he
imagined the car not starting, or even worse, a dead
battery. But right on cue, the engine turned over and
started to hum. He sighed, put the SUV in drive, and
headed to the ranch. He couldn’t believe how excited
and nervous he was at the same time. He made a quick
stop at the liquor store to pick up a six-pack of beer,
and within twenty minutes he was approaching the
entrance to the Lazy H Ranch.
He had passed under this arch many times with
Jean and Jules, but it felt somehow different this time,
new, like the first time. The thought hit him hard. He
knew it had everything to do with Bily Eagan.
BILLY had finished al the preparation and was just
about to load the horses into the trailer when he saw Ian
driving down the dirt road toward the stables. His heart
immediately fluttered, and butterflies began to dance in
his stomach. He calmed himself, rested against the
stable wal, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited
for the SUV to approach.
When the vehicle came to a stop, Bily stood up
straight, took a deep breath, and walked over to meet
him. Ian got out of his SUV with the brightest smile Bily
had ever seen. As Bily walked his way, he thought how
great Ian looked. He was dressed in worn blue jeans, a
western cut white shirt with the first two snaps open,
which showed off just enough of what Bily knew was a
wel-defined chest, and soft brown lace-up Ropers. Just
as Ian was about to close the door, he reached in and
puled out a brown suede Stetson. When Ian tipped his
hat in Bily’s direction, Bily thought he would melt right
then and there.
As Ian closed the car door, Bily was there with
his hand stuck out.
“Hey, Ian, it’s good to see you.”
“Helo, Mr. Eagan, you look great.”
Bily smiled and said, “You can cal me Bily.”
They both laughed and shook hands with a tight grip.
“We’re almost ready. I just need to load the
horses into the trailer and we can be on our way.”
“Sounds good to me,” Ian said as they walked
toward the horses. “Which one of these great creatures
is mine?”
“That would be Firefly, the chestnut. She’s a
realy sweet girl, and I told her al about you.”
Bily was untying Firefly and heading to the trailer
when he heard Ian say, “Hey, stud.”
He spun around and was just about to say “Yes,
sir” when he saw Ian patting Duke on the neck. Bily
smiled and turned around quickly in hopes that Ian
hadn’t seen him.
“Who’s this guy?” Ian asked, referring to Bily’s
horse.
“That would be Duke. He’s my favorite, and
besides, he’s a little sweet on Firefly, so I thought we
would double date.”
“Date? Is this a date?”
Bily immediately felt his heart stop and was about
to apologize when he saw the grin on Ian’s face. Being
quick on his feet, Bily said, “Oh, it’s a date al right.”
“Good, ’cause I was sort of hoping it was,” Ian
said.
“Now that we have that settled,” Bily said, “let’s
get these horses loaded and be on our way.”
THEIR route to Bels Bend was incredibly beautiful. It
took them up Interstate 40 toward the ridges of the
Western Highland Rim and Ashland City. Once they hit
the Bels Bend Park Trailhead, they had been on the
road for about an hour. During the drive, there was
never a lul in conversation. They discussed politics,
recent events, and the music business, but as they
approached the foothils, al topics took a backseat to
the scenery and the breathtaking colors of fal.
After they parked, Bily unloaded the horses and
began to saddle and bridle Duke. Ian, with a familiar
ease, folowed suit and did the same with Firefly. It was
very clear to Bily that Ian had spent some time around
horses, and he immediately felt more relaxed. They
finished preparing the horses almost simultaneously, and
Bily reached into the truck and grabbed the two saddle
bags he had packed the lunches in earlier that morning.
He secured one on the back of each horse, and
imagined the car not starting, or even worse, a dead
battery. But right on cue, the engine turned over and
started to hum. He sighed, put the SUV in drive, and
headed to the ranch. He couldn’t believe how excited
and nervous he was at the same time. He made a quick
stop at the liquor store to pick up a six-pack of beer,
and within twenty minutes he was approaching the
entrance to the Lazy H Ranch.
He had passed under this arch many times with
Jean and Jules, but it felt somehow different this time,
new, like the first time. The thought hit him hard. He
knew it had everything to do with Bily Eagan.
BILLY had finished al the preparation and was just
about to load the horses into the trailer when he saw Ian
driving down the dirt road toward the stables. His heart
immediately fluttered, and butterflies began to dance in
his stomach. He calmed himself, rested against the
stable wal, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited
for the SUV to approach.
When the vehicle came to a stop, Bily stood up
straight, took a deep breath, and walked over to meet
him. Ian got out of his SUV with the brightest smile Bily
had ever seen. As Bily walked his way, he thought how
great Ian looked. He was dressed in worn blue jeans, a
western cut white shirt with the first two snaps open,
which showed off just enough of what Bily knew was a
wel-defined chest, and soft brown lace-up Ropers. Just
as Ian was about to close the door, he reached in and
puled out a brown suede Stetson. When Ian tipped his
hat in Bily’s direction, Bily thought he would melt right
then and there.
As Ian closed the car door, Bily was there with
his hand stuck out.
“Hey, Ian, it’s good to see you.”
“Helo, Mr. Eagan, you look great.”
Bily smiled and said, “You can cal me Bily.”
They both laughed and shook hands with a tight grip.
“We’re almost ready. I just need to load the
horses into the trailer and we can be on our way.”
“Sounds good to me,” Ian said as they walked
toward the horses. “Which one of these great creatures
is mine?”
“That would be Firefly, the chestnut. She’s a
realy sweet girl, and I told her al about you.”
Bily was untying Firefly and heading to the trailer
when he heard Ian say, “Hey, stud.”
He spun around and was just about to say “Yes,
sir” when he saw Ian patting Duke on the neck. Bily
smiled and turned around quickly in hopes that Ian
hadn’t seen him.
“Who’s this guy?” Ian asked, referring to Bily’s
horse.
“That would be Duke. He’s my favorite, and
besides, he’s a little sweet on Firefly, so I thought we
would double date.”
“Date? Is this a date?”
Bily immediately felt his heart stop and was about
to apologize when he saw the grin on Ian’s face. Being
quick on his feet, Bily said, “Oh, it’s a date al right.”
“Good, ’cause I was sort of hoping it was,” Ian
said.
“Now that we have that settled,” Bily said, “let’s
get these horses loaded and be on our way.”
THEIR route to Bels Bend was incredibly beautiful. It
took them up Interstate 40 toward the ridges of the
Western Highland Rim and Ashland City. Once they hit
the Bels Bend Park Trailhead, they had been on the
road for about an hour. During the drive, there was
never a lul in conversation. They discussed politics,
recent events, and the music business, but as they
approached the foothils, al topics took a backseat to
the scenery and the breathtaking colors of fal.
After they parked, Bily unloaded the horses and
began to saddle and bridle Duke. Ian, with a familiar
ease, folowed suit and did the same with Firefly. It was
very clear to Bily that Ian had spent some time around
horses, and he immediately felt more relaxed. They
finished preparing the horses almost simultaneously, and
Bily reached into the truck and grabbed the two saddle
bags he had packed the lunches in earlier that morning.
He secured one on the back of each horse, and
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