To Zane’s credit, he nodded and believed, waiting until Ichabod opened the door and he saw the car.
“Dad!” Zane stared at him. “You’re serious?”
“It needs work, but yeah. It’s yours.”
“Holy sh—Moly. It’s amazing! It’s like, an SUV!”
“Yep.” Ellis grinned. “And I got you chains, too. And kitty litter and a shovel.”
“This is amazing!”
“Michael, come see what we got you, son.” He held out his hand to his younger boy.
Michael took his hand, dragging his feet a little bit as he tended to do when he wasn’t sure what was going on. He could feel Michael shivering because it was damn cold out there even though the barn had a couple of heaters for the horses if they needed them.
When Ellis and Ichabod led Michael to the last stall at the end of the row, Michael’s eyes widened at the sight of the chestnut filly who poked her nose over the edge of the stall door.
“Oh my God. She’s so pretty. Is she for me?” Michael’s voice shook, and he thought that was not about the cold. Not one little bit.
“She is. She came from a rescue. Ellis said that she already knows a few manners, and she’s real gentle considering howshe was treated.” Ellis dug in his pocket and pulled out a piece of apple to hand to Michael.
Michael held it out on the flat of his hand. “You mean someone was mean to her?”
“Yep, so you’re going to have to be real patient with her, okay buddy?” Ichabod loved the look on Michael’s face; he could tell his son was in love already. “You’ll learn all about saddles and riding together.”
“I promise, Dad. I promise that I’ll be the best…horse dad ever.”
God, that was sweet. Michael had forgotten the word cowboy.
“Ellis, you know me. You know I will love her so much.”
“I know, kiddo. I have no doubt.”
“Does she have a name?”
Ellis nodded, and Ichabod thought there were tears in his lover’s eyes, too. “Honey. Her name is Honeybee.”
“Honey. Honeybee! Hi, Honeybee! I’m Michael, and I’m gonna be the best horse dad ever! I promise to God.”
Zane rolled his eyes, and Ichabod glanced over.Don’t do this, kid,he thought.Please don’t fuck this up for your brother. I would hate to have to kill you now.
Zane’s lips twisted, and he said, “She is pretty, man; like she’sreallypretty.”
“She is, isn’t she? Is that your car?” Michael beamed at his brother, and Ichabod winged up a prayer of thanks.
“Yeah.” Zane started smiling again. “It so totally is.”
“That’s so cool. Seriously, I can’t wait to go for a ride with you. I’ll help fix it up. You can show me how.”
“I will. I promise.” Zane beamed and ran his hand over the hood of the car. “It looks clean on the inside, but the paint job could use a little work, and she’s got a dent over here. I can show you how we pull those out. It’ll be great.”
“Okay, boys, let’s go in, have a cup of coffee, open presents, and then everyone can come out here and freeze to their heart’s content.” Ichabod was one hundred percent done with this bitter cold nonsense.
He thought Ellis was too, because his man was stamping those feet and rubbing his arms, his teeth chattering a tiny bit. None of them were dressed for this, after all.
Zane looked at his car with longing clear in every line of his body, but then he nodded. “Of course, Dad. Let’s go do breakfast and presents with the little ones, huh?” Oh, he was so adult now he had a vehicle of his own.
“Sounds great, assuming that your sisters have not both perished from the idea that there are puppies.”
