Disappointment washes over me like a tidal wave. I wish he didn’t have to leave so soon. Today started off rough, but it turned out well in the end.
“How long will I stay here?” I want to ask if he will come back to visit but refrain.
“At least a couple months—until you’re in a healthier frame of mind and body. Goodnight, Maya.” He pulls out his phone, subtly telling me it’s time to walk away.
I wish he was the one who could stay here with me, but I know he’s a busy man. Even busier now that he’s taken on overseeing me. I stop myself before I let the guilt of inconveniencing him drown me in a sea of regret. “Goodnight, Nick.” I rush up the stairs, kitten in tow. She can sleep with me tonight.
When my morning alarm goes off, it’s all I can do to drag myself out of bed. I’m so tired. I have a long day oflearning to work with the horses and my first appointment with the therapist is today, too. I’m not looking forward to telling a stranger my problems.
I lean over to the bedside table to turn the alarm off and a small white box with a red ribbon tied around it in a bow catches my attention—What the…?
There’s a tag on it that says “Maya.” I haven’t gotten a present since Mama died. I tear the ribbon off and open the box. Inside sits a brand-new iPhone.Wow!
I’ve never had a cellphone. I turn it over in my hand, admiring the sleek device. I press the button down and turn it on and a message pops up…
Nick - All the numbers you’ll need are programmed in this phone. You will use Emily Ryker for everything you sign into on this device. You will also go by Emily in your therapy sessions—she’s unaware of your true identity. Delete this message after you’ve read it.
Glad to see Mr. Bossy is back. The kitten meows loudly, trying to get my attention. She woke me one other time to be fed last night. Her squeaky meow is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.
“I think I’ll call you Squeak,” I say to the ball of orange and white fur. I grab her feeding supplies from the desk. She takes it with ease; she’s quickly learning to drink from the nipple and syringe. It only takes her a few minutes to finish it.
“Rise and shine, Rivers!” Ethan walks in, sits on the bed, hands me a cup of coffee, and picks up the now sleeping kitten.
“Well, aren’t you adorable.” He gently strokes Squeak’s little head while peering down at her with a smile.
“Good morning, Ethan.” I take a sip of the steaming liquid. “I could get used to someone bringing me fresh coffee every morning.”
“Starting tomorrow, you can bring me coffee, pancakes, and bacon in bed. I sleep naked though, so you might want to knock first.” He winks at me.
“Thanks for the warning.” I laugh, I’m pretty sure he’s joking but I’m sure he wouldn’t say no to breakfast in bed. He takes the phone from my hand. “What are you doing?” I ask.
“Making sure I’m number one in your favorites tab.” He frowns when he gets to the screen and sees that Nick has already beat him to it. “That pompous asshole. Well…we can let him think he’s the favorite, but you and I know the truth. Get dressed, we have work to do.” He stands to walk from the room, taking my kitten with him.
My heart swells when I look down at my phone and see Nick made a point to be at the top of my favorites. From never having a phone in my life to having the hottest male on the planet personally list his own number as my number one contact, I may never wipe this stupid smile off my face.
I’m already wiped out by the time lunch rolls around. Working on a farm is a lot harder than I expected. Ethan and I will work with the broodmares in Barn One. He said while mares come with their own set of challenges, it was best that I get some experience before I try to handle racehorses.
He made Squeak her own little area in the tack room so she wouldn’t wander off while I learned the ropes. We haven’t come across a mama kitty yet, so we’re still bottle feeding her.Ethan promised me he would look while I was in therapy this afternoon. He said the barn cats are generally feral and it can be hard to find their litters as they tend to scatter them in hidden places.
The morning chores started by letting the mares out to graze in their paddock, then we had to muck out every stall and put new bedding down. Ethan took it easy on me—he knows I am still recovering, so he didn’t complain when I only finished four stalls while he did the other eight.
I did empty and clean all the water and feed buckets. Some even had poop in them. Gross.
“Here, eat,” Ethan orders while piling a large helping of meatloaf and mashed potatoes on my plate. “You’re going to need all the extra protein and calories you can handle.”
“I can’t eat all that, I’ll be sick.” I eye the massive helping in front of me with disbelief. I’ve never had this much food at my disposal in my life.
I didn’t want to leave Squeak alone, so I brought her to the table with me. She’s playing with my shoelaces while I eat. I’m really growing attached to her. She seems to love being around me, too.
“Try to eat as much as you can. If I’m satisfied with how much you’ve eaten, you can take a nap before therapy, and I’ll go hang the hay nets for you.” He winks at me over the top of his glass of sweet tea.
“How often do you get your way by using bribery?” I shovel some meat and potatoes in my mouth, swallowing it down with a glass of sweet tea. It’s so good.
“Do you want me to show you, or do you want me to tell you?” He smirks.
I give him a fake gagging noise and motion like I’m going to throw up.
“Don’t lose your lunch over it, Rivers. Nick made me promise I wouldn’t touch you,” he mumbles with a mouth full of food. “Besides, that’s not what you need right now anyway. I would never take advantage of you.”
