“I don’t know that anything is going to get better quickly, but life has a way of figuring itself out. Trust your gut and do what makes you happy. It took me long enough to figure it out, but I’m finally taking my own advice.” My mother held her glass up, and Caroline and I each picked up our water glasses and clinked them to hers.
“Cheers to better days,” Caroline said.
“I’ll drink to that,” my mom and I said at the same time.
And I meant it.
Things couldn’t get much worse.
It was a warm one this morning at Axel’s ranch, with the sun shining bright and early. My mother had left for North Carolina a few days ago, and my father had texted me to let me know that he and Chrissy were going to be coming to the house at the end of the week.
He said he had big news to share with me, and I was grateful that my mother had already told me the news so I wouldn’t be caught off guard when I saw him.
He refused to tell me anything more about Wrax and just continued to send me photos of the horses he was considering purchasing.
For me.
As if I wouldn’t need to be involved in the process—but why would I? I wasn’t involved when he’d sent my horse away.
I had no desire to see him and was fairly certain he was going through some sort of midlife crisis.
The house felt eerily quiet these days, and I didn’t want to be there right now. I’d barely slept the last few nights.
My mind was reeling about Wrax and my future, and Coach Sharky continued to call daily, but I intentionally kept things very brief. I truly didn’t know who to trust right now.
I didn’t want to be in that house with my father and Chrissy coming back soon. I was still processing the impending divorce, and now there was a baby in the mix. I couldn’t wrap my mind around any of this.
When I was at the Honey Biscuit Café yesterday, Oscar had told me about a rental home owned by Emilia Taylor, who was one of the sweetest people in Rosewood River. I’d given her a call and left her a message and was hoping I’d hear back today. I needed a place of my own.
I stood in the stall after arriving early to work again as I brushed Honey.
“I could just live in here with you,” I said with a laugh. I’d always been more comfortable with horses than people anyway.
The smell of fresh hay comforted me in the strangest way, probably because I’d grown up riding and spending all my time in barns with horses.
“You could take her for a ride if you want.” Axel’s voice came from behind me, and I slowly turned to look at him.
His wavy hair fell over his forehead, just as he popped his hat on top of his head. He wore a white tee and some faded jeans with his worn brown cowboy boots.
“That’s all right. Just hanging with her is nice.” I set the brush down and started to move past him.
“Hey,” he said, his gaze finding mine. “Emilia told me she’d be stopping by today to talk to you about her rental house.”
Welcome to Rosewood River, where everyone knows everything.
“I didn’t know you were so close to Emilia Taylor,” I said.
“She lives with Bridger, actually.” He smirked, knowing I was going to be shocked by this bit of information.
But I couldn’t ask a ton of questions, because we weren’t exactly friends anymore. We tolerated one another, nothing more.
“I didn’t know that.”
“How would you? You’ve been gone for a while.” He blew out a breath.
“So is she still planning to stop by?”
“She is, but I wanted to offer you another option.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
