LITMIR.BIZ

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year that the staff was still in flux and Rhett had been at a loss, which was how the lessons had ended up on Shannon’s plate. Not that she minded. It was nice to be in charge of something, even if it was temporary.

      Even if she had been his last pick.

      She was surprised he wasn’t here to hover over her. Like he usually did.

      Since the breakup with Cord, Rhett and Wade had both engaged in far too much hovering. As if Shannon might fall apart if they weren’t around to take care of her. At first she hadn’t minded—it had almost been sweet—but now it was nothing short of annoying. She knew they had watched over her these last nine months because they loved her and wanted only the best for her. And whenever she got frustrated, she reminded herself how blessed she was to have a family that cared so much, but it was high time they let her be.

      Allowed her to sink or swim on her own.

      Between Cord’s controlling ways and now her brothers’ overprotection, she was so sick of men calling the shots in her life. She wished someone would come alongside her and cheer her on or join what she was doing instead of telling her what to do.

      Was it so bad to want her brothers to see her as something other than their baby sister? Once, just once, she would love it if they had admiration in their eyes, pride instead of pity.

      Because either her dad or brothers had always stepped up to run things, Shannon had never actually been in charge of anything at the ranch before. In high school she had been happy to serve as a summer camp counselor at the ranch, and as she had gotten older, she had started floating around the ranch, pitching in wherever necessary but never having a defined role. A fact that had never bothered her before, not as long as she was busy and felt useful. But now she questioned why she hadn’t asked her father for more responsibility and opportunities to lead when there had been chances. The way her life had panned out, she knew a little about a lot of aspects at the ranch, but she was a master of nothing. She wished it was different, but wishes never helped anything.

      Shannon gripped the brush a little harder. She would change all that now. She would square her shoulders and swallow her doubts and learn how to lead.

      Rhett had told her the new head wrangler would be aiding her with the lessons, and for that Shannon was grateful. While she didn’t want one of her brothers nosing around, she didn’t mind the newcomer. He didn’t know her past, her failures. For all he knew she was capable and smart. A strong woman.

      Far from the truth.

      Finished with the currycomb, Shannon traded it out for a large stiff brush that she used in a sweeping motion to clear the dirt and hair the currycomb had loosened. She sighed. If only it was as easy to brush away her mistakes and worries. In a show of affection, Memphis leaned into her. There was a reason he was one of Shannon’s favorites among all their trail horses.

      In nearby stalls Carter and Easton, a teenage boy who’d started volunteering at Red Dog Ranch a few months ago, were both busy getting other horses ready for riders. There were only six girls in the class this session, so they had two horses apiece to prepare.

      “How long are these lessons?” Easton’s words from one stall over made her jump.

      “Forty-five minutes. We’ll do fifteen minutes of review to make sure they remember everything from the last session since it’s been a few months, and five minutes of instruction for the emergency dismount. Then they’ll have twenty minutes to practice and work with their horses before cleanup,” Shannon answered.

      Carter came up to Memphis’s stall door and leaned his forearms across the top of it. “Emergency dismount? That’s tough stuff for new riders.” He tilted his head. “How old did you say these girls were?” Last night Shannon had considered him attractive, but today he was even more appealing in his cowboy hat.

      She fumbled with the brush in her hand. Memphis snorted.

      Appealing was dangerous. She would do well to remember that.

      She sucked in a sharp breath. The scents of straw and dust and dirt reminded her of what was important. The kids the ranch served. The ranch itself. Making her brothers proud again and carrying on her father’s legacy.

      “These girls are intermediate-level riders,” she said. “They’ve already passed our other courses.” She rested a hand on Memphis’s side. “And hopefully, they’ll never need to perform an emergency dismount, but I’d rather have them know how to do it than get into a dangerous situation on a horse someday and not know how to handle themselves.”

      “Makes sense.” Carter nodded as he straightened. “This is your gig. I trust your judgment.”

      He probably wouldn’t have said that if he knew her. Still, it was nice to hear.

      She forced a smile as she checked her watch. “Ten minutes until they arrive.” She peeked at Easton through the slats between the stalls. The redheaded teenager wore a baggy T-shirt over his thin frame. “Tell me you brought a coat this time? It’s cold out there.” Cooler than March in Texas normally was.

      Easton shrugged. “It’s not so bad.”

      Shannon’s heart twisted and she fought the urge to go into the next stall and hug the boy. Or shake some sense into him. But Easton had been in and out of foster care his entire life, so she knew he had little in the way of possessions and was often not dressed for the weather. They did so much to help kids like Easton at Red Dog Ranch but there were always more needs than resources.

      She tugged keys out of her jeans and tossed them to Carter, who impressively caught them one-handed. “Check the office at the front of the barn. My brothers are forever leaving coats in there.”

      Carter held the keys up by the keychain that was shaped like a rose. “Your brother gave me keys to the barn office, too. I work here, you know.”

      Right. Her cheeks warmed. Carter wasn’t one of the teen volunteers she had grown used to working alongside in the past year; he was the head wrangler. A paid staff member. Any more, the barn office would be more his domain than hers. She held out her hand, taking the keys back with a small apologetic half smile.

      As Carter turned to go, Shannon traced her fingers through the soft hairs on Memphis’s neck. He nickered. She sighed and rested her forehead on his shoulder for a second. She loved working with the girls and didn’t mind teaching lessons but she couldn’t help feeling as if something was missing from her life. The lessons would only last for a few weeks, and then, after that, what would she do? Lately, because they had been short on staff and she had always enjoyed working with the animals, she had been helping to take care of the horses and doing chores around the barn, but with a new head wrangler she would no longer be needed as much here, either. She would go back to floating around the ranch doing odd jobs.

      No set place. No set path.

      Rhett owned the place and was the director. His pregnant wife, Macy, was a codirector and she managed the ranch’s office and administrative affairs. Shannon’s twin, Wade, had recently taken over the position of head of maintenance, and his new wife, Cassidy, was the head chef. They all had defined roles. Purposes. The ranch would cease to function without any of them.

      But if Shannon up and left she wouldn’t be missed.

      The ranch would continue on just fine.

      For the first time in her life, Shannon wasn’t sure she belonged at Red Dog Ranch.

      A pit formed in her stomach. She wasn’t needed.

      A text made her phone buzz in her back pocket. She slipped her phone out to see a message from Wade: Cassidy and I have to run out. When you go to get Thanksgiving Dinner make sure Rhett goes with you.

      She rolled her eyes at Wade’s name for Wing Crosby and was trying to think of something clever to text back when the barn doors slammed open and six ten-year-old girls rushed in.

      For now, in this space, she was needed. She would pour herself into these girls and send them back to their homes full of praise and encouragement

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