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“No.”
“Well now, you are in for a treat. I’ve been riding for many years.” She held out her hand to him. “Come on and I’ll introduce you to the horses, Ritchie.”
Ritchie was usually shy around strangers, but to her surprise, he took Linda Winter’s hand.
“Linda will look out for him. You don’t have to worry,” Bas said. “She’s wonderful with kids. They follow her about the place when they’re here.”
As was evidenced by the children following her into a building.
“Do you ride, Autumn?” Mayor Gripper asked.
“No. It’s not something I’ve really had an opportunity to do.”
“We need to rectify that. Jack does private lessons too. I’m sure he’d be happy to help you out.”
“Oh, I don’t think I want—”
“Seize the day, Autumn.” He gently took her arm and started walking.
They left the heat of the sun and stepped into the cool of the stables. Autumn inhaled the scent of horses. Linda was standing with the children, who were all gathered around a small pony. Mayor Gripper moved to join them, but Autumn stood just inside the doorway, taking it all in.
It was a huge barn with a wide aisle down the center. Horses hung their heads over half doors.
A loud woof had her looking down. A shaggy dog sat there, tail swishing from side to side.
“She’s Ford’s latest acquisition.” Nash said the words from her right. He closed the distance between them with a slow, easy gait.
“What a sweet girl.” She dropped down to pet the dog.
“Ford’s car clipped her, so he brought her home, and nobody is fooled when he says he needs to find her a good home. She’s his now.”
Her heart did not just sigh.
“She is also nameless or called Dog. I’m leaning toward Fate, seeing as she’s ended up here with Ford.”
“Kismet,” Autumn said, looking into the soft brown eyes of the pup.
“Destiny, fate, that kind of thing?” Nash asked, and she nodded.
“I like it. I’ll tell Ford we’ve found a name.”
“Don’t do that,” Autumn said, getting back to her feet. “He should name her.”
“I’ll suggest it then. How about that?”
She nodded as a pony trotted up to them. It was tiny with ginger hair and a thick mane that looked like someone had taken scissors to it, because the fringe had a blunt cut.
“This is Monica,” he said as the pony butted him in the belly. “She’s bossy and pretty much controls the horses in here.”
“You’re not serious?”
“Deadly. She’s controlling and demanding, like a lot of women I know.”
“I’ve met Luna, and I’m telling her you said that.”
He smiled. “I’ll deny it.”
Autumn petted the pony and then the dog.
