Tam said. “And she won the Belmont. Mayflower only won the Oaks.”
“I know,” Duke murmured. He turned back to the beautiful gray horse in the shed. “All right, New. You’ve got this one, okay? He’s a great horse, and you be good now.”
Brand Spanking New just eyed Duke like he’d told her she’d have to eat something rotten. Definitely difficult.
Audible entered the shed on the side, and he lifted his head instantly. His upper lip came back, revealing his teeth, and Duke grinned. “He’s ready.”
The horse went all the way to the six-foot wall that kept him away from the mare. She tossed her head too, and Spur murmured something to her and held her in place. She nickered, and he said something else to her.
Duke rounded the horse to stand next to Spur, and Tam just enjoyed being there. Blaine looked anxious, as usual, and she really wished he’d learn how to relax. This covering was going to go fine; Tam could tell already.
They’d already covered two other mares that morning, and after this, they’d all get a break. Audible stretched toward Brand New, trying to bite her. Everyone let him, because that was classic breeding behavior for a horse.
Brand New turned her back on him, squatted, and urinated. Spur grinned, and Duke clapped his hand against his clipboard.
Even Tam smiled, because Brand Spanking New had just told Barely Audible she liked him and he could come on over and get the job done. Maybe she wasn’t so fussy after all. They still moved slowly, waiting until Brand New lifted her tail before Spur nodded at Blaine to bring the stud around.
He did, and with Duke, Spur, and Blaine there to hold reins and make sure everything went smoothly, Barely Audible covered Brand New. The whole escapade took about five minutes, and Tam wondered how much Wayne Harvey made from that exchange.
He walked back to the horse trailer with Blaine, the two of them talking and laughing. Tam stepped over to Brand Spanking New and ran her hand down the side of the horse’s neck. “That was great, New,” she said. “Maybe you’ll get a fast foal from him.”
She smiled at Spur and Duke, and then she followed Blaine back to the horse trailer.
“…thanks so much,” Blaine said. “We’ll call you again.”
“Always,” Wayne said. “I’ve got Black Pepper Spray as well, and he’s a fine stud horse.”
“Yep.” Blaine tipped his hat, and Wayne Harvey rumbled away in his gigantic truck. He looked at Tam. “Three for three.”
She smiled back at him. “You Chappells seem to draw all the luck.”
He put his arm around her and scoffed. “Luck? You’re joking, right? We’ve planned this breeding week down to the minute.”
“You’re certainly lucky to get Barely Audible.”
“That was a bit of luck,” Blaine said. “But Wayne and I go way back, and I’ll call him next week to schedule for next year. He gives me a date, and we cover whoever we have in heat.”
“How much does he get paid?” Tam asked as they started toward the homestead.
Blaine looked at her, and Tam just shrugged. “What? I want to know what that foal cost you.”
“You’ve never wanted to know before.”
“Yeah, well, we’re dating now, and I want to know. I want to know how much of this ranch you own too. And how much of it you’ll inherit, if any. I want to know what I’m dealing with…with…you.”
His eyebrows went up, and he dropped his arm. “Dealing with with me?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Say it was you who got in a car accident and had to go get a new truck tonight. Which you’re still coming with me, right?”
“Of course,” he said. “I can’t let you come home with another rust bucket.”
She just rolled her eyes. He’d hated her old truck, but Tam had loved it. Maybe it growled a little when it should’ve purred. It got the job done, and it had once been her father’s, which made its loss all the harder.
“What would your budget be? Would you be financing this truck or buying it with cash?” Tam wasn’t going to let this drop. Besides, a girlfriend should know the financial situation of her boyfriend.
She noted that he had not objected to nor corrected her when she’d said they were dating. She wasn’t sure what to make of that, but when he slipped his hand into hers, it didn’t matter.
“Oh,” she said softly, and Blaine’s fingers in hers tightened.
“Is this okay?”
“It’s fine,” she said, clearing her throat. It was far