“I thought you got one more day?”
“Nah. I got a call after dinner. They’re making a break in the case so I need to head out and catch some bad guys.”
“Does Mom know you’re leaving?” I ask.
“Not yet. I’ll have time to go over for breakfast on my way out of town at least.”
I pay and leave a tip for the bartender. “In that case, wanna come back to my place and play some games?” I ask, meaning video games. It doesn’t matter how old we get, my brothers and I still play video games together.
“Hell yeah.” Mason sweeps his gaze out at the bar. “Unless you want to find someone to take home and play with instead?”
I just shake my head again, ignoring the fact that I’d very much like to have someone at home with me, just not someone random. I’ll deny the longing in my heart until I’m blue in the face. I’m fine alone. Perfectly fine. “Not tonight.”
Chapter Nine
JOSIE
“Hey, babe.” I lean the broom against a stall and kiss the top of Everly’s head. “How’s the horse doing?”
She and Aunt Kim went to the vet to check on the sick gelding and just got back. I’ve been in the barn all morning and have successfully brushed all the burs and mattes out of Freya’s mane and tail. It was a slow process, both because her hair was a mess and because she’s still unsure if she can trust humans yet.
“Ew, Mom, you stink.”
“Oh, I do?” I lift my arm and fake-sniff my armpit. “I don’t think so. Wanna check for me?”
Everly shrieks and dodges away. “Mom, gross!”
Laughing, I wipe sweat from my brow, realizing that it’s already noon and I’ve been out here all day.
“He’s really sad,” Everly says, face falling. “He’s skinny and dirty and he has pneumonia. The vet said he’s a fighter, though, and seems like he wants to get better. I got to pet him for a long time.”
“You pet the vet?” I raise my eyebrows. “And he allowed it? I think I need to talk to this guy.”
Everly just raises an eyebrow, not amused by my lame jokes. “It’s kind of hard to see under all the dirt, but he’s a black and white paint. So, I named him Pongo, you know, after the dog from 101 Dalmatians.”
I smile, hoping and praying Pongo pulls through. It would break Everly’s heart regardless to see a horse have to be put down, but it’ll hit different when it’s her first experience with rescuing horses like this.
“Where’s Aunt Kim?”
“Inside. She said to come get you for lunch, but I think I’ll need to hose you off before you go in the house.” Everly wrinkles her nose and slowly shakes her head.
“Am I that bad?” I look down at myself and realize dust is sticking to my sweaty skin.
“You have cobwebs in your hair.”
Reaching up, I shudder when I feel them. “Well, at least they’re not on the rafters anymore. What do you think about power washing them down?” I motion to the rafters, which are still pretty dusty and dirty. “Would it be a smart way to blast the beams clean or would it make the cobwebs heavy, sticky, and wouldn’t actually help?”
Everly tips her head, thinking about it. “Maybe a bit of both?”
“Probably. I’ll go in and shower then I’ll join you for lunch. Whatcha making me?”
“We picked up food from Silver Cafe. They actually had veggie burgers!”
“Oh, sounds good.”
We walk into the house together and I go right upstairs to shower. I grimace when I see myself in the mirror. I really am a mess but, honestly, I don’t mind it. I’ve never been one to be bothered by dirt. Knowing there’s food waiting for me on the table, I quickly shower, brush out my wet hair and go downstairs, joining Everly and Aunt Kim at the table on the screened-in back porch. I sit with my back to the sun, letting it help my hair air dry.
After lunch, we head back outside to bring half the herd in, giving them a break from the grass so they don’t eat too much. Aunt Kim is moving slow and, for a split second, I see how ragged she looks. But then she pushes her shoulders back and puts on a smile, hiding whatever pain she’s in. I’ll have to call Dad later and ask exactly what health problems she has, though I wouldn’t be surprised if she kept them from her own brother.
Right as we get through the gate, a truck pulls down the driveway.
“That’s Heather,” Aunt Kim says. “And it looks like she has one of her girls with her today.”
They park near the barn and the woman—Heather—gets out with a wave.
“Hey, Kim,” she calls, shielding the sun from her eyes with her hand. “How are you doing today?”