Read The Edge of Courage (Red Team) for Free Online Page B

clicking sounds with her tongue, encouraging him to keep moving. She turned as he moved around the perimeter of the corral, clicking her tongue at him when he slowed. And when he grew a little winded, she dropped her hand and stood still. He eased down to a walk and then a full stop. She started walking toward him, this time in a counter-clockwise direction. Again, he moved away from her. When he sped up, she moved to the middle and repeated the exercise until he was fully winded. Then, and only then, did he let her approach him.
    She took a rag out of her back pocket and touched it gently to his neck, behind his ears. Rocco could hear the low rumble of her voice as she spoke to Kitano but not the words themselves. Kitano tolerated her strokes until she reached his withers with the rough cloth. He tossed his head and whinnied, then rushed away. He stopped at the opposite side of the corral, watching her with a white-eyed glare, his sides heaving.
    Mandy left the corral and waved at Rocco. “Thank you for waiting.”
    “I didn’t want to distract him.”
    She nodded. “He spooks easily. He doesn’t like men very much.”
    “Doesn’t seem to like anyone very much.” Rocco shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked down at her. The sun was low in the horizon, inching toward the jagged ridges of the Snowy Range, washing the land, the ranch, and Mandy in the warm orange hues of the long spring sunset.
    “True. But he’s letting me get near him, letting me touch him. That’s big progress.” She stepped up on a board of the corral and dumped a bucket of feed into his trough. She reached for the big bucket of water from the wagon she’d used to haul the feed and water out to the corral, but Rocco lifted it for her, pouring it into Kitano’s deep water bucket.
    “Speaking of progress, you did great with the fields. Think you can get the baler to work?”
    “Sure. I’ll do it when the hay dries. Where do you want me to stack the bales?”
    “I’d like them protected from the weather, but there’s nowhere to put them right now. The barn isn’t safe, and the pole barn isn’t ready yet. How about stacking them up next to the toolshed?”
    Rocco nodded. “Will do. I’ll start on the old fencing tomorrow. What do you want to do with the wire?”
    Mandy made a face. “Hadn’t thought of that. Maybe we can find a recycler to take it.”
    “There’s an artist in Cheyenne who uses scrap metal for her sculptures. She’ll take it.”
    Mandy cocked her head, giving him a curious look. “How do you know her?”
    The sculptor had come to the shelter looking for day laborers. He’d helped her out for a couple of days. No way was he going to tell Mandy that. He shrugged. “I just ran into her.”
    “If she wants it, then that would be great.” Again, she gave him a questioning look. “Have you eaten today?”
    “I’m not hungry.”
    “That’s not what I asked.”
    Rocco leveled a hard look at her. “Giving Kit daily updates?”
    She gave him a half smile. “If I don’t call him, he calls me. He’s like a mother hen. Worse, really.” She met his gaze, her eyes searching his. “You must mean a lot to him.”
    Rocco sighed and shifted his gaze to the mountains behind her. “Tell him I had a good day. That’s all that really matters, isn’t?” He looked at her. “Day by day?” He nodded toward the garden wagon. “Need a hand with that?”
    “No. Good night, Rocco.”
    “Night, Mandy.” He started toward the toolshed, but looked over at her. “Hey—next time you talk to him, ask him when Blade’s coming home.”
    She frowned. “I will. Is Ty okay?”
    He shook his head. “Took a bullet in his leg.”
    * * *
    Rocco got to work first thing in the morning instead of starting out with a run. It was best to vary his routine, especially if someone was watching the ranch. The sun was already burning off the morning’s chilly air. Truthfully, he was looking forward to another day’s hard work. After