Not wanting to be rude, I went after him and headed for the fancy coffee maker everyone raved about on a daily basis. Ruth had apparently insisted on having one.
“Want a coffee?”
“Yes, please. A latte would be nice.” Theo rummaged through the pretty empty fridge, and then asked, “How about grilled cheese, and I think there’s tomato soup cans in the cabinet over there.”
I smiled over my shoulder. “Sure, sounds good!”
It didn’t take us long to prepare the food. It was basic but would be filling enough, I guessed. Lake and River had used the lack of groceries as an excuse to do some more shopping in town, so I had no doubt the pantry and fridge would be filled once they got back.
The dining area off the kitchen had two round tables in it. Both seated four people, and one was closer to the windows. I preferred the other one, for obvious reasons, but this morning, I hadn’t closed the curtains. Exposure therapy or something like that…?
Theo raised a brow at the curtains being open, but didn’t say anything, which I appreciated.
We ate mostly in silence, but it was the nice kind. I liked that I didn’t feel the urge to chat with Theo. Eventually though, I realized he was the horse guy here.
“I saw there’s a lot of horse-related books in Ruth’s office,” I said quietly. “I want to learn more about them.”
“Have you ever been around horses before?”
I kind of grimaced with the memories. “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. 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.” Theo grinned. “For your horsey studies.”
The pure delight made a giggle burst out of me. “Yeah, I’d like that a lot.” I glanced at the windows and tried to think what was on the back side and what in the front. I needed the cover, but horses weren’t exactly small. “Uh, I think the back would be good?”
At least there was the orchard there, which would maybe provide some cover?
“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.” Theo must’ve seen on my face how nerves bubbled up. He added, “No pressure.”
Suddenly unable to make eye contact with him, I asked, “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?”
“Absolutely,” he replied immediately, his voice even and firm. Honest.
We exchanged numbers, and I felt the sudden anxiety leave my body.
“Seriously, there’s no rush with this, ever.” He waited me out, so I looked at him and saw him smile. “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.”
I wasn’t so sure I was worth anyone’s extra effort, but I smiled a little anyway. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
We finished the meal, and I told him I’d take care of clearing the table and making the kitchen presentable again. He had important work to do, after all.
Theo saluted me and left to get back to his duties.
I was wiping down the table a few moments later, when I noticed Theo in the backyard. I left my rag on the table and went to open the back door.
“How are you feeling?” Theo asked gently.
I stepped onto the top stair, and immediately felt my body break out in chills. “I…it’s…a lot.”
“I know. How about you go check the front yard and let me know if that’s any better for today. Then text me? I’ll be going toward the stable anyway, so it’s your choice if I return with a horse or not.”
Feeling how my throat started to close up, I nodded rapidly and closed the door.
I quickly went to the front of the house and peered through the window next to the door. No, I couldn’t. Not today.
I texted Theo. “Sorry, can’t do it yet. Ask me again tomorrow?” I grimaced at being such a fucking loser. Quickly, I sent another message:Sorry.
