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“Who’s the knockout?” the deputy, Alex DuPont, asked.
“Mind your business,” Dave answered. “Drive.”
Back inside the house, Katrina happily cleaned up the kitchen, content in more ways than she could count, unaware that she was smiling.
At Bayou Cottage, Maggie and Justin were back in the barn, helping Dale and Spooky acclimate to their new digs. They’d use the old run-in shed when the horses were in the paddock.
“We might have to hire someone to help here,” Justin said. “Give it some thought.”
“Hiring someone means more breaches in our privacy. What do you think is too much for me to handle?”
“I didn’t mean it’s too much for you to handle, Maggie. We’ll have this big barn, and if I’m seeing clients here, I’ll need help. I’m sure these two elders are not the last horses we’re going to have.”
“I’ll take it under consideration,” Maggie said, grinning. She’d love having more horses. “Do you want to go for a ride? I saw Raven yesterday, and she’s huge.”
“Yeah, let’s check her out. It’s too early for her to deliver if my guess was right. I haven’t seen her in a while though.”
Maggie had seen Raven every day. It was her private pleasure, riding back in the verdant woods, the mossy, earthy smell rising from the wet trail, mingling with the clean smell of Dale and the saddle-soap smell of the leather saddle. Raven coming up to her to sniff her came next. She didn’t even wait for Maggie to dismount, as she had in the past, sensing that Dale, the gelding, was safe to approach.
The highlight of the day, aside from Justin’s homecoming, would be to get Dale saddled and going in back alone. She knew she was taking a risk not telling Justin, but he would worry about her needlessly. If she fell off the horse, she’d deal with his wrath then.
They worked side by side, saddling their horses, and Justin watched Maggie out of the corner of his eye, stretchy pants hugging her round little butt, a large melon belly under her tight T-shirt, breasts ballooning out of her bra, her slender arms in contrast. With a graceful movement, she got up into the saddle and steered Dale out of the yard.
“You don’t need me to help you get up anymore. I’m impressed,” he called after her.
She wondered if he’d figure out it was from months of riding without him, but he didn’t ask.
“It’s probably from working on the barn. I’m in better shape.”
“Oh, is that what it is?”
She caught his look and knew she wasn’t kidding him, but she would not delve into how he knew. It was unimportant. As long as he didn’t restrict her, it was okay; she’d accept his concern.
He followed her out around the back of the cottage, and when she arrived at the trail entrance to the forest, she lagged back. “I’ll follow you,” Maggie said.
Nodding, Justin didn’t mind Maggie being ahead but understood. Spooky sometimes had a mind of her own.
“Spooky might not like Raven,” Maggie said.
“That’s a good thought.”
But Raven saw them and walked out of the trees onto the trail, sniffing Spooky and skirting her to get to Maggie.
“Her udder is full,” Justin said, looking down. “When they’re distended like that during the day, it means foaling is imminent. Maybe tonight.”
“I have to tell Annie because she felt like they were due at the same time.”
Raven nuzzled Maggie as usual, Dale’s tail twitching. “She’s looking for alfalfa cubes. No luck this trip, girlfriend.”
Giving up, Raven walked around back of Dale and up into the trees. “I guess that’s it for today,” Justin said.
“I hope she comes back tonight if she’s going to have her baby. I’d like her close by.”
They kept moving along the trail.
“She’s hugging the fence,” Justin said, pointing through the trees. “That’s also a sign she’s in labor.”
Maggie’s heart rate increased, thinking of what Raven might be feeling. It made her a little woozy. With her hand on her belly, she smiled, glad her baby didn’t have legs as long as an adult like a foal did.
