“Moondance is perfect.” She scowls at me now, like I’ve insulted her firstborn – which under the circumstances, is kind of like insulting us both. “He’s a dream horse. It’s just that he was raised here and deserves to go to a place where he can shine.”
“If you’re talking about fixing up your stables, you should know that goes without saying. I’m not going to give you a horse and expect you to foot its upkeep.”
She shakes her head, her eyes shadowed in her pale face. “The farm isn't doing great, Ellis. Even with the ad campaign money we're going to have a tough year. I think we could probably battle through to next summer, but Rosie just told me she’s had enough. She wants to keep travelling, so she’s looking for a buyer.”
Oh, shit.I can tell from the devastation in her voice that the news has come out of the blue. “I’m really sorry, Lily.”
She wipes her eyes, but it doesn’t erase the exhaustion from her gaze. “It’s not just about losing the farm, though. I mean, it’s going to be a massive change, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Rosie calls it a new chapter of my life, but then, she’s a big believer in second chances.”
I like the sound of Rosie. Second chances are the only thing keeping me from losing my shit most days.
“Is there something you want to do? If you had more free time, I mean.”
She drops her gaze and scratches her shoe in the dirt. “You’ll think this is kind of corny, given where we are, but I wanted to follow in Rosie’s parents’ footsteps. They had a riding school, but their real passion was for rehabilitating horses. They took in ones who’d been injured, but also if they’d just gotten old and couldn’t work anymore. I like the idea of giving them some peace, and maybe a nice sunny field to see out their last days.”
Does she know how perfect that answer is?
She leans her head back against the wall and sighs. “But it’s even more expensive than flower farming, so it’s really just a pipe dream.”
I give a low rumble of understanding, but everything in me is bursting to tell her that her dream isn’t just admirable, it’s also something I want to help her achieve. “You know something my first drama coach told me? This was way before Agent Ripcord, when I was fresh out of high school and not sure if I’d ever make it as an actor. He said if you don’t dare to dream, how are you ever going to get your dream-come-true?”
She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach all the way to her eyes. “Dreams have their places. I’m just not sure it’s right here and now.”
I nod, swallowing down my disappointment. Not that I’m going to give up. Lily has planted a seed of an idea inside me, and I just need to get Zander alone to talk to him about it. If there’s anyone who appreciates sunny fields and wide-open spaces, it’s my taciturn riding teacher. “I’m still going to make an offer for Moondance,” I tell her. “He’s a great horse, and I can stable him at our ranch in Colorado.”
Lily bites her lip, and even though it’s her turn to look disappointed, she straightens her shoulders. “I think that’s a great idea.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her exactlyhowgreat, but I bite it back, and after sealing the deal with Marianne, Zander follows us to a nearby diner. I know he’s itching to get home, and since I’ve got a hot date at Lovers’ Lane, I don’t beg him to reconsider and spend the night at the manor.
“She’s a good distraction for you,” he says when Lily heads into the restroom to freshen up. We’ve settled into a red vinyl booth, which puts me right in Zander’s line of sight, and I find myself sitting up straighter, just like he taught me. “Not sure she and her kid are going to take to your big city lifestyle, though.”
“They don’t need to. I’m taking a break from acting.” The server brings over our drink order, and he studies me while he sips his black coffee. “I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for, and that means focusing all my attention on them. Or, as much as they’ll let me.”
He nods, and although he’s probably curious about our dynamic, he’d rather add a dozen pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup to his coffee than pry into my personal life. Instead, he drums his fingers on the table. “Gotta admit, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone turn down a horse like Moondance.”
I grimace, because while I kept my cool in front of Lily, Zander knows how much I wanted this to work out. “I might have jumped the gun a little, but I think he can still be Leo’shorse in the long run.” I quickly recap what Lily said about her pipedream future and outline the plan that’s been cooking in the back of my brain ever since. “Would you consider a trip out to Colorado to talk to our ranch manager about setting it up?”
Zander sets down his coffee, and I steel myself for a lecture. We both know I’m impulsive and soft-hearted, and he spent a good part of my formative years trying to teach me to pick one thing and stick to it, so I almost fall out of the booth when he leans across the table and squeezes my arm. “It’d be my honor, Ellis.”
“Seriously? You don’t think I’m being… rash?”
“Sounds to me like you know what you want, and now you’re ready to invest in it. That’s the opposite of rash, son.”
I sit back abruptly, blinking frantically to keep my tears at bay. Which is an even harder feat when Lily returns from the bathroom and Zander rises to his feet to take her hand. “I didn’t get a proper chance to say this to you before, but it’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
Lily flushes an adorable shade of pink. “Oh, thanks so much, Zander. And you too, of course. I’m sorry if I complicated the sale in any way.”
“You didn’t.” He touches the brim of his hat and gives her one of his rare smiles. “But I’m going to get back on the road. Got a long drive ahead of me.”
“Okay.” She slides into the booth across from me, but her gaze is still on Zander. “I hope we get to meet again.”
“Oh, we will,” he says with a side wink for me. “This one has big plans.”
Zander is still chuckling as he strides out, and Lily gives me a careful look as she sips her coffee. “I hope I didn’t drive him away.”
“Hardly. That’s the most activity his smile muscles have seen in decades.”
She snorts, but then reaches across the table to take my hand. “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful, Ellis. I know you only have Leo’s interest at heart.”
