with a peppermint, so she couldn’t blame him. It was then that she realized that she cared, her jealousy showing. She was also pleased that she had even thought of her horse at all. She had been pushing him away for weeks, and suddenly, she had the urge to touch him. To feel his soft muzzle underneath her fingertips and his warm breath on her cheeks. She remembered the softness of his smooth coat and the way he smelled like sweet feed and hay. Maybe she would sneak out after dinner to give him a treat. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, her life was back to the way it had been. She was lost in a memory.
Meg watched it all, too. She saw Luke standing in the pasture and watched Jena’s reaction. She could see the longing in her niece’s eyes as Luke ran his hand over the horse coat. It would only be a matter of time before Jena would be back out there. People like Jena were born with horses in their blood. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t stay away. Her husband was like that, as was his brother, Jena’s father. Horses are part of Jena and Meg believed the girl wouldn’t give up on them so easily.
“Jena, will you cut those carrots up for me?” Meg asked, startling Jena from her trance. She nodded and got to work. Meg smiled to herself and turned back toward her own cutting board. All Jena needed was time. Of everything, this was something that Meg could give her. She had known all along that having Jena here was the right decision.
chapter 6
J ENA DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG she had been in bed staring at the ceiling. She was certain the dark, recurring dream had awoken her at some point but couldn’t remember when. A breeze blew in from the window, and the cool wetness on her cheeks told her she had been crying. With childlike grace, she swiped the offending tears from her face and got up to shut the window. Outside, the sky was clear above the mountains and stars dotted the skyline. Somewhere in the distance, a coyote howled. She could hear the shuffling feet of a few horses in the barn, and the smell of hay floated in on the breeze. Jena inhaled a deep breath to try and clear her head, then stuck her head out of the window and into the night air. Her room was above the porch, giving her a slightly sloped perch on which she could sit if she climbed out on the roof. She stepped over the windowsill carefully and took a seat on the roof to gaze out over the farm. It was peaceful out here, that was for sure. The nighttime sounds of the mountains could almost make her forget South Carolina. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulled them to her chest, and shut her eyes, letting herself get lost.
It was hard not to think about it. To not think about her past and everything that had happened since. Her dad crashing into that jump was only the start of her fall, and while she missed him, it was what followed that still caused her so much pain. Her father's successes crumbling around her, followed by her mother leaving, were perhaps the worst part. She had long suspected that her mother wasn't happy. Karen didn't ride. She liked the idea of it. She liked the money that it earned her family. Mostly, she liked the idea of the life that Ted represented. When they had first met, Karen loved traveling, but there came a time when she wished she could stay in one place. She didn't really understand the lure of the horse world and only tolerated it, at best. Jena assumed she would leave someday. She just never believed her mother would leave without her.
Jena shuddered again, either from the wind or the memories and began to get up to go back inside. The light sound of boots on the gravel below her made her pause and settle back on the roof, pressing herself tightly in the shadows, not wanting to be seen. She saw Luke walking up the drive from the direction of the barn. He walked over to the fence and
Meg watched it all, too. She saw Luke standing in the pasture and watched Jena’s reaction. She could see the longing in her niece’s eyes as Luke ran his hand over the horse coat. It would only be a matter of time before Jena would be back out there. People like Jena were born with horses in their blood. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t stay away. Her husband was like that, as was his brother, Jena’s father. Horses are part of Jena and Meg believed the girl wouldn’t give up on them so easily.
“Jena, will you cut those carrots up for me?” Meg asked, startling Jena from her trance. She nodded and got to work. Meg smiled to herself and turned back toward her own cutting board. All Jena needed was time. Of everything, this was something that Meg could give her. She had known all along that having Jena here was the right decision.
chapter 6
J ENA DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG she had been in bed staring at the ceiling. She was certain the dark, recurring dream had awoken her at some point but couldn’t remember when. A breeze blew in from the window, and the cool wetness on her cheeks told her she had been crying. With childlike grace, she swiped the offending tears from her face and got up to shut the window. Outside, the sky was clear above the mountains and stars dotted the skyline. Somewhere in the distance, a coyote howled. She could hear the shuffling feet of a few horses in the barn, and the smell of hay floated in on the breeze. Jena inhaled a deep breath to try and clear her head, then stuck her head out of the window and into the night air. Her room was above the porch, giving her a slightly sloped perch on which she could sit if she climbed out on the roof. She stepped over the windowsill carefully and took a seat on the roof to gaze out over the farm. It was peaceful out here, that was for sure. The nighttime sounds of the mountains could almost make her forget South Carolina. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulled them to her chest, and shut her eyes, letting herself get lost.
It was hard not to think about it. To not think about her past and everything that had happened since. Her dad crashing into that jump was only the start of her fall, and while she missed him, it was what followed that still caused her so much pain. Her father's successes crumbling around her, followed by her mother leaving, were perhaps the worst part. She had long suspected that her mother wasn't happy. Karen didn't ride. She liked the idea of it. She liked the money that it earned her family. Mostly, she liked the idea of the life that Ted represented. When they had first met, Karen loved traveling, but there came a time when she wished she could stay in one place. She didn't really understand the lure of the horse world and only tolerated it, at best. Jena assumed she would leave someday. She just never believed her mother would leave without her.
Jena shuddered again, either from the wind or the memories and began to get up to go back inside. The light sound of boots on the gravel below her made her pause and settle back on the roof, pressing herself tightly in the shadows, not wanting to be seen. She saw Luke walking up the drive from the direction of the barn. He walked over to the fence and
Similar Books
