Eventually, I deemed us done for the day. I made a point to give them both a lot of pats and carrots, and then fetched them more hay so they’d have something to do.
* * * *
Annie and Lauren were super nice, and they got a real kick out of getting to brush a couple of the horses that needed more handling but were at the point where they were fine with strangers.
They promised to come back the next weekend, and told me they’d also be making a donation next time we had a fundraiser.
The weather held nicely, and the mild breeze made me anxious to get Lake back to help me with the twins. The wind wasn’t strong enough to spook Truce, so we could put them on one of the pastures with some other horses for more socialization.
I was going to go to my cabin to get lunch when I realized Rey was alone at the house. Hoping to make sure the kid ate something, I changed direction and headed to the house instead.
After leaving my work boots on the porch, I walked inside like I always had in the past, vaguely wondering if I should’ve knocked or rang the doorbell. Oh well.
“Rey?” I called out, thinking he was probably upstairs.
I stood in the foyer and waited. After a moment, I heard steps from the stairs.
“Yeah?” the kid asked, peering at me curiously, but with a little apprehension.
“Have you had lunch yet?”
He shook his head, long hair flopping out of the hood he had up.
“Well come keep me company, we’ll scavenge for whatever’s left.”
Without waiting for an answer, I walked to the kitchen and peered into the fridge.
Rey slinked in like a stray cat and went to the coffee machine. “Want a coffee?”
“Yes, please. A latte would be nice.” Since there were eggs and cheese, I knew there would be cans of tomato soup in the cupboard, I asked if he wanted those for lunch.
“Sure, sounds good!” He smiled at me over his shoulder, and together we put together a little meal.
Once we were sat at the table further from the windows—the curtains were open, which surprised me a little—I hummed happily at the simple yet tasty flavors.
“I saw there’s a lot of horse related books in Ruth’s office,” Rey started quietly. “I want to learn more about them.”
“Have you ever been around horses before?”
He made a face I couldn’t interpret. “We had a family…friend, I guess, who lived on this estate in Massachusetts. They had horses, so I got to pet them a few times.” After a couple of spoonfuls of soup, he quietly said, “I really liked it.”
“Well, if you want, I could bring one of the horses over to either the front or the back of the house. Just so you can get used to them or see anything you want up close.” I grinned. “For your horsey studies.”
Rey let out a little giggle, then nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that a lot.” He turned his head minutely to look out of the back window. Then he seemed to think, and I figured it was about which side of the house was less open. “Uh, I think the back would be good?”
It wasn’t necessarily any more covered, but I guessed other people could be an issue. Between the two-story house and the orchard in the back, he’d hopefully feel safe enough. I also felt that he should start from somewhere and well, it was all about the first step.
“Once we’ve eaten, I’ll go make sure there’s room in the back. You can decide then if you want to meet one of the horses now or some other day. No pressure.” I tacked on the last bit when I saw him swallow nervously.
“Can I give you my phone number? If…if I can’t do it today, then maybe you could call me the next time you’d be available?” He couldn’t seem to make eye contact with me, and it broke my heart a little.
“Absolutely,” I replied immediately, hoping my tone conveyed how serious I was about it.
We exchanged numbers, and Rey relaxed.
“Seriously, there’s no rush with this, ever.” I waited for him to turn to me. When he did, I nodded him, smiling. “You’re stuck with this place for now, kid. We do our best to make everyone feel like home. People have different needs, there’s no shame in that.”
He appeared dubious, but then smiled a little. “Okay.”
