Chapter Ten – Ensley #2
Katie looked at Emeline, who was currently talking to Lilibeth. She smiled, then looked back at me. “I know she would, and she has, but I thought it would be neat to learn from you, since you know how to shoe them and everything. I want to grow up to be a horse whisperer, like you are.”
My brows shot up. “Who told you that? That I was a horse whisperer?”
She shoved a mouthful of lettuce into her mouth and chewed as I waited patiently for her to answer. “Um…oh shoot, what’s his name? He’s the really cute guy you were talking to earlier. Mr. Jacob and Ms. Lynn’s son.”
“Colt?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes! How silly that I forgot! It’s like a boy baby horse.”
“What else did he say to you?”
“Well, he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to someone else, and he said your name and how you were a horse whisperer.
He said you knew everything about horses and could connect with them in ways he’s never seen.
So, I asked him if you knew more than Emeline, and he smiled at me, crouched down, and said you did!
I didn’t think anyone knew more about horses than Emeline. ”
I smiled. “Emeline knows just as much as I do. We both learned from our mother and grandmother.”
“But you’re a horse whisperer. He said so.”
Glancing at my sister, I looked back at Katie. “I would love to teach you whatever you’d like to learn. You have to ask Emeline and Levi first, though, okay?”
She nodded as a wide grin appeared on her face. Then she yelled across the table, “Emeline, is it okay if Aunt Ensley teaches me about horses?”
I closed my eyes and tried not to laugh. “I didn’t mean right now, Katie.”
My younger sister looked from Katie to me and back. “As long as she has time, of course, she can.”
Katie clapped her hands. “When can we start, Aunt Ensley?”
“Oh, um, I guess we need to see when we’re both free. I’ll get with Emeline tomorrow and figure it out. How does that sound?”
“Amazing! This is the best day ever!”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
When I sat back, I looked past my sister and saw Colt watching me.
Our eyes met, and he smiled. He’d clearly seen the interaction and knew something good had happened.
I returned the smile before quickly looking away, so he wouldn’t be able to read anything into the expression.
But in that moment, I truly was head over heels for Colt Owens.
The rest of the evening, Colt did everything he could to stay as far away from me as possible, probably to ensure I didn’t explode into tears again. That didn’t stop me from scanning the room every chance I got to find him.
When the night was winding down, my mother mentioned going to say her thank-yous and goodbyes to Jacob and Lynn.
I spotted Colt speaking to Logan Miller, the granddaughter of Janet Miller, our town gossip columnist—and a shot of jealousy raced through my body.
Not simply because he was talking to her…
but because her hand was on his arm and they were both laughing.
“I see Logan’s got her claws into Colt,” Emeline observed, as she stopped and stood next to me, her arms crossed over her chest.
Logan was dressed in a black gown that showed way too much cleavage and sported a slit so far up the side that I was stunned you couldn’t see the color of her panties—if she even had any on. Her hair was down, flowing in soft curls around her exposed shoulders.
“Does he not know she’s a baby?” I seethed, resisting the urge to fold my arms over my chest like Emeline.
“He probably has no idea who she is. What was she, like, twelve when he left?” Emeline asked.
“What are they even laughing at?” I glanced at my sister. “Does she still work at the vet clinic?”
“Oh gosh, no. Levi let her go not long after he started working there. I heard from Lilibeth that Logan went back to school and she’s getting her nursing degree.”
“She probably wants to hit on Mark next.”
Mark Johnson worked at the only medical office in River Falls. His father had recently retired, and his sister, Berkeley, was the nurse practitioner.
Smirking at Emeline, I said, “Did you know that Gatlin and B have a little thing going on?”
Her mouth fell open. “What?”
I quickly glanced around to make sure no one heard us, then leaned closer to my sister. “I don’t think it’s serious. I mean, I think Berkeley wants it to be, but you know our brother.”
“So a no-strings kind of thing?” Emeline asked.
I nodded. “The only reason I know is because I’ve seen her leaving the barn a few times, and I saw her car parked outside your old cabin one morning when I was out riding.”
After Emeline married Levi, she’d moved in with him and the kids, and Gatlin moved into the small cabin that once belonged to our great-grandmother, where Emeline previously lived.
“Really? I’m surprised he’s having her come to the ranch. If Mom sees that, she’ll start planning a wedding.”
I covered my mouth to keep from laughing. Turning to see if Colt was talking to Logan still, I frowned. “Are they leaving together?”
“No, he surely came with his parents.”
Narrowing my eyes, I forced myself not to grit my teeth. I had absolutely no reason to be jealous, and it was honestly none of my business. Still…
“Then why did he help her with her coat? And now she’s got her arm around his as they walk out the door.”
Emeline drew in a quick breath. “He wouldn’t. Would he?”
I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but my heart sank as Colt and Logan disappeared out of sight. Emeline and I both turned and looked at each other.
“She’s up to something,” Emeline said, with an expression that said if I needed her, she’d be next to me during the war.
Nodding, I took one more glance in the direction of the exit as I agreed, “She’s totally up to something.”