time.”
“No, you go ahead and talk to her. I’ll wait in Sharon’s office. It’s nice and cool in there.”
“Are you sure?” Claire was torn. She wanted to give Willow some attention, but her sister was her first priority.
Holly nodded. “It’s nice to be out of the house, but I need to sit down for a minute or two. Go!” She flapped her hands at Claire and walked away.
“Thanks, Holl!” Claire led the mare into the stall. “Let me grab a brush and give you a little TLC.”
She jogged to the tack room and back, picking up a brush and some soft horse treats. When she began to run the stiff bristles over the horse’s scruffy coat, the mare gave a deep sigh and dropped her head, eyelids fluttering closed. “I guess you like this, girl,” Claire said, feeling the horse’s contentment seeping into her own body. The rhythmic motion freed her mind to wander, and it veered toward Tim Arbuckle.
“Guess what? Dr. Tim reported your rotten owner to the racing association. Let’s hope the creep never sets foot in a stable again.” That reminded her of Tim’s story about Chuck the cat. “He yelled at a CEO about a cat toy too. You have to admire a man who goes to all that trouble to defend you and Chuck.”
She worked the brush up behind Willow’s ears, and the mare’s head dipped even farther toward the ground as she gave a low grunt of pleasure. “You also have to like him for appreciating the Castillo so much he wants to buy it.” Her pleasure at Tim’s reaction seemed out of proportion, and she frowned. Was she thrilled because Dr. Tim collected horse art, giving his opinion the weight to counterbalance Milo’s dismissal?
Willow reached around to nudge Claire’s motionless elbow with her velvety nose. “Oh, sorry, girl, I got distracted,” she said, resuming her sweep along the mare’s neck. She glanced at her watch. “I really have to take my sister home.”
She dug in her pocket for the treats, holding them out on her palm. Willow lipped them up and chewed contentedly. “Wonderful!” Claire said, wrapping her arms around the horse’s neck and laying her face against her cheek. “You’re feeling better. Dr. Tim said he’d take care of you, didn’t he?”
She drew back and smiled into the depths of Willow’s eyes. “Your vet seems to succeed in whatever he sets his mind to. Maybe I should worry about hanging on to my painting.”
After returning the brush to the tack room, Claire found her sister reading
Blood Horse
in Sharon’s office. “Are you taking up a new career in breeding racehorses?” Claire teased.
Holly’s smile was faint, but it was a smile. “It has pretty pictures, and besides, there wasn’t anything else to read in here.”
“Sorry to leave you alone, but Willow thanks you for letting me brush her. She was so relaxed she nearly fell asleep.”
“I hope the grooming made her look a little better too.” As they walked toward the parking lot, Holly said, “So tell me about when Dr. Tim first came to the gallery.”
Claire almost deflected the question, but then she remembered their heart-to-hearts about boys in the rhododendron thicket behind their house. Maybe some girl talk would bring her sister closer.
“He came in yesterday, and I showed him the Castillo.”
“You told me the painting wasn’t for sale, that you just exhibited it at the gallery.”
“I told him that too, but he was, well, persistent.” Claire took a deep breath and confessed, “He asked me out to dinner for Friday.”
“I
knew
it!”
“Not what you think. He was trying to soften me up to get the painting.”
“Uh-huh,” Holly said in the tone of voice that meant she thought the opposite.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going.”
“He doesn’t seem to know that.”
Claire blew out a sigh. “Yeah, I need to tell him.”
Holly leveled a look at her sister. “You’re going to cancel because of me, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t want to go anyway. He surprised me, and
“No, you go ahead and talk to her. I’ll wait in Sharon’s office. It’s nice and cool in there.”
“Are you sure?” Claire was torn. She wanted to give Willow some attention, but her sister was her first priority.
Holly nodded. “It’s nice to be out of the house, but I need to sit down for a minute or two. Go!” She flapped her hands at Claire and walked away.
“Thanks, Holl!” Claire led the mare into the stall. “Let me grab a brush and give you a little TLC.”
She jogged to the tack room and back, picking up a brush and some soft horse treats. When she began to run the stiff bristles over the horse’s scruffy coat, the mare gave a deep sigh and dropped her head, eyelids fluttering closed. “I guess you like this, girl,” Claire said, feeling the horse’s contentment seeping into her own body. The rhythmic motion freed her mind to wander, and it veered toward Tim Arbuckle.
“Guess what? Dr. Tim reported your rotten owner to the racing association. Let’s hope the creep never sets foot in a stable again.” That reminded her of Tim’s story about Chuck the cat. “He yelled at a CEO about a cat toy too. You have to admire a man who goes to all that trouble to defend you and Chuck.”
She worked the brush up behind Willow’s ears, and the mare’s head dipped even farther toward the ground as she gave a low grunt of pleasure. “You also have to like him for appreciating the Castillo so much he wants to buy it.” Her pleasure at Tim’s reaction seemed out of proportion, and she frowned. Was she thrilled because Dr. Tim collected horse art, giving his opinion the weight to counterbalance Milo’s dismissal?
Willow reached around to nudge Claire’s motionless elbow with her velvety nose. “Oh, sorry, girl, I got distracted,” she said, resuming her sweep along the mare’s neck. She glanced at her watch. “I really have to take my sister home.”
She dug in her pocket for the treats, holding them out on her palm. Willow lipped them up and chewed contentedly. “Wonderful!” Claire said, wrapping her arms around the horse’s neck and laying her face against her cheek. “You’re feeling better. Dr. Tim said he’d take care of you, didn’t he?”
She drew back and smiled into the depths of Willow’s eyes. “Your vet seems to succeed in whatever he sets his mind to. Maybe I should worry about hanging on to my painting.”
After returning the brush to the tack room, Claire found her sister reading
Blood Horse
in Sharon’s office. “Are you taking up a new career in breeding racehorses?” Claire teased.
Holly’s smile was faint, but it was a smile. “It has pretty pictures, and besides, there wasn’t anything else to read in here.”
“Sorry to leave you alone, but Willow thanks you for letting me brush her. She was so relaxed she nearly fell asleep.”
“I hope the grooming made her look a little better too.” As they walked toward the parking lot, Holly said, “So tell me about when Dr. Tim first came to the gallery.”
Claire almost deflected the question, but then she remembered their heart-to-hearts about boys in the rhododendron thicket behind their house. Maybe some girl talk would bring her sister closer.
“He came in yesterday, and I showed him the Castillo.”
“You told me the painting wasn’t for sale, that you just exhibited it at the gallery.”
“I told him that too, but he was, well, persistent.” Claire took a deep breath and confessed, “He asked me out to dinner for Friday.”
“I
knew
it!”
“Not what you think. He was trying to soften me up to get the painting.”
“Uh-huh,” Holly said in the tone of voice that meant she thought the opposite.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going.”
“He doesn’t seem to know that.”
Claire blew out a sigh. “Yeah, I need to tell him.”
Holly leveled a look at her sister. “You’re going to cancel because of me, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t want to go anyway. He surprised me, and
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