River at the Ranch (River's End #14) - Leanne Davis Page 0,1

floor.

“Asher?” Hearing his name from behind him, Asher turned and spotted the voice’s owner, Ian Rydell, another uncle of Violet. “Could you start putting the horses away and unsaddling them? I’ll—” His voice squeaked before he fell silent and tears brimmed in his eyes. “I have to meet the ambulance when it comes to—”

Take the body. Take Preston’s lifeless body. Asher nodded, feeling unable to manage any words. Nodding quickly, he faced forward, clicked his heels into the horse’s flanks and signaled to a fellow performance rider, Mack Baker, who looked just as shell-shocked as he was. Tilting his head, Asher indicated for Mack to follow him. Two other riders stared at Preston’s body, their eyes huge with astonishment and horror, while several more turned away, obviously unable or unwilling to look.

“Let’s take the horses in, guys,” Asher called out. His voice wavered on the word guys. Preston used to be part of the guys, but not anymore.

After some nods and shuffling, he finally led them through the arena gate and began moving towards the long hallway that led to the separate stalls and stables for the horses.

The quiet followed them like a dark cloud. Not one word was spoken as they quickly and efficiently attended to their work. Asher identified the mounts he wanted left in the stalls and the ones he wanted set free to run in the pasture.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t long before an ambulance showed up outside with its lights flashing. Asher walked over to see the entrance of the arena, and the medics rushed inside with a gurney. What did they expect to find? Some overlooked sign of life? Would one of them start trying to revive Preston’s body? Doubtful. But maybe it was just standard procedure.

The ambulance lights shone brightly against the night sky. Being so deep in the country, the dark was not diminished by city lights. The stars seemed closer and more brilliant. The ambulance lights were like a disturbing intruder, the jarring kind that were only found in the city. He stared absently, almost becoming hypnotized by the rotating lights and the blare of the siren, slashing the silent night with unbridled impudence.

“I can’t believe—” Calvin, another rider was walking up beside him. Stopping dead, they both stared out towards the ambulance that was waiting for the body to be loaded.

“That Preston is gone? Me either,” Asher finished for him. “I never dreamed someone would die tonight. Doing something that, for us, was so usual. This show’s gone on without a snag so many times. I mean, it’s not so dangerous that each time we have to face the odds we might die doing it. I guess horses being such large animals and not inherently predictable have to factor into it but…”

Calvin nodded. “Yeah, me neither.”

Asher side-eyed him. “Will it stop you from coming back here?”

“I don’t know yet. I can’t imagine doing the routine again without flashing on that episode; it keeps running over and over in my brain. But I also love it. Where the heck else can I find work like this?”

“Exactly,” he agreed. Although Asher was part of the ranch’s family, he could never imagine doing what he did here anywhere else. “But now, there is that.”

The covered body was being brought out on the gurney and Asher shuddered as he motioned towards it.

The Rydell River Ranch and Resort was a large enterprise, covering many acres and requiring many different occupations. They had everything from apple orchards to horse breeding, training, boarding, riding, lessons, and shows, not to mention the water adventures on the river, as well as cabins and a small hotel for lodging, and even a private golf course.

“Wow,” he said softly.

“Yeah, wow.” Calvin echoed.

They watched the ambulance drive off and stared at the dark, stark land before Asher left the arena. He feared he’d choke on his words if he tried to voice his thoughts anymore. Crossing the resort, he ducked under the fence that separated it from the rest of the ranch, and slowly walked up the road toward his parents’ house. They owned a plot of land directly across from the main gate. Asher first came to this ranch and the Rydell family when he was thirteen. Having spent exactly half his life here, he considered it his home now.

Like anyone moving someplace new at the tender and difficult age of thirteen, Asher struggled to adjust. Few people get to experience life on a horse ranch in a rural town in the mountains.