“Midnight blue with silver accents. Silver shoes would match perfectly.”
“Wow,” I say, feeling like maybe things are actually falling into my lap. “Where is this gala?” If it’s hours away, I just can’t justify it, no matter how many connections I could make.
“It’s in the same convention center the horse fair was in, just the floor above.”
“That’s only half an hour away,” I say out loud. “You’re sure you don’t want to go?” I ask Poppy.
“Positive,” she replies quickly. “The purple and green hue of the bruise I’m getting will clash with my shoes.”
“And being on your feet in heels will hurt.”
“Oh, for sure.”
Louisa rests her elbows on the table. “I want to hear more about Mr. Magic Fingers.”
Poppy laughs and launches into detail, telling us all about her wild night with Mason Harris. And, of fucking course, I’m imagining myself having a wild night with another Harris brother. We talk and laugh for another half an hour, and then it becomes apparent that we’re all tired and lame and want to go to bed.
“Thanks for letting me hang out,” Poppy says when I walk her to the front door. “It was nice.”
“It was,” I reply, glad Louisa opened her big mouth and invited Poppy in. It’s starting to look more and more like I was right on the money with my first impression of her. I call it Grinch Syndrome and the cure can be as simple as being included and treated with the kindness they don’t know how to treat others. People who suffer from Grinch Syndrome see everyone as a threat, competing with the outside world because they’re unable to be at peace within.
“And I cannot thank you enough for letting me take your ticket to the gala. Running a rescue takes a lot of time and even more money.”
* * *
“I…I admire you,” Poppy says softly, a small smile pulling up her full lips. “I like to show, and I like winning even more, but…but I get it. Every horse is worthy of a good life.”
“They are. And so are people,” I add, watching Poppy’s expression change as she looks in the direction of the barn. “I’ve always believed we were put on this earth not to fulfill our own happiness, but to make life a little better for others—humans or animals.”
“It would give more meaning to it.” She meets my eye and holds my gaze before inhaling and pushing her shoulders back. “I’ll let you know when the seamstress can get you in.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.” I close and lock the door behind her and find Louisa on the screened-in porch, glass of wine in her hand.
“It’s freakishly quiet out here,” she says.
“Most people would call that peaceful.”
“I feel like I’m on the set of a backwoods horror movie and someone’s brother-cousin is going to sneak in and watch us sleep before brutally murdering us.”
“It’s a good thing I have two incredibly friendly dogs who will wag their tails and greet said murderer.”
“Speaking of the dogs, where did the husky come from?”
“The woods,” I say in a dramatic whisper. “He’s probably a werewolf and will watch you sleep as well.”
“As long as I don’t wake up with a naked man at the foot of my bed, I’m fine with it.”
I let out a snort of laughter and pull my arms close to my body. It’s a chilly night.
“We should finish that bottle,” Louisa says, coming back into the house. “You destroyed the cork and I doubt Aunt Kim had any wine stoppers.”
“Ugh, hard pass. I cannot be hungover tomorrow. I have too much work to do.”
Louisa looks around. “On second thought, I might need it to get me through cleaning this place.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“You do know there’s a tumbleweed of dog fur in the corner, don’t you?”
“Shit, no. And I vacuumed recently.”
“How recent is recent?”
I scrunch up my nose, not actually able to remember when I vacuumed. It was just a day ago…right?
Yawning, I take the hair tie from my wrist and pull my hair into a messy bun. “Do you want the bed or the couch?”
“There’s not a TV upstairs, is there?”
“Nope.”
“Then the couch. It’s still early for me so I’ll binge a few episodes of something before crashing.”
“I can watch TV with you,” I offer, though my body is begging for bed.
“Go to sleep, old lady,” Louisa teases. “Well, after you bring me blankets.”
“I’m really glad you’re here.”
“I know,” Louisa says back with a wink. I give my sister a hug and then go to the hall closet to get out blankets. Everly is asleep when I go in to check on her, and I’m snuggled up in bed only moments later.
“I think things are going to work out,” I tell Mr. Meowster as I turn off the lamp on my nightstand. As hard as I try to stay positive, I can’t help but feel anxiety start to creep in.