I’d forgotten about the game. Out of the three events, hockey was the last thing I’d wanted to see, but telling GJ I didn’t want to go to the game wasn’t an option. At least the whole town would be there and I’d be able to hide among the crowd. “I’ve got some errands to run this afternoon, but I will be back in time for the game.”
“Don’t be late.” GJ shook her bony finger at me.
“What time does it start?”
“Puck drops at seven, but tailgating starts at five.”
I raised my brows. “Tailgating?”
“Don’t play dumb. Muriel is closing the diner early and bringing a bunch of Bob’s venison sausages.”
“I’ll be there,” I said. At least Nick wouldn’t be at the parking lot party. Was I going to spend the rest of the Christmas carnival trying to figure out the probability of running into a certain blue-eyed man at each event?
With the towels delivered,I wandered to my room, feeling like a zombie. I kicked off my shoes, flopped onto the bed, and fell asleep in my breakfast uniform.
A ringing woke me up. I turned over and tried to press the Sleep button on my phone, but it wasn’t what was making the noise. Rubbing my eyes, I realized that it was the telephone on the nightstand. I crawled across the bed, grabbed the handset, and rested my head on the pillow. I wasn’t sure whether I’d slept for ten minutes or ten hours, but it was still daylight, so at least I hadn’t missed the game.
“Hello?” I expected to hear GJ on the other end of the line.
“Is this Evie?” a woman asked. I sat up and tried to place the voice. It sounded familiar.
“Yes, this is Evie.”
“This is Henri, we met the other night at the Last Chance.”
“Of course.” I smiled. Henri was one of the funniest of the women that I’d met and definitely the edgiest. “You’re the writer with the lumberjack boyfriend.”
Laughter rang through the phone. “You’ve got a good memory. Jack is actually IN the lumberjack competition today. It’s log chopping. He’s out there sharpening his axe as we speak.”
“I’ve heard it’s a popular event.”
“Not as popular as the hockey game, but it should have a good crowd. Will you be there?”
“I don’t think so. I’ve got a few things to do today.”
“Me too.” Henri’s was audible through the phone. “That’s part of the reason that I’m calling.”
“Oh?” I sat up. It had sounded like she was calling to invite me to the carnival, but now I was intrigued. “Last night you mentioned that you have experience with horses.”
“I do. I grew up on a hobby farm, we mostly had horses, but we had some pain in the ass donkeys and some sweet dairy cows.”
“We’ve got a problem horse here. Apparently, he responds better to women. Jack’s been having a hell of a time withhim. Maybe you could come over to the farm and see if you can help out?”
My heart pounded. It had been years since I’d ridden, and without riding in my life, I felt like an appendage had been cut off. “I would love that.” I hoped that I wasn’t gushing.
“We will pay.” She added. “What would you charge for breaking a horse?”
“We can discuss it.” I was already peeling a knee socks off with my opposing foot. I didn’t tell Henri that I would do it for free. Working with horses was my dream job and if I could earn a few extra bucks doing it, all the better.
“How about tomorrow morning?”
“Oh,” I whispered. “I have breakfast service here at the inn, but I could come out around lunchtime.
Henri shouted to someone in the background. “Is noon okay for Evie, the horse girl, to come out?” The phone was muffled and I couldn’t hear the discussion in the background. Henri returned to the line. “That’s perfect. Do you know where the Lumber Ranch is located? It’s off Valley Lane, Henri, we’re the long laneway at the end.”
I assured Henri that I’d be able to find the farm and that I would be there at noon sharp. My hands shook as I returned the phone to its cradle. Butterflies beat in my chest and I wondered how I was going to get through the next twenty-four hours. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. This was my Christmas Eve. I had just been promised the best gift, an afternoon with horses, even if it was a problematic stallion. Those complicated creatures were actually my favorite.
The shiny rectangle on my desk caught my eye. I picked up Charlotte’s business card and turned it around in my hand a few times. Was she right? Was renting my own place within my reach? Underneath the card was the Chance Rapids Winter Carnival brochure. I picked it up and scanned through its list of events. The skijoring event was on Monday. Prize money like that could get me one step closerto my own place. The only problem, I didn’t have a horse, and I didn’t have a skier.
