people.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” She stepped close.
“You’re right, you can always trust me.”
“You be safe today, too.”
And then he touched her cheek, the touch light and fleeting before he turned and walked away. She watched his truck until it turned on the main road out of Dawson. And then another truck came up the road, this one pulling a trailer. Jackson. She opened the door and called for Caleb.
“Jackson is here with the horse.”
Caleb let out a shout and then she heard his boots on the hardwood floor. He rounded the corner from the kitchen, happy the way a kid should be happy. She smiled. This was good, watching Caleb for Slade. For Vicki.
Mia closed her eyes for a brief moment and guilt replaced the moment of happiness. Slade had always been Vicki’s. Friendship meant hands-off. She’d kept that rule since the day they were fourteen, when Vicki shared with her that someday she wanted to marry Slade McKennon.
She opened her eyes and smiled at her brother as he got out of his truck. Caleb ran out the front door.
“You like horses?” Mia asked, already knowing the answer.
He nodded but kept walking, his boots stomping on the wood slats of the porch. “My dad is letting me help him break a horse.”
“Really? Breaking a horse at your age? That’s pretty impressive.”
He gave her a look, like it was no big deal and guys like him broke horses all the time. “I don’t get on it yet.”
“I see.” She started down the steps and he followed. “I’ll bet you’re a good helper.”
“My dad is the best. He can break any old horse.”
“I know he can.”
Caleb hurried to get to the trailer but slowed at the end of the sidewalk to wait for her. “Did you know my dad is training a cuttin’ horse for someone in Texas?”
“I think I’d heard that.” She stopped next to the child. Jackson had a lead rope and was unlatching the back of the trailer.
“Hey, sis.” Jackson stepped inside the trailer, the metal creaked. The horse whinnied and then shifted, restless from being inside.
“Jackson, I don’t know if I can do this.” She stepped close, peering inside.
“I know you can dump a can of grain and fill a water trough. That’s what she needs now, that and some love.”
“I might go back to work someday.” The reminder might have been for Jackson, or for herself.
“Then I’ll take her back to my place.”
Mia stepped up on the side of the trailer and looked in at the mare. She was a bay, a deep brown with black mane and tail and black legs. And she was too thin. The mare turned her face in Mia’s direction, revealing the warmest, saddest brown eyes she’d ever seen on a horse.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty girl. Who leaves a sweet lady like you behind?”
Jackson now stood next to the mare. “Someone who runs out of options.”
“Yeah, it happens.” Mia rubbed the horse’s velvety nose. “You are a fink, Jackson Cooper. You knew I’d love her.”
“Been a long time since you stayed home and took care of a horse, Mia. You were the best.”
“No, I just had the best behind me. And good horses.”
Inside the shadowy trailer, the look on her brother’s face changed. He went from easygoing to concerned, just like that, and Mia needed an out. She turned, motioning Caleb to join her. He stepped up on the running board and then the wheel well of the trailer. With five-year-old seriousness, he eyed the hungry mare.
“She’s pretty thin.”
“That she is, Caleb.” Jackson spoke to the boy and then quietly to the horse that was having second thoughts about stepping backward off the trailer. The mare whinnied again. From somewhere in the distance another horse answered her fearful cry. Jackson continued to talk, convincing the horse she’d like her new home and she wouldn’t be left again.
Mia shot him a look because the last was as much for her as it was the horse.
But maybe her brother was right. Maybe she wouldn’t leave again. The injury might
“Maybe, maybe not.” She stepped close.
“You’re right, you can always trust me.”
“You be safe today, too.”
And then he touched her cheek, the touch light and fleeting before he turned and walked away. She watched his truck until it turned on the main road out of Dawson. And then another truck came up the road, this one pulling a trailer. Jackson. She opened the door and called for Caleb.
“Jackson is here with the horse.”
Caleb let out a shout and then she heard his boots on the hardwood floor. He rounded the corner from the kitchen, happy the way a kid should be happy. She smiled. This was good, watching Caleb for Slade. For Vicki.
Mia closed her eyes for a brief moment and guilt replaced the moment of happiness. Slade had always been Vicki’s. Friendship meant hands-off. She’d kept that rule since the day they were fourteen, when Vicki shared with her that someday she wanted to marry Slade McKennon.
She opened her eyes and smiled at her brother as he got out of his truck. Caleb ran out the front door.
“You like horses?” Mia asked, already knowing the answer.
He nodded but kept walking, his boots stomping on the wood slats of the porch. “My dad is letting me help him break a horse.”
“Really? Breaking a horse at your age? That’s pretty impressive.”
He gave her a look, like it was no big deal and guys like him broke horses all the time. “I don’t get on it yet.”
“I see.” She started down the steps and he followed. “I’ll bet you’re a good helper.”
“My dad is the best. He can break any old horse.”
“I know he can.”
Caleb hurried to get to the trailer but slowed at the end of the sidewalk to wait for her. “Did you know my dad is training a cuttin’ horse for someone in Texas?”
“I think I’d heard that.” She stopped next to the child. Jackson had a lead rope and was unlatching the back of the trailer.
“Hey, sis.” Jackson stepped inside the trailer, the metal creaked. The horse whinnied and then shifted, restless from being inside.
“Jackson, I don’t know if I can do this.” She stepped close, peering inside.
“I know you can dump a can of grain and fill a water trough. That’s what she needs now, that and some love.”
“I might go back to work someday.” The reminder might have been for Jackson, or for herself.
“Then I’ll take her back to my place.”
Mia stepped up on the side of the trailer and looked in at the mare. She was a bay, a deep brown with black mane and tail and black legs. And she was too thin. The mare turned her face in Mia’s direction, revealing the warmest, saddest brown eyes she’d ever seen on a horse.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty girl. Who leaves a sweet lady like you behind?”
Jackson now stood next to the mare. “Someone who runs out of options.”
“Yeah, it happens.” Mia rubbed the horse’s velvety nose. “You are a fink, Jackson Cooper. You knew I’d love her.”
“Been a long time since you stayed home and took care of a horse, Mia. You were the best.”
“No, I just had the best behind me. And good horses.”
Inside the shadowy trailer, the look on her brother’s face changed. He went from easygoing to concerned, just like that, and Mia needed an out. She turned, motioning Caleb to join her. He stepped up on the running board and then the wheel well of the trailer. With five-year-old seriousness, he eyed the hungry mare.
“She’s pretty thin.”
“That she is, Caleb.” Jackson spoke to the boy and then quietly to the horse that was having second thoughts about stepping backward off the trailer. The mare whinnied again. From somewhere in the distance another horse answered her fearful cry. Jackson continued to talk, convincing the horse she’d like her new home and she wouldn’t be left again.
Mia shot him a look because the last was as much for her as it was the horse.
But maybe her brother was right. Maybe she wouldn’t leave again. The injury might
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