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Morning Dove turned to Betsey. They had not been instant friends. Aaron’s love had not trusted the friendship she and Aaron had formed over the winter they traveled together as only that—a friendship—so it had taken time to gain her trust. Now, these two people who took her in and gave her a home were the only ones in the world who cared about her.
At least, that was what she had thought.
The mare nickered. Morning Dove turned back to her, brushing her fingers over the ribbon braided into her mane. She was lovely and as much as she wanted her…
She shook her head. “Why would Ben…”
Aaron snorted. “Who knows why Ben does anything he does. If you two talked about this mare, chances are she’s here because he wanted you to have her.”
The idea Ben bought her a horse was ridiculous. Was it not? Why would he do such a thing?
Every single encounter they had shared since she arrived in Willow Creek played out in her mind’s eye. He had said little in the weeks after they first met. Granted, she shied away from him. Her attraction upon meeting him left her dumbstruck and she feared someone would know by nothing more than the look on her face. Anytime their eyes met, she had blushed, thinking he knew she had been staring at him so avoiding him made it easier.
Once Aaron and Betsey married, she saw Ben more often and occasionally, his words were flattering and made her wonder if he was attracted to her as well, but she dismissed the notion. She had refused to believe his words meant anything. Her lonely heart had deceived her, telling her the smiles he gave her meant more than they did but… had they?
The mare was as lovely as she remembered and as much as she wanted her…. “I can not accept her.”
“Oh, yes you can.” Betsey stepped inside the stall. “I don’t know why Ben bought you a horse, but he wouldn't have done it if he hadn’t wanted you to have her so, accept it. Besides, I’d much rather him spend his money on a horse than on gut-rot whiskey and saloon whores.”
Her heart pinched. Saloon whores? Is that what Ben spent his money on?
Imagining him with those women she had seen on the second-story balcony of the saloon caused the elation she felt moments ago to die an agonizing death. All those soft feelings she had for him seemed to crush inside her chest and make it ache. How many times have you seen him stumble out of the saloon? She sighed. Too many to count. He would not turn to them if he had feelings for her. Would he?
Aaron looked the horse over, nodding his head before heading out of the stall. “She’s a good horse. Holden breeds the finest there are.”
Ben said the same thing.
Morning Dove pushed thoughts of Ben and those saloon women away. Dwelling on it would do nothing but make her heart hurt, so she pushed it from her mind and turned her attention back to the mare. If what Betsey and Aaron said was true and Ben had bought the horse for her, the real question was why would he do it? A horse was an expensive purchase. And if Holden Avery’s horses were as valuable as Aaron and Ben claimed they were, she imagined the mare was not cheap. So why?
She could count on one hand the number of gifts she had ever received, and never had she received one as fine as this. Betsey and Aaron gave her small things at Christmas, but they were nothing compared to this. This was—too much.
Betsey and Aaron left her alone in the barn, heading back to the house before Samuel woke. Morning Dove stayed with the mare a few more minutes before leaving her to take care of the other chores around the farm. It was some time after their noon meal, and well after Betsey had put Samuel down for his nap, that she ventured back into the barn.
The mare whinnied and stomped her foot when she opened the stall door. “You are not used to being caged all day, are you, girl? Would you like to go for a run?” Morning Dove saddled her, taking her time to make sure the straps were secure, and led her outside.
Aaron rounded the house and paused when he saw her, then grinned and headed her way. “Leaving?”
“Yes.” She lifted her foot to the stirrup and hoisted herself up into the saddle. “I will not be long.”
He waved her off. “You’re free to come and go as you please, Morning Dove.”
She nodded and clicked her tongue, tugging the reins so the horse would turn. The road leading toward town cut a clean path you could see for miles. Morning Dove prodded the horse to go faster, not slowing her when she took off into a run.
The mare ran half the valley. Morning Dove could not remember the last time she had felt so—free. Compared to her life in Silver Falls, living in Willow Creek was a dream come true, if you ignored those who hated her on sight for things she had no control over. Since arriving, she had stayed with Aaron or his family and other than taking Betsey’s old horse on an occasional trip into town, she rarely ventured anywhere alone.
Now she could.
The sun was sinking behind the mountains when Morning Dove realized where she was. The fork in the road led toward the Avery ranch—and to Ben’s house. It only took a moment of thought before she clicked her tongue to get the mare moving again.
Ben’s house sat alone on a wide stretch of land Betsey said was owned by the Avery’s. Their drunken father had lost it in a card game to one of the Avery brothers when they were too young to know what he had done, but the Avery’s had allowed them to stay instead of kicking them off the property. According to Betsey, Ben had worked for Holden Avery since he was old enough to do so and only took half the pay, the other half going to buy the house back, which he did, but the land surrounding the house still belonged to the Avery’s.
She heard metal hitting metal when she rode into the yard. It was coming from behind the house.
Jumping to the ground, she followed the sound, leading the horse around back and looked to the small barn behind it. It did not take but a moment to spot Ben. He was banging on something, but stopped when he saw her.
A smile lit his face when he turned, more so when he looked over at the mare. He grabbed a cloth sitting on a small table just inside the barn and wiped his hands before coming outside.
“If you’re here to bring her back, don’t bother.”
