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Grinny is more than my grandmother; she’s the reason I survived my childhood. When our parents died in a car accident, Grinny raised five grandkids while Granddad ran the Landmark Mountain Lodge and Ski Resort, and she never once made it seem like anything but her joy to do so, even during her own grief.
“Well, I’m glad I have you fooled.” She grins. “Call me. We can at least fit in one of our Happy Cow runs or something.”
“I will. Love you.”
“I love you,” she says, smiling at me one more time before heading to her car.
I walk the rest of the way to where Sofie’s five horses are grazing and am petting Lady when I hear a little voice behind me.
“Is it okay if I pet the horses too?”
I turn and see Dakota standing there. Her eyes wide and her smile bright enough to compete with the sun. She’s so stinking cute.
“It sure is, but it’s important that you always check first with an adult just like you did.”
She nods. “Sofie says I’m not ready to be with them by myself yet.”
I point to Sofie’s newest rescue. “Did she tell you to be careful around Fiona? We’re giving her a little time, so let’s not get too close to her. These guys though—they’re greedy for someone to pet them.”
“Yep. She said that. But I don’t know what’s the matter with Fiona,” she says as she steps next to me and pets Lady.
“She’s shy and afraid. We’re not sure what she went through before she came to live with Sofie.”
“What do you think she went through?” she asks, eyes widening again.
“I’m not sure. I think maybe her owner didn’t know how to take good care of her.”
“My daddy takes care of horses. He’s with them always,” she says. “Every day, every night…”
“He must love horses,” I say.
“Mama thought I was sleepin’, but I was sneakin’ to the kitchen for a cookie.” She looks at me, her face solemn, like she’s telling me a big secret. “I was ‘sposed to be in bed,” she whispers.
“Oh.” I nod, unsure of where this is going.
“She said, ‘You spend more time with those horses than you do your daughter.’ And he said, ‘Because horses don’t talk as much as you and Kota do.’” She looks up at me with those huge brown eyes and I melt. “Do I talk a lot, Dr. Wyatt?”
I’m too busy cursing her dad out in my mind to answer right away. I bend down and get at her eye level.
“You talk just the right amount,” I tell her.
She grins and surprises me by wrapping her arms around me in a huge hug. It’s over before it can even fully register because Lady snorts and Dakota rears back and stares at the horse and then me before laughing her little head off.
“I think she sprayed snot on me,” she says, wiping her arms.
Her nose crinkles, but she’s still laughing and now I am too.
“Yuck,” she says.
Lady does it again and I feel a little mist on my face.
“Yuck,” I agree.
She wipes her arms so hard that she falls down.
“Oh no, wait, hang on a second, you’re dangerously close to”—I try to stop her before it’s too late—“manure.”
Her hands land in a big pile of shit and she lets out a warbled moan and cry before she looks at me in horror.
