AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He takes another step towards me. “You have to let me apologize. Let me explain.”
I take a step back. “I don’t have to do anything.”
“Lily! How’s my girl?”
I’m saved from the awkwardness of this conversation when Mr. Waters walks around the side of the house, holding his arms out to me. He’s wearing blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a plaid button down. This man has been the closest thing I’ve had to a father since my dad passed when I was twelve.
When he reaches me, he pulls me into a giant dad hug that almost takes the edge off of how pissed I am at his son. Almost.
“Hey, Mr. W.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Dad?”
Shrugging, I smile up at him. “I guess a few more?”
“Hell, I’d even settle for Jerry.”
“Calling you Jerry would be weird. I’ve been calling you Mr. Waters ever since I could talk. And that’s just what it’s going to be.”
“What’s this you brought for me?”
“It’s a snake plant.” Did Jameson inspire tonight’s plant? Maybe. Yes.
“Ah, interesting.”
“They’re almost impossible to kill. I thought you could handle it.” Despite farming for a living, Mr. Waters and his sons aren’t exactly great at keeping house plants alive or small-scale agriculture of any kind, really. That’s why I look after Mrs. Waters’ vegetable garden. “Do I have time to go see Violet before dinner?”
“Of course. Jameson said dinner would be ready at seven.”
“Jameson cooked?” I don’t let myself look at him, even though I know he’s watching me. I can feel his eyes on my back.
“Yup. He said he wanted to.” Mr. W. nods and smiles back at Jameson.
“So, what are we having for dinner? Hotdogs and tater tots? Dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and fries? Alphaghetti?”
Mr. Waters walks over and claps Jameson on the back, laughing. “You know as well as I do that he’s a pretty good cook. Takes after his mom like that. And if anything goes wrong, you and I can sneak out and get pizza in town.”
“I think the plan should have started with us ditching the boys and getting pizza in town, Mr. W.”
“You’re not wrong. Go on and see Violet, and come in when you’re ready, sweetheart.”
Even forcing myself to take deep breaths, I still stomp my feet the whole way down to the barn. I need to calm the hell down. Violet is a sensitive soul. It’s like she can read my mind. If I’m upset, she’ll be upset.
She’s not the biggest horse or the most elegant. But she’s all mine. I used to volunteer at the Western Springs animal shelter when I was in high school. And one day, they got a call about Violet. She’d been left in a field all by herself. She was so skinny. I could see every single rib. She had cuts and scrapes all over. And she was terrified of men.
But she wasn’t terrified of me. I walked her right home to Grams’ house, figuring she could just graze in the front yard and the white picket fence would keep her in. Apparently, you’re not allowed to have horses on residential lots within city limits, or so we were told. Total bullshit if you’d asked me then, or if you asked me now. When Mrs. Waters said I could keep Violet out at the farm, I cried happy tears for a week. It was only about a year after my dad passed, and I think she didn’t want me to have to lose anything else.
Ever since then, I’ve been coming out to the farm nearly every day to take care of my girl. It turned out that she wasn’t afraid of Jacks and his brothers, either. They were still just kids then. But she wouldn’t let Mr. W get anywhere near her for years. So, the boys and I have always taken care of Violet ourselves.
The boys do the morning feed, but I come every afternoon to brush her and do her evening feed. Sometimes I’ll come on the weekends and do the morning feed, too. There’s a whiteboard next to her stall to keep track of who’s fed her what and when, or else she’d probably get seven meals a day, and would be thrilled about it. My girl likes to eat. Also, just like her mama.
“Hello, my best girl,” I say, as soon as I can see her perfect brown-and-white nose peeking out of her stall.
There is nothing like a horse to calm you down and make you focus on the big stuff.
“Your mom has big news! And no, it’s not what you’re thinking. That other thing was a huge mistake and will not be happening again. Yes, I know it was two mistakes, Violet. Okay, three. I’m aware of that. Don’t look at me like that, baby girl. It was a mistake! The actual big news is that your mom’s going to open a shop. A real live shop where I can sell flowers and body products! Ooh, that’s a good idea, Violet. Maybe I should sell that fly spray I make for you to keep the flies away from you in the summer? And the special conditioner I use on your tail. It gives you the prettiest, shiniest tail in the whole province, doesn’t it? Probably in the whole country.”
After running my hands up and down the sides of her face, I press my forehead against her long, spotted nose. “I love you, girlie. Looks like you’ve already been brushed. But who can say no to a little extra brushing? Not us!”
