46. Nathan
46
NATHAN
Candice and I stand in front of the stables, our hands linked together. We left Bozeman this morning, with Ballantine in tow. I drove in front and Candice trailed me because that eased her nerves a bit. I’m still amazed at the fact that she drove to Bozeman by herself, overcoming her fears of winter driving—just to see me. In all honesty, everything about this woman amazes me. Her strength. Her resilience. Her quiet kindness and sharp intelligence.
I’m damn lucky that she chose me.
I turn to tell her as much, but my eyes catch on a silver sedan pulling into the driveway. The driver is wearing sunglasses and a ball cap despite the overcast day, and she comes to a halt right behind Jonah’s truck. He’s about to start unloading it, when the door of the silver sedan swings open and completely blocks his access to the back.
“Oof. He’s gonna be pissed,” I mutter, looking at Candice for her reaction.
But she’s already taking off across the driveway, heading right towards the silver car, and the woman who has just gotten out of it.
“Winnie,” she screams. “Win!”
The two women collide, arms wrapping around one another in a tight hug. I get closer, trying to hear what they’re saying. Candice mentioned her friend Winnie to me one time before, and this must be her. Maybe she’s surprising Candice with a visit.
“When did you leave? Why didn’t you call me?” Candice asks.
“I left five days ago. I had to get rid of my regular phone and I decided to use the burner for emergencies only. I didn’t want to take any chances.” Winnie pushes her hat and glasses off of her face and I notice the large bags under her eyes. She’s clearly been on the road for a while.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re here now. You’re safe now.”
Candice grabs Winnie for another hug, and holds her like she can’t believe she’s real—like she might disappear at any moment.
“What the hell is going on here?” Jonah comes around from the other side of the truck, arms crossed, a scowl on his face. “I’m trying to unload here, and some ditz is blocking my truck in.”
Winnie’s face darkens and she gives Jonah a once over.
“Some ditz? Some ditz ? I’m Candice’s best friend. Who the hell are you?” she snaps.
Jonah takes a step forward, somehow wedging Candice out of the way and facing Winnie head on.
“Impossible. I know all of Candice’s friends and you aren’t one of ‘em.”
“Um,” Candice says, looking between the two of them with a worried expression.
“You didn’t answer my question. Who even are you?” Winnie pokes Jonah in the chest as she says this, and I wince as he looks down at her with a thunderous expression.
He catches her hand in his and says, “I’m the farrier.”
“What’s that?” Winnie sounds genuinely curious now, but Jonah just laughs.
“What is a woman who doesn’t know what a farrier is doing at a horse rescue?” Jonah mutters to himself.
“Nathan,” Candice whispers conspiratorially, “I’m going to break them up. If she swings at him, I’ll restrain her and you hold Jonah back, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I say through a chuckle.
Candice steps in between Jonah and Winnie, and gently pushes them apart with her elbows.
“Jonah, this is Winnie. She’s my best friend and she’s going to be staying here for a while. Be nice . And Winnie, this is Jonah. He makes shoes for our horses.” Her voice is firm, but gentle, and it’s the same one she uses when she’s working with one of the more difficult horses.
“Horses need shoes?” Winnie asks, all wide-eyed innocence. I don’t know her well enough to say for sure, but it seems like she’s intentionally trying to wind Jonah up.
“Jesus Christ.” Jonah sighs and rubs a hand over his face.
“Jonah!” Candice barks. “Treat Winnie with respect or I will find another farrier. Winnie is going to move her car closer to the house, and then we’ll be out of your hair, okay?” Then she rattles off the list of horses that need work on their hooves today.
“Yes ma’am,” Jonah says.
Winnie hops back into her car to move it, and Candice and I stand out of the way.
“What’s going on, Candice?” I ask.
“It’s complicated, and it’s not my story to tell, but Winnie is taking refuge here for a while.”
“Should we install some extra security? Get an electric gate or an alarm system? I’m happy to pay for it, I just want her to be safe,” I offer.
“I love you, you know that?” Candice leans in and kisses me. “Thank you for offering all of that. I think we’ll be fine, but I’ll ask Winnie what she thinks about it in a few days, okay? Extra security might make her feel better.”
I nod, and Candice and I follow Winnie’s car to the house. We all go inside, where we find Beau in the living room watching TV.
He looks surprised to see Winnie but quickly hides it and says, “Win, it’s good to see you. Glad you made it here alright.”
“You too,” Winnie says. “Candice? I’m going to go take a nap, if that’s okay? I’ve done nothing but drive for the last five days, and I just want to sleep.” Her face looks pinched, like she’s barely keeping it together.
“Of course,” Candice says. “You’re in the last room on the left.”
Winnie disappears down the hall, leaving me alone with the Wilson siblings. I stand up ramrod straight and take Candice’s hand in mine. In theory, I know that Beau is okay with me dating Candice. But in reality…who knows how he will react to his best friend dating his sister.
“It’s good to have you back,” he says, eyes skimming over our linked hands. “Both of you.”
And just like that, the nerves drain out of me. It’s going to be fine. Beau clearly doesn’t give a shit that I’m with Candice.
“Come through to the kitchen,” he says. “Jenny and Lila have something to show you two.”
I think I catch a twinge of a blush cross his cheeks as he says the redhead’s name and I catch his eye just for a moment. He shakes his head, almost imperceptibly. Point taken. We’re ignoring the topic of Beau and Jenny until further notice.
The house smells amazing, like sugar and butter, and oddly, beef. When we walk into the kitchen, Jenny, Lila, and Tomás are there to greet us.
“Welcome home!” Lila screeches, running around the table in circles, her princess dress streaming behind her.
Jenny moves and reveals a slightly lopsided chocolate cake in the middle of the table.
“Lila wanted to do something fun for you,” Jenny explains to me. “This morning I told her that you were coming back to Star Mountain to stay, and she got excited.”
“Thanks, Lila, that’s really nice of you,” I say, crouching down to talk to her.
She just nods and then runs around the table again, screeching about how much she likes cake.
“We also made lunch,” Beau says. “Coffee rubbed beef brisket from Holden’s ranch and vegetarian chili.”
“Welcome to the family,” Tomás says, tipping his beer towards me. “We’re glad to have you back. Permanently?”
“It’s definitely permanent,” I say, looking at Candice and smiling.
“Good,” Tomás says. “Candice was moping around, and it was getting annoying.”
Candice glares at him, but doesn’t contradict him.
“Were you really moping around the barn missing me?” I ask, giving her a grin.
“She was sitting in Ballantine’s stall crying,” Jenny says.
“Aw. It’s cute that you missed my horse,” I flick Candice on the nose. “But don’t worry, I was moping around, too. My family couldn’t wait for me to leave, and Riley told me that I’d brought a black storm cloud with me.”
We take our seats and dig into the beef and chili that Beau serves. Candice, Jenny, and Tomás joke around in that way you only can with family. Their laughter is infectious and I find myself smiling and joining in like I never left at all. Beau sits at the head of the table, silent for the most part, but clearly happy to have everyone together again.
Candice explains to them that Winnie will be staying at the rescue for a while. I gather that she’s made it a habit to visit Star Mountain every few years or so, so the whole team already knows her and seems excited that she’ll be around.
After we eat, we play cards in the living room until Lila starts getting cranky and Jenny decides it’s time for them to go home. Tomás and Beau keep going with a game of poker, but I catch Candice’s eye.
“Let’s go for a ride,” I say.
We head to the paddock where Maggie and Brown Sugar are. It’s snowing a bit, and they are romping around in the flakes together. While they play, I pull my phone out and open my email drafts. I click on the one that’s been there for nearly two months now.
“Here,” I say, showing it to Candice. “I want you to read it over before I send it in.”
She looks confused for a moment, but understanding dawns on her face as she skims it.
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “You don’t need my help with this, Nathan, or my approval. You’re reporting Brad and that’s all that matters. Even if nothing comes of this immediately, it means that if someone reports him again there will be a paper trail.”
I nod. I stare down at the email, reading over the lines one final time. It doesn’t say much—it’s mostly formulaic and follows the standards for reporting laid out by the American Reining Association. But it still matters. It’s still something. I hit send, and pocket my phone.
“I should have done that a hell of a lot sooner,” I say.
“You did it when you could,” Candice says, standing on the fence and leaning over it. “That’s all that matters.”
I lean over the fence as well, and call Brown Sugar over to me. Eventually, she comes at the sound of my voice, with Maggie following close behind.
“I wasn’t gone for as long as I said I would be, Brownie,” I say, stroking her neck.
“She’ll be glad to have you back,” Candice says. “She’s really taken to you.”
Looking at Brown Sugar, I study her for any of the small signs of anxiety that horses tend to show. But she’s completely at ease, with no tension in her mouth or eyes. She’s come so far in the last month, and she’s healed so much. There’s still more work to be done, but I’ll be here to see her through it all.
“I’d like to adopt her,” I say.
“Good,” Candice says. “Because I was already thinking of ways to keep her here forever. She and Maggie are basically girlfriends at this point, and I’d hate to separate them.”
“It’s settled then. I’m staying at Star Mountain, and so are Ballantine and Brown Sugar.”
I give Brown Sugar another scratch and then look over at Candice. Tears are lining her brown eyes as she strokes Maggie, and she’s clearly trying to keep them from falling.
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” I stroke a piece of hair behind her ear, and she steps off the fence and into my arms.
“Everything’s perfect,” she sniffs. “I just never thought I’d be this happy, and get everything I wanted.”
I swipe a tear off her cheek and cup her face in my hands. “I know. I feel that way too. Like, how did I get so lucky? Is it normal to feel this deliriously happy?”
“I guess we better get used to it,” she says, leaning against my chest again.
“Candice?” I ask after a beat, thinking about the incident that led me to Star Mountain—to her.
“Yeah?”
“I’m really glad I punched Brad in the face.”