Renegade (Tin Star K9 Series Book 1) by Jodi Burnett (literature books to read .txt) 📗

the back of her horse. If only she could make a living doing either of them, work would be a blast. Her usual sense of frustration washed over her as she thought about her future. She’d studied criminal justice at the University of Wyoming, but still didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life.

Shaking off her pensiveness, Caitlyn drained the pinkish-green tinged milk and tossed her empty bowl into the sink. “Come on, Ren. We don’t want to be late on our first day.” She grabbed a pack of beef jerky and a bottle of water before heading out the door. Forty-five minutes later, Caitlyn and Renegade pulled into the barnyard at Reed Ranch.

Dylan was in the arena and had already tacked up three of the six horses. Caitlyn opened the center console of her truck and removed her Glock 43 from its locked case. She snapped the magazine in place and clipped her gun into the thigh holster she used when riding in the backcountry. With Ren at her heels, she scurried from her truck. “Hey, why didn’t you wait for me?”

Dylan avoided looking at her. “Work starts early on the ranch, remember?”

“The tourists won’t be here for another two hours.” Caitlyn didn’t expect a response as she marched into the barn. She haltered more horses, leaving Whiskey for last. The graceful animals followed her out to the arena where she tied them and began the grooming process. Caitlyn brushed away the dust from their silky coats until they glistened in the sun. “My weather app says it’s supposed to be a nice day.”

“Good.”

“What plans do you have for this morning? More fencing?”

“Getting the weaning pens ready. It’s that time of year.”

Caitlyn smiled to herself. Dylan had given her two full sentences without an attitude. That was progress. “I thought I’d take the riders to the top of the ridge, today. Maybe dip into the BLM on the far side. It’s so beautiful up there.”

Dylan’s dark eyes flashed at her. “That might be too hard of a ride for newbies. Why don’t you stay on the flatland? No need to risk going up on the mountain.”

Caitlyn wasn’t about to plod along on the boring flat prairie. “We’ll see.”

Ten minutes before their scheduled time, a minivan stuffed with five tourists parked outside the barn. They spilled out of the doors, wearing the bright colors and straw hats of vacationers. One man had a complex-looking camera hanging around his neck. Their loud joking was harsh against the peaceful morning as they took in their new surroundings. Dylan grumbled something under his breath and escaped to the tack room. On his way, he reached down and ruffled the fur on Renegade’s head, causing Caitlyn to grin.

“Good morning, everyone.” Caitlyn approached the new arrivals. “I’m Caitlyn Reed. I’ll be leading you on your trail ride today.” She shook each rider’s hand and learned their names. “Do any of you have riding experience?”

One woman raised her thin arm. “I took English lessons as a girl. But that was a long time ago.”

“Great! That’s a start. And don’t worry, we have specially selected horses that will take good care of you no matter what your skill level.” Caitlyn assessed the group standing before her. She considered their sizes and assumed their athletic capabilities. As she assigned horses to riders, she heard Renegade’s distinct growl.

She snapped her head around and saw Ren backed against the fence. His ears flat and turned back, a warning growl rumbled at the heavyset man who had bent to pet him. “Renegade, no! Sedni.” The man drew his hand back, frowning. Caitlyn ran to her dog and knelt next to him.

“I’m sorry, sir. This is Renegade. I call him Ren, for short. He really is a good boy, but he’s still young.” She threw an arm around her dog’s tense shoulders and felt his muscles relax. “I think he may have felt trapped against the fence. He’s a rescue dog and needs more socialization.” Her cheeks flared with heat as words tumbled across her tongue in embarrassment. Making the situation worse, Caitlyn glimpsed Dylan watching her from the shadow of the barn door with a scowl on his face.

The man who was the target of Renegade’s warning backed away. “I don’t feel safe around a dog who growls at me. He looked like he was going to bite me.” The man turned to his friends. “I’m not sure we can trust the horses if we can’t trust the dog. Should we rethink this? I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” The tourists furtively glanced at one another.

Dylan stepped out of the barn. “Good morning, folks. I’m Dylan Reed, Caitlyn’s brother. Welcome to our ranch. I can guarantee that these horses are calm and well-trained. I hope you’ll decide to stay and enjoy your ride.” He tossed another scowl in Caitlyn’s direction.

The man appeared unconvinced, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t know. What do you guys think?”

Before the others could answer, Caitlyn chimed in. “Dylan’s right. I promise, these horses are perfectly safe.” She stroked her dog’s lean form. “Renegade is safe too. You probably just startled him. As I said, he’s a rescue dog and needs to spend more time around people he doesn’t know. Would you be willing to help me with that?” The man looked uncertain. “Try again. Let him smell your hand with me here next to him.”

“Go on, Herb.” A tall, slender woman urged. “You’re always talking about how people should get their dogs from rescues. Now’s your chance to practice what you preach.”

The man scrunched his brows together and took a big breath. He gingerly reached his fingers forward. “Hello, Renegade. There’s a good boy.”

Caitlyn smoothed the fur between her dog’s ears. “Good dog. It’s okay, see?” She clasped the man’s hand and shook it. Renegade watched every move. “Now it’s your turn, boy.” She nodded at Herb, who inched his hand closer to the dog. Renegade stretched his nose