Page 69
“Maybe.”
“So,” she says, and I can tell she’s forcing her voice to sound lighter than she feels, “to recap—we have two half-siblings who are the coolest kids in the entire world, you’re romantically involved with their mom, who is also our dad’s ex-girlfriend, you’re thinking about moving to Canada, and our dad’s a world-class asshole.”
“Yeah,” I say with a chuckle. “That pretty much sums up my past few weeks.”
30
Scarlett
Considering how long Caitlin has been asking for riding lessons, you’d think I’d be more prepared for the sight of my daughter in a helmet and body protector being helped into a saddle. In reality …
“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
Caitlin grins, waving at us from the horse while I count my breaths.
“She’s going to be fine, Scar. We did this all the time as kids—with Cane. He’ll keep her safe,” Piper says, squeezing my hand.
“No, yeah, you’re right. But god, are horses always that big? Did he pick an extra big one for her?”
“Caitlin’s just short.”
“She’s tall for her age,” I tell Piper, who raises an eyebrow at me.
“She’s still shorter than most horses. And look, she’s fine. She’s enjoying herself.”
I turn back to watch Cane leading her around the arena. The horse is walking pretty slowly, but Caitlin looks so happy, she could burst. It doesn’t soothe my nerves, per se, but it does distract me a little.
Cane’s indoor riding school isn’t big—they have a bigger one outside—but since he only trains beginner and more casual riders these days, he doesn’t need as much space. There’s a small seating area where family members can watch, separate to the main arena, but there’s a big open space that serves as a window, and I’m confident I could jump over the half-wall in an emergency. Not that I think I’d be able to do much against a horse, but it’s a comforting thought nonetheless.
I wish Killian had been able to come, but he, James, and Ronan have “secret plans”, apparently. I want Caitlin to have this moment just for her today, so it’s helpful that they have James. She loves her little brother so much, and James loves her, but I worry that they rarely get to do things alone.
There’s a groan as the door opens. Fallon is wrapped in a puffy coat, two scarves, and a toque with a bobble bigger than her head. She sees me eyeing it and frowns. “I got it at the airport. It was either this or one that said “I heart Calgary”, and I don’t know Calgary well enough yet for that. Hey—Piper, right?”
“The one and only!”
Fallon holds her hand out, but that’s not how my best friend operates. Piper pulls Fallon into a hug, made difficult by the sheer number of layers Fallon is wearing. She looks surprised for a moment, but hugs back.
“I’ve heard very little about you, because your brother mostly talks about Scarlett and the kids, but everything I have heard sounds like you’re my kind of person,” Piper says matter-of-factly.
“Likewise. He is pretty obsessed with them, isn’t he?” Fallon replies, unfazed.
“I’m right here.”
They give me matching skeptical expressions. “Did you not realize he’s obsessed with you?” Fallon asks.
“I mean … Yeah, okay, I did. It’s nice,” I grumble.
Fallon sheds her jacket and unwraps the scarves from around her neck, wrinkling her nose. “There are a lot of horses here.”
“It is a horse rescue and riding school,” Piper points out, but it only makes Fallon look more disgusted. “You don’t like horses?”
“Hate ’em,” she admits. “Please don’t tell Caitlin. I want her to like me.”
“I want to say she’d still like you if she knew you hate horses, but maybe keep it to yourself,” I suggest as we all turn to watch Caitlin. The horse is walking faster now, and I see Cane ask Caitlin a question. She nods excitedly, and Cane clicks his tongue, lightly patting the horse’s hindquarters. It breaks into a trot, and I lean my weight on the windowsill.
“Oh god.”
“Mama! Look! I’m trotting!” Caitlin shouts.
