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"Thank you very much," she said.
"Take care of yourself now," her mother said, and Lee nodded again.
"Thank you," she said, and the call ended. She looked at Hayden whose head was bowed and though he had slept off on his feet then he looked at her and stretched out his hand. She gave him the phone and he nodded then turned to leave. He stopped at the door then turned back to look at her.
"I'm uh…I'm sorry I hit you earlier. I thought you were with him and I was furious so…I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry," he said. Even his voice sounded different. She was still angry at him and a part of her refused the apology.
"So, you thought I was with him and you took advantage of that opportunity to slap a woman around? What? Makes you feel strong? Why didn't you ride after him, then, and try to grab hisreins and slap him around?" I asked. His face tightened but that anger didn't return to his face. He just shook his head.
"I take back my apology," he said and walked away. I watched him leave and suddenly, I felt weak and tired, utterly exhausted and famished.
As if on cue, Lily walked in with a small tray with rice, chicken sauce and pork ribs. She placed it on the table with a nod to me and left. I wolfed it down in what felt like seconds, and it didn't take long for her to return again then she looked at the plate.
"You must have been through a tough time, haven't you?" She asked and I nodded.
"I'm fine," I said, wondering why I even chose to answer. It didn't seem like she was looking for an answer.
"You're safe. My husband and son…they might not be the most gentle people and this is…this situation is a rather unpleasant and personal one for them. They will not harm you and they will treat you with respect. You are safe in their care," she said.
"Care is not exactly the way I would describe what they did to me when we first met," Lee replied. Lily winced a little then she nodded.
"I can imagine how that must have gone but then again, that horse means a lot to them, and they thought you were aiding the man who stole it. Austin…he was like a member of this family. The betrayal is a deep one so there is a tendency for them to be more than a little rash," she said. Lee stared at her for a long while and, not knowing what else to say, Lee nodded and Lily smiled at me then turned and walked away, carrying the tray.
Lee sat by the window and listened to the noises of the night, wondering where Austin might be now. Was he still out in the woods or had he found a roof over himself. She realized that she missed the man's easy manner and the weight of his presence. She thought about Kenneth and pushed him away from her mind but that wasn't exactly the easiest of things to do and she ended up wishing that he was here, that his flowery scent filled this room and that he could comfort her. She shut her eyes and exhaled slowly. Maybe they would find Austin tomorrow but a part of her wished they wouldn't.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lee felt a hand on her shoulder and that jolted her so hard that she sat up straight in a blink of an eye but when she looked, she saw Lily standing by the bed, the patient smile still on her face.
"I knocked several times, and you didn't seem to be able to hear me. You must have been really tired, and you didn't lock the door, so I let myself in. I'm sorry l, I know that's inappropriate, but you needed to start preparing for your ride today," she said, and Lee nodded slowly, still recovering from the effects of being woken suddenly from sleep.
"Thank you very much," Lee said to her and she nodded.
"That's okay. There's food on the dining table for you when you're done," she said and stood.
"Wait," Lee called and Lily stopped, mild concern on her face.
"Why are you doing this? Being this nice to me. I mean…the rest of them think that I stole a horse and as far as I know, they still suspect me but you…you've been really nice,"
"You're not a horse thief. I know that and I think my husband knows it as well. The only person who isn't convinced is my sonbut either way, they want you to go on this ride, so you'll have to go," Lily said then nodded at me and left.
It was already bright out by the time I finished the fruit and bread on the dining table with Hayden standing by the door, peeling an apple.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" I asked him, absently wondering where I found the boldness to even ask him that.
"That was a million and half dollar horse that he stole. A cutting horse. It's not cheap so yeah…I don't think I have anything better to do than watch his accomplice," he said.
"I'm not his accomplice and you know that" Lee snapped. She might as well have been talking to the wall for all the effect it had on Hayden who just stared at her like she had spoken in a language that he didn't understand and didn't care to understand.
The kitchen door opened just then, and Ike walked in, nodded at Hayden then looked at her.
"C'mon. Time to go," he said. She stood and followed him. She still felt the ache in her body and in her legs and the chafing was still there, but it was better and the aches were dull. She felt like she could still ride. Hayden walked past her, and she felt tiny. She didn't know what these men ate to be this massive.
†
Hayden felt tightness in his chest, and he didn't know what it meant or how he was supposed to dispel it. He has been feeling this way since the horse had been stolen and a part of him was telling him that taking this personally was a stupid line ofaction but how couldn't he take it personally? The man was like a brother to him. He remembered all the times that he looked up to Austin but at the same time, there was a change in the man, an underlying aggression that started ever since his father died.
Hayden looked at his father riding before him and he wondered how it was that the man was able to keep his calm in situations like this. Oh it was like nothing even moved the man as he just rode along with the girl beside him. The girl was another curiosity.
