Love, Texas Style
A.J. Roye
Copyright 2020, All rights reserved.
Chapter 164
The horse squealed.
A horrifying sound.
Before Terry could turn, Millie screamed a scream that touched him to his core.
In a flash, Millie was holding on for dear life. Her gray gelding... Star... was bucking and still squealing... Then... lurched and ran away with Millie on board.
Before he could respond, Nicole turned her horse and raced after Millie. Riding flat in her saddle... her head near the neck of her gelding... gaining speed to catch Star before Millie fell off. Her hat flew away because of the speed.
"STAY HERE!" roared Denise. "STAY AWAY FROM THAT BRUSH! SNAKE!"
With that, Denise raced after the sisters.
Terry turned to Traci... her horse spinning in circles... the horse, obviously upset with the excitement. Traci worried she would fall off and also worried about her daughter on a bolted horse. Terry turned Annie and snatched the bridle of Traci's mare... steadying the horse and guiding her away from the brush. Nora's horse was upset, too, but followed Annie.
Denise watched as she raced after the girls.
Nicole caught up with the gray quickly, snatched the reins, then the bridle, and began slowing the scared horse down. When Denise caught up, she knew it wasn't good. The gray hobbled on the right hind leg. She swept Millie from the saddle and guided her chestnut gelding to a fallen tree... Dismounted, tied the reins and checked on Millie.
"Are you hurt?"
"No... just a little scared." Millie tried to smile. But no tears.
"Stay here with Rocky."
Millie nodded... obviously shaken.
"Damn," Denise mumbled, as she approached the gray. "Steady, boy, steady." She snatched the reins and inspected the leg... two punctures and the leg was swelling. "Hold him steady, Nicole." She gave Nicole the reins to Star.
Denise began unsaddling the horse and took the saddle and blanket to the fallen tree while Nicole held Star's reins.. When she turned, the horse began wobbling. Still on three legs. She took the reins and encouraged the horse to lie down. Denise was still hopeful... The gray's eyes were panicked and his heart was racing. She could hear Millie whimpering behind her. Terry and the other two rode up. Traci gasped at the sight of the downed horse, dismounted and took Millie into her arms.
"Call the vet, Sir. He may still make it if the swelling doesn't get worse."
Terry reached for his phone.
Denise waved to Millie... "Come here, Millie. Star needs you, Sweetie."
Traci escorted her daughter. Millie knelt at Star's neck and caressed him. Once Denise saw Star was calming down, she stood and looked at Nicole... still mounted on her horse. Worry was written on the teenager's face.
"That was a hell of a ride, Girl," Denise offered with an arched eyebrow, hands on the hips, and a satisfying smile. "And dangerous... what you did."
Nicole managed a smile. She dismounted, tied her horse to a shrub... "What? And let Millie fall off? I did what any sister would do. I know it was dangerous, but... Millie was in danger. I had to do it." She then knelt beside her sister. Her arm around Millie's shoulder.
Denise... nodded with satisfaction.
"The best horsemanship I've ever seen,"
she thought.
*****
Terry nodded from the back porch, as he watched Millie, Denise, Nicole, and the veterinarian assistant leading a limping Star to the stables. Turned out, the vet was on the other side of the county and sent her top assistant. It would be a video examination.
"I think he'll be fine," Denise offered as she stepped onto the porch. Having left the two sisters to settle the gray and Denise's horse in the stable. An injection to control the swelling... turns out, adult horses often survive rattlesnake bites, due to their enormous size.
Traci saw Denise and entered the porch from the house. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. Thank Nicole. Did you two see what she did?"
The reply... two heads gently shaking side to side.
"The best horsemanship I've seen in some time. Stopping a panicked horse isn't easy and she made it look too easy." Denise turned toward the stables to see Nicole disappear into the building. "Millie did exactly as I taught her. She rode with the horse and didn't panic." She paused as she continued gazing at the stables. "Nicole... What she did was dangerous. Very dangerous, but I agree with her. Millie needed help and Nicole... Jesus..." She turned to face her employer and Traci. "I still can't believe I saw her do that. It was like she had done it a thousand times before. Perfectly. It's like she... had a natural instinct. And Endurance... Damn... it's like the two were one beast... Riding together at full gallop. I wonder if he knew what Nicole knew... Millie and Star needed help." Denise shook her head gently... still in disbelief.
"I've praised both girls and I know you have, too. But, they need both of you right now. Nicole hasn't left Millie's side." Denise tilted her head to her boss and his wife. "I'm using the ATV to get the saddle and bring it back." With that, she turned and left for the barn.
"I'm getting them something to eat," Traci asserted as she turned and entered the house.
Terry turned to find 10 year old Nora, looking up at him... concern on her face.
"They're both fine," he offered. "Star, too. Wanna go see them with me?"
*****
Terry watched through the huge window toward the pool.
A smile on his face. He nodded at the memory of his own children as youngsters. Their friends over to ride ATVs and horses.
This time... the swimming pool and the deck were crowded with youth from the Morrison girls' school. Their parents, too. Traci busy refilling the dispensers of lemonade and iced tea. Jacob and Bill grilling hamburgers and hot dogs before each of them had to return to Lubbock for the summer term. Terry and Traci were hosting an end of school year party. The popularity of the Morrison girls the reason.
Word soon spread of Nicole's heroics, potentially saving her sister from serious injury, or worse. The local Brenham newspaper received interviews from Nicole, Millie, Nora, Traci, and Denise. Their photograph with Star and E (Endurance, Nicole's gelding) on the front page. The print and online periodicals,
Texas Horseman
and
Cowboys and Cowgirls
picked up the story, and in addition, ran an extensive story on Denise and her teaching techniques... Highlighting her extensive knowledge of horses and cattle. The periodicals featured many photographs of all three sisters and their mother, along with Denise. The periodicals would publish their stories in August.
The Morrison girls, now local celebrities, and Denise... more popular than ever with the local men. After hearing of Nicole's and Millie's adventure, Michael and Amy drove down to help with the early June party.
"I see Nicole has a cute bikini."
Traci smiled as she set cupcakes on a tray in the kitchen. "It is cute," she replied as she looked up from the tray to her husband's daughter in law. "Turquoise looks good on us blondes." She chuckled. "Nicole asked for it two weeks ago. I balked at first, but remembered I asked for one at thirteen, too."
Amy giggled as she set buns on a tray for the hot dogs and burgers. "I was thirteen, too. It was a leopard print, and I agree... turquoise is Nicole's color." Amy paused as she continued sorting the tray. "I saw her flirting with some of the boys in the pool. The boys were flirting back, and with her friends."
"Gawd, do I know it," Traci groaned as she rolled her eyes. "She's noticing boys and it's driving me crazy."
Amy giggled.
"And you, Amy. You have a nice little bump, there," Traci chuckled. "What is it? 19... 20 weeks? You look great."
"Thank you," Amy chirped, as she ran her fingers across her tummy with a smile. Her baby bump hugged snuggly by her high waist beige leggings. "It's 20 weeks... half way there. The baby's due October 23rd."
"Boy or girl?"
"It's gonna be a surprise," Amy replied with spirit in her voice...
"For both of us."
Chapter 165
Terry's phone pinged.
He opened the secure messaging app Michael installed on his phone.
Dinner at my place. Tuesday, 6:30 pm. Traci is welcome.
*****
Terry exited the rental car and stepped to the curb to assist Traci from the car.
She kissed him as she fell into his arms on the sidewalk. She pulled away still holding him. "You two are up to something." She waited for a reply... with an arched eyebrow and an upturned corner of her lips.
With a face of stone, he snatched her arm to head to his son's front door... "That thunderstorm to the east roughed the M2 up a bit, didn't it?" He chuckled, as the two stepped to the porch. Traci laughed at his deliberate avoidance of her comment.
When the door opened, Amy squealed, leaped at Terry, hugged his neck, kissed his lips, and did the same for Traci. She pulled her guests into her home.
"Thank you for coming to see us," she squealed again. "Mommy and Daddy are here, too."
*****
"Both wells produced. Exceeding Morales' expectations."
The three men were sitting in Michael's study. Not much in the way of furnishings. But, the three men were smiling at the report.
"728 and 841 barrels per day on the production tests. Morales wants to get started on the mineral and drilling leases as quickly as possible. The other investors have been informed of the results. I spoke with each of them personally in their home cities. I have their deposits, and I've given Morales the go ahead to begin."
"This is good news, Michael?" Leon asked. "The rates you quoted?"
"Very, very good, Mr. M."
"It is, Leon," Terry offered. "Typical for a shale formation in West Texas." Turning to his son... "You're confident you can snatch up all of the leases?"
"Mr. Morales has hired two of the best landmen in West Texas. They're under confidentiality agreements and he tells me, with he, and his children working, too... he thinks he can have the leases secured by March of next year."
