Harrington shot me a look like I was stupid, and it instantly got my back up. He gave the rope a light tug and started walking toward the barn.
“Let’s let her run in the arena. She needs to roll and get some energy out.”
I had no choice but to follow along. Anger simmered in my gut, and I was definitely going to give this guy a piece of my mind.But only after the horse was seen to. I didn’t want to spook her or anything.
Harrington let her loose in the arena, as if he commanded it, she immediately found a good spot to lay down and roll. Or at least toss her feet in the air and get her back into the sand. She couldn’t make it all the way over. Was she supposed to?
She stood up and gave a huge shake, sand flying off her coat, and then she trotted around, head held high. I couldn’t tear my gaze away and leaned on the top railing to watch her explore.
“She’s called Ramona,” Harrington murmured beside me, his tone hardly more than a rumble.
“Oh that’s not going to do. I can’t call her that.”
“You’re going to change her name?” He sounded scandalized.
“Obviously. She’s mine and I can if I want.”
Harrington sighed deeply. I looked down at him but he was focused on the mare. I waited at least sixty seconds before I snapped, “What?”
“It’s just…” He shook his head and put a foot on the bottom rung. I waited some more, but he clearly wasn’t going to elaborate.
“Just tell me,” I all but growled. He was trying my patience.
“If she knows her name, changing it would be confusing for her. She might never learn a new one.” He shot me a squinty-eyed look then refocused on the mare.
“Well, does she? Know her name?” I ground out.
There were several beats, then Harrington called out, “Ramona!”
The mare picked her head up and turned immediately to face us. She trotted over, tail flowing behind her. She walked right into Harrington’s outstretched hand and he rubbed her face, then neck. Then he fished a piece of carrot out of his pocket and fed it to her.
“Good girl,” he murmured, deep and low. He gave her a firm pat on the neck. “Good girl. Go play.”
The mare was off again and Harrington turned to me, brows raised as though to say “see?” This kid was getting on my last nerve. Who the hell did he think he was?
The walkie-talkie I hadn’t noticed on his hip crackled to life.
“All hands,” a woman’s voice said. “Operation Babies is a go. I repeat, it’s go time.”
Harrington jerked and he shot a panicked gaze to Russ, then the mare. He didn’t look at me at all.
“I can handle this,” Russ said.
“You shouldn’t have to. It’ll take a while, right? I can—”
“You want to be there. So get,” Russ interrupted.
I took a breath so I didn’t snap. “What’s going on?”
Harrington turned to me, eyes wide, as though he’d forgotten I was there. He inhaled deeply and then let it out slowly. He waited a few more seconds before he spoke.
“My pregnant sister has gone into labor.”
Oh. I couldn’t even be mad about that. Babies were a blessing, if you wanted them, and it sounded like Harrington's sister did. If she wanted her brother waiting for her, then I couldn’t stand in the way of that.
“You should be with her,” I said, meaning it. I could save my more choice words for another time when this wasn’t hanging over him. Childbirth was scary, so many things could go wrong. And even when everything went right, it was stressful.
Harrington swung his gaze to Russ, who narrowed his eyes. “I ain’t so old that I can’t take care of a horse.”
