AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My dream was to event with Samson. And to have Jack’s yard.” I sighed. “Both of those are gone now.”
“For the time being,” Carl said. “But it’s not permanent. It’s not the end.”
“Harrison Gables, the internship, the yard… Samson… it’s all gone.”
They didn’t say a word.
What could they say?
They lowered me back into the chair and I was already tiring, but I didn’t want to leave.
“Can I have a minute?” I asked. “I just want to sit with Samson awhile.”
“Sure,” Carl said, and both of them ruffled my hair, gave me some space.
I spoke to my boy, told him how much I’d missed him, how happy I was he was safe. Told him I’d find him a new home, somewhere nice to recover at pasture, somewhere with other horses and people who could help me take good care of him.
I told him I loved him, how much I’d always loved him, how proud I was that he’d tried so hard for me on the course.
I blushed as I heard footsteps behind me, unable to turn in my seat far enough to see if it was Rick or Carl coming back for me.
“Hi, Katie,” a voice said, and my skin prickled, my heart thumping.
I held my breath as my sister stepped into my eyeline, ready for the big I am to come out and start gloating.
But she didn’t.
She didn’t do anything like that at all.
Verity launched right into an explanation of Samson’s current medical state. She told me how they were treating him, what painkillers he was on, and what the plan was for his improvement.
She leaned against his stable door as she spoke, and my furry boy nudged at her like she was someone he cared about, someone he knew.
My mind could hardly compute it.
She rubbed his ears, and smiled at him. “He’s a really good lad,” she said. “He’s so good natured, Katie, and he has such good manners.” She looked at me. “You’ve done so well with him. He’s a testament to a good handler.”
I shook my head. “He’s always been like that.”
She cleared her throat. “You were great out there, on the course. You were doing so well.”
The tears pricked. “No. I wasn’t. I was reckless.”
“Unlucky,” she said. “You were unlucky. That’s all.”
I shrugged, changing the subject. “I can’t believe he’s here, that you’re taking care of him. Thank you.” I met her eyes. “I know we’ve had our differences…”
She laughed. “Yeah, well, you could say that.”
I laughed a little, too. “A few differences.” I paused. “But thank you. He’s so important to me.”
She smiled, and it reached all the way to her eyes. “No problem.” She shifted from one foot to the other, and I was jealous, just wished I could be on my own two feet. “Katie, I just want to say. I need to say I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
She shook her head as though I was crazy. “For everything. I was just a kid… but I was…”
A mega bitch. A psycho from hell. A horrible little cow who ruined every chance I had of getting to know my father.
