Broken Arrow Ranch

Chapter 2

The almost two-hour drive back to Denver was uneventful—until I got a frantic phone call from my mom. She isn't the best at delivering news, whether good or bad, so I held my breath and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Everything's okay, but something happened with the dogs," my mom, Laura, said.

I gripped the steering wheel harder. I'd just left home two days ago, and already something had gone wrong with the dogs? My heart sank, and I felt tears well up in my eyes, despite not even knowing what was happening yet. I listened as she explained, my dad looking at me expectantly, sensing something was off.

"Well, I had your dogs outside playing, when all of a sudden I heard Kona screeching. I ran over to see what was going on, and at first, I couldn't tell! Then I realized Jericho's tooth was caught in Kona's collar. While he was trying to pull away, he was twisting and suffocating Kona. I couldn't get the collars undone, so I ran to grab scissors. By the time I got back, they managed to break free. Kona seems okay... just traumatized."

I felt sick to my stomach, even after she assured me that Kona was probably fine and didn't need to see a vet. After hanging up the phone, I couldn't hold back my tears and explained the story to my dad.

"The dogs are going to be fine," my dad said, trying to calm me. "You know your mom, she loves animals and will take care of it. This is just a freak accident. Kona's okay."

We sat in silence as I drove the remaining half hour to Denver. The sun was setting, painting the Rocky Mountains in an orange glow, and the city of Denver bathed in its light. Before heading to a cheap hotel, we had an even cheaper dinner at Red Robin. Brian told me to get whatever I wanted, but I was too anxious to eat. I barely touched my appetizer sampler platter.

After the quick meal, we drove to the hotel. Earlier, I'd texted Wyatt, who handled the horse side of things at the ranch. From what I understood, I'd be reporting to him when I arrived. He'd said there was no rush to get back since we wouldn't start work until Monday. I could put off the inevitable for a little while longer.

I struggled to fall asleep, even after taking melatonin. My mind kept racing—thinking about my dogs, the predictable life I was leaving behind at home, and whether I'd made the right decision coming out here. I was excited to have been offered a job on a ranch, but what if it wasn't for me? Finally, exhaustion won, and I fell into a restless sleep, my mind troubled by the summer ahead.

Before I knew it, my dad's alarm went off at 4 a.m. He didn't have much to pack, since he'd only been on the road with me for a few days. I left my things in my hotel room, knowing I'd be back to sleep a little longer since checkout wasn't until noon. The drive to the airport was short, and I could tell my normally cool-faced dad was sad to be leaving me.

"You're only a five-hour flight away," he said, trying to reassure me. "If you want to visit home for the weekend, it's not a big deal."

"I know," I said, though I wasn't entirely convinced.

"If the ranch isn't what you expected, don't be afraid to throw your stuff in your car and leave. No one would blame you. That's why you brought the car, so you have a way out if you need it."

I nodded, but I was only half-listening. I was tired, nervous, and focused on navigating the road to Denver International Airport. We arrived at his terminal, and I pulled the car over to the shoulder, putting it in park.

"You'll have an amazing summer, Holly. Just take one day at a time," Brian told me. He grabbed his bag, and though I'm not much of a hugger, I hugged him tight. We said our goodbyes, and he stepped through the double glass doors into the airport. I watched him until he was out of sight before getting back into my car.