Jayden wondered how the girl had time between the tanning bed, the trips to the beauty shop to keep her dark roots from showing through that platinum hair, the gym, and school to chalk up three DUIs when she had had her driver’s license for only six months.

Henry met them just inside the barn door and nodded at the girls. “Come right in, and I’ll introduce you to the three horses and two mules. We don’t ride them, but we do give them a good place to live out the rest of their lives. You will take them out to the corral, clean their stables, and put down fresh hay this morning. I understand that Ashlyn will be responsible for walking each one of them every afternoon. They should be taken out to the half-mile post and brought back. It takes about thirty minutes to take each animal out there, and that long to bring him back. Do you know anything about putting a halter on and dealing with horses?”

“I know how to ride a horse, but my trainer gets the saddle on him for me,” Ashlyn told him. “Thirty minutes each way means nearly all afternoon every day.”

“That’s right. You’ll be ready for supper by the time you get done. You should be able to walk each one out and back and then spend some time brushing the critter when you get back,” Henry told her.

Ashlyn whipped around to stare at Jayden. Her green eyes bulged, and her palms went up in a defensive gesture. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am. Unless we’re hauling hay as a group or doing something else where all nine of you are concerned, this is your afternoon job,” Jayden answered.

“Why would you do that to me? I’ll sunburn, and you won’t even let me have my good lotion to prevent ashy skin,” she moaned.

“You got three DUIs. Horses and donkeys might be your mode of transportation for the next five years if you get another citation. Do you want your mommy or daddy to drive you to college each morning? Think of walking the animals as your trip to the gym each day,” Jayden answered.

Carmella giggled. “Ashy skin for Ashlyn. Seems appropriate.”

Jayden turned her focus to Carmella. “Did y’all even read your individual jobs for each afternoon?”

Tiffany raised one shoulder. “I didn’t have time to read all that crap.”

“Me either. I figured we’d be doing crafts or talking to therapists about our bad habits,” Carmella answered.

“This is a working farm,” Henry said. “You will be working at one chore or another every day you are here. You are not at a country club.”

“Daddy paid good money for me to come here rather than going to juvie. Believe me, I know how much it costs for us to be here. Daddy told me in a loud voice about a gazillion times. He even said if I get sent home that I have to get a job and pay every cent back to him. Y’all should treat us better than this. We should have counseling lessons in air-conditioned rooms and not have to work like we’re in prison.” Tiffany yawned.

“Honey, we don’t run a fancy spa. We teach responsibility and accountability through hard work and counseling. Ashlyn, since you know a little about horses, you can show these other two how to lead old Dynamite here out to the corral. It’s right through that door over there.”

“Why’s he called Dynamite?” Tiffany asked.

“Because he was a rodeo bronc before he was retired from that business,” Henry answered. “We’ve tamed him down and he’s not nearly as feisty as he was back in his prime. The paint is Thunder. He was runner-up in a lot of quarter horse races and used for stud services when he was young, but when he got old, he had to be put out to pasture. Demon is the roan over there. That old boy was a lady’s riding horse. When she died, her children didn’t want him, and he was on the way to the glue factory when we adopted him. The donkeys are Elvis and Sam, but they will be going back to the pasture this morning. I wanted y’all to meet them before we took them out of the barn. Since this will be your job a day or two each week, you’ll get to know all of the horses better.”

Ashlyn cautiously opened the stall door and frowned. “What do I lead him with?”

“All you have to do is snap the lead rope to his bridle.” Henry took the rope from a nail on the top rail and showed her how to get the job done. “Pay attention, girls, because I’m leaving, and I won’t be here when you do this next time around.” He handed the rope to Ashlyn, who tugged on it, but Dynamite didn’t budge.

“What am I doing wrong?” she asked.

“Make friends with him. He likes to be asked to leave his stall every morning, not just yanked around,” Henry answered. “Don’t you ever pet your horse or talk to him before or after you ride?”

“No . . .” She paused and then said, “No, sir.”

That’s what I did wrong with Gramps’s old mule, Molly, Jayden thought. I should have made friends with her instead of being scared out of my four-year-old mind.

“Well, you best learn. Dynamite likes a little love, and after you walk him, he’ll need to be brushed before he goes back in the stall. You other girls can get the lead ropes on your horses and get them all out in the pasture so they can have a little sunshine this morning. Be sure to take the ropes off before you come back inside to shovel out their stalls and put fresh straw down. Scoop shovels are over there by the wheelbarrows. Elijah needs me to bring him gas for the tractor, so y’all are on your own.”

Jayden found an old metal folding chair, popped it open, and sat down at the end of the stalls to keep an eye on the girls. Carmella squared her shoulders, opened a door, and picked up a lead rope.

“Ashlyn, please help me. I’m scared,” she admitted.

“Why would I help you? You made fun of me, remember?” Ashlyn stepped up close to Dynamite and rubbed his neck and then cautiously ran her hands over his back. “You’re a pretty boy, yes, you are. Did you buck a lot of cowboys off into the dirt? I wish you could tell me stories about your rodeos.”

Carmella took a deep breath and fastened the lead rope to Demon. Her hands shook as she reached out to touch the horse on the nose.

Tiffany lowered her head and stared at Thunder for a long time before she snapped the rope to his halter. “I’ll talk to you, but I’m not going to be your friend.”

“So, you’re going to let one of the girls in another cabin be his favorite friend?” Jayden asked her. “I wonder if any of them will be as scared as y’all are. When they talk about doing this job at mealtimes, are y’all going to let them get ahead of you? Do you think they’ll do a better job of cleaning the stalls?”

Ashlyn gave her the old stink eye. “Our team can outdo any of those other cabins in anything we do.”

“Talk is cheap,” Jayden said. “Prove it.”

Ashlyn didn’t even have to tug on the lead rope a second time. When she started forward, Dynamite followed her like a puppy. “Good boy,” she said. “We’ll show those other girls who you love. I’ll bring you apples or carrots if you’ll be my friend.”

Jayden bit back a smile. A little friendly competition was good for the soul. She looked over at Carmella to find her leading Demon out of the stall, and then Tiffany followed right behind her.

“We did it!” Ashlyn announced when they returned.