He was almost always the first one up, and I appreciated the fact that he didn’t make a deal out of wherever he saw Jack and me. He lifted a hand in greeting and went about his business.
“How do you want to do this?” Jack asked quietly, looking toward the stable.
I could pick the less open route of going between the house and the office, or go around the latter and walk in the middle of the yard, taking the longer, completely open way.
I pointed toward the grass-covered bit of yard next to the house, and Jack turned to lead the way.
It wasn’t a big deal to get through that bit, so I knew if I gave myself enough leeway, maybe the panicky feelings wouldn’t surface at all?
“So, Christmas,” Jack continued the conversation we’d started before we came outside.
“Yeah. I’m using my savings to buy everyone something small but meaningful.” I glanced around and assessed how I was feeling. “Etsy is a good place to shop. I want to support small businesses anyway, and the sellers there often have great customization options.”
“I need to figure out what to get for Rhiannon and Samira.”
“Not your other siblings?” I glanced at him, then took a few steps toward the middle of the yard, the biggest open space we had outside the paddocks.
Lifting an eyebrow at me, but not asking what I was doing, he just course-corrected and shrugged. “Nah. We’re not that kind of family.”
He looked troubled for a moment, so I made an educated guess.
“The twins worrying you?”
“Yeah. I haven’t heard from Jude in a while now. I guess no news is good news.”
“Could be.” Or could not, but neither of us wanted that to be said out loud, so I didn’t.
Instead, I walked into the middle of the yard. Then I turned around in a slow circle, looking at the buildings. The stable, the office, the indoor arena, the outdoor one, the round pen, the cabins.
Jack came to stand next to me, hovering a little, but I didn’t mind.
I lifted my gaze up to the cloudy morning sky. It didn’t feel oppressive.
“I…feel fine?” I answered his unspoken question. I made eye contact with him. “I don’t expect this to last for a long time, but for now, I feel okay.”
“Want to go see the horses?” he asked, smiling slightly.
“Sure.”
When he reached for my hand, I took his, and decided to call it support and nothing more.
The dogs noticed us getting closer, and they surrounded us, wagging their tails happily.
“Such good doggos you are,” I cooed at them, patting them all in turn.
They had one stall for themselves, and that was where they ate twice a day. Their door was always open, so they could come and go as they pleased. Bucky was the only one to sleep in the house every night, the Golden Girls loved their beds in their stall.
I could hear some of the horses still making noise, but most of them were quietly munching away now. Except…
“Does that ever work, Izzy?” I could hear Theo ask the horse in question in an amused tone.
The gelding was making a ruckus to get his food as soon as possible, I assumed. Or maybe he’d already eaten and now wanted out. I had no idea what order Theo did things.
Suddenly a loud bang sounded from the back of the stable, and I realized Izzy had likely kicked the wall or his door.
Theo’s tone turned scolding, and I chuckled, turning to Jack.
He stood next to me like a statue. For two seconds, my brain tried to get into gear, and then I realized what was going on.
