Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 122219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“That’s the thing about life—we aren’t promised forever. Even if we hope for it.” She smiled as she opened Hugo’s gate. We walked inside, and she picked up a brush and began to brush Hugo. “But thankfully, having this sweetheart here has kept me busy. After losing Gracie, I didn’t know if I could have more room in my heart to love another horse. Hugo proved me wrong. I guess there is always room in us for a little more love, no matter how much loss we’ve experienced.”
I smiled at her words, hoping they were true.
“Hugo won’t be ready for riding for a while; we are thinking one or two more years so her muscles are stronger. But, if I recall, you had a nice connection with Nathan’s horse, Lightning. You should go say hi. I think he still needs a good brushing,” Laurelin said. “I can meet you over there in a minute.”
I headed out of Hugo’s space and walked over to Lightning, who was still as beautiful as ever. There was such an air of majesty and strength when it came to Lightning. His uniformed black coat was a deep charcoal-black with a glossy finish. His eyes were a deep brown that held such a calmness to them.
There was a time in my life when I thought I’d visit Lightning every week for the remainder of my life. Now years have passed, and my heart ached from knowing I’d missed so much time.
“Hey, sweet friend,” I said as I opened his gate. “Remember me?” I walked over and picked up his brush. He pressed his face to my hand. I smiled as I began to pat him. “I know. I missed you, too.”
As I began to brush him, a wave of peace washed over me. Something about Lightning made me feel so safe and serene. He was a massive horse, yet nothing was terrifying about that beautiful animal. He felt like coming home, and the way he showed me so much love with his nuzzling of my hand almost made my eyes tear up.
I brushed him for a few minutes before Laurelin walked over. She had that same grin on her face as she crossed her arms. “He still doesn’t let anyone ride him except for Nathan. To this day, you and Nate are the only two who Lightning would let saddle up.”
“I doubt he’d let me now. It’s been years.”
“The time doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s clear he’s happy to see you. Maybe you could try to ride him when it’s not so yucky outside. I think he’d like that.”
“I’d like that, too,” I said as I placed down his brush.
Laurelin leaned against the gate and nodded toward me. “I’m not sure how to bring this up without just bringing it up, but acting like I don’t know when I do feels wrong.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to hear about what happened last weekend with the wedding.”
My heart skipped a few beats. “Thank you.”
“Is it silly to ask if you’re doing okay?”
“It’s not silly. I’m not really sure how I’m even doing. The weekend was hard, but your son helped me out a lot. I’m taking it day by day.”
“That’s all we can do, sweetheart. Take it day by day. I’m glad Nathan was there for you.”
Me too.
I shifted slightly as I crossed my arms. “I will not be in y’all’s hair too much on the farm, I swear. I’m getting my footing. As soon as a place opens at the apartment complex in town, I’ll sign a lease and stay there.”
“Avery, don’t be silly. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. Mi casa es su casa,” she sang, winking my way. “Besides, as a mama bear, it makes me happy to know Nathan isn’t living alone. The twins all have each other, and they lean into that. I worry about my eldest boy sometimes. I worry that he might be a bit of a workaholic in order to avoid the real issue that’s eating at him.”
“What issue is that?”
“That he’s lonely.” Her eyes flashed with a moment of sadness. “Nothing breaks a mama’s heart more than knowing that one of their kids struggles with loneliness, but I know Nathan isn’t doing much to put himself out there. That was why I pushed him to check out getting a coaching position at the high school.”
“That was your idea?”
“Sure was.” She placed a hand against my arm. “I hope I didn’t cause any trouble. I just know you two used to be so close when you worked on the farm all those years ago. I thought it might be nice if you two could reconnect.”
“Oh no. It’s fine.” She didn’t know about Nathan and me and the way we fell for one another. From her point of view, we were two kids who would sometimes laugh together. Nothing more, nothing less.