Starfire (Grim Gate 2)

Ethan has adapted well to horse ownership, but it’s still not his thing. It’s mine, and I’m the first to admit I’m totally obsessive when it comes to horses. He knows this and is trying to keep me calm. God bless that man.

“I’d love to have it completed as soon as possible. Six stalls. The donkeys are small so they can live together in one since I’m getting oversized stalls. That leaves three stalls open.”

“You want more horses?”

“I always want more horses.” Some of the tension leaves me and I go a little faster. “I don’t show anymore, so I was thinking I could get a few rescue horses and work on training them so I could adopt them out.”

“That’s a good idea. You’d be good at it.”

He keeps asking me questions about saving horses. Five minutes later, I’m much, much calmer, which is good because a car has finally come up behind me and I need to go the speed limit. My chest is still in knots as I accelerate, and another mile later Rene calls.

“Shit,” I huff.

“What is it?”

“Rene. She’s calling. I should…I don’t know.”

“Answer and tell her you hit a deer and will reschedule hanging out, if that’s what you want.”

“It is. I like having friends.”

“I know you do.” He waits a beat. “Do you want to answer?”

“Yeah.”

“Answer, babe.”

“Okay.” I take my eyes off the road for a second, switching the calls. “Hey, Rene. I’m so sorry,” I say as soon as I answer.

“Are you okay, girl?”

“Yeah,” I say, closing my eyes in a long blink. “Well, no. I hit a deer.”

“Oh, fuck. Is your car okay?”

“It’s been better.” I’m a terrible liar but I’m so shaken up I sound believable. “Can we, uh, take a raincheck?”

“Of course,” she says, and I internally panic that she thinks I’m lying and blowing her off on purpose.

“What about tomorrow?” I quickly ask to make sure she knows I actually do want to hang out.

“I work all day tomorrow and I’m not off until Monday. I’m free then. Well, until the evening that is.”

“That works for me. Same place?”

“They’re closed on Mondays. I can meet you in Thorne Hill, if you want. We can scope out the place for witches.” She laughs and I grip the steering wheel a little tighter. “Really, though, I’m up for anytime for that Mexican restaurant in that town. They have the best half-priced margs on Mondays too.”

“Ethan and I have been there are few times. It is good. So, like one-ish?”

“Yeah, that’ll work. See you Monday.”

“Yeah, see you.” I end the call and mentally go over everything I said. I want to make friends, but I also don’t want to make Rene think I’m some asshole who blew her off.

“Still there?” I ask Ethan as the call switches over.

“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

I let out another breath of relief, slowing at a four-way stop. Quickly turning my head, I’m comforted all over again when I see Hunter lounging in the back seat.

“Everything go okay with Rene?” Ethan asks.

“Yeah. We’re going to meet in Thorne Hill on Monday.”

“That’s good. So, I was thinking we could finish at least half of the basement and make it a game room. Or finally finish clearing out all the shit from the attic.”

“I like both ideas.” A small smile comes to my face, so damn grateful once again for Ethan. We talk about different ways we could finish both the attic and basement, and then I—of course—start talking about horses again. It soothes my shot nerves until I pull into the driveway. Ethan meets me outside, taking me in his arms once I’m out of the car.

Feeling like I’m going to cry again, I tip my head up to his, looking into his deep, amber-colored eyes. Fuck, I love him. He kisses me and then takes my hand, leading me inside.

“I started a fire,” he tells me, leading me to the library. I’m still jittery and sinking down onto the couch in front of the roaring fire feels good. Watching the flames, I unzip my coat and shimmy out of it. Hunter joins me on the couch, and I lean back, finally letting myself think about everything that happened.

“What if there’s something wrong with me?” I ask when Ethan comes back into the room holding two glasses of whiskey. He hands me one, but I don’t take a drink.

“There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“You can’t say that. My grandma on my dad’s side had early-onset dementia. It happens to young people. And do you know what the first signs were that she was losing her memory? She would get in her car to go to the grocery store and would end up somewhere else. That’s exactly what happened to me.”

“Was your grandma a medium?”

“Not that I know of.” I swirl the whiskey around in the glass. My mind is already fuzzy. I don’t want to drink anything.