With that thought, I crawl into bed and quickly fall asleep.
BARN BULLETIN
In case you missed it, we’ve got a new volunteer. Her name is Winnie. - Candice.
We already know who Winnie is… - Tomás
I know, but this way it’s official. Winnie Grant, welcome to Star Mountain. :) - Candice
Welcome! So thrilled to have another gal around the barn. - Jenny
Hi everyone! I’m excited to be here. - Winnie
4
JONAH
Winnie doesn’t looklike a pageant queen. Her hair isn’t blonde, for one. And it’s short, coming up just past her chin. At the moment, she has most of it pulled back into a small bun. And she’s wearing a t-shirt and jeans, despite the freezing weather. Her back is to me, and she’s staring out into the snowy fields behind the Wilson’s house.
“Should we talk to her?” Beau asks Candice.
“No,” Candice says sharply. “She’s not ready.”
“Well, she needs to do something,” Beau grumbles. “She’s standing outside in the freezing weather wearing a t-shirt.”
“I’ll get her to come inside in a few minutes,” Candice says.
“She might be frozen before then,” I mutter.
“As if you care,” Candice hisses, clearly still pissed at me for how I treated Winnie when we first met a few days ago.
“I don’t. But the sooner the ditz comes inside, the sooner we can have our meeting.” Candice and Beau asked me over because they have a complicated case coming in soon—a horse who will need its hooves looked after and attended to for a while before they’re better. They wanted to discuss how much I can help. I already know the answer: as much as the animal needs. I mightbe busier than ever, working myself to the bone to try and earn money to pay off medical bills, but I’ll find the time.
“I’m not a ditz,” Winnie calls out, apparently having heard me.
She turns around and starts walking towards us, and it’s then that I understand it. The whole pageant queen thing. Because the smile she levels at me is pure sweetness and light, breaking across her face like the sun breaking through the clouds. Her eyes are shining, hell, they’re fuckingtwinkling, and if I didn’t know she disliked me, I’d be convinced it was real.
“Only a ditz would smile like that after being insulted,” I say, before I can think better of it.
“Ditz or not, I don’t pay much mind to snide remarks from assholes,” she responds, that same bright smile never dimming.
“Jonah, I asked you to be nice to Winnie.” Candice’s tone is flat and I know her well enough to understand that this means she’s now livid.
“Oh don’t worry about it, sugar. I find it best to just ignore men like him.” Winnie shoots me an exaggerated wink.
Before I can ask what men like me means, Beau asks, “Why the hell are you wearing a t-shirt, Win?”
“Oh,” she says, her smile falling just a bit. “I got really excited to wear a t-shirt and jeans. I guess I didn’t think about putting a coat on. It never gets this cold back home.”
Her words are strange—because who really getsexcitedto wear jeans—but neither Wilson sibling looks confused. Candice gives her a soft smile, and Beau is trying to mask something that looks like fury.
“I can lend you some things,” Candice says, tugging Winnie towards the house.
“I’m sure I have some winter things from whatever brands have sent me in the past, and I know I brought my vintage furcoats. I never had the chance to wear them in Birmingham,” Winnie says brightly, clearly cheerful once more.
Candice just laughs, but Beau and I share a look. Where the fuck does this woman think she’s going to wear a fur coat in rural Montana on a horse rescue? I guess itwillkeep her warm. But she probably won’t be happy when it gets covered in mud and shit.
“I’ll still lend you some work boots,” Candice says.
