Country Roads(78)

“Here, I’ll do it,” Julia said, holding her hand out for the bucket.

“No, ma’am,” the man said, shaking his head. “This horse’d kill you as soon as look at you.”

“He’s my whisper horse, so I’ll be okay.”

“You’re trying to pull ole George’s leg, ain’t you? I know what Ms. Sydenstricker believes about whisper horses. Not that I hold truck with that nonsense, but Darth Vader there ain’t nobody’s whisper nothing.”

“Darkside and I understand each other,” Julia said. “Let me give it a try.”

She gave the handle of the bucket a gentle tug, and George relinquished his grip on it with obvious reluctance. “Well, if you put the bucket by the fence, I’ll run a hose into it,” he said.

“I’m Julia Castillo.” Julia held out her hand. “Just in case you need to tell Ms. Sydenstricker who the crazy lady with Darkside is.”

“You that famous painter?” George gave her hand a brief shake.

“Yes,” she said, throwing humility to the winds. “Could you just open the gate for me and I’ll slip in?”

“If you die, I guess your paintings will be worth more.” With that observation, he pushed the gate open a crack.

Darkside squealed angrily from the other side of the slats as she slid through the opening. “Hey, buddy, it’s me, and I’ve got carrots, so don’t kick me in the head just yet.”

George swung the gate shut behind her. “I’ll leave it on the latch in case you need to get out fast. Just chain it up when you leave.”

“Got it,” she said, sidling sideways with the bucket as she kept an eye on Darkside. The giant black horse had his ears flat against his head while his nostrils flared wide with each audible breath. He looked magnificent in his rage, like a knight’s charger ready to gallop into battle.

“Are you afraid of a bucket, buddy?” she asked in the teasing tone he seemed to respond to. “What a chicken!”

He stamped a huge hoof but his ears swiveled forward a couple of times. Julia settled the bucket against the fence and turned her back on it as she pulled a carrot out of her back pocket. “Okay, you get a treat for not killing me when I came through the gate.”

The horse snorted as she held out her flattened hand. For a moment, the muscles in his shoulder bunched and she wondered if he was going to lash out at her. Then his ears came forward, and he stretched out his head to swipe the carrot off her palm. As he crunched on it, she pulled another out of her pocket and sidled closer.

Darkside whickered and calmly ate the second carrot before he took a step forward to snuffle at her jeans pocket.

Julia laughed in sheer relief as she used his halter to pull his head away from her behind. “Don’t be so forward,” she said, stroking the powerful curve of his satiny neck.

“Is it okay if I turn the water on, ma’am?” George asked. “I don’t want to scare him while you’re so close up. Although he does seem to have a fondness for you.”

“Go ahead. I’ll keep his attention away from it.”

Darkside’s head came up when the first drops of water spattered into the metal bucket, but George knew his business, increasing the flow of water so gradually the horse quickly lost interest.

She spent a few minutes just stroking him, making admiring noises about his beauty and strength and brilliance. She could swear the horse arched his neck and preened.

“No one’s told you what a great guy you are in a long time, have they, buddy? So you’ve gotten grumpier and grumpier. Who can blame you? We all need positive feedback in our lives. I certainly learned that the hard way.”

Julia glanced around. George had finished filling the water bucket and vanished. No one else knew she was in the paddock with Darkside. She’d told Paul that Darkside just needed someone to show him how to behave normally. Now was her chance.

She wrapped her fingers around the leather of his halter and gave a little tug. “Walk with me, buddy.”

The big horse seemed to consider the idea for a long moment before he stepped forward in the direction she was facing. A spurt of triumph rose in her chest as he plodded along beside her, his head bobbing comfortably by her shoulder. They walked side by side around the entire paddock before she turned him around to walk the other way.

“See, this is nice and companionable,” she said, as they made a circuit in the opposite direction.

She led him to the middle of the paddock and walked him through several figure eights. Then she stood in front of him, her hands on either side of his halter, and backed him up, all the while telling him what a fine, smart, handsome fellow he was.