Chapter Thirteen
Poppy could see that Neil was getting angry again, but by now she was used to Neil’s temper. It never escalated into anything more than him raising his voice. She had seen his outrage, heard his yelling, and even his growly voice, which he mostly used for his men.
This cold silence was new.
Neil pulled up in front of the house, and then he waved to a couple of men to help unload the wagon. He didn’t look at her. He didn’t help her climb down. He didn’t help her with Sophie. Nothing. Just stone-cold silence.
At first, Poppy just sighed, and she may have even rolled her eyes at him. But as the afternoon progressed, she realized that there was a shift in the air. Something had snapped, and that feeling was unsettling indeed.
That evening, Neil didn’t show up for dinner.
The room was full of his workers, who all enjoyed Poppy’s efforts to create a hearty meal, and Paul even led the prayer to bless the food.
The atmosphere was the same as it always was, but to Poppy, Neil’s absence was unnerving.
Where was he? Had he eaten? Was he all right? Was he just being stubborn?
She and Sophie ate with the men, but once they had all left, Poppy walked up to Paul. She couldn’t ignore the fact that her husband had snubbed her like that in front of everybody.
“Where is Neil?” she asked directly, and the other two men Paul had been talking to retreated quickly. Paul turned his hat around in his hands, seemingly nervous. Very surprisingly, he seemed reluctant to talk.
“The last time I saw him, he was in the barn,” Paul finally said, but when Poppy nodded, ready to walk out of the house, Paul held her back.
“He seemed upset about something, so I didn’t disturb him,” he said calmly. “When he’s like this, it’s best to give him space.”
Poppy scowled at that and put her hands on her hips. “Do you mean the way he gives people space when they’re upset?” she asked sarcastically. Paul almost managed to hide the smile. Almost.
“He can be a little difficult at times,” Paul started, but Poppy scoffed a laugh, then she sighed and shook her head.
“I should bring him a plate of food and talk to him,” she said to Paul. “Do you mind watching Sophie for a bit, so I can go find him?”
Paul smiled at her warmly. “Are you sure?” he asked as he picked up the little girl, who immediately hugged him tightly. Sophie adored Paul.
“I’ll do it!” Barley exclaimed as he came running into the room.
He still had hay in his messy hair, but Sophie’s face broke into the biggest smile as soon as she saw him.
She struggled out of Paul’s arms and climbed down.
Barley sat down with her and began telling her all about his latest barn adventure.
Sophie listened intently with wide eyes.
“You’ll love the babies when they’re born,” he told her. “I’ve been put on birth-watch, and there are seven mares I need to keep an eye on,” he said, as he told her about the importance of his new job.
Poppy turned back to Paul. “I’m sure. I’m his wife now, so maybe it’s time to get into that mule head of his to find out what’s going on in there.” This time, Paul laughed.
“I like this new side of yours,” he said. “Maybe you can finally open the lock to his heart. He’s kept it guarded for too long.”
Poppy tilted her head. She was curious as to what exactly he meant by that. Why was it so easy to talk to Paul, but it felt like a monumental task to get just one good word out of Neil? Either way, her curiosity was sparked.
She nodded at him, then she turned and walked into the kitchen to prepare him a plate of food. If he didn’t want to show up for dinner, then dinner would show up for him. She put a full plate, extra bread, a large piece of pie, and some carrots into a basket and stepped out of the back door.
The sun had just disappeared behind the treetops, but the dimming sky still held the pinks and purplish colors of a magnificent sunset.
It was a quiet evening, and from what she could see, there weren’t any workers out in the paddock that night.
Poppy stopped for a moment and took it all in.
In all the chaos of these last few days, she’d never really taken the time to look at it all. Really look at it.
The ranch was actually quite beautiful. The house was a large single-story log home built from thick interlocking wooden beams. The way it sat against the backdrop of a forest that seemed to spread out all around the property was stunning.
It was still early spring, so most of the trees were still bare, but Poppy could imagine how gorgeous it would look in the summer months.
Wild spring flowers were dotted everywhere along the fence line leading up to the barn, and the air was filled with sweet and dainty scents of new blooms ready to pop open.
It suddenly occurred to her that she had never been out in nature like this when she still lived in Springfield.
Granted, they had parks and the odd flower stand on corners, but it was an entirely different feeling to stand in the middle of nowhere and be surrounded by trees, fields, and peaceful quiet.
The previous noisiness of the city had been replaced by chirping birds, humming bees, rustling winds caressing the first tall grasses, and the soft bubbling of a small brook nearby.
Poppy felt a certain peace settling into her bones, which grounded her even more into the realization that this was her home now.
That thought was so powerful it stopped her in her tracks.
She looked up at the sky, where the first stars twinkled against the ever-darker firmament.
“Dear Heavenly Father,” she whispered. “Thank you!” A small lump formed in her throat when her eyes filled with tears, and she was overcome with pure gratitude.
“I prayed for You to hear me, to get us out of there, to protect us. I asked for Your guidance, to give me strength and courage... and You brought us here to this heavenly place. Thank you, Lord!”
Then her gaze fell onto the barn and the slightly open door. A small sliver of light was shining through it from the inside.
While Poppy and Neil had been in town, Paul and the ranch hands had managed to get all the horses to stand up on their feet.
Since they had figured out what the problem had been and most of their health was improving, the decision was made to finally bring them into the barn, where they’d be protected, and they wouldn’t need guards out in the paddock overnight.
“And please,” Poppy said then, “help my husband to overcome whatever demons he’s fighting and to lighten his heart. I know he’s trying, but maybe he needs You to help him find his way back to You.”
Poppy inhaled the fresh evening air as deeply as she could, filling her lungs all the way up. Then she started walking toward the barn.
Before she went inside, she could hear Neil’s voice, talking softly.
She couldn’t fully understand what he was talking about, but Poppy was careful not to make a sound so she wouldn’t interrupt him.
When she stepped inside, she was engulfed with the earthy scents of horses and hay.
The ceiling looked so much higher from the inside, and it did remind Poppy a little bit of a grand cathedral.
As she slowly walked toward Neil’s voice, she took it all in and noticed how clean and well-kept everything was.
The floors were swept. In certain places, there were hooks holding leather straps, tack, and even saddles, some of which were so ornate and pretty it took Poppy by surprise how beautiful they looked.
Every stall had a horse in it, and Poppy remembered most of them from the paddock.
But some seemed to be unfamiliar faces, curiously watching her as she padded by. These horses were stunning.
It suddenly struck her that these animals were the reason why Neil was so successful—and clearly envied.
These magnificent creatures were both tall and muscular yet elegant and slender, with long, wavy manes and alert eyes.
There was so much Poppy didn’t know about Neil.
She wanted to get to know him better. He was her husband after all, and he had created this beautiful place and this beautiful life.
She couldn’t even imagine having to go back to Springfield anymore.
Stepping closer to the stall, Neil was speaking with a voice she hadn’t heard before.
She didn’t want to be sneaky, but she also didn’t want to interrupt him.
It sounded as if he were reading aloud. She carefully peeked inside and was surprised to find him sitting on a blanket next to Storm, who was lying down, reading to the mare from a book.
A lantern hung from a hook high up on a beam just outside the stall and lit up the small enclosure with a warm glow.
Neil had taken off his hat, which hung on another hook nearby, and his curly brown hair fell loosely into his face.
He looked so relaxed, the way he casually leaned against the large body of the horse, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
Poppy noticed once again how handsome he looked, especially in the warm glow of that light.
She was so mesmerized by it her heart began to race, and there was a flutter inside her stomach. To think that she had married such a good-looking man flustered her a little bit. Watching him read to a horse, he was clearly a good man, so why was he always so grumpy?
She took a deep breath, but Neil must have heard her, as his reading stopped.
“Who’s there?” he asked, once again using his normal speaking voice. Poppy was still hiding behind the wall of the stall, so she stepped into the open doorway.
“It’s only me,” she said, lifting the basket. Storm raised her head and made a soft snorting noise, but then she laid her head back down with a grunt. “Is Storm okay?” Poppy was suddenly concerned. The mare didn’t seem to be doing as good as the others.
Neil looked at Poppy with a blank stare. Then he closed the book.
“She’s okay,” he said after a long pause. She could hear worry in his voice, but when he looked at her, there was no emotion at all. Poppy sighed and sat the basket down. Stubborn as a mule was putting it mildly.
“You didn’t come for dinner, so I brought dinner to you,” she said. She tried to smile at Neil, but he didn’t react immediately. He didn’t even look at the basket. He just sat there, watching her intently.
Not giving up, Poppy smiled at him again. “Do you read to your horses often?” she asked, trying to sound cheerful. “That’s pretty funny.”
Neil sighed and looked down at the book. He was clearly taking the not talking rule to a whole other level, and Poppy was running out of options.
And patience.
Poppy remembered that she had vowed to never rely on a man, yet here she was, relying on a man to come to his senses so she and Sophie wouldn’t have to go back to Springfield. Whatever his problem was, it needed to come out.
She kneeled down to open the basket and showed Neil what she’d brought him. Neil didn’t really look at it. He just kept staring at her, but that time, his golden-colored eyes seemed to soften a bit. Poppy took it as encouragement and placed the items in front of him.
Neil still didn’t say anything. She could see that he was clearly thinking about it, but for some reason, that stubborn man just didn’t want to talk.
Now it was Poppy's turn to sigh.
“Well, I tried,” she said, thoroughly disappointed. “You can only lead a mule to the water, but you can’t make it drink. Isn’t that how that saying goes?”
She shrugged, then she moved to leave. But before she could stand up, she could feel Neil’s fingers taking her hand.