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“It freaks Mom out.”

“I’m not your mom,” I said. “Look, they seem nice. But⁠—”

“Well, the owner of the barn wants to see if she can help us out. She saw my video and she wants to take us in.”

“I don’t want to impose⁠—”

“She wants to help, but Riley needs to come see the herd. Can you meet the two of them today? This evening? Can we go out there?”

“Piper, please,” I sighed. “This is crazy.”

“No, it’s not. They’re legit.”

“I cannot afford to board there. Your mom says that place is expensive⁠—”

“The barn owner doesn’t want to charge us. That’s the best part.”

“What? How can she survive it?”

“She’s like a gazillionaire. Don’t worry about it. That’s what Riley said. And the best part? I don’t even have to clean sheaths or braid manes until my fingers bleed to make it work!”

I cocked my head. “What?”

“I was planning to offer grooming services if I had to,” she said. “I even designed a logo with a bean on it—like The Bean. Get it?”

I rubbed my temples. Even the most adorable nod to a Chicago tourist trap wouldn’t make me feel better about forcing her to give up her summer to clean out the business of every gelding in that fancy barn.

“Don’t worry about it,” Piper said cheerfully. “Promise.”

“Fine. Tell me what time? I’m meeting the builder guy at six about the temporary shelter. So, maybe seven? I’m assuming they have to feed horses, too.”

Piper fired off a text. “They’re texting.”

I waited, sure this was a ridiculous idea.

“Guess what? It works!” Piper did a little dance. “Oh my God! I might move to Ravenswood permanently!”

8. A GOLDEN PARACHUTE

COLE

After a disappointing meeting with a man about a temporary pipe shelter, I sat in a camping chair and drank pop with Piper.

“Sorry I cannot promise you a more exciting night, kiddo,” I sighed.

She shifted ice in the cooler for a second Mountain Dew. “It’s honestly okay. I know it sounds crazy, but doing this with you when the place was going up was cool.”

“What?” I chuckled.

“Yeah. It was so fun. Remember how we’d wait around while horses dried on the hitching post or we waited forever for Mom to come pick me up? We’d just sit out here. All before we had the house.”

I smiled. I bought the land once I signed my legal separation from Brynn. After the place in the city sold, I poured all my equity into this place and moved in with my parents while the house went up. I’d been so hopeful. It hurt to see it all destroyed in a minute.

“I remember watching them work on the barn—once the run-ins were finished, then the arenas and the house. I remember how happy I was on move in day,” Piper said.

“I know,” I agreed. “We’ll do it again, kiddo. I promise.”

“How long do you think it will be?”