Every person seated at the table whipped their heads around to face Owen. The snap reaction was in such synchronization it almost looked choreographed.
“You’re almost finished.” Aunt Eileen smiled. That woman was clearly the calm in the eye of the storm. “There are plenty of other tables.”
Patrick covered his wife’s hand with his, then turned to Aunt Eileen. “Please stay.”
Silent communication passed between Uncle Sean and Aunt Eileen before they turned to face Aunt Anne and Uncle Brian. Brian heaved a low sigh and the slightest of shrugs. Another moment and chairs were shifting and moving until everyone was freshly settled. The silence hung over the table like a guillotine during the French Revolution.
Barely a word was spoken as the newcomers to the table examined the menus.
“The snapper is exquisite,” Paxton’s wife mentioned.
Valerie leaned forward, nodding. “Yes. I highly recommend it.”
“Thank you.” Aunt Eileen closed her menu. “I think I’ll try it.”
“Me too.” Aunt Anne closed her menu and smiled.
Under her breath, Mariah Farraday muttered, “Might as well, you try everything else.”
Ryan’s aunt’s back stiffened, but everyone who heard, politely pretended they hadn’t. His dad squeezed his mother’s hand. Whether it was in silent plea for peace or a gesture of support, Nicole had no way of guessing.
Whenever Aunt Anne found the nerve to speak up, Ryan’s mother managed to mutter something under her breath. Most of it Nicole couldn’t hear from where she sat, but the jabs all seemed to be directed at her sister-in-law. From what the family mentioned from time to time in her presence, none of the sons or cousins or aunts and uncles had any idea why Mariah Farraday had distanced her family from the rest of the clan, but it seemed pretty obvious to Nicole, the problem rested firmly on Anne Farraday. Mariah did not like that woman one teeny bit.
Chapter Sixteen
As far as dinners out went, the food was a definite success tonight, but the company, not so much. Nicole could feel knots forming in her own stomach from the tension and she was merely a friendly bystander. “It’s getting late.” She set her napkin beside her empty plate. “I’d like to check on Duke.”
Ryan pushed his own chair back and stood beside her. “I’ll go with you. Handling a restless horse and a heavy gate is a two-person job. Especially at this time of night.” He looked around the table, his expression shifting into a polite, professional mask. “Y’all enjoy the rest of your dinner. We’ll be back shortly.”
Morgan raised a single dark eyebrow at his younger brother that practically shoutedyou’ve-got-to-be-kidding.
Ignoring the looks around the table, Ryan settled his hand at the small of Nicole’s back and led both of them toward the door.
At this hour, the quiet calm of Sadieville was the complete antithesis to the heavy tension they’d left behind. She did her best not to grin like a schoolgirl at how happy it made her that Ryan had yet to remove his hand as they walked side by side, boot heels thumping against the wooden sidewalk.
“I can’t remember ever sitting at a dinner like that.” He held back a chuckle. “I swear, any minute I expected Mom to start a riot. I think she’s spent most of our lives waiting for this fight with the family.”
Her hand on the heavy latch of the livery door, Nicole paused. “Has no one ever noticed that she isn’t looking for a fight with everyone, just your Aunt Anne? Whatever happened years ago, her beef is with her sister-in-law and no one else.”
Ryan sighed, a low sound that carried a weight of weary resignation. “I just can’t think what such a nice lady as Aunt Anne could have done to piss my mother off that much.”
“I sure haven’t a clue.” She yanked the door open, a sharp, hollow boom echoed from the back of the building. The earthy scent of horse sweat and agitated animal met them. The clear sound of a heavy hoof striking wood rang out again, followed by a low, pained groan from Duke.
“He’s at it again.” Nicole quickened her pace, weaving through the stacks of construction material.
The bulb of a single temporary fixture dimly lit the inside of the livery. Stepping across the large space carefully, his gaze landed on Duke’s stall. The massive Percheron swayed slowly, his dark head hanging low, his front hooves rhythmically digging at the straw bedding. He looked toward them, his dark eyes clouded and dull.
“Easy, boy,” Ryan murmured, his voice dropping into that low, soothing register.
As she’d feared, Duke had easily kicked the gate right off the hinges. That must have been the low boom they’d heard when they opened the livery door. The big animal continued to paw and rock, his weight gently bumping into the wall beside him. The low creaking of stressed wood caught her attention. The gate might be the least of their problems. “Why don’t you take Duke outside, tie him to the hitching post? I’ll get Daisy. I don’t think it’s a good idea for either of them to be in here tonight.”
“Something is definitely off with Duke.” He snagged Duke’s halter and lead from the peg beside the stall and held it up. “Can you grab Daisy’s and get it on her?”
Good question. She watched when they’d removed the equipment after placing the horses in the stall—how hard could it be? “I think so, just in case, I’ll watch you first.”
Giving her an approving nod, he stepped into Duke’s space, one hand already reaching for the big animal’s neck. “Easy, boy. Easy.” He slid the lead rope up and around Duke’s thick neck first, taking hold before the horse could swing away, then worked the halter over his nose and up behind his ears in one practiced motion. Duke sidestepped, restless energy rolling through his massive shoulders, but it was easy to see how Ryan kept a steady pressure on the lead, turning the horse’s head toward him and away from the broken opening. “That’s it. Settle down.” Once the buckle was fastened, he shortened the lead and guided Duke forward, angling him clear of the splintered gate and out into the aisle. “You got it?”
Forcing a confident smile, she nodded. “Got it.” Nicole hurried to the adjacent stall. Ryan already had Duke out of the way, but as she got the halter and lead on Daisy, she couldn’t ignore the groaning wood around her. Slowly easing Daisy out of her stall, Nicole watched the overhead beams and the growing gap by the stall walls. She didn’t like it one bit.
