“Now, no more apples until he calms down.” Because Rio was bobbing his head and lipping at the air.
“Is he mad?”
“Rio? No, no, he’s letting us know exactly what he thinks.” Ellis leaned over, winked. “I will tell you, Michael. Horses are just smart enough to be evil. Just smart enough to have an opinion on everything, but too dumb to read.”
“Oh, sort of like my brother Zane.”
Ellis wasn’t sure if he was supposed to laugh at that or not, but he did anyway. “It’s hard to be a teenager.”
“That’s what Dad says. I think that Zane’s just a dick. He’s so, like, busy being unhappy all the time.” Michael rolled his eyes. “It’s got to be boring.”
He remembered that, vaguely, from being a teenager. Somehow there had always been something to have drama about or to worry about. He had to admit, growing up was a challenge and a half. “Well, I bet, given time, he’ll work himself out. When school starts, it’ll be easier. He’ll get to meet friends.”
Michael nodded, head bobbing eagerly. “Yeah, I’m ready. I mean, I’ve already made some. Dad takes us to the rec center. They play all sorts of stuff, basketball, soccer, football. I like them all.”
“Yeah, what? What is it you like to do best?”
Michael shrugged. “Well, I’m not real big, so lots of them are harder. I kind of like tennis, but really, I like to go and do things and meet people, you know? Dad says there’ll be lots of clubs and stuff that I can join. Same for Zane, if he wants to. The girls are still little. By the time that they have lots of clubs, I’ll be driving, and I will take them to their stuff because I am not a dick.”
Ellis chuckled. He couldn’t not. “Do you like to swim?”
“Oh yeah, Dad took us to the Glenwood hot springs pool. It’s huge, it’s hot, so much fun. We played gooney golf, too. And had ice cream.”
All the while that Michael was talking, he was offering Rio a bite, including the rest of the herd by spoiling them with carrots, loving on the dog, sort of making himself known.
Ellis liked it.
The horses had stopped bumping and crowding, and hethought Michael was a natural. He was learning the horses’ body language like they learned his.
“Well, I need to get to the feed store, kiddo,” he finally said. “You want to stay down here, you stay out of Rio’s way a little. He’s grumpy when he has to stay out of the herd, and he has one more day.”
“I guess he’s ready to make new friends too. I’m out of stuff to feed them anyway.” Michael followed him out of the barn. “Can I come?”
“Huh?” He blinked, caught a tad flat-footed.
“To the feed store. I’ve never been there before, and I would like to know what a ranch needs from there.”
“Uh—” He sized the kid up. He shouldn’t need a car seat anymore, right? Ellis knew kids stayed in them now until they were like, twenty, but he thought Michael hit the weight limit. “I’m not opposed to you tagging along, but I need your daddy to look me in the eye and say it’s okay.”
Michael bounced. “Cool! He’s stripping wallpaper in the little bedroom. No one is staying in it yet, but I think one of the girls will go in there when they’re older. Come on, Mavis!” He took off, just rip-roaring.
Lord. Ellis followed at a slower pace, because he would give Ichabod plenty of warning he was about to be employee in the house. That could be weird, right?
“Dad!” Michael jammed right into the house, the screen door flapping.
Mavis skidded to a halt, because she was well-mannered and didn’t go into new houses without him.
“Good girl. You wait here. I got no idea if dogs are allowed.” He rubbed her ears, then knocked on the screen door.
“Dad says come in!” Michael called. “He’s stuck.”
He headed inside. “Mr. Ichabod?”
“Hey! Can you come help me down?”
“Coming!” He made his way quick-like down the hall to the bedroom that looked to be across from the master. “Crap. Hang on.”
Ichabod was hanging off the ladder, which had tilted against the wall. He’d obviously been trying to get the highest corner of the room and started to go over, and while eight feet might not be too high, it would be a tough landing on the hardwood floors. “Michael, hold the ladder. Don’t let it slip down the wall,” he snapped.
