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I startle at Dani's words, but Mari slips on the smooth surface of the rock and I wedge my body against hers to keep her upright.
Luckily, she seems to realize I'm here to help her and doesn't attempt to push back or kick out.
With Dani cooing at her and me using my body weight to help her, we manage to get her off the flat rock she'd gotten herself stuck on and back onto the soft forest floor.
I look around for a moment, getting my bearings. "Your place is the closest. Okay if we take her there?"
"Of course. We have a barn with two stalls. Honey's using it as her studio, but there's room for Mari there until we can find her owner."
Dani walks next to me as we lead Mari back through the woods to the trail. Obviously exhausted, Mari doesn't fight us, other than to stop periodically and refuse to go on until she's caught her breath.
"I doubt the owner will claim her," I say.
"You think the owner's the reason she's in this state? You don't think it's possible she's been wandering around the woods, lost for a while?"
"Without anyone spotting her? Seems unlikely. We can check with the vet to see if anyone's reported a missing cow, but I suspect the owner will avoid the legal hassle and fines of admitting he mistreated Mari."
"Hmm," she says, and we walk on in silence for a bit. I don't say anything, because I can hear her thinking.
Sure enough, she clears her throat a few moments later. "Do you think it'll be easy to find someone to take her in?"
"I don't know. She's in rough shape. Anyone who takes her on will probably have to invest in her care for a while. The vet can tell us for sure, and maybe they'll know of someone who'll take her in, but I'd guess she's most fitted for a sanctuary farm."
"Is that a euphemism for euthanizing her?"
I laugh at the horrified despair in her voice. "No. A sanctuary farm takes in farm animals who have been rescued from a hoarder or who are too ill or old to be valuable to a farmer."
"Is there one of those around here?"
"Nearest one is over a hundred miles away. Wouldn't hurt to call them and see if they'll take her once we find out if Mari has an owner who wants her back."
"Hmmm," she says again, but excitement vibrates off of her.
"Running a sanctuary farm is a huge endeavor, Dani. You'll need to find funding and you'll have to have facilities to house multiple animals. It's not something anyone does to get rich."
She glances over her shoulder at me, face carefully neutral. "Who said that's what I'm thinking?"
"Just a lucky guess." That's what it has to be. I don't know this woman. This bone deep certainty I have that I know exactly what she's thinking can't be real.
Her expression turns smug. "It's because we're soul mates."
"We aren't soul mates."
"Yes, we are," she sing songs. "And you know it."
"We're the opposite of soul mates. Mortal enemies or whatever the opposite of a soul is. Hell mates?"
She snorts. "Hell mates. What the—?"
She stops, eyes going wide, as Bigfoot races across the trail in front of us.
I stand there and watch as my quarry darts around us and runs up the trail in the opposite direction we're headed.
"Was that…?"
"Someone dressed up as Bigfoot? Yes. I was out here looking for him when your sister called and asked me to look for you."
"My sister…" She looks dazed, but recovers quickly and reaches for the rope I'm using to lead Mari down the trail. "I'll take her. You should chase Bigfoot."
