Snippet – The Trail Boss and the Brat

 

I thought I’d share a small snippet of my current WIP – The Trail Boss and the Brat, so enjoy.

“Now folks, we’re going to walk a lot of this trip, because we’ve got two packhorses who are laden down. On the way back we might enjoy a canter, and certainly on your remaining days on the ranch, you can join one of the trail rides where you can enjoy a faster speed. But on this first leg, on the way out, we walk. Understood?”

Everybody nodded that they understood, except Ashley, who scowled and fidgeted like he had expected the opposite would happen, even though anybody, any fool, would know that you never galloped a laden pack horse, not if you could help it.

“Understood, Mr. Harrington?” asked Quint, again stern.

“Maybe they could canter a little ways?” asked Ashely.

He seemed to know how to nudge a horse forward without yanking on its reins, but he didn’t seem to know how not to contradict someone who obviously knew more about a subject than he did. But maybe that’s the way he’d been raised, a spoiled brat who only wanted what he wanted and to hell with everyone else.

It would be Quint’s job to teach him a more appropriate way to behave, but he couldn’t do that at the expense of his attention to the other guests. But as Ashely moved Gwen into position right next to Quint and Blackjack were, there was only one person Quint needed to pay attention to right then.

“When I tell you a rule, Mr. Harrington, I expect that you’ll understand that I’m not doing it to hear myself talk.”

Ashely looked at him rather like a five year old who is astonished to learn that nap time was not negotiable.

“Are you listening to me?” Quint asked, and when Ashely didn’t respond, Quint asked, “Ashley?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Sure, I’m listening,” said Ashely, his face lighting up perhaps a bit too brightly, too quickly. “I’ve got it. No running at the pool and all.” Then Ashely turned to the other four guests who were still waiting for Quint to give them the signal to head out. “No running, you guys. You heard the man.”

Quint saw Brody roll his eyes as Ashley appeared to attempt to kiss a little ass and make like it had been his idea all along to establish such a boring rule. With a shake of his head, Quint clicked to Blackjack and tugged on the reins to get Blackjack to start walking.

“I’m in front, Brody takes up the rear,” said Quint over his shoulder as they started up the road from the barn. “The rest of you, sort yourselves into an order that works for you. If you have an issue or a question, just call out, and Brody and I will help you.”

“So no cell phones?” asked Ashely as he trotted Gwen to catch up to Quint, as if what Quint had just said did not also indicate that they should go single file.

“We go single file, Mr. Harrington,” said Quint, stemming his irritation. “And no cell phones, which is clearly stated in the information packet you should have read. In case of an emergency, we have walkie talkies, except those have a limited range, so we, as you will soon find out, will be responsible for ourselves.”

“Sounds like a blast,” said Ashley, but the tone of his voice said the opposite. He’d signed himself up for something he’d not been quite prepared for, that much was obvious. He might be able to ride a horse decently, as evidence by his ability to slip behind Quint as they headed up the hill, but as to his ability to pee into a fast-moving river, well, only time would tell.

And time would tell, as well, as to the success of the outing. If people were willing to pay for the privilege of roughing it, then Quint could spend a lot more time out of doors, in the open country, where the wild things were and where the sky seemed endless.

Beyond that the first gate, his dreams awaited, and he was eager to get there.

Available March 22, 2022