Beau immediately shakes his head, which is odd, because normally he’s willing to help anyone or any animal in need. “I’msorry Win, but I’m going to be busy here with our newest rescue for a while,” he says. “But Jonah can take you.”
“I can do no such thing, Beau,” I say immediately. “I need to be here, too. You know that.”
“No you don’t.” Beau crosses his arms and gives me an inscrutable look. “We’ll make the treatment plan together when you get back, but until then I need to conduct a thorough examination and take x-rays. Which I don’t need you for.”
“Nathan can take her, then,” I say, grinding my teeth.
“Sheis right here,” Winnie mutters.
“I’ve got a commitment this afternoon,” Nathan says vaguely, and then shoots me a wink.
“I’m not getting into a car with a man I barely know.” Winnie looks at me warily.
“Well, the trip will give you the chance to get to know him, Win, think of it that way,” Beau supplies. “Jonah is an upstanding guy.”
“Thanks,” I say sarcastically. “It’s real big of you to say that.”
“Fine,” Winnie huffs a moment later. “You can help me. But only because I don’t want to pay the late fee on the rental.”
I don’t mention that I haven’t even agreed yet, I just sigh and say, “Come on, then.”
I dutifully drivebehind Winnie all the way to the rental place, which is forty-five minutes away, outside of Bozeman. Thankfully, it’s clear out and the roads are dry, because the dinky little sedan she’s driving was not made for the snow.
When we get there, she heads inside to deal with returning the car, and I wait in my work truck. I turn the radio on, and tune into the local music station I like. It’s run by a couple of guys inBozeman whose taste in music is similar to my own. They play jazz, blues, and folk, with a few oldies here and there.
It strikes me as odd that Winnie even has a rental car. If she’s staying in Star Mountain for a while, why not bring her own car? She certainly seems well-off enough to have one. And why, exactly, is she even here? Why pick up her entire life and bring it to a horse rescue, when she clearly has minimal experience with horses? She can’t possibly be looking for a career here.
When she knocks on my window about fifteen minutes later once she’s done, I’m determined to ask her some of these questions. She climbs into the seat of the truck, and I can’t help but notice that even doing something ordinary, she’s elegant and composed. She carries herself with an air of grace that I bet is due to her pageant training.
“So why did you have a rental car?” I ask, as we pull out of the parking lot. “Why not drive your own car up here?”
“I don’t have my own car,” she says simply. “I borrow my parents’ cars.”
“You’re, what, twenty-five?”
“Twenty-six,” she corrects.
“Isn’t that a bit old to be using your mom’s car?” I press.
“I don’t really see how this is any of your business.” A slightly sharp tone enters her voice.
Interesting. Miss Pageant Queen doesn’t like to share, it would seem.
“It’s just weird is all,” I say. “The way you packed up your entire life and moved here, even though you don’t really like horses.”
“Excuse me, but I like horses plenty. And I’m helping Candice out with one of the new ones. I’m in charge of Rosie,” Winnie replies defensively.
“Sure, you’re helping out, of course. But I still don’t get why you’d want to move to Star Mountain, of all places. We have onebar, one bakery, one library, and one grocery store. Hell, we only just got a post office last year.”
“I needed a change, I guess. My old life wasn’t what I really wanted. I wanted to do something new, tobesomeone new.” Her voice sounds small and uncertain.
“What does your family think of all of this?”
“They’re…fine with it. They don’t really matter.”
“Huh-uh, sure,” I say, sensing that there’s much more to that story.
“Really, they are fine with my being here, I promise. They know that this is the right move for me, and they support me. They want me to be happy.”
