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“Ha!” She sat on the couch and covered up with an afghan.
“Do you want coffee?”
“I should try some. It might help my headache. I had caffeine withdrawal on top of getting my head whacked.”
“I’ll get you a cup. Miss Spencer sent over pastries yesterday, too.”
“Am I allowed to cook? I want eggs and toast and some kind of smoky meat fried until it’s almost burnt.”
“Ha! You can have that, but I’ll cook. You can chill out a little longer.” He walked into the living room with her coffee. “When you’re done with this, think about getting dressed. I feel like taking a walk, and it will be good for you to get out a bit. We can see the horses. I know they’re still around because Bubba said they’ve had more manure than usual, probably because it was so quiet and dark around here at night. Except for the tree, of course.”
“The solar panel really keeps that thing lit up. I can still see it shining.” She took the coffee from him. “I’ll get dressed, then. I’m not sure about walking the whole perimeter though. Maybe just back to the rescue site.”
“Oh! That’s a great idea,” he said, nodding his head.
“I’m dreading it in a way. Having to see that nothing’s been done for weeks will bring everything back.”
“I’m so sorry,” he replied, bending over to kiss her head. “That’s not my intention at all. I’m hoping you’ll be inspired again.”
“I am inspired. I need to get a home ready for Johanna and her pups.”
“They are getting so big; you won’t recognize them. They are almost ready to be weaned.”
“Aw, I’m definitely taking one of them.”
“Great idea. I’m going to go cook.”
Maggie sipped her coffee, watching Brulee and the fire. So many thoughts swirled through her head. The accident had removed the urgency that she felt for everything except the rescue. Hearing Justin banging around the kitchen, he’d proved his loyalty a thousandfold, and she’d give him the benefit of the doubt for any and all issues from here forward, including getting angry about her climbing a ladder.
When they’d pulled in to the yard on Christmas Eve and she saw the lit tree, she knew he was struggling with the fact that she’d climbed that tall ladder to place the star.
“Justin?”
He poked his head in the living room.
“I’m sorry I worried you by getting on the ladder. I won’t do it again unless someone is here.”
“Okay,” he said, grinning, and returned to the stove.
She finished her coffee and ran up the stairs. The sound of the light, quick step brought a smile to Justin’s face. After getting bashed pretty good, she was on the road to recovery. The doctors said she was doing great except for what they said was a grade 3 concussion, the most serious because she lost consciousness.
Ten minutes later she came down ready for breakfast and their hike. They ate at the dining room table, which was at the back of the house. “Look! Horses.” The horses grazed, steam coming from their nostrils, and their tails sweeping their hindquarters to rid their bodies of insects.
“Breakfast is delicious. Thank you so much. And I love this view. I didn’t think we’d use this table much because I like the view of the water. But this is nice and pastoral.”
“You about done?”
“Done. Let’s take the dog.”
“Of course. She needs her routine back, too.”
“And some exercise, right, Brulee?” Maggie asked. The dog’s ears popped up. “She’s ready for a w-a-l-k.”
Spelling the word prevented the dog from going nuts, and it wasn’t until she saw Maggie reach for her leash that Brulee jumped up from her bed by the fire and stood at the door, tail wagging.
Taking her time once she stepped out of the cottage, Maggie just wanted to take it all in. The Charlie Brown tree on the porch still looked good since it had been up since Thanksgiving. But it needed to come down tomorrow.
The dock looked empty without the skiff. “Let’s talk about my boat. Where is it?”
