I snuck a glance at Celine, who was staring at me, her eyes teary.
“Daisy has some recovery to do before she can be ridden,” he told Maggie. “But would you like to take her for a walk?”
Her face lit up. “Yes. Please, yes.”
He leaned over the stall, and when he straightened, he held out an apple to Maggie. “Offer it with a flat palm. See if she takes it from you.”
I winced, praying this horse wouldn’t bite off her fingers. But Maggie did as she was told, radiating calm energy, and Daisy snapped the apple up, crunching it happily.
“Okay, then. Let’s take you for a walk around the paddock. Always walk on a horse’s left side and keep your hand halfway down the lead.”
He stayed close but gave Maggie freedom to do the work. Daisy plodded along next to her, matching her pace.
“Doing great,” Logan called. “Walk a bit faster and see if she knows to change her pace.”
Maggie was beaming, her shoulders pulled back, her confidence blooming more with each step.
She immediately fell into a one-sided conversation with the horse, telling her about her day at school, her siblings, and how she’d been dreaming of having a horse best friend for years.
Celine followed, giving them a wide berth and snapping photos. She was doing her best to stay composed, but she was failing beautifully.
“You did this,” she said softly, her eyes still on her daughter as I approached.
“Logan did,” I lied.
She huffed. “I don’t believe that.”
I crossed my arms, sidling up close enough to feel her warmth, but without touching.
Celine looked over her shoulder, checking on Julian and Ellie, who were playing with the chickens and filling a wire basket with eggs. “I’ve dreamed of this for so long,” she said. “Giving her a moment of pure joy like this.” She wiped at a rogue tear. “Thank you.”
I squeezed her hand in response.
“Mom,” Maggie said, leading the horse toward us. “Logan says he needs help taking care of Daisy. Can I come by after school and help?”
Lips pressed together, Celine nodded. “We’ll have to speak to Logan and find out his schedule.”
“I can learn so much. It’s educational,” Maggie begged.
Logan raised a brow. He didn’t plan to keep this horseonce she’d been fully rehabbed, but he didn’t mention that detail.
“We could find room. We’ve actually got a horse barn. It’s on the piece of adjacent land I bought from my aunt and uncle?—”
Maggie shrieked.
Logan gently but quickly moved in, grabbing the horse’s lead. “Don’t spook Daisy.”
Maggie quieted immediately, wincing, then eyed her mom.
“My aunt was actually quite a horsewoman when I was a kid. She could probably give you a few tips.”
Uncle Ed and Aunt Suzie had retired in Florida, although they came for extended visits in the summer, staying at the old farmhouse on the property they’d sold to me a few years back and sticking around to help out with harvests.
But back in the day, they had housed several draft horses, so the barn wouldn’t need much work to be habitable again.
“Mom, can I keep her?”
“Let’s start with visiting and learning how all this works.” She shot me a scolding look, but the joy in her eyes took the sting out of it. “We can see how things go from there.”
