exchanging a glance with one another. August knew Arizona, of course. He’d heard she was pregnant and due in October, and while she still had five months to go until she delivered, she already sported a small bump in her midsection.
“I don’t have much time. If Preacher asks, I was not here.”
“Okay,” they said again, and August heard the wariness in Jess’s tone. He felt it moving through his soul too.
“My brother’s birthday is coming up,” she said. “He does not like a fuss being made, but I need you guys to get him off the ranch for a few hours that day. Morning, afternoon, I don’t care when.”
August looked past her, but he didn’t see Preacher anywhere. No dust trails lifting into the air anywhere.
“Why us?” Jess asked.
“Because he’ll say no to family,” Arizona said. “I have the perfect set up. Have you guys been out to Three Rivers Ranch and done the equine therapy riding there?”
“No,” August said. “Heard about it, though.” He looked at Jess and swatted his chest. “Remember we met Pete Marshall at the branding? He owns Courage Reins and the therapy unit.”
“Right,” Arizona said. “Preacher loves it. I need you to tell him you want him to take you. Ollie’s back, and he goes with his dad. So Preach won’t think anything of it. All of you can go.” She held out a card. “Here are all the details. Let me know what time your appointment is.”
August took the card, and Arizona walked away. She swung onto her horse, nickered at it, and trotted away. He flipped the card for Courage Reins over and saw the date. “This is in another month,” he said, frowning. “We have to call that far ahead?”
Jess peered at the card, and August tilted it toward him further so he could see the details. “Let’s give it a go.” He pulled out his phone and August held the card while he dialed. “Yes, hi, this is Jess Cochran, and I’d like to make an appointment for some…riding.” He looked at August with wide eyes, gesturing like what do I say here? “How many?”
August counted quickly—him, Jess, Preacher, Ollie, and his dad. He held up five fingers.
“Five,” Jess said. “Oh…groups of eight. Okay, eight.” He shrugged, smiling now. “Let’s see, I’d love to come on—” August held up the card. “June twentieth.”
A pause, wherein August wondered how much therapeutic riding cost, and if anyone was really allowed to do it. Seemingly able-bodied men.
“Any time,” Jess said. “Morning, night, whatever.”
“Afternoon,” August hissed, and Jess said that too.
“Almost booked?” Jess asked, his eyebrows going up. “Well, it’s for my boss’s birthday. Preacher Glover? I know he’d love to get in on his birthday.”
August smiled and shook his head. Jess was good, he’d give him that.
“Great,” Jess said, beaming. “Sure, eight is great. Mm…yeah. Yes, we’ll pay when we get there. Thank you.” He hung up, and both of them started laughing. “I’ll tell you what,” Jess said. “Arizona needs to give us a credit card too. That’s going to be hundreds of dollars for eight people.”
“Yeah, but you said Preacher Glover, and bam. They had openings.” August bent to start rolling the spindle again.
“I mean, the Glovers are kind of like royalty around here.”
He was right, and that only spoke to August’s first point about not feeling worthy of a woman like Etta Glover. He’d only admitted his second reason for his hesitation to tie the knot tomorrow to himself, and only in his very quietest of moments.
Thankfully, Jess didn’t bring it up again, and it wasn’t very quiet inside August’s head right now.
“You’re right,” Etta said later that evening, leaning back into August’s chest as they faced west to watch the sun set. “I don’t think I’ve been to this part of the ranch, ever.”
“Ever?” The gold in the sky reminded him of God’s glory, and as the pink and navy tried to steal the majesty of it, August finally allowed complete contentment to move through him.
“Are you sure we’re still on Shiloh Ridge property?” Her voice carried a teasing lilt, and August closed his eyes and smiled into the sky.
“If we’re not, I tended to a well out here for no reason.” According to the map Preacher had given him, the well sat right in the southwest corner of the ranch, and one could only access it by a footpath that went into a small meadow, with trees bordering it on the south and east.
August had been utterly charmed by