“I always know what you’re doing, Birdie. Your show was beautiful. Leave this place. You don’t need any man. You’ll make it just fine on your own.”
I spin back around to face her. “No, I don’t need a man,” I agree with her. “What I did need was a mom.”
“I know.” Her eyes fill with tears. I don’t know what to say to that.
“Come on. We’re celebrating, remember.” Calder brings my hand up that’s still locked with his and kisses it.
“Right.” I let him lead me out to the barn.
“You okay?” he asks when we get inside, putting the basket down.
“Yeah. I don’t know what to make of her. It messes with my head.”
“I don’t care much for her, to be honest with you. Not when I see the hurt she causes you, but like I said, she loves you in her own way. I can send her away if you want,” he offers. I shake my head no.
“I’m not her. I don’t send people away. People aren’t disposable.” I let go of his hand, opening the stall to step inside to see Dolly.
“Sometimes you have to let people go. Even if it rips you in two.” He sets the basket down to grab a saddle.
“I’m not sure we’ll agree on that one. I didn’t grow up with a lot of people that loved me. Not like you.” I release the stall door to go over to Dolly to pet her. I realize quickly I walked into the wrong one. They must have moved her. Midnight is now in her normal spot.
“Birdie,” Calder calls after me, catching the door. My boot catches on something. I glance down to see a snake slipping through my feet across the floor. I let out a small scream as I try to get away from it. My foot slips on the loose hay. I’m not sure if it’s me or the snake that scares Midnight.
Midnight raises his front legs, bucking up. I cover my face, sure he’s going to land on me. Calder’s arm wraps around me, jerking me back. My feet fully leave the ground as he pulls me out of the stall. A string of curses leaves him. He places me back on the ground, spinning me around to face him. I can tell he’s pissed, but there’s also something else in his expression.
“You're like a real-life super-hero or something,” I tease, trying to make light of it. That’s twice in the past twenty-four hours that I almost got knocked in the face. I should have been paying better attention. He warned me about that when I’m around the horses.
“Birdie,” he grits out. “What am I going to do with you?” He runs his hand down his face.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be better around them.”
“It’s not the horses.” He pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me. “It’s me you need to stay away from,” he says even as he holds me tighter.
Chapter Nineteen
Calder
“Everything was installed tight,” Tucker reports. He tosses down the results of his investigation onto my desk. “It really was a fluke accident. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.”
I leaf through the document, but the conclusion doesn’t change. “What about the snake in the barn? Lyle keeps that place tidy.”
“Yup. He changes the hay twice a day. Cement flooring is washed at least that often, if not more. Spiders are okay but other rodents are chased off. Snakes should not be in there, but this is Texas.”
“Right. Cam Frank was saying she had a snake on her boat she thought crept up a rope when it was moored.”
“Cam Frank?” Tucker perks up. “She was here at the show?”
“Yeah, came with some older man from Louisiana. Said she was thinking about buying a chain of restaurants.” I watch my cousin over the top of my papers.
He shrugs and tries to act nonchalant. “ I haven’t heard her name in a while.”
I keep silent for a moment and let him stew. I know they went to school together at one point. He breaks only a few seconds later. “This guy she was with. How much older? Like Earl and Widow Justice age difference?”
“More like Widow Justice’s age. Maybe mid-forties, early fifties.”
“Those two look like they were seeing each other? Sleeping together?”
“Man, I do not know, but what does it matter? It’s not like it matters one way or another if Cameron Frank-Hyde ties the knot with a fifty-year-old or a fifteen-year-old. You aren’t stepping up at the wedding and lodging a complaint.”
Tucker’s face grows grim. “Yeah, and it’s for her own damned good because the accidents around Birdie are piling up. I know why you want me to find some flaw in the manufacturing or the construction because you think you can solve these problems and you and Birdie can have the happily-ever-after you want.”