Redemption Ranch. Leann Harris

Tyler appeared by Zach’s side. He didn’t offer his help, but was there if Zach needed anything. Zach pushed away from the tree and met Tyler’s gaze. Zach nodded his thanks.

       “I think my dog’s with Riley,” Tyler said getting back to the subject. “He’ll take care of the kid.”

       “How did this happen?” Sophie asked. “How could he have disappeared so quickly? I looked out the office window not ten minutes ago, and he was there, his frown firmly in place.”

       Sophie glanced at Tyler, her embarrassment clear in her blush. “Ugh—sorry.”

       “Don’t worry about it,” Tyler reassured her. “It’s the truth. I’d hoped…” There was no point in explaining.

       They turned and walked back to the stables. Tyler heard Beth’s voice floating outside through the open doors.

       “There you are, Dogger. Have you taken up with your new friend?”

       Tyler hurried into the dark interior of the building, dread riding him hard. He understood Riley’s heart, understood the fear and resentment the boy held on to as if it were a talisman. Riley hadn’t verbally said how he felt, but Tyler recognized the emotions coloring the boy’s eyes. And Tyler knew if Beth rained all over the kid, he’d retreat further into himself, where no one would be able to reach him.

       Tyler strode down the center aisle like an avenging angel, ready to do battle to protect the boy. He scanned the area for Beth and Riley. He heard Beth, but didn’t see her.

       “I missed you guarding that doorway,” she continued. “Then you went off, wandering around with Tyler’s friend.”

       Her voice came from the second to last stall before the open double doors, leading to the back corral. He made it close enough to see the floor of the stall. Beth sat beside Dogger. Riley sat on the other side of the dog.

       He opened his mouth, but Beth beat him. “You’ve got to be a great guy,” she told Riley as she scratched the dog’s head.

       Riley glanced at her, his mouth hanging open.

       “I told you Dogger’s might-y selective about his friends, and if he’s hanging with you, I’d say you have his seal of approval. Can you tell me your secret?”

       The youth’s eyes widened.

       “You see, I’ve got other kids coming here to ride, and I’m hoping that Dogger can help them as much as the horses do. You seem to have charmed him, so what’s your secret?”

       Her question surprised Tyler as much as it did Riley. What happened next surprised Tyler even more. The boy smiled shyly and glanced at her. He shrugged his thin shoulders. “Don’t know.”

       Beth scratched Dogger’s side and he rolled onto his back to give her better access to his belly. The dog did that with Tyler or Paul, but with the other guys in Tyler’s unit the dog never showed them that level of trust.

       He heard another person enter the stables. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted Zach. When Zach opened his mouth, Tyler shook his head.

       “C’mon,” Beth urged. “Think about it. You’ve got a talent, so maybe you can share it with others.”

       Riley reached out and rubbed Dogger’s stomach. One rub, then he snatched his hand back. “I let Dogger come to me.”

       Beth nodded her head. “That makes sense. Come to think of it, I did that, too. I didn’t try to pet him at first, but let him think about it, and when he was ready, he approached me.” Beth’s smile brought light to this corner of the stables. “So, I’ll warn the kids to let Dogger approach them.” She rested her back against the wall. “Thank you for that insight.”

       Another miracle occurred. Riley’s chest puffed out and he reached out again and rubbed Dogger’s stomach.

       “How she does that I don’t know,” Zach whispered.

       Tyler glanced at his friend. Zach motioned for Tyler to join him outside. The two men walked out into the sunlight.

       “Does your sister do that often?” Tyler asked, impressed by how Beth had handled the exchange between Riley and herself.

       Shaking his head, Zach laughed. “When we were growing up, she had a talent to read Ethan and me, then rat us out to my folks. Of course, when it came to the guys she dated, she was useless, but that may be the brother in me talking.”

       Before Tyler could comment, Susan Carter rounded the corner of the office. “How’s it going?”

       Tyler didn’t have the heart to explain about losing her son for a brief time. “I think we’ve made a little progress. My dog’s attached himself to Riley. And Riley smiled.”

       “Really,” she whispered, relief lighting her face. Her gaze went from Tyler to Zach. He nodded the truth of Tyler’s statement. “Oh, I’ve prayed and prayed.”

       Tyler swallowed. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”

      * * *

       “Are you upset?” Beth asked as she stopped by Tyler’s side. He was brushing down Charming. Susan and Riley had left close to a half hour ago.

       His hand stilled on the horse’s flank. “What are you talking about?”

       “Are you upset about me talking to Riley?” She craned her neck so she could see his eyes. Her head almost rested on Charming’s side. Tyler met her gaze.

       “No.”

       Oh, that male mind-set, say as little as you can to get yourself out of trouble. “Would you care to expand on that?”

       He went back to brushing the horse.

       She didn’t move, blocking his access to the horse’s front shoulder. She had two brothers and knew how to outwait a stubborn male, and she wanted an answer.

       “What do you want me to say?”

       Progress. “I saw that panicked look on your face when I was sitting with Riley. You looked like I was fixin’ to put my foot in it and scare the poor kid.”

       He flushed. “You saw that?”

       “I did.”

       Shrugging, he gave Charming a final stroke, then put the brush on the shelf. “I knew from experience that the more you push with a boy that age, the further you push them away.”

       Beth heard the pain in his voice, startling her. What had happened to this man that he could identify with Riley’s situation? “You’ve been there and done that.”

       He remained silent for so long that she feared she’d pushed him too hard. “I’m s—”

       “Yeah.”

       She knew this time to give the man room, but he surprised her.

       “When I went into foster care, the social worker wanted me to spill my guts.” He untied Charming from the ring on the wall and led him back to his stall.

       Beth stared after his retreating form. He starts to spill his guts and then walks away?

       She hurried after him. “You can’t leave me hanging there. What happened?”

       “Why do you care?”

       If he’d slapped her, she couldn’t have been more startled. Instinctively, she stepped back. Scrambling to come up with an answer, she said, “I want to understand how to help Riley. You have an insight that will help me to help him.”

       Tyler put Charming in his stall, then slipped the halter off of the horse’s head. He paused, studying her. “Makes sense. I ran through five foster care homes in two years. I think I held the record for that part of Oklahoma. I was known as a troublemaker until I got to the Olaskys.” His gaze turned inward. “They didn’t ask me to open up. They gave me the room I needed and