By the time Blaine Harrow rode into Copper Creek, the sun had turned the distant mountains the color of burning copper.
Four men followed him.
Two carried coiled ropes. Another had a long stock whip tied beside his saddle.
The fourth led an empty horse trailer wagon fitted with heavy wooden gates.
Nollie stood beside the corral.
She recognized the wagon immediately.
It was the same one used to bring Storm down from the northern high country.
The stallion recognized it too.
His head rose.
His ears flattened.
He backed away from the fence.
Emmett noticed the change before the wagon reached the trading post.
"Keep that thing back," he called.
Blaine dismounted.
"I don't recall asking your permission."
"We agreed to sundown."
Blaine pulled out his pocket watch.
"Looks close enough to me."
"There's still daylight."
"Not much."
Gus emerged from the trading post.
"A bargain's a bargain, Blaine."
Blaine turned toward him.
"And I intend to settle it."
He pointed toward Storm.
"Has Knox put a halter on him?"
"Not yet," Gus admitted.
"Has he led him?"
"No."
"Then he's failed."
Nollie stepped forward.
"He's made more progress in one day than your men made in three."
Blaine looked at her coldly.
"Progress doesn't pay my bills."
Emmett approached the fence.
"Give me until the last light."
Blaine smiled.
"Why should I?"
"Because that's what we agreed."
Several townspeople had begun gathering.
They had heard about the gray stallion's remarkable change. Word had traveled from the trading post to the livery, from the livery to the saloon, and from the saloon to nearly every kitchen in Copper Creek.
Now they wanted to see what would happen.
Blaine noticed the growing audience.
He also noticed that several men were watching him with open disapproval.
He disliked that even more than Emmett's calm refusal to yield.
"Fine," Blaine snapped. "Last light. Then he's mine to handle."
Emmett nodded.
"Fair enough."
But Nollie saw the way Blaine's men positioned themselves near the gate.
They had not come expecting patience.
They had come expecting force.
Emmett entered the corral carrying a simple leather halter.
Storm immediately backed away.
Emmett stopped.
"Easy, boy."
He laid the halter on the ground.
Then stepped away from it.
The horse stared.
Emmett waited.
Outside the fence, Blaine checked his watch.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Storm approached the halter.
He lowered his head.
Sniffed it.
And retreated.
Emmett did not move toward him.
Nollie understood the difficulty.
The horse had learned that ropes meant capture.
A halter was not the same as a choking rope, but Storm could not know that.
To him, leather near his head might mean pain.
Emmett needed to change that association.
He picked up the halter.
Held it loosely.
Then lowered it again.
Storm watched.
After several attempts, the stallion approached him.
Emmett gently touched the horse's shoulder.
Storm remained still.
Then Emmett lifted the halter a few inches.
The animal flinched.
Emmett lowered it.
He waited.
He repeated the movement.
This time, Storm did not retreat.
Nollie held her breath.
The sun touched the tops of the western cliffs.
Blaine snapped his watch shut.
"Time."
Emmett did not look up.
"Not yet."
"Sun's going down."
"Still light on the ground."
Blaine's jaw tightened.
But before he could speak, Storm lowered his head.
Emmett slowly raised the halter.
The leather touched the horse's cheek.
Storm trembled.
Emmett paused.
"That's it," he whispered. "You can walk away."
The stallion remained.
Emmett slipped the halter into place without tightening it harshly.
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
Nollie pressed both hands against her chest.
Gus stared.
Blaine's expression froze.
The gray stallion stood wearing a halter.
No struggle.
No rearing.
No rope burns.
Emmett stepped backward.
Storm watched him.
The cowboy held the lead loosely.
"Come on, boy."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Storm took one step.
Another.
And followed him.
The crowd erupted.
Men shouted.
Hats flew into the air.
A young boy climbed onto the fence, cheering so loudly that his father had to pull him down.
Nollie laughed through tears.
Emmett led Storm several quiet steps, then stopped.
The horse stopped beside him.
For the first time since his capture, the stallion stood calmly with a man at his shoulder.
Gus turned toward Blaine.
"Looks like Knox kept his side of the bargain."
Blaine said nothing.
His face had gone pale beneath the desert tan.
Then he forced a smile.
"Impressive."
Emmett gently removed the halter.
Storm stepped away without panic.
Blaine watched the horse.
Then he looked at Emmett.
"Now I know he can be handled."
Something in his tone made Nollie uneasy.
Emmett turned.
"What do you mean?"
Blaine folded his arms.
"I mean you've saved me a great deal of trouble."
The cheering began to fade.
Gus frowned.
"Blaine?"
"The horse is mine," Blaine continued. "And now that Knox has made him manageable, my men can finish his training."
Nollie stared.
"You can't be serious."
Blaine shrugged.
"I never promised to give him away."
Emmett stood motionless.
He had known the possibility.
Yet hearing Blaine say it aloud made the disappointment no easier.
"You promised to admit my method worked," Emmett said.
"And I do."
"Then let me finish."
Blaine laughed.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because forcing him now could undo everything."
"That sounds like your problem, not mine."
Blaine gestured toward his men.
"Get the horse."
The first rider approached the gate.
Storm raised his head.
The second man lifted a rope.
The stallion backed away.
Emmett stepped forward.
"Stop."
The rider hesitated.
Blaine's voice cracked across the corral.
"Do as I say."
Nollie moved beside Emmett.
"Please," she said. "Look at him."
Blaine barely glanced toward her.
"I've looked at that animal for three days. I've had enough."
"You've looked at what you want him to become," she answered. "You haven't looked at what he's been through."
Blaine's eyes narrowed.
"You're making a fool of yourself."
Nollie felt her pulse quicken.
But she did not retreat.
"Then I'd rather be a fool than watch you destroy the first trust he's ever shown us."
A murmur of agreement rose behind her.
Blaine looked toward the crowd.
His embarrassment turned into anger.
"Nobody here is going to tell me what to do with my property."
Emmett spoke quietly.
"What would you take for him?"
Blaine turned.
"What?"
"The stallion. Name your price."
Nollie looked at Emmett in surprise.
She knew he was not wealthy.
His clothes and equipment made that plain.
Blaine knew it too.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Two hundred dollars."
Gus let out a low whistle.
It was an enormous sum for a working cowboy.
Emmett did not flinch.
"That's more than you paid."
"Then I suppose you don't want him badly enough."
Emmett considered the demand.
"I can give you forty now."
Blaine laughed.
"Forty?"
"And the rest after I sell my spare saddle and take on more work."
"Do I look like a bank?"
"No."
"Then don't ask me to act like one."
Nollie stepped closer.
"I have some money from trading."
Emmett looked at her.
"Nollie—"
"It's my choice."
Blaine smiled.
"How touching. The bride is helping her groom buy a horse."
Several men laughed uneasily.
Nollie's face warmed.
But she held her ground.
Blaine looked from one to the other.
Then he made his decision.
"Two hundred dollars. Cash. By tomorrow noon."
Gus stared.
"That's barely any time."
Blaine shrugged.
"Then he'd better get busy."
He pointed toward the corral.
"Until then, the horse stays here under my ownership. If the money isn't on this table at noon, my men take him."
Emmett nodded slowly.
"All right."
Blaine looked disappointed that he had not provoked an argument.
He turned toward his horse.
"And Knox?"
Emmett waited.
"Don't mistake this for generosity."
The cattle baron mounted.
His riders followed.
As they disappeared down the street, the crowd began talking all at once.
Two hundred dollars.
By noon.
It seemed impossible.
Nollie turned toward Emmett.
"How much money do you actually have?"
"Forty-three dollars and some change."
"And you offered forty?"
"Seemed wise to keep enough for supper."
She stared at him.
Then, despite everything, laughed.
Emmett smiled faintly.
But when she looked toward Storm, her amusement vanished.
The stallion stood near the fence, watching the road where Blaine had disappeared.
Nollie reached for Emmett's hand.
"We can't let them take him."
Emmett looked down at their joined hands.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then he gently closed his fingers around hers.
"No," he said.
"We can't."
That evening, Copper Creek grew quiet beneath a sky filled with stars.
Emmett sat outside the trading post, counting his money.
Forty-three dollars and sixty cents.
He counted it twice.
The amount did not change.
Gus emerged carrying two cups of coffee.
He handed one to Emmett.
"You're going to need a miracle."
Emmett accepted the cup.
"Maybe."
Gus sat beside him.
"I've got twenty dollars I can lend you."
Emmett looked up.
"Gus—"
"Don't argue. I've made enough money selling feed to Harrow's riders this week."
Emmett smiled.
"Thank you."
"That still leaves you a long way short."
"I know."
Nollie appeared from the darkness.
She carried a small leather pouch.
Inside were coins she had earned through months of trading.
She placed it beside Emmett.
He looked at her.
"No."
She folded her arms.
"You haven't even counted it."
"I don't need to."
"It's my money."
"I know."
"And I can decide what to do with it."
Emmett hesitated.
Nollie's voice softened.
"You walked into that corral because you believed Storm deserved kindness. Let me help because I believe the same thing."
He looked at the pouch.
Then at her.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
He opened it.
Twenty-seven dollars.
With Gus's contribution, they had ninety dollars and sixty cents.
Still far short.
Emmett stared at the money.
Nollie sat beside him.
For a while, they listened to the wind moving through the trading post's wooden beams.
Then she said, "You know, when I made that promise, I thought the whole thing was impossible."
Emmett looked toward her.
"And now?"
She smiled sadly.
"Now I'm beginning to think the horse was the easy part."
He laughed softly.
But neither noticed the shadow moving beyond the stable.
One of Blaine's riders had returned.
And he had heard enough to know that Emmett Knox was still determined to save the gray stallion.
By morning, the quiet cowboy would discover that Blaine Harrow had no intention of losing gracefully.