wanted to do the right thing, to be the protector. But sometimes you had to let those who love you take some risks. I’d learned that with Katie. If I hadn’t brought her with me out to Chumstick, I’d still be stuck in that horror house with Qindra, and Ari would be dead. Hell, I can’t imagine how deep the shit storm would’ve been if I hadn’t turned that bike around and taken her with me.
“Jim,” I said, putting my arm on his shoulder. “Give her some time. She’s strong, stronger than you want to give her credit for.”
“I can’t lose her,” he said, his eyes shiny in the light of the sodium lights.
“And you can’t keep her in a box. Let her breathe, Jim. Let her know she’s one of the grown-ups. She still loves you, will still look to you for guidance and protection on a lot of levels. Hell, you raised her, took care of her. She’s not stupid.”
He nodded, his face stern and contemplative. “You’re right, of course. And she believed this craziness long before I fully embraced it.”
“See,” I said, stepping back. “She’ll help you think outside the box. Let her know she’s needed. Let her be part of the team. That’s how you’ll win her back.”
“Thanks,” he said. “You’ve gotten a helluva lot smarter since when I first met you.”
I wasn’t sure I shouldn’t be insulted there, but I let it go. The man was thinking, changing.
“Sleep on it,” I said.
He climbed in his truck, executed a three-point turn, and drove down the drive. Stuart drove partway down the drive and waited. There was a quiet pop and Bub appeared again. He climbed in the truck and they drove off.
Gunther hugged me once and started his Harley.
It had been a long day. Julie came out on the porch as they drove away.
“What’s the plan?” she asked.
“I have a list,” I said, turning to her. “Think Mary’ll let all of us camp out here for a day or two?”
She put her arm across my shoulder. “I think she’d love it.”
“Good. Tomorrow, the vet will send a truck to take away the remains. If you can work with the insurance company, I’ll see to the horses and getting the barn cleared up.”
She looked at me with a smirk. “Does that involve cleaning, or will there be other forms of activities?”
“Nothing super difficult,” I assured her. “A bit of this, a bit of that.”
“Leave the horses out?”
I looked across the yard to the paddock. The horses were settling in for the night, huddled together away from the barn.
“No way you’re getting them back inside tonight,” I said. “We’ll get them settled tomorrow.”
“Good, let’s tell Mary the plan.”
She turned to go into the house, but I stood there a minute longer, looking at the barn. The horse was still in there, still watching out of the ritual circle.
How had my life gotten this psychotic?
Sixteen
I was up before dawn. N o one had slept well, but they were all asleep for the first thirty minutes or so I was up. The farm had a quietness to it that reminded me of home. But it was also lonely. Mary had kept a dynamic household, but the loss of her husband had been hard. And the betrayal of her most trusted hands this year didn’t do anything to make things easier. I tried not to feel guilty about Jack and Steve leaving Mary high and dry. At least they waited until after foaling season. Guys were assholes in any case. She was better off without them. I’m fairly sure my tussle with them was only part of the reason they left. Probably.
Maybe we needed to combine forces here. This land was good, the energy felt right, except, of course, where the taint was near the barn. Felt like pain that you anticipate, a known blow that had yet to land. I sipped my coffee and watched the barn, making sure nothing went in or came out without my seeing it.
By the time the sun was up and everyone in the house was nursing their first cup of coffee—my third—I went out to move the horses. It had gotten chilly in the
“Jim,” I said, putting my arm on his shoulder. “Give her some time. She’s strong, stronger than you want to give her credit for.”
“I can’t lose her,” he said, his eyes shiny in the light of the sodium lights.
“And you can’t keep her in a box. Let her breathe, Jim. Let her know she’s one of the grown-ups. She still loves you, will still look to you for guidance and protection on a lot of levels. Hell, you raised her, took care of her. She’s not stupid.”
He nodded, his face stern and contemplative. “You’re right, of course. And she believed this craziness long before I fully embraced it.”
“See,” I said, stepping back. “She’ll help you think outside the box. Let her know she’s needed. Let her be part of the team. That’s how you’ll win her back.”
“Thanks,” he said. “You’ve gotten a helluva lot smarter since when I first met you.”
I wasn’t sure I shouldn’t be insulted there, but I let it go. The man was thinking, changing.
“Sleep on it,” I said.
He climbed in his truck, executed a three-point turn, and drove down the drive. Stuart drove partway down the drive and waited. There was a quiet pop and Bub appeared again. He climbed in the truck and they drove off.
Gunther hugged me once and started his Harley.
It had been a long day. Julie came out on the porch as they drove away.
“What’s the plan?” she asked.
“I have a list,” I said, turning to her. “Think Mary’ll let all of us camp out here for a day or two?”
She put her arm across my shoulder. “I think she’d love it.”
“Good. Tomorrow, the vet will send a truck to take away the remains. If you can work with the insurance company, I’ll see to the horses and getting the barn cleared up.”
She looked at me with a smirk. “Does that involve cleaning, or will there be other forms of activities?”
“Nothing super difficult,” I assured her. “A bit of this, a bit of that.”
“Leave the horses out?”
I looked across the yard to the paddock. The horses were settling in for the night, huddled together away from the barn.
“No way you’re getting them back inside tonight,” I said. “We’ll get them settled tomorrow.”
“Good, let’s tell Mary the plan.”
She turned to go into the house, but I stood there a minute longer, looking at the barn. The horse was still in there, still watching out of the ritual circle.
How had my life gotten this psychotic?
Sixteen
I was up before dawn. N o one had slept well, but they were all asleep for the first thirty minutes or so I was up. The farm had a quietness to it that reminded me of home. But it was also lonely. Mary had kept a dynamic household, but the loss of her husband had been hard. And the betrayal of her most trusted hands this year didn’t do anything to make things easier. I tried not to feel guilty about Jack and Steve leaving Mary high and dry. At least they waited until after foaling season. Guys were assholes in any case. She was better off without them. I’m fairly sure my tussle with them was only part of the reason they left. Probably.
Maybe we needed to combine forces here. This land was good, the energy felt right, except, of course, where the taint was near the barn. Felt like pain that you anticipate, a known blow that had yet to land. I sipped my coffee and watched the barn, making sure nothing went in or came out without my seeing it.
By the time the sun was up and everyone in the house was nursing their first cup of coffee—my third—I went out to move the horses. It had gotten chilly in the
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