Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“I’ll be sure to let her know you said so,” he replied, and that was when I noticed how his leg was jiggling beneath the table, maybe with nerves or restlessness. And I couldn’t blame him. He’d been introduced today to so many new things and people—and animals, for that matter.
“Maybe she’ll come visit?” Marta asked with a raised eyebrow.
“That would be great,” he replied, then winced. “Her schedule is pretty packed this summer, with my sister’s wedding and all.”
“I’ve heard, and I’m dying to know all the plans,” Sienna said. “Still, Mom could probably coax her. They’re on the phone enough.”
Julian grinned. “Right?”
The family joke was that Aunt Melinda loved the city so much, she rarely left to visit her hometown. I suspected it was because of other reasons as well. Like maybe ranch life had never suited her to begin with. It happened.
I could feel Phoebe nudging my feet, so I slipped her a bit of my bread. Julian noticed and smirked, looking beneath the table at her.
“Daddy spoils her,” Ainsley announced to Julian.
“I guess so,” Julian replied. “What animals do you spoil?”
Ainsley’s eyes lit up, and I could tell she was about to make a long list of her favorites. He was a charmer, at least where my kiddo was concerned, go figure.
“Well, there’s my mare, Piper, and Cookie the chicken…” Julian mouthed, “Cookie?” to Sienna, and she laughed. “And ooh, Gigi, our newest goat.”
“I look forward to more introductions to animals with funny names,” Julian said, becoming Ainsley’s instant favorite. She clapped her hands and laughed.
“He’ll be here all summer, so there’s plenty of time, Ms. Ainsley,” George said with a chuckle.
“By then I should have them all down,” Julian replied.
“You should probably tell Mr. Julian the most important rule of farming,” George said with a wink, and everyone snickered.
“What is it?” Julian asked in a hesitant tone.
“Always shut the gate!” we all blurted in unison, except for Marta, who only shook her head, though she was smiling.
“Good one!” Julian grinned, looking around at all of us. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
“After dinner we can show Julian the horse stables.” Sienna was trying to appease Ainsley, who now looked excited about our new guest despite being racked with angst for weeks after we’d announced he was visiting this summer. She wanted to know more about him, as if sharing details would soothe any fears she had about having a virtual stranger around. Her new therapist explained that anxieties could develop after the strain and trauma of her illness. Needles and tests and hospital rooms on an endless loop would’ve done the trick.
“Only if you’re up for it,” I told Julian. “It’s been a long travel day for you.”
“Actually, moving my muscles will do me good. I don’t like being cooped up for too long.” And then he looked like he regretted saying it as the table grew silent. Sienna patted his hand as if understanding something the others didn’t.
And that proved my earlier assumptions that maybe he had nervous energy going on, either from being somewhere new or from being confined in the city. I could never do it, even though I got why Aunt Melinda loved the energy of it. But I’d only ever been once, for her husband’s funeral, and I couldn’t get back on the plane fast enough. It felt like we were packed in like sardines, and Sienna made fun of me for not being worldly. This is my world, I’d said when the plane touched back down in Wyoming.
As I listened to Julian and Ainsley talk about the animals, I wondered if they’d end up having more in common than either of them would’ve realized. Trauma was trauma, I assumed, but what the hell did I know?
All at once Phoebe let out a loud snort. She was irritated with me that I didn’t feed her again, and it provided comic relief.
“Shoo! Out you go, Phoebe,” Marta said as she stood to collect the plates, then opened the door to let her out, Hamlet following behind.
“Stop giving her table food, and she won’t beg,” Marta said pointedly to me.
I rolled my eyes. “How boring would it be to only eat slop and grain?” It was an argument from childhood, and Marta just shook her head while Ainsley giggled. I winked at her.
Once dinner was finished and we saw Marta and George off, we walked Julian through the stable to introduce him to our horses—though I noticed he stood a few degrees back from them. Afterward, we visited on the porch with some iced tea Marta had prepared. As the evening sky turned to dusk, Julian began yawning as much as Ainsley, so he must’ve been pretty beat. “How about everyone hits the hay and we start fresh tomorrow?”
Julian looked relieved as we said our good-nights and retired to bed.