His hands now sweating, Asher knocked again. Naturally, he was wondering how many others had already come by? Would he be welcomed? Or viewed as a burden? But again, how could he not come? Preston came from the western side of the state, so his body was scheduled to be taken back there, where the funeral would take place. Asher could not attend that one, but another gathering was being arranged in a few days for the people who knew him at the ranch.
Allison opened the door, looking exhausted. Her pale skin seemed even more translucent than usual and purple shadows ringed her eyes. No doubt she was suffering from lack of sleep and endless bouts of grief. “Asher.”
“I don’t want to bother you right now. I just wanted Violet to know…”
She smiled gently. “Yes, we all feel the same way. And no, nobody knows what to do or say. Please come in.”
“Are you sure?”
She shrugged. “Since nothing makes it easier or better, I guess nothing could make it any harder.” She pursed her lips and added, “That’s not true. Stupid, thoughtless people would make it worse. But I know you’re neither of those things, so you’re welcome to come in.”
They exchanged information and conveyed their sympathy to each other. All of it seemed as normal and usual as it was brutal and horrible. Violet was too grief-stricken to see him. He had no intention of trying to push that. “Please, just tell her I stopped by.”
“We will,” answered her dad, Shane Rydell. Asher got to his feet and followed Shane and Allison to the front door. “Can I have a word with you?” Shane asked him.
“Sure. What is it?”
“I don’t know who else to ask about this. Jack and Ian are so close to the entire thing. And I just can’t—”
Perking up at the thought of helping him somehow and just doing something to ease the grief of this family appealed to him and he was all in. Right then and there. Plus, it was something constructive to do rather than moping around like a miserable blob. Without the desire to do anything, he numbly followed his former routine, doing useless things that meant almost nothing right now.
Shane rubbed his neck. “Well, it’s the whole issue of that damn, fucking horse, Wallace. When Jack asked Violet, she said to take him to the glue factory. So, you can guess where she is right now. No one here can stomach the sight of him. I don’t favor any of the horses, but neither can I kill an innocent animal. Could you perhaps take him somewhere? Maybe sell him? You’re welcome to keep whatever you can get for him. Just take him off our hands? Maybe you could board him up at your dad’s place. I was going to ask AJ, but here you are…”
“I’d be glad to. I always liked Wallace. I helped train him, so it makes the most sense that I should take care of him. Safely and without harm. I agree that Violet needs to have him gone and it’s tough for any who witnessed the accident to try to forget what happened. I’ll take care of Wallace, no problem.”
“Thank you, Asher. I know how hard this was to all who were there.”
“Nothing like it must be for Violet. And I’m glad to do anything that might help her, or relieve her pain… Just saying I’m sorry is so fucking lame.”
Shane released his first smile since Asher got there. “Thank you, and you might ask Jack about it. I get the whole useless sensation you feel. But there’s nothing much we can do. I’m helpless to fix it. Nothing. Nada I can do except to support her and listen to her when she feels like talking and console her when she has to cry… Well, personally, I’d rather have my guts eviscerated than to have this happen to one of my girls.”
Asher nodded, believing him. Turning away, he left Shane and headed off to find Jack. Jack then pointed him in the direction of a rarely used corner of the pasture and he found the horse. Poor, unwanted Wallace. He stared at the animal. The visions of him running at full gallop, with steam shooting out of his nostrils when he headed for the arena wall, only to then turn and lose Preston. Crashing into the wall. Falling. Plunk. Dead.
But the horse also stopped at once, like all the rest of them. His fight or flight instinct at hearing the gunshot instantly calmed. He never meant to kill Preston. He didn’t even know what happened. Now relegated to the most unwanted, unused plot of land on the property, Wallace was oblivious to his punishment. Clicking softly with his tongue, Asher slowly approached the horse. Wallace stayed still until Asher held out a carrot. Wallace took it with his mouth and Asher caressed his shoulder, slipping his arm over the horse’s neck and patting him as he softly spoke to him. Reassuring the steed, Asher had full control over the horse, keeping his head down so it was not too high to reach. Wallace easily accepted the halter rope when Asher wrapped it over his nose, then up around his ears before tying it off at the side of his head. He hooked on a lead rope and began walking the horse to his dad’s house.
AJ had a three-stall barn and a couple of acres for his horses. Asher was very familiar with AJ’s dream to own a few horses and buy this place, and he did manage to attain it, although he often believed that would never happen.
AJ looked up from pitching fresh straw into one of the stalls.
“Hey,” Asher said with a strange grin.
“Wallace?”
“Yeah. They don’t want him anymore. Violet wants him slaughtered. Obviously, not happening. They don’t care what I do with him. They even asked me to sell him just to keep him off the ranch property. Can I leave him here?”
“’Course.”
AJ propped the pitchfork against the wall and walked over to one of the gates, which he opened for Asher. Asher released the horse into their large pasture. Leaning on the fence, he and his dad watched him with the other horses. “He’s a good horse.”
“Yeah. Trained for some pretty complicated routines. The stuff he can do…” Asher shrugged. “But what everyone saw that day with Preston pretty much makes him a horse-non-grata around here.”
“True. It’s such a great, big tragedy. How’s Violet?”
“Too upset for visitors.”
“I would be too.” AJ nodded.
As long as he was there, while this horse was still causing a ruckus on the ranch, he decided he might as well add something that was on his mind for a very long time. “Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“When Preston died, it happened so fast and wild right before me that I have to admit it really managed to shake me up. You know? All that life’s-so-short kinda crap.”
“I imagine that’s a pretty normal and valid reaction.”
“Yeah. Well, I’ve had other thoughts I’m just not sure I should ask you.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask us anything on your mind,” AJ said immediately. Asher smiled because it also involved Kate. They worked together as a unit. “Should we go inside and talk with your mother?”
“Yeah. Are the boys still here?”
Cami and Charlie’s twins, Ethan and Isaac were nine years old now and proved more than a handful when they visited. “They left an hour ago.”
“Okay then.”
He entered the house. Kate turned at hearing their entrance. “Hey. Those are serious faces. What’s up?”
“I have something to ask you both.”