He had to get the horses in and bunked down; the cattle would be fine and given it was only February, nothing in the fields to cry over, just some weeds. He headed toward the last paddock where his stallion was kept, a moody beast and an animal that hated pretty much anyone that was human. Got along with every animal on the ranch, but hated the hands. On a good day, Grant could ride him, and he’d play along. On a bad day, he’d have to duck a few kicks and hope to get the halter before the beast landed one. Reaching the paddock, he watched Mercury give him a sneer and stamp his front hooves. Apparently it was going to be a bad day with the stallion. Grant adjusted his collar to keep the wind out, went over the rails, and headed for the horse. Mercury wasn’t the only one in a pissy mood. Nothing like freezing your nuts off while protecting the stock to put a man in a cranky mood. “All right, Merc, this is how it’s going to be. I’m going to grab your halter, and you are going to come with me peacefully. Then I’m going to go into town and get some more supplies while you stay nice and warm in the barn. Sounds like a good plan, doesn’t it?”
