Page 22 of The Only Seconds that Matter
“That’s okay.”Taylor ran a hand over her knotted mane.“She just needs some love, that’s all.”
Victor picked up her feet, something she tolerated but didn’t seem too keen about.She was probably around 14.2 hands, large for a pony but small for a horse, which was standard for Arabians.He’d doubt she’d go for much, as Arabians weren’t popular with cowboy-types looking for horses to work cattle with.
“What about the pony?”Victor asked.He was a good size for a kid, around 13.2 hands with a bit of a chunkier build that might allow him to carry smaller adults as well.
“I like him, too.But I like this one best.If she gained weight and stuff, she could look really good!”
“Maybe.”
“Hey!”came Jade’s voice from behind them, so Victor twisted to face her.“I think they’re getting started on horses now.”
“Alright.”Victor turned to Taylor.“Come on.Let’s go find somewhere to sit.”
With a pouty sigh, Taylor took Victor’s hand, and they wove back through the maze of corrals and stalls to the auction ring, where stadium-style seating surrounded a pen below.The auctioneer sat in an alcove in the wall, with the name of the auction and rules laid out in a large sign beneath him.They’d started running horses through by the time Victor found a seat on one of the highest benches, and Melissa had her notes out, ready to bid.
Auctions moved fast, and you had to pay close attention to understand the auctioneer’s call.The horses that went through first were flashy and in good flesh, so they went for thousands.They had to wait some time before horses with fewer credentials started being run through the ring, including several older horses whose only crime was being over twenty years in age.There was one particular elderly horse with a graying face and protruding ribs that Melissa decided to bid on, and so that was their first acquisition.Melissa also bid on the horse with the eye leaking pus, as well two feral standard donkeys and a yearling colt with a sizable hernia.
It was getting very late, and Melissa felt good about her acquisitions, so she got up to pay while Jade offered to bring the truck and trailer around to load up.Victor thought about going after her, but Taylor’s eyes were still glued to the auction pen, fists clenched on her knees and face determined.She wanted to see the Arabian go through.So Victor sighed and waited, hoping that the mare and the pony would go for enough to assuage any concerns she had about their safety.
The mare and the pony were one of the last ones to be run through, and they were chased in loose with no information.
“These came in together,” the auctioneer said.“The black one’s a mare.The other’s a geldin’.Buyer’s choice.”
Taylor grabbed Victor’s hand, turning to him with wide, pleading eyes.Victor didn’t know what to tell her.The bidding started at a thousand and quickly dropped to three hundred.By now, everyone but the most determined dealers had left, and one of the men Melissa had pointed out as a notorious kill buyer was nodding in the auctioneer’s direction.The price jumped up to four hundred, then five.
With a sigh, Victor raised his number.The auctioneer jumped on it, and the other bidder wasn’t willing to go past six hundred, so Victor secured the bid with six hundred and fifty dollars.
“Which one you want?”the auctioneer asked.
Victor glanced at Taylor again, who was beaming.
“Both,” Victor said, and the deal was done when Victor gave them his bidding number.
Taylor threw both of her arms around him and hugged him tight.“Thank you thank you thank you!”
“Alright,” Victor chuckled, patting her head.“Let me get up so I can go pay for them.”
Taylor was absolutely brimming with joy as she followed Victor into the auction office to pay, and she practically skipped on their way back to the pens.Melissa had already gathered up the yearling, the bay mare with the pussy eye, and the skinny elderly horse.The donkeys would have to be chased on later, as they were not halter broke.
“Gotta get two more,” Victor told Melissa, but then didn’t explain because Taylor was already charging past them.
It was no small feat, loading seven horses at midnight, but thankfully the horses seemed eager to get the hell out of there.By 12:30, they were fully loaded and on their way home.Taylor’s adrenaline had finally crashed, and within minutes she was sound asleep curled up against the truck window.
Victor tried calling Johnny, but he was not picking up, and Kayla had never given Victor her number, so he couldn’t call her either.Victor called several times on the way home with no luck as everyone else slept.Fucking fantastic.What was he supposed to do now?Obviously Taylor could sleep over at his place, but Victor was more than aware of what people thought of single men when it came to childcare, and he didn’t want to end up on a government watch list.He really had no other choice though, since Johnny was not responsive.
When they got home, it was about 1:15 am, and they still had another hour to spend unloading the horses.After ensuring the horses were comfortable, Melissa left.Jade offered to stay the night to look after the horses, but Victor insisted she go home, too.Hannah would be around to check on the horses if that was needed.
“You sure you’ll be okay with the kid?”Jade asked, brow puckered with concern.
“Yeah, I’ll just put her in the guest room and try to get a hold of Johnny in the morning.”Well, later in the morning.It was already morning.
Jade glanced toward the truck, where Taylor was still asleep.“Why’d you buy those two horses?”
“I’m a sucker, I guess.”
Jade chuckled.“You’re too soft.”
“I guess she reminds me a lot of myself at that age.”Victor sighed.“Get outta here and get some rest.We can figure this all out later.”
