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“Fine! It’s a boy. He works here, out in the stables.” She huffs, like how a teenager would when told to do something they didn’t want to.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I feel more like a big sister right now than a friend, goading her for information about boys. “Would you like to join me in the garden? I’m heading that way as we speak.” She looks up from her phone to me, in embarrassment.
“Sure. And, Eve, I’m sorry for crashing into you. I’m all messed up at the moment. My brain is short-circuiting right now. I don’t know what to do.”
“Boys will do that to you. How about we have a chat, see if I can help you clear your head a little. In return, I’ll tell you about who I met today, too.”
Josey’s eyes light up but not fully. I can see the pain she harbors from losing her family, and I bet right now would be one of those moments she’d talk to her older sister and ask for advice.
“I really love it here. I don’t ever want to leave. I wonder if Mr. Fort would have anything here for me to do for work. Maybe I could help with the animals in exchange for living arrangements?” Josey asks me rhetorically.
“I’ve never met Mr. Fort, so I wouldn’t know. My parents organized all of this for me, remember, so I wasn’t a burden to them. I’ve only ever met his manager. What does Mr. Fort do here?” I ask, curious about this man. The staff speak fondly of him and in high regard, but I never seem to see him around; until earlier today.
“He lives on the property, but in the big farmhouse you can probably see over… there.” She points through some tall bushes into the distance, and lo and behold, there sits a gorgeous farmhouse.
“Wow. That’s a beautiful house. I’d love to live in something like that one day.” I dream about high ceilings, an exposed wooden interior and open log-burning fires.
Snapping fingers click right in front of my nose causing my head to jolt back in fright.
“Lost you for a minute there.” Josey chortles. “Got you back though.” She winks. “Anyway, he doesn’t practice a lot anymore. When his parents passed the clinic down to him, he became lost in paperwork or with the rehabilitation animals. We see him every now and again, as he likes to keep up with what’s happening and who he has here.”
“I find it odd he’s never visited me.”
Josey laughs at that. “I wouldn’t worry.”
“How do you know all of this?” I ask her, intrigued.
“I’m nosey.” She shrugs. “I asked him one day. I think you’d like him. He has that hot, silver fox look going for him. Without the silver hair of course.” I try to hide my flushed cheeks behind a cough, while she’s beaming. The smile giving it away also makes me a tad suspicious. But I’ll let it go so we can get to the bottom of her ‘boy issues’.
“My turn. Who’s the boy?” I ask, forwardly. In return, I get a look of ‘I’m already in love with him’ while she does everything possible to hide her emotions.
“He does equine-assisted therapy. You’ll probably get to meet him soon. You’ll have an enhanced body awareness session coming up now that you have your cast off. Oh, I can come and watch you!” Watching Josey’s excitement is good for the soul, but I know what she’s up to.
“You only want to come and watch me as an excuse to see yourboyfriend,” I tease. “How long have you two known each other? This is the first time I’ve seen you all goo-goo eyes.”
“We met when I first arrived, but we’ve recently been messaging. He asked for my number.”
“Isn’t that breaking protocol? Patient employee something or other?” Concerned this will all end badly, I make sure to put in the advice I think she’s looking for.
“I’m not his patient and never will be. It’s no big deal.” I can sense her defenses coming out to play, which means she really is in emotion-city with this guy.
“Make sure to be careful, okay? You’ve been through so much, and I’d hate to see you hurt anymore.” I spare a moment to think about what she said leading up to when I start EA therapy. “If things are still on a good path for you two, I’ll let yousitinon my therapy.”
We both crack up laughing at my lame excuse of a pun. “Sit in, boy you really suck at this.”
Making an I’m sorry face, I add, “Iwheeliedo.”
She pulls a face at me that initiates the next round of fun banter between us.
“Remind me how old you are again?” I laugh, knowing full well she’s only nineteen. We have a good ten years between us, meaning all her ribbing about the bad puns I take at face value. She really is a bright young woman, and I know she’ll go far in the world if she’ll let herself.
She gives me the raised eyebrow, tilted lip and arms folded over her chest treatment in return.See,she still has the teenage attitude in spades.
“You never told me about the guy you met today. Spill, sister!” Honestly, if butter could melt, this girl would have it all.
“His name is Asher, he…” I’m rudely interrupted by a bout of snorting and loud laughter. “What’s so funny?” I ask, clueless to her outburst.
“You…”snort,“met…”large inhale,“Harvey’s wiener.” More uncontrolled and very overdramatic laughter comes from Josey.
