Lonestar Sanctuary Read Online Free Page B

The joyous expression of the dog's excitement brought a smile to Betsy's face.

    "Nice dog." Allie said, pausing to pet the collie. "Male or female?"
    "Jem's a male. Don't spoil him. He's a herd dog."
    "He's gorgeous." With a last pat, she and Betsy followed the man.
    The good scent of horses and hay lifted her fatigue when they
stepped into the barn. The man led them to the back, where they
found a short, sinewy old guy tending to a laboring horse. The bay
mare was down in the straw, and the man had her head on his lap. His
brown skin was leathered with age and sun, but when the dark eyes
under the cowboy hat met her own, she saw a depth of love and compassion that made her feet move toward him.
    This was Elijah? She tried to hide her curiosity but was unable to
look away. She hadn't known he existed until her mother died.
    His stare seemed a bit intense for just having met, then his gaze
settled on Betsy, and his face softened even more. "Hello, nina. Do
you like horses? We're going to have a colt soon."
    Betsy nodded, her gaze locked with the old man's. Allie's hope
surged. Betsy's face held more interest than she'd seen in a year. The
little girl stepped forward with her hand out, then pulled it back.
    "You can pet her." Elijah's voice was gentle.
    Betsy knelt and touched the mare's nose. The horse blew her
breath into Betsy's hand, and she scrambled back. A huge yawn
erupted from her mouth.
    Mr. DeAngelos nodded to the corner. "It will be a long night.
There are blankets for the nina. You both look tired."
    "Want to lay in the hay, Bets?" Allie wouldn't have minded curling
up in that soft mound herself.
    Betsy nodded. Allie led Betsy to the hay in the corner and sat her
down with a blanket over her lap. Dust motes danced into the air
when the little girl rustled in the mound. Betsy kept her gaze fas tened on the horse, but her lids drooped, and Allie knew it wouldn't
be long before she would be asleep. Then she could make their case
to the old man.

    And then she would find Rick Bailey.
    Elijah glanced up at the other man. "Rick, would you get us some
hot coffee? The stuff in the kitchen has been sitting there since morning, so brew some fresh."
    Rick. Allie sank into the straw next to Betsy. How could Jon have
told her to come to this tight-lipped man for help? The only assistance
he'd give would be to escort her right out of here.

     

3
    RICK MUTTERED UNDER HIS BREATH AS HE STRODE ACROSS THE YARD TO
the ranch house. Jem did his little air dance at Rick's side, then stopped
at the front door when he went inside. Women like that one gave the
word mother a bad rap. Some just weren't born with a maternal instinct.
    She had only been thinking of herself.
    And what was wrong with the kid? Betsy hadn't said a word.
Something weird going on there, and it was likely the mom's fault.
Everyone that pretty had entitlement problems anyway. She wasn't
much bigger than a kid herself, and she'd probably used her tiny
stature and big blue eyes to her advantage.
    He was going to advise Elijah to get rid of her as soon as he could.
    He stepped into the kitchen and threw together some sandwiches while the coffee brewed. He put them in a knapsack along with some
apples and bottles of water. The most he would do is feed them. After
pouring coffee into a thermos, he started back to the barn.

    To give Elijah and the woman more time to talk, he stopped at the
smaller barn to check on the horse they'd hauled back this morning.
Scooping up the sweet feed mixture, he offered the mare another
handful. The dull eyes looked at him, then her teeth nibbled at his
palm. She was far from out of the woods.
    The wind changed and brought the odor of manure to his nose. He
winced as memories of another stench washed over him.
    He was back in Fallujah, moving past puddles of raw sewage running in the streets. Joking with his buddy Jon and tossing pennies at
the children who ran shouting and laughing beside them.
    At one