Page 1 of Seeing Harper

Chapter 1

“They chased that horse for about thirty minutes, and he refused to be caught. While they were at their truck trying to regroup and make a new plan, I walked right up to him and after a few minutes of pets and scratches and kisses, he lowered his head so I could reach his halter and I led him right to them.”

“The horse whisperer,” Clay said.

Harper glanced his way with a smile before focusing on the road again. “After that, they offered me a position working after school helping out at the center. They board horses, and offer lessons and training. Of course, my father said I didn’t have time, but my mother said it would be good for me and give me a chance to be around the horses, too. So they compromised. I went twice a week, on the condition that I had all my homework completed and my chores done. I mucked stalls, I bathed horses, I cleaned tack, but when it was all done I got to do my favorite thing.”

“Which was?” Clay asked.

“Love on the horses. I’d talk to them and hug them and brush them. Just let them know how special they were and that I loved them.”

“I can imagine eight-year-old you hugging the horses and thinking it was the greatest thing in the world.”

“It was. It still is. When they lower their heads and nuzzle you, and you know they know they’re safe with you. It’s the greatest thing to feel the trust they give you. It’s almost as good as the pure joy they experience when you open their stalls and take their halters off of them and let them go run free in the pastures. Every aspect of their lives is controlled, so that bit of freedom means everything to them. If I had my own, I’d give them as much freedom as I possibly could.”

He didn’t say anything so she glanced his way to see if he was listening.

He was.

He was watching her, a soft smile on his lips, his eyes zeroed in on her. “I’ve never seen you like this,” he finally said.

“Like what?”

“Passionate. Your heart completely wrapped around something that means the world to you and opening up enough to let the world know what you think about it.”

“No, I don’t guess you would have heard me talk about it before. My parents always have something negative to say about it so I learned to keep it to myself.”

“Why do they have a problem with you loving to work with horses?”

“It’s not that I love working with horses, it’s that I’d rather be there than helping out on the tree farm.”

“I don’t get it. Don’t they want you to be happy? You want to work with horses, don’t you?”

Harper sighed dreamily. “I’d love nothing more. But I just don’t see it happening. I’m an only child. My dad’s tree farm was established by his father and handed down to him and Scotty as the family business. While he was away in the military my mom and Scotty helped keep it alive as much as they could. When Alpha Riley and your dad moved here, the farm was still struggling. They even came out and helped whenever it was needed.”

“We still do around the holidays,” Clay said.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be a part of my family legacy, I do. But I don’t want to have to raise Christmas trees and plant pumpkins and strawberries and blueberries to attract the customers year round. It was my grandfather’s dream, and my father’s, but it’s not mine. I want to work with horses. Will I still help out around the farm? Of course, I will! But I don’t want it to be my only focus. My parents just don’t get it. They think I should be grateful for the opportunity to take over a family business and throw myself wholeheartedly into it.”

“I never knew you felt that way. I just always assumed you would take over for your dad when the time came.”

“Everybody does. Summer thinks I’m crazy for not being happy they have everything planned out for me. And maybe she’s right. Maybe I should be, but I’m not. Everybody gets to go do whatever it is that catches their heart. I’m expected to stay home and keep growing trees.”

“Have you tried talking to them?”

“I have. My dad just gets angry and starts talking about legacy, responsibility and family. And it hurts him that I don’t want to take over from him. I feel bad that I’m hurting him so I always end up caving and just walking away.”

“Is there a way to have both things?”

“If there is, I haven’t figured it out. So, I do what I have to at home and around the farm, then spend every free minute I get at the center doing what I love.”

“Is Scotty interested in taking over the farm?” Clay asked.

“He’s working with Riley, but he does what I do. He comes around when extra help is needed. He’s always here for the holiday seasons when the customers come around. Technically it does belong to the whole family, but my father made a life out of it. His lifeblood is in that place and he wants to see it live on.”

“Maybe one of Scotty’s sons?” Clay suggested.

Harper laughed. “Can you imagine the three of them managing to get anything done? All they do is fight and try to outdo each other.”