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“No,” I answered.
“She’s going to Germany for that program.”
My jaw dropped. “Wow! Congrats to her! How do you feel about it?”
“I’m nervous,” he said. “I think any parent would be.”
“But so proud?”
He beamed. “Very.”
“I am too. Wow, she’s such a smart kid! Should I let her tell me?” I asked. “Feign surprise?”
Cole nodded. “Yeah. That would be great. She is bursting.”
Cole fell silent and I didn’t know what more to say. I listened to the fire and sipped away.
Uneasy with silence, I asked, “Is everything okay?”
Cole returned, gaze settling on me. “Yeah. I… uh… sometimes I am so surprised with how well you read Piper.”
“It’s not hard. I spend a lot of time with her and she’s very direct.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, she is. Gets that from her mom. Anyhow, enough about that. I don’t mean to bore you about my kid.”
It ended the conversation awkwardly. I couldn’t tell if he just didn’t want to discuss Piper’s travels or if he didn’t understand how much Piper meant to me.
“You can gush, okay? I am so glad I got to know Piper. She’s super cool.”
“Really?” Cole asked.
“Yeah, why not? Everyone loves Piper. She’s wise beyond her years and witty. You raised a good kid. Take the compliment.”
“Nah.” Cole sat with that, uneasy because he never wanted to hear he’d done well. His gaze flitted back to the fire for a moment.
“Well, you’re like super dad. You’d do anything for her.”
“It’s what you do when you’re a parent. You’ll see.”
I coughed, choking on hot cocoa. “Uh… what?”
“Sorry. I just assumed you’d want one of your own. I saw you teaching Emma this week. She’s a good rider, but she needs confidence. You always have patience with these kids.”
I hopped in to help Fernando’s daughter when Riley was off property. Fernando lucked into a nice prospect from another farm, but the horse had Emma’s number. I threw her on a lunge line and worked through it. Emma had been in the barn her entire life—ever since her dad managed a barn at Arlington Park—but she’d only recently taken riding seriously.
“She’s a good kid. Super smart, too,” I said. “I have a soft spot for all the kids in the barn. I’ve known her since she was like three and we poached him. Plus, if I lost Fernando, I’d be fucked.”
“Same,” Cole admitted. “You better tell me what the best gift for that guy is at Christmas. He’s saintly.”
I grinned. “You like having a barn manager, don’t you?”
“I do. He makes everything easier. Look, princess, is that what you want to hear? That you’ve got a good thing going?”
“No. I’d never expect it from you,” I giggled.
Cole grinned. “Well, you do. And… I’m sucking at this, but… you all are wonderful. It will be difficult to leave.”
I swallowed hard, not wanting to think about Cole leaving.
