted Chase to the ground, adjusting his little cowboy hat. “You’re getting to be a real cowboy.”
Chase reached up, petted Buckwheat’s muzzle. “I love you.”
Buckwheat whickered.