As a bullied pre-teen with stunted social skills and cystic acne, acceptance was scarce. The horse I got to ride and care for warmed up to me in a heartbeat. He’d nudge me for head pats, thrilled to see me every day I showed up.
For the first time in my life, I considered that maybe I could be interesting and worthy of companionship. Maybe I had something to offer. I didn’t feel useless around horses. My shame, appearance, and quiet meant nothing to them. So, while I was in their presence, those things meant nothing to me. And damn, what a relief that’d been.
Rae spoke to Kat with clear respect, but also with as much confidence as she had when addressing that crowd on stage. Kat nudged her nose into Rae’s palm, sniffing for hints of subterfuge. When she couldn’tfind any, she bowed her head, desperate for the attention she craved. Rae’s laugh was beautifully airy, claiming the oxygen in my lungs. My gaze didn’t know where to land, frantically trying to take in the mesmerizing curve of her smile, the delicate tilt of her head, and the way she popped her heel up when she was amused with Kat sniffing her hair.
“They’re precious,” Rae said. “Are they related?”
I went to Rae’s side and offered her a carrot. As she gave it to an excited Kat, I rested my elbow against the stall door, watching Rae laugh as Kat tugged the snack from her hand.
“Not by blood,” I said. “But they don’t enjoy being apart. Kat refused to eat when Frog had to stay at an animal hospital overnight after surgery. And Frog gets moody any time Kat runs a bit too far away from him when we let them out for exercise.”
“The co-dependent babies,” she teased, rubbing circles on Kat’s forehead. “How long have you had them?”
“Six months. A retired rancher put them up for sale the same day I came down to sign the deed for Elmwood. I went to see them just for curiosity’s sake. I wanted to…dream. Fantasize about the life I could build here. But as soon as I saw them, I wanted to make it all real.”
I paused for a second to clear my throat. Emotion was a sneaky thing I often struggled to get a handle on.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to afford a ranch and horses so early on,” I continued, concentrating hard to make sure my words came out steady. “But it all fell into place almost as if it was…Well, I guess you could say that was the last bit of my luck.”
Rae smiled, nudging her chin toward me. “I like that.”
I frowned, shifting my weight, now conscious of every muscle in my body. “What?”
“The look in your eyes when you talk about them andthis place,” she said. “You look like a proud mother. Someone who wants to be good and brave for them. It takes at least five years off your face.”
I tried not to laugh, but it spilled out of me in a steady wave. “Are you serious?”
“I didn’t mean anything negative by it.” Rae’s eyes danced. “I actually have a thing for older women.”
My stomach flipped. “I’m only two years older than you.”
“The glaring added at least five,” she reminded me. “Regardless, I think you’re beautiful in how you care for them. In how you want to build something for others.”
I swallowed. “Well, they’ve done so much for me, the least I could do for them is provide a stable home and share that with others.”
“Ha,” Rae chuckled. “I get it. Stable.”
I frowned.
“That’s not what you meant.” Her smile faded. “Right, well.”
Rae studied me for a second longer before giving Kat a couple more pets and reaching for her EMF. I winced at the sight of it.
“Sorry,” Rae said. “But I have to check her and the rest of the stable.”
I waited in silence for the EMF to rip apart my sanity. But as soon as Rae turned it on, there wasn’t even the slightest click. No sign of the headache-inducing power it’d exhibited earlier.
“What’s it supposed to be testing?” I asked when Rae’s brow furrowed.
“Activity,” she said in a low voice, her attention far from me. She moved away from Kat, holding the EMF next toFrog. He kept his back turned, munching on hay as if we weren’t even there.
“Activity?” Such a thin, vague explanation. If we were going to do this song and dance, I was going to make her work for every penny.
“Paranormal activity.” She continued walking around the stable, adjusting the EMF’s height every so often.
“You don’t say,” I said sarcastically.
“You said you sleepwalked to the stable?” Rae asked.
