We rode side by side, just being there together.
It seemed like we came to an unsaid mutual agreement to not talk about the manuscript or money. Instead, we chatted about mundane things, about books we’d read and liked, about the animals and our plans for them, and about how we could encourage Rey to come to the stable one day.
We’d come to the last third of our loop in the reserve when my cell phone started to vibrate in my pocket. I dug it out and answered.
“Theo Fenton.”
“Hey, Theo, it’s Jules.”
“Oh, hey, Jules.” I felt surprised, since I hadn’t heard from them in a long time.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have time to call you before now. It’s been…chaotic,” they said in their lightly accented voice. Their parents were French, and you could hear it in Jules’ words.
“You run a rescue. I know something about how that gets,” I reminded them.
They chuckled lightly. “I guess so.” They cleared their throat a little. “I’m sorry to have to talk business instead of…you know, talk about Ruth, but I find myself in a bit of a pickle, and I thought maybe you might be able to help.”
“All I can do is listen, Jules, so please do. I’m currently on horseback, heading home from the reserve, but that’s okay.”
“If you’re sure?”
“Yes, of course.”
“All right then.” Jules sighed. They were normally so happy go lucky, that I was instantly alarmed. “We got some new animals from an abuse case a few days ago. Everywhere is filled to the brim, so I even took the ones I normally wouldn’t. It’s become obvious that we don’t have the capability to take care of all of them and I need someone to take…well, whichever works for them, off our hands.”
I quickly thought for a moment. “We have three box stalls empty, and if corrals would work, then we can have more built pretty fast if we can scrounge up the funding.”
“It’s not just horses and donkeys, though,” Jules said, their tone incredibly tired. “The dogs we can handle here, but there are two cats, and a litter of kittens.”
I turned to look at Lake as we neared the road we needed to cross. “Do you think Rey would like to take care of some cats?”
Lake nodded. “Yeah, absolutely.”
“If we start the drive tomorrow morning, is that good enough?”
Jules murmured something in French that sounded like an expression of relief. “Thank you so much, Theo. That’s more than good enough, that’s perfect.”
“We’ll be there around midday, if not sooner.”
“All right, see you tomorrow.”
I put the phone away and we waited for a car to pass before crossing the road to the rescue’s driveway.
We dismounted and walked the horses to the stables to take off the tack and brush them down.
“Where are we going?” Lake asked while we were taking the saddles to the tack room.
“Jules is an old friend of Twin Star’s. They own a small rescue about an hour south of Indianapolis.”
“What did they say they have?”
“A problem, that’s what they have,” I grunted, my mind still going through the options of what we had to do, depending on what we’d bring home from Indiana.
Lake chuckled. “And we’re going to drive there with a trailer to help them with their problem?”
“Exactly. We’ll take the three-horse trailer and hope we can fit everyone in there. If not, I’ll make another trip later.” I side-stepped a threatening hoof and patted Ursula. “Would you behave, lady…”
“Has she gotten any better in the time she’s been here?”
