By the time Rick reaches the cabin he’s calmed down. He dismounts and leads Shadow into the barn. He’s ridden hard up the mountain and the summer heat has caused them both to sweat. He unsaddles the gray gelding and leads him to the wash stall. There he sprays lukewarm water over the sweaty animal, raising a white foam of dissolved salts from his body. He wipes the water from Shadow’s back and sides with a sweat scraper and walks him into his stall, where Rick feeds him some hay and begins to groom the horse as he eats.
It’s gonna be okay, he thinks. I always knew Jerry was his first and truest love. He never made no issue about keepin’ that from me. Now he’s back. I’ll get over this.
Rick leans his head against his horse’s shoulder.
“No, I won’t! If I lose ‘im, it’ll never be the same
