Desperation clawed through Winnie, her need to apologize for Taylor right there on the tip of her tongue. She held it back, because she didn’t think Burt would appreciate knowing that this was just how Taylor was. It didn’t truly reflect on him.
“Poor guy,” she murmured as he disappeared around the corner.
Ty scoffed. “Poor guy? He’ll have another girl by dinnertime.”
Winnie rapid-blinked again, in complete disbelief at how some people lived their lives.
“Come on,” he said. “Just because we don’t have to do the tack room anymore doesn’t mean we have time to stand around and chat.”
“Can we stand around and kiss?” Winnie teased as she caught up to him at the next stall.
He looked at her out of the sides of his eyes. “Maybe later.”
Winnie tipped her head back and laughed, which caused the horse in front of her—a beautiful brown-and-white pinto named Freedom—to whinny too.
“Settle down, you,” Ty said, his voice a touch harder than usual. “This is Winnie, and I’ve told you all about her.”
Winnie felt like someone had plugged her in, what with the glowing warmth that flowed through her now. She truly enjoyed spending time with Ty, and seeing his equine side? That had only accelerated her feelings for him, and now all Winnie could do was pray she didn’t fall too far too fast.
Winnie knewtime was the great healer, and she witnessed it around Three Rivers as the days passed. She saw debris piled out on the street in the morning when she drove to the clinic that had been picked up when she went home at night.
Ty kept her up-to-date on his friends and their ranches and farms, and everyone except Shiloh Ridge had been put back together in only a few days.
Valentine’s Day was coming up next weekend, and Ty had asked her on an official date, and she’d been shopping for something new and nice to wear.
They’d be going to look at a couple of places for Ty in only two more days, and Winnie had just pulled into the parking lot at the clinic when her alarm went off. She silenced it, her eyes catching on the note she’d left for herself.
She tapped out a text to Ty.I hope you have an amazing day off! Don’t do anything but rest and rest and more rest. And remember, I’m treating you to dinner after our ASL class tonight.
She sent it, tucked her phone in her purse, and reached for her bag. Her phone rang, and Winnie’s heart jumped for a moment.
“That’s so loud,” she complained to herself, reaching to turndown the volume on her device.It’s your mother callingsat on her screen, and Winnie inwardly moaned.
Still, she grabbed her stuff and got out of the car before answering the call. “Hey, Mom, I’m walking into work right now.”
“I figured,” her mother said.
“How’s Daddy?” Winnie asked, because she’d spoken to her parents every day since last week’s text-fest on the way to Lone Star.
“He’s doing pretty good,” Momma said. “I’m actually calling to see how you are.”
“How I am?” Winnie repeated.
“It’s February,” Momma said, as if Winnie should be falling apart.
She did trip over her own feet, because of course she knew the calendar had changed. She still thought of Carver every single day, though she no longer blamed herself for what had happened.
“Right,” Winnie said. “And I have a date for Valentine’s Day next weekend, Momma.”
“I just—” Momma sucked in a breath. “What? A date?”
Winnie smiled to herself and found her confidence all over again. “Yes, Momma, so this call better be about Daddy, because I’m not talking about him yet, and I’m not going to spend my time pining over the past either.”
Winnie had never really been one to wallow, but the lost wedding had sent her into a tailspin for a while. One large enough to send her to another state, with a new job.
And yes, now a new boyfriend.
Momma exhaled, and Winnie could just see her gearing up to start a stream of talking. It made her smile, and she was definitely prepared when her mother said, “I finally got him to make an appointment with the doctor, and nowallhe talks about is canceling it,” followed by a great big sigh.
