The bright sun streams through the curtain as I open my eyes, walk over to the window, pull back the curtains and smile as Swan Ranch greets my eyes bathed in the warm glow of sunrise. I pull on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt then head downstairs to grab a quick breakfast of toast before heading out to the barn to check on the horses and turn the out into the fields. We have 15 horses at Swan Ranch that reside here with an additional 10 being held for locals who need a temporary home for their horses. I turn the horses out one by one saving my favourite for last. His name is Stallion and he is everything a horse should be: strong, graceful, sleek, powerful and just a little wild. He's my favourite as I am the only one he will allow on his back. An early trauma has lead to a deep-rooted fear of everyone but me. He is slowly learning to accept my father and brother but he won't let them do anything beyond saddling him. I am uncertain whether he will ever let anyone else ride him but it doesn't matter too much. Stallion earns his keep by competing with me in local rodeos and events rather than as one of the horses we use for out riding school for children and teens. I put Stallion in the top field then go to muck-out the stalls. Once that's done I go to the tack room and check everything is clean and in it's place. As I move to leave the tack room I hear a noise that roots me to the spot: Stallion's cry. I would know his voice anywhere. I run to the top field and see Stallion rearing up at some idiot who has entered his field. I can't believe how stupid the guy is. Is he trying to get himself killed?
"Hey! You! Get away from him!" I scream at the intruder, running to Stallion to try and calm him down and diffuse the situation.
"It's ok boy. It's ok I'm here. There now shh." I soothe. Stallion calms quickly under my touch but I can still feel his heart race and see his body tremble. I turn to face the intruder.
"Right. I don't know who you think you are or what you think you were doing but right now I want you to get the hell away from this horse. Head down to the ranch, I'll meet you there once I check he's ok and you can tell me what possessed you to go into a field with a horse you didn't know."
The intruder quickly leaves the field then walks down towards the ranch. I check Stallion to see if he's hurt but apart form a good spook he seems fine. I do see a lead rope lying in the grass so I pick it up and head for the ranch. Now that I know Stallions ok my anger, which lessened due to panic, is coming back full force. I go into the ranch and find the intruder standing in the living room. I put the lead rope down, walk over to him and say:
"Sit down and explain who you are and what you are doing on this ranch."
The intruder sits down and as he does I note that he is about my age, has blond hair, blue eyes, is built but not overly so, just enough to show he doesn't spend all day lounging around watching TV.
"My name is Edward Cullen. I'm the new ranch hand employed by Mr Swan. I was trying to find him when I saw that lead rope on the fence of the field. I entered the field to get it and bring it to the ranch when that horse came barrelling over reared then neighed as if he was going to kill me." Edward says his voice laced with disdain speaking about Stallion.
"He would have if I hadn't gotten there in time. Stallion is extremely skittish and weary of new people. He had a bad experience of a bronco buster when he was a colt. The guy literally tried to whip him into shape. One day I saw what was going on and tried to stop him. The guy turned the rope on me. Stallion saved me by getting the guy off and by then my dad was there and saw just what the man was like. He got sentenced to jail but Stallion is still living with the outcome. Ever since that day I'm the only one he trust and he still hates any kind of rope." I explain.
"Oh my god. I'm sorry. I didn't know. If I had I never would have gone into the field or spoken about him like that. I apologize. He must think very highly of you, to listen to you and calm down when he was so worked up." Edward says.
"Thank you. He does. He's an amazing horse, he just has some problems." I defend.
"Don't we all?" Edward says and in those 3 words I can hear how much he cares about and understands horses. He can look past Stallion's reaction and see that he was at fault not the horse.