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“Can I feed her?” Joelle asked.
“I’ve only got the one apple and I’m sure you don’t want to risk Star biting your hand. Why don’t you watch me this time?” Caleb chuckled. When Star finished all the pieces, Caleb stroked her long neck. “Good girl. You’re in a strange place and probably wondering why, aren’t you?”
“Why did someone give her to you?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe they thought we would make a good pair.” It was more than that, no matter how smart or advanced Joelle was for her age, she wouldn’t understand the meaning of the Legacy and the whys of someone who was chosen to receive such a precious gift. It would also require him to admit his grief to Joelle, something he would never do. She had more than enough to deal with losing her mother without him heaping onto the pile.
“So, are we going to keep her?” she asked.
He considered the options. “I don’t know. There’s so much going on and the timing doesn’t seem right.”
Joelle took a step closer. “But you always tell me to say thank you when I get a gift and to be g…gr…what’s that word?”
“Grateful.” Caleb shook his head. His daughter certainly had a way of bringing his words full circle.
“Pick me up so I can pet her, please,” his daughter pleaded, moving to stand next to him.
There was no sense fighting the inevitable. Better to teach her how to touch a horse and how to respect one, than to have her learn the wrong way. It would seem his daughter would have the same attraction to horses that her mother did. He picked Joelle up and settled her on his hip for support. “Let her smell your hand and move slowly so as not to startle her.”
“I thought she would be soft, but her hair is prickly.” Joelle giggled.
“Be extra gentle until she trusts you. You know the same way you like it when I rub your hair. It’s soothing.”
“I like that. Especially after I take out my ponytail. Do ponies wear ponytail bands in their long fur?”
Caleb held up a section of the long white hair for Joelle to feel the course texture. “That’s called a mane, and no, not normally. Only sometimes if someone shows them.”
Joelle scrunched up her nose as she reached out to touch the side of Star’s face. “Shows them what?”
“Like in a dog show…only for horses.” Caleb loved Joelle’s curiosity. It was a good sign she would always thirst for knowledge.
Joelle nodded. “Ohhh, like we see on TV.”
Star nuzzled Caleb’s shoulder, looking for him to pay some attention to her. He smiled and patted the mare, unable to resist. Caleb set Joelle on the ground. “Stay back while I get her fresh feed and water. Then we can run up to the house to meet Madison and I’ll come back to clean her stall and turn her out to pasture.”
“Can I come with you when you do?”
“We’ll see. That depends on Madison since she’s your nanny.” Joelle would slow things down and the idea was to make more time so that he could work on the ledgers today. The sound of a car door shutting alerted him Madison must have arrived. Early…a trait he always liked. “Madison’s here. Let’s go.”
“Yay. I like Miss Madison.”
Hand in hand, they rounded the front of the house, only to discover the visitor wasn’t Madison. “Uncle Bill, it’s great to see you. I’m guessing you have the ledgers?” he asked, more than ready to move to stage two of trying to find out where everything had gone off course.
“Sure do,” he said, holding up a stack of pages held together with a giant clasp. “I don’t think this is a case of anything more than the competition stealing away some of our clientele, but have at it.”
“Thanks. I just need to be more actively involved. If things are this bad, I may have to let Tommy go…and possibly even you if I expect to keep the place afloat.” He was hoping it wouldn’t come to that, but he would do everything in his power to save the store.
Uncle Bill frowned. “Surely it can’t be that bad. I mean, you’re making money every week.”
He didn’t want to get into this right here and now, not with Joelle listening. “Dwindling balances are a huge problem when it comes to paying bills.”
“Tommy makes the deposits every week, but I trust him. I know he’s acting a little edgy lately, but I think his home life is stressing him out. He takes care of his family, you know.” Bill shrugged as though perplexed by the whole situation.
“I had no idea. That’s a lot on his shoulders,” Caleb said, taking the sheath of papers from his uncle. Tommy had a motive for mischief, which was something to consider.
Madison pulled up to the front of the house and slid out of the car.
Caleb let go of Joelle’s hand and she ran to meet her nanny. “Miss Madison, you’re here. I missed you.” His daughter took Madison by the hand and led her toward them.
