“I just want him home.” I look over at her, and she looks slightly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Mer.”
Her eyes snap to mine. “For what?”
“This has to be really weird. I know you said you needed time, and it’s only been like, what, twelve hours.”
She shrugs. “Sure, it’s a little strange, but at the same time…it’s really sweet. If this was Jake, I’d be the same as you. Desperate to find a way to get him home. I know you told me you loved him, but now I get to kind of see it.”
“I didn’t even get to tell him,” I confess.
“What?”
“I never told him how I feel.”
Meredith pulls the blanket up and sips on her coffee. “I bet he knows. I mean, do you think he loves you?”
I do. Or at least I think he does, but it all feels so fast. “I hope he does.”
She grins. “If he doesn’t, he’s an idiot—a big one. Considering I came from him and I’m pretty much a genius, I’ll bet he knows that right now, you’re moving heaven and Earth to get him out.”
“I would do anything for him.”
“Why don’t you go to bed? It’s already midnight, and you’ve had a really intense day. You need your rest so we can tackle this in the morning.”
I can’t sleep in a warm bed while he’s in a cold jail cell.
Besides, I don’t think I’ll be able to close my eyes without hearing the door come off the hinges, the screaming, the guns. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep without seeing the look in his eyes when they took him away.
I clear my throat. “I think I’ll go check on the horses.”
Meredith seems to know I need some space right now because she says, “Okay, I’ll be here if you need me.”
I nod and get up, wrapping my sweatshirt around me as I walk out into the cool summer night.
This day has been a storm that came in hard, then left only to return again. The thunder and lightning have clashed, causing everything to feel unsettled.
The only thing is, during the lull, luck seemed to be on our side. Everett and Miles both reached out to tell me there’s been no talk in town about the arrest. Lachlan is at the firehouse for work and is also keeping an ear out.
Hazel texted that the only talk she’s heard is about how amazing the rodeo was and how everyone hopes Killian hosts another one soon.
It may be a small victory, but I’ll take it.
I push open the barn door and grab a few apples from the bucket that hangs on the inside of the door, putting them in my pocket. To think yesterday this place was full of people and life. There was a hope in the air that was contagious.
Little did I know that it wouldn’t last.
Instead of replaying the shitstorm my day was, I walk in and smile when Midnight comes to the front of the stall.
“Hi, girl,” I say, and she roots her head around, sniffing near my pocket. “I see how it is—apple first?”
She snuffs her head against my shoulder, and I smile. “All right, you can have the apple and then you’ll let me pet you, huh?”
I pull one of the apples out, and she takes it gently. She really is a sweet horse. After she eats it, she stays put, allowing me to pet her.
I stand here with just the overhead barn lights on, and she rests her head on my shoulder, so I lean against her. I close my eyes, allowing this beautiful animal to comfort me and I hope I’m giving her the same.
While she doesn’t know what happened, there was so much commotion here that Gary had a hard time getting some of the horses to calm down after the FBI whisked Killian away.
“You weren’t one of the ones who was scared, were you?” I pet her neck, wishing she could talk. “We’re going to fix this. There’s a lawyer coming, and it’ll be okay. We just have to have faith.”
