“Katie? Irene?” While she’d begun studying, they’d been chattering like magpies at the kitchen table, stirring up cake batter. She hurried to the kitchen. It was empty. The cake was in the oven, and the timer was about to go off. She shut off the timer and removed the cake from the oven. “Katie? Irene?” Her call was more urgent now, sharpened by worry and guilt.
They’re in my charge.
Eve opened the back door, looking toward the henhouse. Gertie stopped pecking to stare at Eve. No old woman or young girl was in sight. Eve’s pulse began to race. She shouldn’t have left Irene and Katie alone.
Where are they?
Eve hurried back inside and to the front door. She opened it and glanced around the small strip of lawn, the circular gravel drive where she’d parked her car, the storage buildings, the barn and paddock. But she didn’t see any small child or elderly sprite. “Katie? Irene?”
Again, no answer.
Did they go riding?
She backtracked to the foyer and quickly put on her tennis shoes. And then she ran to the barn, calling their names, “Katie! Irene!”
“Mama!”
A horse walked out of the open barn doors.
Eve stopped in her tracks. Her daughter and Hayden’s grandmother rode atop Nugget without saddle or reins or safety helmets. She held her breath.
“Mama, Nugget is my new best friend.” Katie’s bright smile reflected the joyous tenor of her words, a joy that didn’t mirror the fear in Eve’s heart.
No saddle. No reins. No safety gear. No control if the horse misbehaves.
Eve cautioned herself to stay calm.
“We’re fine,” Irene said in a reassuring voice. She had one arm around Katie’s waist and the other hand in Nugget’s mane.
Eve wasn’t consoled.
Nugget caught sight of her and began to walk faster, quickly closing the distance between them. That palomino strutted right up to Eve and nudged her shoulder as if they were besties, knocking Eve back a step. But Nugget didn’t stop there. He stuck his nose on Eve’s chest, snuffling her blouse like an overly friendly Labrador.
And that’s what helped Eve overcome her hesitation with the huge animal. “Nugget,” she chastised, placing her hands on either side of the horse’s nose and pushing him back. “Behave.”
Nugget nickered softly, almost apologetically, staring at Eve with adorable big brown eyes.
“Well, I’ll be,” Irene said in amazement, tipping her cowboy hat back. “You don’t look like a cowgirl. But you must be if you’re here.” She gave Eve a confused look. “Remind me of your name again.”
“I’m Eve, Hayden’s wife.” She raised her arms toward Katie, stepping around the horse’s head. “I need you both to get down.”
Nugget backed up and rubbed his cheek against Eve’s shoulder, as gentle as a house cat. But he blocked her path to her charges.
“He likes you, Mama.” Katie held fistfuls of the palomino’s pale mane and looked as comfortable as could be atop the horse. She’d changed out of her yellow princess dress and into a white T-shirt and red fringed leggings. “We’re gonna make great cowgirls.”
“But not today.” The drain of adrenaline after realizing the pair on horseback had disappeared was making Eve’s legs unsteady. “Please get down, ladies. I took your cake out of the oven. By the time you get cleaned up, it’ll be ready to frost. And then I’ll need to start dinner.”
“You had me at cake.” Irene swung her leg over Nugget’s backside and then dropped to the ground, as nimble as a woman half her age.
Eve darted past Nugget’s neck and grabbed hold of Irene’s arm anyway. She’d had patients look steady and still manage to fall. Only when she was certain the old woman was going to stay upright did she reach for Katie, lowering her safely to the ground. “From now on, you have to tell me anytime you step out of the house, Katie. Promise?”
“But…” Katie dragged her sneakered toe in the dirt. “I was with Gran. Tell Mama we were okay, Gran.”
Irene stared at them blankly. “Who are you? And why is Nugget out of his stall?”
Eve patiently repeated her now-rote introduction and helped Irene put her horse back in the barn.
*