explanation.
Beth just stared at him, startled and aghast. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t meant to take you away from your work.”
“You didn’t,” he said, with a warning glance at the boys, and what he hoped was a reassuring smile at her. “It was a nice break.”
That was more or less true.
It would only take a little bit of time to unload and then they’d be back at work, well fed.
One thing was certain, the woman could definitely cook. None of that had been store-bought, that was for sure. As Will had said, it was almost worth it just for the cooking. Josh would still take money out of what the folks at the antique shop gave him because she’d expect that.
They filed out to the truck.
Beth watched the big vehicle pull away with something like consternation and an odd twinge of loneliness.
How had she wound up with this? Russ and Will coming over to paint the house, and then there’d be Josh in the morning.
She didn’t want to admit she was already anticipating seeing him again.
Except he wasn’t there.
The next morning she walked across the yards, but there was no sign of Josh.
Her steps slowed for a different reason this time.
In the paddock the horse stood uncertainly, too, watching her with his ears twitching.
Well, Josh had said ‘sometime’. That hadn’t necessarily meant this morning.
She was a little startled to find herself disappointed. And that disturbed her even more.
From the kitchen window Josh watched, torn, but Beth’s nervousness was clear.
If he went to her now her nervousness would just increase and they might lose all the strides she’d already made. As much as it killed him not to go to her, he knew it was for the best, for her, for the horse, even for him. Some part of him knew that if he screwed this up he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
He needed her to relax, to set a pattern. And to anticipate. The next few days would be tough. On all of them.
The horse charged away as Beth approached the fence but it was just for form, his heart clearly wasn’t in it. At the end of the charge, by the far side of the paddock, he stopped to watch her, his great dark head tilted to consider her.
In the back of her mind Beth waited for Josh, walking slowly but part of her was also focused on the horse.
He paced toward her instead of away but it was as if he were pulled in to two directions at once, an oddly sideways maneuver that looked strangely crablike.
She was there to greet him, the sheaf of fresh green grass on her open palm.
The horse looked at her, blew a soft breath across her hand, and then lipped the sheaf of grass from it.
Chewed. Waited. Eyed her.
Looking for his other treat.
Laughing, Beth reached into her pocket as the horse’s ears flicked forward. She smiled as she held the apple on her palm.
He crunched contentedly on the fruit, juice running from his mouth and let her stroke his nose a little.
Something inside her eased a little as he moved away. He paced, his strides opening up, moving easily, so gracefully. It felt as if something inside her loosened.
From the window of the house Josh watched as Beth stood on the rail and the horse paced around the paddock. The breeze blew steadily, so the pretty dress fluttered around her legs and played with her hair.
Chapter Seven
It was a beautiful misty early summer morning, the light gauzy as Beth walked across the yards. An air of peace held, even the birds seemed to chirp softly. Only the barest breath of breeze blew, ruffling the grass. It would be hot later, as it had been unseasonably hot most days lately, and humid. The horse almost seemed to emerge from the haze, a mirage appearing from the fog.
He made a play of dancing away from her as she neared, but she could almost sense an air of excitement about him, of anticipation.
Each morning she’d brought him a different treat, first a carrot, then a stalk of celery, then another apple. The carrot had surprised him at first. He had eyed it
Beth just stared at him, startled and aghast. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t meant to take you away from your work.”
“You didn’t,” he said, with a warning glance at the boys, and what he hoped was a reassuring smile at her. “It was a nice break.”
That was more or less true.
It would only take a little bit of time to unload and then they’d be back at work, well fed.
One thing was certain, the woman could definitely cook. None of that had been store-bought, that was for sure. As Will had said, it was almost worth it just for the cooking. Josh would still take money out of what the folks at the antique shop gave him because she’d expect that.
They filed out to the truck.
Beth watched the big vehicle pull away with something like consternation and an odd twinge of loneliness.
How had she wound up with this? Russ and Will coming over to paint the house, and then there’d be Josh in the morning.
She didn’t want to admit she was already anticipating seeing him again.
Except he wasn’t there.
The next morning she walked across the yards, but there was no sign of Josh.
Her steps slowed for a different reason this time.
In the paddock the horse stood uncertainly, too, watching her with his ears twitching.
Well, Josh had said ‘sometime’. That hadn’t necessarily meant this morning.
She was a little startled to find herself disappointed. And that disturbed her even more.
From the kitchen window Josh watched, torn, but Beth’s nervousness was clear.
If he went to her now her nervousness would just increase and they might lose all the strides she’d already made. As much as it killed him not to go to her, he knew it was for the best, for her, for the horse, even for him. Some part of him knew that if he screwed this up he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
He needed her to relax, to set a pattern. And to anticipate. The next few days would be tough. On all of them.
The horse charged away as Beth approached the fence but it was just for form, his heart clearly wasn’t in it. At the end of the charge, by the far side of the paddock, he stopped to watch her, his great dark head tilted to consider her.
In the back of her mind Beth waited for Josh, walking slowly but part of her was also focused on the horse.
He paced toward her instead of away but it was as if he were pulled in to two directions at once, an oddly sideways maneuver that looked strangely crablike.
She was there to greet him, the sheaf of fresh green grass on her open palm.
The horse looked at her, blew a soft breath across her hand, and then lipped the sheaf of grass from it.
Chewed. Waited. Eyed her.
Looking for his other treat.
Laughing, Beth reached into her pocket as the horse’s ears flicked forward. She smiled as she held the apple on her palm.
He crunched contentedly on the fruit, juice running from his mouth and let her stroke his nose a little.
Something inside her eased a little as he moved away. He paced, his strides opening up, moving easily, so gracefully. It felt as if something inside her loosened.
From the window of the house Josh watched as Beth stood on the rail and the horse paced around the paddock. The breeze blew steadily, so the pretty dress fluttered around her legs and played with her hair.
Chapter Seven
It was a beautiful misty early summer morning, the light gauzy as Beth walked across the yards. An air of peace held, even the birds seemed to chirp softly. Only the barest breath of breeze blew, ruffling the grass. It would be hot later, as it had been unseasonably hot most days lately, and humid. The horse almost seemed to emerge from the haze, a mirage appearing from the fog.
He made a play of dancing away from her as she neared, but she could almost sense an air of excitement about him, of anticipation.
Each morning she’d brought him a different treat, first a carrot, then a stalk of celery, then another apple. The carrot had surprised him at first. He had eyed it
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