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“Did you see Buddy playing this morning?”
Eli snorted. “You and that cow. I should have named him Sarah just so I’d remember who he actually belongs to.”
A flush rose to Sarah’s cheeks. “I like him.”
“And he likes you.” Eli stretched her back, cocking her head to the side. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had a guest so taken to one particular cow—or horse for that matter.”
“Really?”
“Really really.” Eli gave her a hard stare. “Maybe I should keep him just for the simple fact that he made such an impact.”
“Oh, that’s right, you sell the boys.”
Eli shrugged. “It’s all part of the business.”
“Could you keep him local?”
Eli scrunched her nose as she pushed her plate toward the center of the counter. She hadn’t eaten more than half of it. Sarah was about to mention it when she snapped her jaw shut. Who was she to comment on that anyway? She was nothing to Eli except a guest, one she knew hardly anything about.
“No,” Eli answered. “That kind of defeats the purpose of the business.”
Sarah drew in a deep breath. “Could you keep him?”
“I’d have to see. He’s well bred, so he’d fetch a pretty sum at auction.”
“Yeah? How much?”
“Maybe four to five grand depending on how big he gets.”
“That’s a lot!” Sarah’s eyes widened.
Eli sighed. “Yeah, it can be.”
Reaching over, Sarah brushed her fingers over the back of Eli’s hand. She’d found herself doing that more and more lately, unable to resist since that morning. Eli looked so young, so vulnerable since everything had happened that morning but, at the same time, insanely strong. Eli moved her hand away and grabbed her plate. Sarah didn’t take offense to it, but she did miss the warmth.
Instead of heading downstairs after clearing her plate like Sarah had expected, Eli moved to the den and plopped onto the couch Sarah had woken her from hours before. Sarah sat next to Eli, their shoulders brushing, but this time Eli didn’t move.
“How many do you lose a year?”
“Just a couple between calves and cows.” Sighing, Eli tossed her head back onto the couch as she pulled at the braids she hadn’t fixed up from that morning even though she’d showered. She untwined the strands and ran her fingers through them. “Would you do something for me?”
“Anything.” Sarah nearly whispered, but it was true. If Eli asked her to anything in that moment, she would do it immediately.
“Play something.”
“What?”
“On the piano. I just…I need a few minutes to think. Please.”
“Sure.” Sarah’s stomach rolled with nerves. She grabbed the second piece of sheet music from the piano bench that she’d found, something she hadn’t played since she’d been there. As she sat, she didn’t dare glance over her shoulder, much as she wanted to.
The keys felt firm under her hands as she pressed them, following the notes on the page. It wasn’t the most perfect rendition, but it was enough for what had been requested. Sarah played for at least thirty minutes, moving from the sheet music in front of her to other pieces she had memorized, to whatever came to mind as her creativity got flowing.
When she finally stopped and twisted on her chair, she was struck by the sight of Eli, resting on the couch, her head tossed onto the back of it, her hair over her shoulders and covering her chest, her eyes closed gently, and the relaxed calm of her body. Sarah wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t even sure Eli was awake until Eli slowly slid her gaze to Sarah.
“Thank you. That was beautiful.”
Sarah’s lips parted in surprise, at a loss for words.
