NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53: Ponies
On the way back, as he passed the ranch, Dante stopped again, pulling his truck off the road.
The sound of brakes and a door opening drew the attention of Lloyd, who was busy setting up an electric fence.
He looked up and shouted in an exasperated tone, "No one knows how to fix it! The ponies are about to escape from the fence we built!"
In the muddy area not far from Lloyd, three ponies were pacing back and forth behind a few cowboys.
The lead pony was completely black with its head hanging low, while the two trailing behind were speckled with patches of color.
"Are they really that much trouble?" Dante leaned against the wooden railing, smiling awkwardly as he called out to one of the mischievous ponies: "Dark Cloud, come here!"
The black Appaloosa pony raised its head, revealing eyes almost hidden beneath its mane, and neighed happily upon spotting the visitor who smelled strangely inviting.
The little creature trotted eagerly toward Dante, its mane swaying gently with each step, as if its joy was evident in every movement.
When Dark Cloud reached him, it stretched its head through the wooden rails and softly licked Dante's palm with its tongue.
Feigning annoyance, Dante pulled his hand back and patted the pony's head. Pointing to the nearby electric fence, he said, "Next time, don't play the mastermind for your siblings!"
As expected, this pony had grabbed the orange plastic handle of the electric fence with its mouth, dismantling it layer by layer.
The pony tilted its head, looking a bit surprised. Its ears drooped, and its eyes now held a hint of sheepishness.
It nudged Dante's hand with its wet nose, its usual way of apologizing.
"I'm really impressed by you!" Dante chuckled, unable to resist the little one's charm, and grabbed some hay from the truck to feed it.
Dark Cloud sniffed at the hay, its dark eyes lighting up instantly. Eagerly, it stretched out its tongue to grab the hay and began munching it with audible delight.
After finishing its snack, Dark Cloud, still unsatisfied, approached Dante again, rubbing its nose against his palm.
"You're too spoiled! My father always said not to coddle animals that break the rules." Dante ruffled the pony's mane affectionately as he spoke.
At that moment, Rip drove a tractor into the field. The loader carried roughly 800 pounds of hay, drawing everyone's attention with its dramatic arrival.
Against the backdrop of black diesel smoke rising from the exhaust pipe, Dante watched as the spikes on the loader slowly released, letting the round bales of hay roll into the muddy paddock of the horse ranch.
"Great machine, but we could use a newer one," Dante said, eyeing the smoke spewing from the engine.
Lloyd chuckled from nearby. "It's his baby. You can't replace something that's part of his routine."
Rip cherished the old beast so much that he'd mounted the horns of a cow that had died in a snowstorm onto the tractor's radiator.
As everyone looked on, Rip waved theatrically from the tractor's cab, like a cowboy in slow motion, before backing up and coming to a stop.
Seeing the fresh hay, the ponies, who had been restless and disobedient, suddenly lit up with excitement. They decisively abandoned the cowboys and raced toward the food.
Although Dark Cloud's two little followers didn't fully understand what was happening, they instinctively followed their leader closely.
Rip jumped off the tractor with a clattering sound, his thick beard and eyebrows shaking as he laughed. "They're gorgeous. I don't know where you found them, but they're easily worth a few hundred thousand dollars."
"I'd have preferred something else," Dante murmured, watching the ponies that now called the ranch home.
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of these little ones," Lloyd said cheerfully, clearly delighted to have such unique additions to the ranch.
Dante nodded lightly and said, "Then I'll leave them in your capable hands."
…
Later, it was time to cook. Dante made his way to the separate cabin where Kim lived.
He grabbed some eggs from the fridge.
It was just him and Lee in the house now, so Dante volunteered to cook.
After preparing a simple homemade meal, Dante settled on classic sunny-side-up eggs with bacon.
Considered a traditional breakfast, he prepared identical portions for his brother.
"I didn't think you could cook," Lee said, raising an eyebrow.
Dante smirked at him. "Don't you remember? I lived alone in New York for a long time. I had to learn a few things—takeout wasn't always an option."
"You've got a point. Well then, let's enjoy this meal," Lee said with a smile, acknowledging how much of a Dutton Dante had proven himself to be in these past few weeks on the ranch.