his hand on top of hers. He gave it a quick squeeze before pulling away. That was progress, Aiden-style, and the friction between the two lifted.
The auction started ten minutes late. Several horses were paraded through the chute. The cacophony of Lyle's calls echoed against the corrugated metal walls and ceiling. Horses were prodded and poked through the chute, their eyes wide with fright and ears pricked up in watchful attentiveness. That was what bothered Bren most about this particular sale barn—Lyle Jameson was just plain mean.
Finn huddled next to Bren, his hands pushed deep in his pockets. "You cold?" she asked him.
"A little."
She motioned to Jeremy. "We're going to get some hot chocolate. You want some?"
"No thanks."
Bren nudged Aiden. "You staying or coming?" He stood up. "Coming."
They cleared the bleachers and stepped outside. Bren could see her breath every time she exhaled. The stars twinkled like diamonds against a soft, black velvet sky. The moon, only a sliver, sat high in the west. With no cloud cover, the air was brisk, and she shivered against the collar of her barn coat as she stood at the concession stand.
She glanced around. Finn and Aiden had taken off toward a pen of mismatched farm animals waiting to be auctioned.
"Can I help you?"
"Three hot chocolates."
The stomping of feet came toward her, and Finn ran up, his coat flapping. "Mom! We saw the funniest goat."
"Finn. It's freezing." She bent down and zipped his coat. "Remember what I said when we left the barn? Mittens." She reached for his hands and found he was wearing his mittens and tugged the matching cap from his pocket and pulled it on his head. "And hat must be on."
"Mom, Aiden's not wearing his."
Bren peered up. Aiden quickly zipped his coat, and then his eyes followed something in the distance. Bren followed his line of sight. Jenny Smithson, a cute blonde, headed into the sale barn with several other teenagers.
"The hat's lame." Aiden folded his arms, his face unsmiling.
Bren knew when to pick her battles, and this wasn't one of them. She pulled Finn around by his coat. "Don't worry about your brother."
She paid for the hot chocolate and handed each of them a warm Styrofoam cup before grabbing hers. "Let's go. I'm working tonight. Remember?"
She didn't want to give Jeremy a reason to regret offering her a job. Plus the job and all her other duties managing the horse rescue left little time to mope. Now, for vengeance—she'd make time. Only she'd promised to stay clear of Wes. But if he found her, he'd pay her back. She needed to get to him first.
Bren's two-way went off, and she jostled her hot chocolate, spilling it on her gloves. "Shit." She steadied the cup on the top of a barrel nearby and pulled off the hot, wet glove. She grabbed for her two-way phone inside her coat pocket.
"Yeah."
"I've got a horse down. You need to get in here." Jeremy's voice breathed deep in her ear.
"On my way," she said. "Aiden. Watch your brother."
Aiden lifted his head. "What?"
"Your brother." She pointed toward Finn who was kicking stones. "Watch him."
Bren jogged the fifty feet to the barn. When she entered, she noticed a group forming around the rail. The crowd and her adrenaline made her break out in a sweat. She pulled off her coat and tossed it at the foot of the bleachers. She pushed aside the gawkers, squeezed through the rail, and took a deep breath.
At the bottom of the chute lay a black colt on its side. Bren's heart stopped. "What happened?"
Jeremy remained crouched next to the colt. "Spooked the mother. She trampled him."
"Damn it!" Bren came around to the colt's head.
Jeremy checked his pupils while Bren felt for broken bones.
"Knocked him cold." Bren lifted her chin toward the mare.
Jeremy nodded.
This was the typical crap Bren complained about the most. These horses were frightened, the lights blinding. Lyle paraded them too close together, making injuries like this inevitable.
Within minutes, the colt came
The auction started ten minutes late. Several horses were paraded through the chute. The cacophony of Lyle's calls echoed against the corrugated metal walls and ceiling. Horses were prodded and poked through the chute, their eyes wide with fright and ears pricked up in watchful attentiveness. That was what bothered Bren most about this particular sale barn—Lyle Jameson was just plain mean.
Finn huddled next to Bren, his hands pushed deep in his pockets. "You cold?" she asked him.
"A little."
She motioned to Jeremy. "We're going to get some hot chocolate. You want some?"
"No thanks."
Bren nudged Aiden. "You staying or coming?" He stood up. "Coming."
They cleared the bleachers and stepped outside. Bren could see her breath every time she exhaled. The stars twinkled like diamonds against a soft, black velvet sky. The moon, only a sliver, sat high in the west. With no cloud cover, the air was brisk, and she shivered against the collar of her barn coat as she stood at the concession stand.
She glanced around. Finn and Aiden had taken off toward a pen of mismatched farm animals waiting to be auctioned.
"Can I help you?"
"Three hot chocolates."
The stomping of feet came toward her, and Finn ran up, his coat flapping. "Mom! We saw the funniest goat."
"Finn. It's freezing." She bent down and zipped his coat. "Remember what I said when we left the barn? Mittens." She reached for his hands and found he was wearing his mittens and tugged the matching cap from his pocket and pulled it on his head. "And hat must be on."
"Mom, Aiden's not wearing his."
Bren peered up. Aiden quickly zipped his coat, and then his eyes followed something in the distance. Bren followed his line of sight. Jenny Smithson, a cute blonde, headed into the sale barn with several other teenagers.
"The hat's lame." Aiden folded his arms, his face unsmiling.
Bren knew when to pick her battles, and this wasn't one of them. She pulled Finn around by his coat. "Don't worry about your brother."
She paid for the hot chocolate and handed each of them a warm Styrofoam cup before grabbing hers. "Let's go. I'm working tonight. Remember?"
She didn't want to give Jeremy a reason to regret offering her a job. Plus the job and all her other duties managing the horse rescue left little time to mope. Now, for vengeance—she'd make time. Only she'd promised to stay clear of Wes. But if he found her, he'd pay her back. She needed to get to him first.
Bren's two-way went off, and she jostled her hot chocolate, spilling it on her gloves. "Shit." She steadied the cup on the top of a barrel nearby and pulled off the hot, wet glove. She grabbed for her two-way phone inside her coat pocket.
"Yeah."
"I've got a horse down. You need to get in here." Jeremy's voice breathed deep in her ear.
"On my way," she said. "Aiden. Watch your brother."
Aiden lifted his head. "What?"
"Your brother." She pointed toward Finn who was kicking stones. "Watch him."
Bren jogged the fifty feet to the barn. When she entered, she noticed a group forming around the rail. The crowd and her adrenaline made her break out in a sweat. She pulled off her coat and tossed it at the foot of the bleachers. She pushed aside the gawkers, squeezed through the rail, and took a deep breath.
At the bottom of the chute lay a black colt on its side. Bren's heart stopped. "What happened?"
Jeremy remained crouched next to the colt. "Spooked the mother. She trampled him."
"Damn it!" Bren came around to the colt's head.
Jeremy checked his pupils while Bren felt for broken bones.
"Knocked him cold." Bren lifted her chin toward the mare.
Jeremy nodded.
This was the typical crap Bren complained about the most. These horses were frightened, the lights blinding. Lyle paraded them too close together, making injuries like this inevitable.
Within minutes, the colt came
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