Wild Horse Rescue

  Wild Horse Rescue

  The Alberta Adventures ~ Book One

  By Nancy M Bell

  Digital ISBN

  EPUB 9780228604044

  Kindle 9780228604051

  PDF 9780228604068

  BWL Print 9780228604075

  Amazon Print 9780228604082

  B&N Print 9780228605317

  Copyright 2018 by Nancy M Bell

  Cover Art by Michelle Lee 2018

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

  Dedication

  To all horses and beasts of burden, both wild and domestic, may you live in Peace as the Universe intended.

  Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization we will find the hoofprint of the horse beside it. John Moore

  Chapter One

  Laurel Rowan craned her neck each time the doors slid open at the Arrivals level of the Calgary International Airport. The flight from Heathrow landed twenty minutes ago, but still no sign of her friend. Must be held up in Customs. She sighed as the doors whooshed shut again.

  “You sure he managed to get on the right flight?” Chance frowned down at her.

  “Of course, he did. Don’t be mean,” his sister Carly said.

  Laurel shifted a few steps away from them and chewed on her bottom lip. Chance was acting like an idiot which annoyed her to no end. Carly claimed her brother was jealous. That was hardly likely in Laurel’s opinion. She’d been friends with Chance since they were in diapers, but the thought of kissing him was just gross.

  “There he is!” Her heart jumped in her chest and she waved wildly as Coll Tinne came through the doors from the baggage and Customs area. “Coll, over here!”

  The English boy’s face broke into a wide grin and he pushed through the low metal gates. “Hallo, Laurel. You’re looking grand.” Dropping his luggage to the floor he gathered her close in a hug.

  “Harrumph.”

  Chance cleared his throat loudly. Laurel turned toward him, keeping an arm around Coll’s waist.

  “Chance, Carly, this is Coll. Coll, my friends, Chance and Carly.”

  “Nice to meet ya.” The British youth extended his hand which Chance shook with some reluctance.

  “Welcome to Alberta! I’ve heard so much about you it feels like I already know you,” Carly pushed her brother out of the way. “The truck’s this way. C’mon, Laurel. Chance’ll bring the bags, won’t you?” Linking her arm in Coll’s she drew Laurel along with them toward the exit.

  Laurel glanced back and grimaced at the black expression on Chance’s handsome face. Catching her eye, he immediately pasted a totally fake smile on his face, gathering up the two bags at his feet. Dragging the wheeled suitcase and slinging the carry-on over his shoulder, the long-legged cowboy caught up with them in short order.

  “The truck’s this way. We’re parked on the second level.” He manoeuvered around them and led the way toward a battered red pickup.

  Carly rolled her eyes at her brother’s broad back. Laurel grinned and squeezed Coll’s hand.

  “I’m so glad you’re here! How’s Sarie? How are all the horses…and Emily and…oh everyone!” Laurel stopped to catch her breath.

  “Everyone’s grand. Ash and Gort are enough to make you bork, snogging every time you turn around.”

  “That’s kinda sweet, don’t you think?” Carly smiled up at Coll.

  He grunted and shrugged noncommittedly. “I guess if you fancy getting mushy in public.”

  “Is Ash’s mum still up in arms about them seeing each other?” Laurel tugged Coll a little closer to her side away from Carly and her bright vivacious smile.

  “As ever. They just don’t go to her house much and hang out at Gramma’s. She doesn’t mind and keeps trying to get Alice to get over herself. It’d be just brill if they could go over there and I wouldn’t have to put up with them being gooey all the bloody time.” He paused. “Especially since you’re so far away and all.”

  Laurel’s face heated, and she avoided Carly’s knowing look. Coll made her feel things she couldn’t describe and didn’t really understand. It was exciting and scary all at the same time.

  “Hurry up, would you?” Chance threw the bags into the bed of the truck and wrenched open the driver’s door. “I want to get out of the city before the traffic gets bad.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Chance. What’s the rush?” Laurel frowned at him. Carly stood back and grinned, obviously enjoying her brother’s jealousy.

  “I said I’d come pick up your friend for you, but I didn’t think it would take all day. The Gore’s are expecting me to work that heading horse of theirs tonight. And I have to check over my rigging bag for High River on the twenty-second. Kessler’s are bringing in some good stock. I’m hoping I get a good draw. I really want a shot at that Shredded Coconut mare.” He swung his lanky frame up into the cab and the big diesel roared to life.

  Laurel yanked the back door open and let Coll get in ahead of her. She wouldn’t put it past Chance to take off without him. Carly hopped in the passenger seat. “Shot gun!” She grinned over her shoulder. Chance glowered at her. “I thought Laurel called shot gun on the way up,” he growled.

  “You wish.” Carly rubbed in the fact Laurel and Coll were crammed in the back seat along with Chance’s gear. “Maybe you should have cleared out the back. Then it wouldn’t be so cozy.” She giggled and hung on as Chance gunned the engine, the noise loud in the enclosed space.

  “What’s he all aggro about,” Coll whispered in Laurel’s ear.

  “He just likes to be the centre of attention.” Laurel shrugged it off, vowing to have it out with Chance later. The guy was acting like a total idiot. How many times did she have to tell him she wasn’t interested in him as a boyfriend, or anything else, besides a friend?

  Pushing her annoyance aside Laurel smiled at Coll. It was so good to see him again, to have him close. “Tell me what’s been going on at home,” she prompted. “Is Stuart still being a pain in the ass? You never said how you did on your O Levels, did you pass?”

  “Stuart is Stuart, he still causes a bit of aggro, but not like he used to. He’s working now and talking about getting a flat with some mates. I think he’s really wanting to get out of his parents’ place. Ted’s pretty rough on him.” Coll grimaced.

  “Can’t blame him, I guess. Being the son of the Chief Constable can’t be easy. Still he doesn’t have to be such a jack ass,” Laurel said.

  “Stuart? Is that the guy who was such a dick, bullying your friends?” Carly turned around as far as the seat belt would allow.

  “Yup.” Laurel curled her lip in distaste. Glancing forward, she accidently caught a glimpse of Chance’s face in the rear-view mirror. A deep furrow creased his forehead and a small muscle ticked in his clenched jaw. Should she try and include him in the conversation? Whenever she mentioned England, or her friends there, Chance always shut her down, saying he didn’t need to know anything about her foreign friends. She sighed and decided to keep quiet.

  Carly’s brother sometimes blew up at the littlest thing and lately Laurel found it safer to avoid touchy subjects around him.

  Coll slid his hand around hers, twining his fingers with Laurel’s. “Laurel?”

  “Huh? I’m sorry, did I miss something?” She focused on Coll.

  “I was saying about the O Levels, but you didn’t hear me…”

  “Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking
about something for a minute.”

  “Care to share?” Carly piped up. A mischievous grin on her face, she tipped her head toward her brother who was still scowling out the windshield.

  “Nothing important.” She shook her head slightly in warning to her best friend. “I’m sorry, Coll. Did you pass?”

  “I did! Gramma wants me to think about doing the Cambridge Pre-University Diploma as well, but I don’t know if I want to go that route.”

  “Sounds impressive. Cambridge, wow! Isn’t that where Kate met Prince William?” Carly asked.

  “Sure, I guess. I don’t pay much mind to what the royals do, myself.” Coll shrugged.

  Chance snorted and glanced in the rear-view mirror. “Sounds like that’s for snobs and the rich and famous.” A sneer twisted his features.

  “Ignore him,” Laurel whispered to Coll.

  “He’s just jealous of you.” Carly poked her brother in the ribs and smothered a laugh.

  “Shut the hell up, Carly! Like I’d be jealous of some English guy…Just shut up.” The digital display on the dash increased as he jammed his boot on the accelerator and the truck jumped ahead on the highway.

  Carly met Laurel’s gaze, rolled her eyes and shrugged. Laurel bit her lip and watched their speed increase. When the readout tipped over to 140 kilometres even Carly began to look worried.

  “Chance—” She put a hand on his arm.

  “Shut up, Carly. Okay? Just shut it.”

  Laurel squeezed Coll’s hand, then let it go and leaned forward to speak in Chance’s ear. “Either slow down right now or stop and let me out. I mean it, Chance. Slow down.”

  “What’re you gonna do if I don’t?” The speedometer climbed to 145.

  “Quit being such an ass! Slow down or I swear I’m gonna open the door and jump out.”

  “You know she will,” Carly joined the argument. “Remember the day—”

  “Fine!” The big vehicle slowed to a more reasonable speed. “Bunch of babies. Afraid of a little speed,” he muttered and turned up the radio.

  “Just stay close to the speed limit or I’ll tell Dad. And you know how he feels about speeding, he’ll nail your hide to the barn door.”

  “I ain’t afraid of your dad, Laurie. Give me a break.”

  “Are to!” Carly hooted with laughter. “That’s why you still call him Mr. Rowan all the time, ’cause you’re best buds.”

  “Shut up, Carly. Or I swear…”

  Chapter Two

  Laurel heaved a sigh of relief when Chance turned off the range road and onto the ranch laneway. Thank God! Minutes later the house and outbuildings came into view, with the wide stretch of Alberta prairie rolling behind and around them.

  “This is all yours?” Coll twisted from side to side to try and take it all in. “It’s huge.”

  “It’s been in the family for years. Grampa D’Arcy’s granddad or maybe his granddad, I can never remember, homesteaded it years ago.”

  “How could you afford to buy something like this?” Coll sounded stunned and overwhelmed.

  “When they were first settling the west, the Canadian government gave parts of the land away. I think a quarter section for ten dollars, if I remember right. They just had to put so many acres in crop and then build a house of some sort. They called it ‘proving up the homestead’ or something like that. They had three years to do it, or the land reverted back to the government and anyone could claim it. And then, somehow you could apply for land adjoining the original homestead. You should ask Dad if you want to know more. He’s the expert on all that stuff.”

  “How big is a…what did you call it...a quarter section? A section of what?” Coll frowned out the window.

  “A quarter is a hundred and sixty acres. Four quarters make a section…so that makes a section…” Carly trailed off.

  “It makes it six-hundred and forty acres, Carly. God, sometimes I wonder how you passed math.” Chance broke his long silence.

  “Oh, shut up.” Carly smacked him on the shoulder.

  The truck ground to a halt in front of the ranch house. “You staying or comin’ home?” Chance asked his sister.

  “Home, I guess. I need to help Mom with supper and Rayna’s gotta get worked later. I’m gonna win the pot at the next rodeo,” Carly boasted to Coll.

  “Sure, right.” Coll sounded confused.

  Laurel opened the door and stopped with one foot on the gravel. “Thanks for the ride, Chance. I know Dad really appreciated you doing that, he’s busy reseeding that hay field right now.” She hopped out and pulled Coll with her. “Just hang on while we grab the bags out of the back.”

  Hardly giving Coll time to pull the suitcase and backpack out of the truck, Chance spun the vehicle around and headed out of the yard, gravel spitting from the tires.

  “Is he always so—” Coll began.

  “Stupid?” Laurel cut in. “Lately, yeah. He used to be a good guy, but now…well I never know what to expect.” She picked up the backpack. “C’mon, grab your stuff and we’ll go say hi to Mom. Dad’ll be in later for dinner.”

  Coll followed her up the broad steps to the roofed verandah. Laurel’s boots echoed on the wide boards of the floor. She pulled the screen door open and stood back to let him go first with the heavy suitcase.

  “Mom! We’re back!”

  “Coming, Laurel.” Anna Rowan came down the hall from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel as she did. “Welcome, Coll. It’s so nice to see you again. We’re so glad you could come.” She hugged him and stood back to look at him. “You’ve grown a bit, I think.”

  “Maybe?”

  Laurel grinned at the expression on his face. “I’m just gonna show him where he’s staying, Mom. C’mon, it’s up here.” She preceded him up the polished oak staircase and stopped by an open door at the top of the stairs. “This is yours. The bathroom is across the hall, my room is two doors down, past the spare room. Mom and Dad’s room is at the end of the hall. Let’s get you settled in.”

  Laurel dropped the back pack on the floor near the desk by the window and pulled the curtains back. “I love the view from this room.”

  Coll joined her. “It’s brill, Laurel. Look how far you can see! It makes Sarie’s farm seem small, doesn’t it?”

  “I guess, but it takes way more land to keep an animal here than in Cornwall. It’s like one head to four acres, or something like that.”

  “That’s a half more than what Sarie has to deal with. One-thousand-pound horse per two acres, I think the ponies work out to one per acre. I helped her with the paperwork one time.”

  “Do you want to unpack or go outside so I can show you around a bit before dinner? The sun will be up for a long time yet. That’s what I love about June.”

  Coll turned from the window and dumped the suitcase on the bed. “Let’s go out. I want to see that horse you talked so much about.”

  “Oh, I should have asked you if you’re hungry or want something to drink. Sorry, I’m just so excited you’re finally here I totally forgot.”

  “I could use a bite,” he admitted.

  “Mom will have something in the kitchen we can have before dinner.” Laurel grabbed his hand pulled him out of the room and down the stairs. “Mom! Coll’s starving! Where are you hiding the goodies?”

  “Hello again, Coll. All settled in? Is the room okay?” Anna smiled at the tall English boy.

  “It’s brill, Mrs. Rowan,” he assured her. “Thank you.”

  “Please call me Anna. Now about that starving. Laurel, there’s muffins in the container there, or you can make peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Supper won’t be for a bit since your Dad’ll be out for a while yet. He said he was going to check the back pasture after he was done seeding. Cory was complaining about the wildies breaking down his fences to get at those mares of his, Dad wants to check our fence line and make sure nothing’s down.”

  Laurel and Coll took a couple of muffins each and waving goodbye to her mother they went out the back
door. The big shepherd came bounding out of one of the out buildings, his exuberance checked at the sight of the stranger. A low growl rumbled in his throat and he stalked stiff-legged toward Laurel, keeping one eye on the tall English boy.

  “Beau! Quit!” Laurel swept her hand out, palm down. The big dog quit growling but still eyed Coll with suspicion.

  “Nice dog,” he didn’t sound too sure about the whole situation.

  “He’ll be fine once he knows you belong here,” Laurel assured him. “He’s a big softie really.” She ruffled the dog’s head. “Beau, this is Coll. You be nice now. Mind your manners. Stick your hand out,” she instructed Coll.

  The big dog sniffed the proffered hand, and deciding he was harmless, licked his fingers. Coll carefully ran his hand over the dog’s head and was rewarded by the animal throwing himself on the ground and rolling over for a belly rub.

  Laurel showed him around the home yard, the chutes and corrals for the cattle where they would be branding in a couple of weeks, the machine sheds that housed the huge tractors and other farm equipment. All far bigger than anything Coll had seen before. Laurel laughed at his amazement and assured him with all the acres her dad farmed they needed the huge vehicles.

  “This is where I learned to drive.” Laurel proudly showed him the big grain truck. Once her feet reached the pedals and she could see over the dash, her dad taught her to drive across the fields to where the combine needed to unload its harvest of grain or oil seeds.

  “You learned to drive in that?” Coll stared at the truck.

  “Yeah. All hands-on deck, that’s what Dad says during harvest. You gotta take advantage of the dry weather while it holds. Get the crop off dry so you don’t have to mess around drying it. He’s hoping we’ll get some barley accepted for malt this year.”