Chapter 6

Riding down the lane and onto the homestead atop Sunset felt so much like home that for a brief moment Melody could forget she was one hundred and forty-seven years into the future. She almost expected to see her Pa step out on the front porch of the house or come out of the barn.

Even more so, she expected to see Brent frowning at her from the foreman’s cabin or standing with his hands on his hips, scowling from outside the training ring. Instead, she was jarred back to the present by the sight of a machine lifting giant logs as they built a series of small cabins around behind what had once been the bunkhouse.

Thankfully, it was far enough away from the training ring she wouldn’t have to worry about it spooking the horse she was supposed to work with. Much more disturbing to her was the crowd of people seated and chatting with each other like spectators at a social. Their excitement and the emotional fallout were, even from where she sat atop Sunset, already affecting the stallion they wanted her to work with to show her skills. “Why is there spectator seating around the training ring?”

Tallis Ryder looked over at her. “I told you that this would be a tourist ranch. People will come and learn and then take part. That seating is where they’ll watch you work and where you’ll explain what it is you’re doing.”

She glared down at him. “Mister Ryder, that will make it harder to train any horse. Horses pick up on the emotions of the people around them, and we both know that an untrained horse is very susceptible to noises as well as emotional influence.”

“I told you the people will be quiet when you’re ready to work today.”

She climbed down off her horse. “Yes, but now the horse you want me to work on is already worked up into an untrainable state. Look at him. He’s covered in foam from where he’s been reacting to all the noise and stimulation going on all around him. Before I can even see what work I need to do to train him, I’ll have to spend hours just calming him down.”

Tallis looked at her. “Are you telling me you can’t work with an audience? That’s going to be part of what we do here, teach and demonstrate.”

“I can teach and demonstrate, but not with a completely green horse. You want me to show you how good my skills are, but you’ve made it so I can’t even show you those skills by letting all those people work that horse into a frenzy. What has been done to him won’t allow me to show you anything but how to get a trainer killed.”

“Tell me what you need from me today to show me and my father, who owns that horse, how you work.”

Melody looked at him and saw the honesty of his question. “First, send all those people away and make sure they stay away for at least an hour. Then just let the horse be. He needs to calm down enough that I can even climb in the ring with him before we can start working on him. I can’t even see what I need to do, he’s so worked up.

Then when it’s time to work with him, I’d appreciate it if only you and the owner were around to see what I do. But only if the two of you can keep your emotional states from interfering with the horse. As I said, they pick up on the emotions of those around them. All those people right now are excited for the show and it’s got the horse overly excited.”

Tallis looked over at the horse and then nodded. “I’ll take care of that. Then you can tell me what you think of the homestead and bunkhouse renovations. I’m having them and then the Foreman’s Cabin retrofitted to be as close to authentic as I can. We can talk about the plans for the future expansion and what I need from you. If your historical knowledge is equal to that of your horse knowledge, I’d say you have a job, Miss Hughes.”

He climbed out of the wagon as they drew up to the barn and called one of the spectators over, a young woman who looked remarkably similar to him. “Tell everyone that our new trainer will not put on a show today and get everyone away from the ring. Send Dad to the house and then come over yourself. I want you to meet Melody. She’ll meet Diablo when she thinks the time is right, but no spectators. She says they are all making the horse more worked up.”

The younger girl looked at him and laughed. “You know she’s right. Diablo is a handful anytime, but he’s ready to kill right now. All those emotions bouncing around, and all the excitement of seeing if anyone can tame him, from the people in the stands have him worked into a frenzy.”

Melody watched as her potential boss deflated. “I know, I just didn’t want to disappoint everyone. But she’s right; there’s no way anyone can get in that ring with him right now. He’d kill them. Tell everyone to go about their jobs, no show today. Then you and Dad come and meet Miss Hughes.”

“Will do.”

Melody watched as the girl walked back to the stands and stood beside an older man who looked like a salt-and-pepper-haired version of the man standing in front of her. The older man nodded and started sending everyone back to work. Tallis Ryder turned to Reverend Johnson. “We’re going to hire her, so what do you need from me?”

“The contract is for six months. Pay and all that is between you two and I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be back to get her just after Christmas. Her official contract will end December 31st at 11:59. I need a few minutes with my client alone and you need to agree to my contract by stating you understand the terms of her employment, including room and board, and that the end date is set.”

“What if we want to extend that contract?”

“That won’t be possible, young man. We have made her promises beyond that date. She’ll need to be elsewhere the first of the year.”

She could see that Tallis didn’t really believe that she’d leave when the job was done. But to get her ranch back and put Brent off her land, she would indeed do the job and complete the terms. Then next year she’d go home and see all her dreams come true. Until then she’d obey the rules, the Reverend had given her. She’d just have to forget that this man in front of her had literally come to her in a dream. He wasn’t for her, the wrong place and time, and she was going to go home and see her dreams fulfilled, no matter how many times he filled her dreams at night.

******

Tallis stood floored by what the Reverend just told him. Six months! That’s all the time he could have with Melody Hughes. Then she’d move on to another assignment. Well, the mysterious Reverend Johnson better get used to disappointment. Now that he had Melody Hughes here on his ranch, he had no intention of allowing her to leave. He’d keep her close at hand, even if he had to marry her quickly to do it.