Ten Year Grudge

"Nik you're being unreasonable," Vic argued as I tightened Tribute's cinch.
"Unreasonable?" I demanded. I spun around to pin her with my eyes. "I just watched the life drain out of my horse because Leah's damn loco stallion. This is at least the second time he's attacked a horse. At first I thought it was because he was mistreated, but Talehga is separated because he doesn't fight back with the other horses: he would never fight with that horse on purpose. He has something wrong mentally and doesn't need to be around Leah and her young kids, or anybody for that matter."
"So you're just going to go kill him? What happened to every horse deserves a chance?"
"This horse has had his chances," I said, leading Tribute out of the barn.
"Nik what are you doing?" I heard a voice as I stepped out into the early morning sun. Several different footsteps came down the driveway. I closed my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was have Leah come here, especially with the kids and Tommy in tow.
"Going to find your horse," I said as I swung up into the saddle.
"Are you going to hurt our new horse?" One of the twins, Steive asked.
I looked over at Leah who's normally thin frame was huskier with pregnancy. "I don't know yet," I said tersely.
"He was abused Nik, he needs some rehabilitation-" Leah tried to explain.
"I don't give a fuck that he was abused," I exploded, feeling vaguely guilty about cursing in front of the twins, but not being able to stop my emotions. "Obviously Vic didn't tell you the whole story. He attacked Talehga and broke his long pastern and I had to put him down. He sliced Ace's head open and would have come after me if Toledo hadn't stopped him."
Leah's face had gone pale and the girls looked on the verge of tears. Tommy's face was grim. I felt myself losing my grip on my emotions. If not anger, I was going to break down.
"I should have caught him and sent him back when he attacked me and Bayou last week but I thought exactly what you did. That he needs time and a chance. But I was wrong. Maybe there was a reason he was going to be put down, and it wasn't that he couldn't run."
"So what are you going out there to do?" Leah asked.
"To find your damned horse. And the first threatening move he makes towards me, I show no mercy." With that, I wheeled Tribute and headed towards the range.

As I followed the trail the two horses had left, my emotions started to overtake me. I had two guns with me: a tranquilizer gun and a rifle that I had used to hunt down that rabid wolf in Wyoming. I wasn't sure which I was going to use. I hated the very thought of taking a horse's life unnecessarily, but then I started thinking of Talehga:
The first time I'd set eyes on the horse when he was being used as a research horse, me convincing the college to take him out of the research program and use him as a riding horse, me being the first one to ride him, all his problems while I was breaking him, our first show, me making a rock-bottom offer and the college saying no until they realized that the old horse wasn't going to hold up to heavy riding, me scraping up to board him at a self-care boarding facility while I was fixing this place up, bringing him here and him loving it, introducing him to Tribute, the twins riding him for he first time, and most painfully, seeing his eyes close for the last time...
I pulled Tribute up, unable to see for the tears. We'd traveled probably a mile past the holding pen and I knew that nobody could see me break down.
The stallion snorted and turned his head to nudge my head which was laying on his neck. I sniffled and stroked his forehead. "I don't know what to do boy," I whispered. I let him have his head and the stallion began walking again. I let the horse walk while I tried to figure out what to do.
Ten minuets later I heard hoof beats coming up behind me. I sat up straight, grabbing for the rifle. I'd lost too much because of this horse: he was not threatening me again.
I cocked the gun as I glimpsed a flash of chestnut through the trees. My finger went to the trigger, ready to shoot, when the horse rounded the corner. I just barely kept my finger still. I slid the gun upwards, keeping the barrel away from Bayou and Ace.
"When in the hell did I give you permission to ride my horses?" I demanded, pulling myself together quickly.
Ace didn't say anything. He slid off Bayou bareback and came over to me. He looked up at me for a second and I hardened my expression. There was pity in his eyes which made me just freeze up more.
Still without talking, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me off Tribute. He wrapped his arms around me, stroked my hair and whispered, "I'm sorry novia," his voice husky and accent more pronounced.
"I don't need comforting," I said, even as I felt my composure slipping.
"Everybody needs comforting," he argued. "Even tough, smart-ass, frustrating horseback riders."
"I don't," I said even as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I don't need anyone." I buried my face in his neck. I hit his chest with a clenched fist. "I don't."
"I know novia."
And I did what I hadn't done in front of any other human since I was fourteen years old: I cried.

"What happened?" Leah demanded when Ace and I rode back into the stable yard. Ace had thrown me on Bayou's back and climbed up behind me as if he knew I was too emotionally drained to ride back on Tribute. The stallion was following closely behind us.
"Nothing," Ace said softly as he slid off the gelding's back, taking me with him. "She's just had a rough day."
"Did you find him?"
"No. Vic can you hold down the fort for the rest of the day? I need to go put her to bed."
"Yeah I'll be fine," Vic said, grabbing Bayou's bridle and leading him back into the barn. I wanted to remind her to get Tribute too, but I was too drained. Ace picked me up and carried me up to the house. Behind him I could hear Max and Delia whining. He supported my head with his shoulder while he opened the patio gate and the back door. He walked through the house to my bedroom and laid me down on the bed. He reached for the button on my jeans and I grabbed his hand, unintentionally holding it to a key area.
He locked eyes with me. "I'm not trying to seduce you novia," he said, his voice low and rumbling. His pupils dilated and one finger moved strategically, bringing me fully awake.
"Ace-" I warned.
"I'm just trying to make you more comfortable," he said, his accent gaining more depth as he moved his finger again and undid the snap of my jeans.
"You're having the opposite affect," I said but didn't try to stop him as his hand found its way between my jeans and my underwear.
"That won't last long," he murmured. He slid down alongside me and took the jeans down a few inches. His eyes locked on my Fruit of the Loom's. "Bonita." He whispered.
"What does that mean?" I whispered as his hands slid my jeans down even further.
"Pretty, beautiful, everything that describes you novia."
"For not trying to seduce me, you're doing a terrific job of it."
He smirked. "I'm just trying to comfort you."
And that brought everything crashing back down on me. Ace seemed to sense that. His hand stopped the maddening movements and he slid the jeans the rest of the way off my legs. He shed his own shirt and tucked both of us in, wrapping his arms around me.
I snuggled into his muscular chest and the two dogs made themselves at home at the bottom of the bed.