I frown and keep patting the cat—best friends? Joshua told me they were friends… not best friends. Why does he hate her so much? I put my head on the side as I think— the same reason he hates Max. I frown and then widen my eyes.
Lightbulb moment.
Joshua really did see her as a friend and he feels that she betrayed him, like he feels Max betrayed him when he sided with me. Did I start this hate of betrayal in him when I betrayed him at nineteen… well not really but he thought I did. Fuck… and now his own mother has hit him with the ultimate betrayal. Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal… how many times can you say that word in one sentence? I continue patting the cat as I think. I’m onto something here. Joshua has a definite personality pattern. I need to talk to him about this but I will let him cool down first. A bridle gets thrown out of the stable at full pelt. He’s really losing his shit in there.
Alf shakes his head. “That man of yours is losing his mind,” he sighs.
I fake a smile. “Mmm.” Shit, he really is, not even joking.
“Are you ok with him? Are you frightened at all?” he asks.
I smile and frown. “Yes, I mean no, I’m not frightened.” What an odd thing to say.
A white wagon comes down the track with dust bellowing behind it.
“Oh shit,” Jason murmurs.
“I will take you back to the house, lass,” Alf says to me.
“Why?” I ask.
“Amelie is here and it won’t be pretty,” he replies.
My eyes flick to the stable that Joshua is in. He’s too mad to remember that I am even here. I think I need to calm him down. “No I would like to stay,” I murmur as I stand and walk toward the stable.
The car pulls up and she jumps out angrily. She’s covered in mud and has obviously come straight from work. God, she’s frigging beautiful, bitch.
Another one of her bridles comes flying out of the stable and lands near her car. “What do you think you’re doing?” she yells.
Joshua emerges from the stall like the devil himself. “What does it look like?” he screams.
“Having a temper tantrum is what it looks like. You child!” she yells back.
“Oh shit,” sighs Alf behind me and I bite my lip to stifle my smile. Yep, she’s got him. He is totally acting like a child.
Joshua rushes her and my eyes widen and I quicken the pace as I walk toward them. “You get your fucking horses off my farm.”
“Joshua, be reasonable. I need some time,” she replies.
“You are out of time!” he yells.
I finally reach them. “Hello Amelie,” I murmur as I try to diffuse the situation.
Her eyes flick to me. “Hello Natasha,” she replies through her anger.
“Natasha, get to the house!” Joshua yells as he points to the house.
I frown, fuck off asshole. Don’t speak to me like that.
“Why can’t her horses stay in the bottom paddock? You’re being unreasonable Joshua,” I reply.
“Because I fucking said!” he screams at me.
I start to hear my angry pulse in my ears… go time.
I narrow my eyes at him and he glares back.
“Jason, get the float,” he yells.