Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
“ D o you think today we can pet the horses?” Mia’s hopeful voice broke the quiet of the car. Trinity flicked her eyes to the rearview mirror, the reflection of her five-year-old daughter coming into view.
“Not today, sweetie.” She adjusted her grip on the steering wheel as the tires navigated the bumpy road leading toward Josephine Major’s ranch. The tread gripped the slick gravel, skidding slightly before finally gaining traction. The snow from earlier had already melted to create slushy puddles in the driveway, and Trinity attempted to dodge the big ones that threatened to splash the underbelly of her car.
“You say that every time.” Mia protested, crossing her arms with a dramatic pout.
“ Every time,” Liam echoed. In the last week, Trinity’s young son had become a parrot of his older sister’s antics. It was as exhausting as it was endearing.
“We don’t have much time today, sweetie,” Trinity said. “I’ve got to drop off this bouquet and then we have to go to the store to get the materials to make your costume for the fall festival before Grandma and Grandpa come over for dinner.”
“It will only take a minute,” Mia pleaded. “Promise. I just want to see them. I don’t even have to pet them.”
That was rational. And true. Trinity knew her daughter could be appeased just by glimpsing the big creatures out in the field. She wasn’t sure where Mia had gotten it, this love of horses. Calvin, Trinity’s late husband, hadn’t been a big animal lover. In fact, he’d grown up without any, just like Trinity. Not even a dog or a cat.
But ever since Mia could speak, she’d shown an affinity for horses. As a toddler, she’d had a little barnyard board book in her collection, the pages so well loved that they’d bent at the corners. The book had fuzzy pictures, and Mia had worn a spot on the horse page from petting it so frequently. She’d outgrown that beloved book, and now moved on to wanting to experience the real thing.
It was an innocent enough ask, but truth be told, Trinity couldn’t add one more thing to her plate. Spending time with the horses would inevitably lead to lessons, which would progress to shows and expenses and all that went along with equine activities. Trinity didn’t have the bandwidth—nor the money—to pursue such a costly activity.
She never wanted to deprive her daughter, but she was operating on empty lately. Single motherhood hadn’t been her choice, but even still, it was her tragic reality. Her mother and father had been a godsend after Calvin’s passing, helping out however they could, even moving in for a few weeks after the accident. Trinity couldn’t be more thankful. It really did take a village.
As her wheels rolled to a stop at the crest of the hill next to the big ranch house that had recently doubled as lodging for visitors traveling to Snowdrift Summit, Trinity expelled a breath.
Reaching over to the passenger seat, she unbuckled the large vase that she had wedged into the cushion for safekeeping. It had been an extra centerpiece that wasn’t needed for a wedding the previous weekend, and she knew it would look fabulous in the ranch house, the cheery yellows, creams, and peaches the perfect accent piece for the check-in podium in the foyer. The ranch house was already welcoming on its own with its historic charm and ambiance, but flowers were always a nice touch.
“Sit tight, you two. I’m just going to run this inside.”
“But there’s a horse right there .” Mia’s voice bordered on a whine. “Please, Mommy?”
To Trinity’s dismay, Spencer Major suddenly came into view outside the passenger window, his hand gripping a long rope attached to the prettiest horse she had ever laid eyes on. Sure, she might not be as fond of the animals as her daughter, but she could easily appreciate this particular horse’s beauty. It was such a unique color—grayish with hints of slate blue, with deep, dark legs that almost looked black. Its mane and tail where a charcoal color, along with its muzzle. It was absolutely striking.
She watched Spencer lift the latch on the gate and pass through with the horse. They were coming closer, and to deny her daughter at this point would be unreasonably cruel.
She returned the large vase to the seat. “Fine. We can ask Spencer if it’s okay to meet the horse, but that’s all. No petting. No feeding.” And goodness, no riding.
While she relayed the rules to her daughter, Spencer met her eyes through the glass, his free hand lifting in a wave that transitioned into a beckoning motion. He was calling them over. No dodging that horse now.
“Hi,” Trinity greeted, stepping from the vehicle. Mia was already out of her booster and helping her younger brother with the straps on his car seat.
“Hey, Trinity.” Spencer moved closer, the horse in sync with his steps. “Mia, Liam.” He nodded his head toward them in the way that only a cowboy could, the gentlemanly tip of his hat adding a touch of charm. “Josephine’s in the house. Said you were bringing a bouquet by?”
“I am.” Angling back toward the car, Trinity looked at the colorful arrangement in question. “But Mia was wondering if she might be able to meet your horse first. I told her we would have to be quick.”
“Of course.” He crouched down to Mia’s level, but not in a condescending manner at all, just to meet her eye. Something zipped through Trinity’s chest at the thoughtful gesture. Most adults just talked right over her kids’ heads. “This is Bluebell. She’s new around these parts. I was just showing her around, helping her get acquainted with her new home.”
“Is she your horse?” Mia asked. She took one small step toward Spencer and the mare, looking back at Trinity quickly for permission.
Trinity simply nodded for her daughter to go ahead.
“She’s not mine. My grandmother just purchased her as a potential lesson horse.”
“You give lessons?” Those hopeful eyes of Mia’s rounded like she was just told Christmas was the following day.
“Not yet, but it’s something we might start.”
Trinity knew the question was coming before her daughter even uttered it. “Mommy? Can I please take lessons? Please?”
This was exactly what Trinity was hoping to avoid, the whole reason she’d been so hesitant to let her children near the horses to begin with. She hated telling them no, driven by guilt and the desire to compensate for the devastating loss of their father. She knew it probably wasn’t healthy to give them everything they wanted in an attempt to create the happiness they deserved. A therapist would have a field day with it. She’d let Mia pierce her ears, let Liam indulge in too many sweets for a three-year-old child, and let both of them stay up way too late on weeknights. Some of that was because she didn’t want to be alone. Once they were tucked into bed for the night, the house became much too quiet.
With a sigh, Trinity was about to throw in the towel and give in completely, but Spencer stepped in before she could fully relent.
“We’re not quite ready to offer lessons just yet, but how about I keep your mom in the loop for when we do? I’ve got to put some rides on Bluebell before I’ll know if she’ll even make for a good lesson horse.”
Trinity hoped that her relieved smile conveyed her thankfulness to Spencer. He’d really come to her rescue with that.
“She’s a lovely horse,” she said, surprising herself when her own hand reached out to pet the creature.
“She is beautiful, isn’t she?” The eye contact Spencer maintained when he spoke made something in Trinity’s stomach dip, much like the feeling she’d had when her vehicle rolled over one of the potholes in the driveway. “Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on her progress.”
“Thank you,” Trinity said, secretly hoping the mare would take her time getting ready. She could only sell so many flowers this time of year. It wasn’t like she had an easy way to make any additional income. Of course, her parents would probably offer to cover the bill, but there were some things that Trinity wanted to be able to do on her own. Providing for her small family was part of that.
“I should get that bouquet to Josephine.” She hooked her thumb back toward the car.
“Mommy, can I stay with Bluebell and Spencer while you do that?”
“Oh, I don’t think he needs the added distraction, sweetheart.” Liam had already wandered his way over to Spencer’s side, and—much to Trinity’s shock and equal embarrassment—tucked his tiny hand into Spencer’s free one. Oh goodness, this was too much. “Liam, honey, please give Spencer some space.”
“It’s fine.” If he was humoring her, she couldn’t see it. Especially not when he lowered to lift the young boy to his hip so Liam could pat Bluebell on her broad cheek. “I don’t mind, Trinity. Honest. You go take care of that bouquet. The kids and I will show Bluebell where the good clover is.”
Trinity’s heart physically ached within her. Maybe it was the endearing sight. Maybe it was the easy way Spencer reacted to her children’s clinginess. Maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever the reason, it made her want to burst into tears right there in the gravel driveway. But she’d become a master at concealing her emotions. Eleven months of grief had given her a lot of practice in that.
As Trinity walked back to the car, her chest remained heavy with a mix of feelings. She couldn’t shake her gratitude, nor the sadness she simultaneously experienced in watching Spencer so effortlessly connect with her children. It stirred something within her, a longing for that family dynamic that they had lost.
She shook her head and straightened her shoulders, clicking open the passenger door to retrieve the bouquet. Just because Spencer offered to keep Mia and Liam busy didn’t mean he wanted to be a father figure to them. That was crazy. She knew he was just being nice, like so many other people that did nice things for her this last year. Sometimes she hated the sympathy, but other times, she needed all the help she could get.
“I’ll be right back,” she promised once she had the flowers in hand.
“No rush,” Spencer called over his shoulder. He had guided the kids and the horse back into the pasture, dodging the mucky areas. Trinity had a sneaking suspicion she would come back to find Liam covered in mud and dirt up to his shins, but that honestly didn’t matter to her. Her son had the biggest smile she’d seen on him in months. And he was washable, after all.
“Trinity.” Josephine Major greeted from the porch, intercepting Trinity before she could ascend the steps, her hip propping open the front door in invitation. “You’re so sweet to bring this by.”
“I didn’t want it to go to waste.” She passed the bouquet to her dear friend. “Plus, something about it reminded me of you.”
“Thorny and stickery?”
“Nope. Bright and cheery.”
Josephine snickered. “Not too many people call me those things these days. If you ask that grandson of mine, he’d probably just call me stubborn. Especially when it comes to my insistence that I’m still the rugged, resilient woman I’ve always been.”
“He loves you. I’m sure he’s just looking out for your well-being.”
“I know he is, but I also know I’m capable of a lot more than people give me credit lately. Yes, I had a bad spill, but that doesn’t make me fragile.”
Trinity understood the sentiment. She, too, often felt like she was capable of a lot more than people expected of her. And other times, far, far less.
“Where are the kiddos?” Josephine slipped the door shut behind them before striding over to the podium to deposit the flowers onto the wooden ledge.
“Out with Spencer and the new horse.”
“You got to meet Bluebell? What do you think of her?”
Trinity didn’t know much about horses, but she sensed this one was special. “I really like her. So do the kids. She seems calm and approachable. At least, compared to the other horses I’ve been around.”
“I like her, too. Typically, I will at least test ride a horse before I commit to buying one, but truth be told, I haven’t ridden since the accident,” she admitted, then winked when she added, “I’m taking a chance on this girl, and I think it’ll work out in the end. I’ve lived enough life to learn that things always do.”