Love, Like Water by Rowan Speedwell Read Free Book Online Page A

shook his head. “My worst nightmare. At any rate, they had to euthanize a couple of them but they think these might make it. Rod’s gonna be back out Saturday morning to meet the trailer.”
    “I’ll have the guys get the small barn ready. Let’s keep them together for now, ’til they adjust.”
    “That’s what I was thinkin’.”
    Eli said slowly, “I had another thought….”
    “What’s that?”
    “Most of what they’re gonna need for the first few weeks is just tendin’. Nothing complicated. Socialization, mebbe. Someone to watch their feed so they don’t overeat, make sure they get water, aren’t pushed around by any of the other horses. Make sure they don’t get sick, or if they’re injured, that the wounds don’t fester. A babysitter.”
    As one, they turned and looked at the house. “You think he can handle it?”
    “Yeah, I think it might bring him out of himself, y’know? Give him something else to think about. I’d wait ’til we see what they look like, though—if there’s any chance one won’t make it, we might want to rethink that. No sense him getting attached to an animal that doesn’t have a chance of making it—or having him not getting attached, if he thinks it won’t.”
    “Yeah, I can see that.” Tucker leaned back and stared at the porch roof. His eyes narrowed as he thought. Eli watched him and waited. Finally, without changing his regard, Tuck said, “Let’s put Ricky with him to assist. He’s interested in eventually going to vet school, and this’ll give him some practice with managing animals.” Ricky was one of Jesse’s friends and worked for them part time. “He can help out in the afternoons, give Joshua a break, and do some of the heavy lifting Joshua can’t manage yet.”
    “He’s supposed to be here tomorrow afternoon. I can talk to him then.”
    “Introduce him to Joshua, but don’t say anything about the project to him. I want to make sure Joshua can handle it before I give it to him.” Tucker looked worried. Eli could understand why. “I want him to work in the office, but his health is so poor I’d rather him be in better condition before I set him to a desk job. Yeah, I know that’s counter… whatever it is they’re calling it these days, we used to just say ornery—”
    “Counterintuitive,” Eli supplied.
    “Yeah, that. But he needs fresh air and to get some strength before I stick him in the office.”
    “Can’t say as I’d argue with that. Fresh air, plenty of rest, and Sarafina’s cooking’ll make a new man outta him.”
    “Hope you’re right, son,” Tucker said. “Hope you’re right.”

Chapter 5

    T HE days settled into a slow rhythm that somehow, through its very simplicity, started to ease some of the pain. The nightmares were still bad, still waking him several times a night, but Joshua found it easier to fall back to sleep afterwards than he ever had. He slept with his window open, and the scent of dust and desert plants and Sarafina’s herb garden worked better than any of the sleeping pills they’d given him in the hospital. And the sounds: the wind, the rustle in the trees, the distant howl of a coyote or wolf—were there even any wolves left in the wild? And in the morning, the cackle of hens, the crow of a rooster, Sarafina rattling pans in the kitchen, and finally, the unmistakable noise of the hands coming in to eat.
    There were a handful of employees who lived on the ranch, but most of them lived between there and Miller. Despite being the high desert, there were a surprising number of small ranches and farmsteads along the stretch of road to Miller, watered by a branch of the same Rio Galiano that kept the ranch alive. Eli had taken the time to introduce him to most of them, but Joshua had just filed the names away for future reference. They all seemed to have jobs that kept them busy; the ranch bustled from dawn ’til dusk. The ones Joshua saw the most of were Eli and Jesse, Sarafina’s son, who were