12
Molly stood with her arms braced on the corral railing watching the four horses in Iris and Jilly's corral.
The animals were in awful shape. Skinny bags of bones. One had a skin condition and was missing half its coat. But they were full of life, nickering and chasing each other around the enclosure.
Apparently, Iris and Jilly ran an unofficial rescue operation for horses on top of their cattle ranch. They rehabilitated and placed horses who had been removed from their owners for mistreatment or given up by neglectful owners who didn't want the expense of a horse any longer.
Just looking at the animals made Molly tired. She hadn't found her footing again after this morning's breakdown with Cord.
He was standing on the porch with Iris right now, several yards behind her. Molly was fairly sure they were talking about her.
Poor girl. She could imagine the words from Iris.I can't believe that happened to her.
She didn't know what Cord's response would be. He'd been stoic and silent after he'd let her go, after her crying jag.
Maybe she'd scared him as badly as seeing the red Mustang in town had scared her. Because he'd insisted she abandon the tractor and come to the house. And he'd called Iris.
She was a little surprised he hadn't asked Molly to leave.
He didn't need her drama.
Especially because the more she thought about it, the more she became convinced that her mind was playing tricks on her.
Red Mustangs weren't unusual. If someone was going to buy a sports car, red was one of the more popular colors.
She'd overreacted.
But she still couldn't escape the fear dogging her steps.
She was a mess.
Why would anyone want to keep a mess around?
"I was surprisedto get your call this morning," Iris said.
Cord knocked back his Resistol and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, well, I was surprised to make it."
"Desperate, you mean?"
She pulled a laugh out of him. Iris had never pulled punches, even when they were kids. She'd been a good friend when he'd needed one.
He let his eyes stray to where Molly stood near the corral fence. Even after she'd cried a wet patch onto his shirt, she hadn't opened up about what was wrong. Hadn't expounded on what her statement—I think I'm going crazy—meant.
Which had left him no choice but to phone his old friend. Former friend.
He didn't know what they were.
"You care about her," Iris said.
And a pain jabbed behind his right eye.
"We're friends," he admitted grudgingly. He hadn't intended to give Molly that much. Friendship came with too many strings. "She doesn't exactly take no for an answer."
A sideways glance at Iris revealed the twitch of her lips.
"That must bug you, sincenois your favorite word."
For one-tenth of a second, the old joke shimmered in the air between them, waiting for him to smile, to join in the fun.
