Page 47 of Falling Together

“I won’t make you.” I walk inside and nod to the desk chair. “Can I sit?”

“Whatever.” He rolls his eyes.

I know they only moved here a couple of weeks ago, but this room is about as bland as it could be. There’s nothing on the walls with only a few books on a shelf and that’s it. I know Grant said Luke was having trouble with the move, but it’s pretty obvious he’s not handling it well.

“I’m sorry all of this is happening,” I say. “We didn’t want to spring this on you, but there’s no easy way to tell someone that you’re having a baby.”

Luke turns his head to look at me, but doesn’t say anything.

I continue, “I know it’s hard. You don’t know me, and your dad and I don’t really know each other all that well, but I think if you give it some time, you might like me if you get to know me. Pinecrest, too.”

“This place is as big as my school back home,” he says.

I laugh. “Trust me, I know. Pinecrest is small, but it’s a good town. Have you explored any since you got here?”

“No.”

“I know you’ve been to the ranch,” I say. “Did you like it out there?”

“It was fine.”

“I work in the barn there with horses. I’m a hippotherapist.”

“A what?” He snorts.

“Hippotherapist. I work with children who need therapy and we do it with horses. It’s mostly with foster kids now.”

“But why’s it called hippotherapy? Why not just a horse therapist?”

“Hippo is the Greek word for horse,” I tell him.

“Not the first time someone’s asked you that then,” he grumbles.

“No.”

I smile, even though he’s not looking at me. At least we’re getting somewhere.

“How’d you get into it?” He’s still looking at the ceiling.

“I worked at the ranch in high school and loved the horses. I knew it’s what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

I don’t need to get into the harder details of my childhood and teen years in Pinecrest. He already has enough on his plate to deal with. He doesn’t need me trauma dumping my past.

“That’s cool.”

“I love it. I do a lot of therapy with kids who need help expressing their emotions.”

That gets me a side-eye. “Is that why my dad told you to come down here?”

“Nope. I wanted to check on you, but if you’re interested, you can come out to the barn and go riding sometime. I’m always out there.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He’s not looking at me, but that’s okay. I’ve piqued his interest enough that he may actually agree to this. “Your dad will have to bring you out, but I have a feeling you might like it.”

“Okay.”

I stand to go. “Think about it. I’m free on Monday and I know there’s no practice for the Loggers.”