“If you need a full hazmat suit to deal with them, it’s not adorable.”
Scarlett tries to quell her laughter, shaking her head. “Oh, no, it’s very manly.”
“I know it’s not a gendered activity and I don’t need to feel manly. It’s also not adorable.”
We walk in silence for a few minutes. Sadie calls back that we’re going to Salvatore’s for dinner. Salvatore’s would probably have a line out the front door because it gets busy quickly and I tell them to use the back door. I know the owner and the Hayes family are always welcome, no matter how busy the restaurant gets.
“You really do have connections with everyone,” Scarlett says.
“My family founded Silverpine,” I explain. “Whenever anyone was struggling with anything, my grandfather was the first one to help them, sometimes to his own detriment. They see me as a part of them, something I can’t ever get rid of. Feels like a horror movie sometimes.”
“I’m really sorry about your grandfather,” Scarlett says quietly.
I look at her. “Someday, when you’re ready, I’ll tell you why I left.”
Scarlett’s expression betrays nothing of what she’s feeling. All she says is, “Maybe someday.”
It’s not a promise or a commitment, but it’s still more than we’ve had so far. Her face makes it clear that I can’t ask for more right now.
FOURTEEN
CONNOR
I wake up earlier than usual and take Midnight for a ride. I try to exercise each horse every day unless it’s too cold, but I didn’t have a good night’s sleep and I’m feeling too jittery. I trust Midnight and he trusts me. I can ride him blindfolded.
The wind chases us, but Midnight is faster. I have to be careful though because it’s still dark out and there’s always a risk of hitting ice. I don’t stay out too long, and I don’t push Midnight too hard.
Once he is back in the stable and I’ve removed the saddle and given him a rub down, I make my way back to the house. After a quick shower, I fill two thermoses, one with hot chocolate and the other with coffee and take them out to the car.
This isn’t part of my duty. Scarlett hasn’t asked me to do this, and no one is going to see us so early in the morning. But she’s stubborn and she still wants to run, even though it’s dark, cold, and icy. I’ve been following her on her runs and I’m sure she’s caught me more than once.
I pull up to the Honeysuckle just as Scarlett and her father step out. Scarlett is dressed in all black, a knit cap over her head. She laughs at something her father says, and when her eyes meet mine, she freezes.
“Connor? What are you doing here? Are you here to see Marion?”
“I’m here for you. I figured if you’re going to go running in the morning, you need to have someone with you.”
Her mouth opens and closes. “You’re going running with me?”
“If you want me to.”
“She really prefers to run alone,” Patrick says.
“I’m just trying to make sure she’s safe,” I say.
“That’s what I’m there for,” her father replies.
I guess I really am Public Enemy number one. I don’t blame any of them for being angry or upset. It must be the way that I’ve been raised, in a town that’s always praised my family, that I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around their stubbornness to even listen.
“Maybe he can drive along with you,” Scarlett suggests to her father. There’s a malicious gleam in her eyes that tells me she’s not doing this as a favor for me. She expects her father to give me a hard time and that’s the only reason she’s asking for this.
He agrees, and I transfer the thermoses from my truck to his car. We watch in silence as Scarlett warms up for her run. I get in the car with her father when she starts a slow jog down the street.
“Just so you know, your approval rating is in the mid-twenties,” Patrick says.
I turn to him. “I was expecting it to be lower than that, so I’m grateful. Who voted for me?”
He looks at me from the corner of his eyes. They’re the same icy blue as Scarlett’s and just like his daughter, I see his emotions hidden behind them. “Kate is on the fence. But the rest of us are quite sure you’re bad news. Because of you, one of my daughters is heartbroken and the other one’s wedding is being ruined.”
