"Lily hasn't told me yet, but she and Loretta apparently talked it over."
"Mommy! Lo-wetta is working!"
"I see that."
"She's letting me lead her."
"That's progress."
"I'm going to wear her down and ride her."
"I have no doubt."
Reno came around the truck and, when Lily caught sight of him, her whole face lit up. She gave the rope a tug and Loretta dutifully followed her tiny taskmaster over to him.
"Mr. Reno, this is Lo-wetta."
"It's nice to officially meet you, Ma'am," Reno told the donkey and gave her a polite scratch on the neck.
Loretta brayed once, at maximum volume, directly at his face.
Reno, to his credit, didn’t flinch. He merely replied gravely, "I appreciate the introduction, Princess Lily."
Lily was beside herself. "She likes you!"
Tessa's eyes, over the porch railing, were on Grace, who gave her back the smallest nod. Tessa's mouth pressed into a line that meant we'll talk, and then she said brightly, "Lily, why don't you take Loretta back to her pasture and give her a thank you treat from the bin of horse treats in the barn."
Lily led the donkey across the yard with the imperiousness of a small dictator. Loretta followed, looking rather amused at the whole arrangement.
"Coffee?" Tessa asked.
"I should get Lily home," Grace said.
"Reno?"
"I need to get back to Dillon’s place and get some sleep before I go on duty out front of the bakery tonight."
She pivoted toward her friend. "Thanks for watching Lily, Tessa."
"Any time."
Reno opened the door of her car for her and did the hat touch-salute thing again.
She rolled down the window and waved good bye out it as she headed down the drive. He stood with one hand resting on the top edge of his truck’s bed and watched her drive away.
Lily’s clothes filled the care with the smell of rain and hay and donkey.
"Mommy, Mr. Reno needs a nap."
"I think you're right."
Lily settled back and looked out at the wet pastures going by. "I told Lo-wetta I liked Mr. Reno. She said she does, too."
"Well, then, that settles it."
In her rearview, the figure beside the truck was getting smaller. The donkey was a brown shape in the wet grass, and the porch light in Tessa’s kitchen came on. Behind her, Lily fell asleep with her seal pressed against her cheek and a small piece of straw in her hair.
8
