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“Help! I can’t escape!” she says in jest.
I then jump to her aid, “Hey! Everyone, gather around for a picture!”
The only thing better than interviews are pictures, so the folks around Martha let her go and assemble against a clean wall.
I help them a little and start to take pictures until they forget about my reporter friend and start spread out and get back to work again.
“Oof! Thanks!” Martha says, wiping the sweat off her brow. “People do love being the center of attention!”
I nod, but then approach her to give her the recent news, “Bella is here. She talked to me.”
“Oh, tell me everything!” she grabs me by the arm and drags me to a corner.
And I think I’ve found a new friend.
Chapter Twenty-Two
ALEX
It’stheWinslows’secondweekend out of their home, and I decided to take them to my favorite place in town: the country club.
I brought Mrs. Winslow, Jason, and Keisha, as well as Harlan and Liv.
“Why didn’t you invite Bella?” Liv asks, waiting as I prepare Destiny for her myself. Meanwhile, Rob prepares the ponies for the kids.
“Um, I don’t want every step of the Winslows’ life documented for the company’s website,” I say, sounding grumpy.
“Is thatreallythe reason, Alex?” Liv asks with a crooked look.
I huff, feeling a complete lack of patience for the subject. “I don’t want Bella to ruin our day, Liv. What she’s doing to you is wrong, and I don’t want my son exposed to it, especially because she was talking about you and calling you a gold digger to Harlan.”
She comes to me, sadly smiling, and kisses me on the cheek.
“Last weekend at the apartment, she talked to me,” she says, light and airy. “I think she may be softening to the idea of us. And she misses Harlan very much.”
I finish saddling Destiny and move to Wildfire, which is the horse I’ll be riding. Confident that the straps are snug, and the stirrups are adjusted, I consider what Liv said about my sister.
“That’s a good thing,” I say sincerely, even managing a smile. “Perhaps I should give her a call.”
I see Liv caressing Destiny’s mane, lost in the beauty of the animal. Still, she replies to me with full attention. “Do that. No matter how special what we have is, I don’t want it to break a family apart, Alex.”
“You’re right…” I say, and then shift my attention to the outside of the bay.
“Mr. Winters! This boy wants me to ride a horse too!” Mrs. Winslow shouts, baffled.
“Why not, Mrs. Winslow?” I give Wildfire the finishing touches. “It’s fun!”
“Oh, no!” She stands in front of Destiny and Wildfire’s bay. “I don’t take my feet off the ground like that.”
“There’s always a first time for everything! We’ll put a helmet on you just like we do for Liv and the kids,” I say, walking to face Liv.
“Oh, no. No, no, no. These things are too tall for me, but I’ll watch the kids do it!”
I chuckle, and briefly introduce Liv to Mrs. Winslow. They wave at each other and then Liv eagerly waits for me to help her onto the horse. Mrs. Winslow soon gets distracted by her grandchildren, who are with Harlan and Rob and are calling on the other side, and I return my focus to Liv.
“Okay, what’s your dominant leg?” I ask her, taking Destiny’s bridle.
“Um…” Liv looks down and feels her legs, even kicks a little. “The right one, I guess.”
