the aisle. She’d get her flowers and, as her Uncle Bud often said, get the heck out of Dodge.
Rio, his brother Jeremy and Rick were moving a pen full of broncs from one pasture to another. Rio sat the saddle easily as the horses meandered down the wide aisle between pens; his younger brother and Rick less so. Babydoll, Rio’s blue heeler, a recent gift from Maggie, trotted along by his gelding’s side, veering off to nip at a straggler’s heels at Rio’s command.
While Rio watched, a particularly ornery mare whirled and kicked at the dog. Just what happened after that was anyone’s guess. There was the staccato sound of barking, a shrill whinny and a sudden dusty burst of speed from the pack of horses. Rio saw Rick’s horse rear up and heard the boy’s startled cry as he tumbled off and landed in a heap on the ground.
Before Rio could do more than wonder if the kid had been hurt—and how badly—Rick leaped to his feet. Rio gave a relieved sigh, but then, to his stunned disbelief, Rick screamed a blistering curse and aimed a vicious kick at the dog’s ribs. Babydoll yelped and ran, cowering from the attack.
Muttering an epithet of his own, Rio slung a denimclad leg over the buckskin’s neck and slid from his broad back, stalking toward his young charge. Before he got to Rick, the boy had whipped off his belt and was about to flail Babydoll.
Rio grabbed the belt just in time. Falling off a horse was no excuse for abusing the dog. Radiating fury, he snatched the leather strap from Rick’s hands.
The sudden action caught Rick off guard. Confronted with the rage on Rio’s face, he stumbled back a step. Rio folded the belt and took a step toward Rick, who raised his arms and ducked his head in a protective gesture that said more than words ever could.
Rio stopped dead still, his anger at the boy draining away like the waters of the Claro River when they’d built the dam several years back. There was little doubt that Bull Farmer was at the root of Rick’s fear. A new spark of anger flared inside Rio.
Jeremy trotted up on his mare. Without taking his gaze off Rick, Rio said, “Go ahead and move the horses, Jeremy.”
Though Jeremy hadn’t known of his brother’s existence until a few short months ago, he already knew better than to interfere when Rio used that hard, clipped tone of voice. Without a word, he wheeled the mare and followed the string of broncs now meandering calmly between the woven wire fences.
“It’s all right, Rick,” Rio said, his voice low and soothing.
Cautiously Rick lowered his arms. The expression in his eyes was that wild, panicky look an animal had when it was caught in a trap and knew there was no way out. Which was exactly what Rick Farmer and the rest of his family were. Trapped. Trapped in a hell of Bull Farmer’s making.
Rio’s stomach churned in an old, familiar way. He’d suffered a lot of abuse growing up-slurs about his illegitimacy and his mixed blood-but nobody had ever laid a hand on him but his mama. Delora Langley had only spanked him when it was absolutely necessary, and then only because she’d known she had to get the upper hand on a headstrong boy who was in dire need of a man’s firm direction. Afterward she had held him, their tears mingling, while she’d crooned over and over that she was sorry. Those well-remembered spankings had been just that, not the beatings Rick Farmer had no doubt endured.
Rio blew out a deep breath and shook his head to rid himself of the memories. He squatted on his haunches and smooched the dog. “Come here, Babydoll,” he coaxed, holding out a hand in entreaty. The dog sidled up to him slowly, uncertain what to expect. Then, sensing Rio’s mood, she lay down and rolled to her back in the age-old, accepted sign of submission.
Rio gave her a quick but thorough examination, feeling her legs and probing her rib cage to check for broken bones. Satisfied that the dog was all right, he picked her up and held her against his broad chest. She gave him a grateful lick on the chin.
With the dog safe in his arms, Rio turned to face a wary Rick. “I’m not going to hurt you, boy,” he said. “But I don’t believe in mistreating animals, and if I ever see you abusing one of mine again, I’ll run you off this place so fast it’ll make your head swim.”
Rick gave a nervous nod and licked his lips.
“Animals are unpredictable. Horses kick. Dogs bite. Things like this happen all the time-and for a lot less reason sometimes. Taking out your anger on a poor beast doesn’t do anything but make you look like a danged fool…a stupid fool at that.”
“Yes, sir,” Rick said, his face flaming.
Rio nodded and gave the dog’s head a loving caress. “Now tell her you’re sorry.”
The dumbfounded look on the boy’s face was comical. “What?”
“You heard me. Come over here and pet Babydoll and tell her you’re sorry.”
“B-but she’s just a dumb dog. She won’t know what I’m doing.”
“She’s a lot smarter than a lot of people I know, and she’ll know, all right. Now get yourself over here.”
Rick took one slow step and then two. He stopped an arm’s length from Rio and stretched out a tentative hand toward the dog. The instant Rick’s fingers made contact with her nose, Rio said a soft “Boo!” Rick jumped back so fast he lost his footing and fell onto the ground with another curse.
Seeing Rio’s slow, unrepentant smile, Rick pushed himself to his feet and thrust out his chin. “You’re a sick man, you know that?”
“Maybe so, but you deserved that one. You ought to be glad Babydoll didn’t bite your finger off. Now tell her you’re sorry.”
Rick glared at Rio. “No more funny stuff. I’m on to you.”
Cautiously Rick approached the dog once more. Babydoll looked up at Rio as if to ask if everything was all right. He murmured comforting words to her. Her baleful brown gaze slewed back to Rick, who riffled the hair of her neck in a tentative way. Babydoll’s tail moved in a single, halfhearted wag.
“Tell her,” Rio prompted.
Rick gave Rio a look that could kill. “I’m sorry,” he growled.
Babydoll looked at Rio.
“She doesn’t believe it,” Rio said, “and frankly, neither do I. Dogs are like women, son. You’ve got to be nice to them. Sweet-talk them, and they’re yours forever.” Rio followed the sexist statement with a sheepish grin. “‘Course, don’t ever tell my wife I said that. She’ll have my hide.”
The irritation in Rick’s eyes softened the slightest bit. It might have been a trick of the dying light, but Rio thought he saw one corner of the boy’s mouth twitch.
“I’m sorry, Babydoll,” Rick crooned, scratching the dog’s hide harder. “I won’t ever hurt you again.”
“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it,” Rio said.
The dog must have sensed that he was telling the truth, because she turned her head into his palm and began to lick it. Little kids and dogs were so forgiving it was downright sad, Rio thought. Maybe mankind in general ought to take a few lessons.
“She forgives you,” Rio said. “And she believes you.”
Rick
