Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Am I going to have to live with you?” she asks, her voice cracking at the end. I look over at Charlie, who looks up at the ceiling, probably trying to control his own emotions. Her voice is that of a scared, broken little girl. “I heard Mrs. Graham and Mr. Graham talking last night.”
Of course she did. She probably pretended she wasn’t eavesdropping, but in reality, she was listening and paying attention to everything. No doubt scared out of her mind, not knowing what was going to happen to her. “Yes,” I confirm, “you are going to come and live with me.” She wipes a tear away from her face. “I know you are really confused right now.” I put my hand on her knee, and her heat surges through me like an electric shock, straight to my heart. “I know you’re probably really scared.” Her lower lip quivers, but she doesn’t look at me. “There is nothing I can say that will change that. But what I will say is I’m going to help you in any way I can.” I remove my hand from her leg. “I’ll get you whatever you need.”
Chapter Six
LILAH
I grab my lunch box and water from the seat beside me when I park in my usual spot, getting out and looking up at the clouds that are rolling in. “It’s going to be a wet one today,” I mumble as I tuck my phone in my back jeans pocket.
I walk into the barn, seeing no one lingering around as I store my things in the kitchen. The coffee is started, but I’m going to get my ride in before it starts raining. Finding Bobby and Sammy standing in front of Emmett’s desk, I make my way into the barn. “Good morning, boys.” I smile at them, and they both look up at me.
“Morning,” they mumble, turning back to the clipboard in front of them. “Everything okay?” I ask, feeling the tension in the room.
“Yeah,” Bobby quickly says before he tosses the clipboard down and walks toward the stall like his pants are on fire.
“What is going on?” I look back over at Sammy.
“Emmett and Charlie are both out for the next couple of days,” he relays, his eyes watching Bobby go over to talk to Hector. “Left Bobby in charge, and he’s panicking a little.” He snickers. “I told him he’ll be fine.”
“They are away for the next couple of days,” I say, shocked, “since when?”
Sammy shrugs. “Not sure. Charlie is the one who called Bobby yesterday and said Emmett had a family emergency.” His words make my head spin. “You going out riding?”
“I was going to,” I reply. “I’ll saddle her myself. I know you probably have a million things to do.” I take my saddle down, walking toward the stall. “Good morning,” I say halfheartedly, my mind still reeling from what Sammy told me. A family emergency? From what I know, Emmett has no family. He would spend Christmas with Charlie, and then on all the other holidays, he would either take off or work through them. In the seven years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen anyone visit him. I’ve never heard anything about any family members.
Saddling Rosy, I walk her out of the barn. “How about for today if we just go for a walk?” I ask as I mount her inside the fenced arena. “It’s going to be a stormy day,” I say once I guide her to the path that leads to the forest. “Do you know this is the first trail I ever went on when I got here?” I look down at her. “I was so scared.” I think back to that day.
I walked into the waiting area, slower than I would normally walk, unsure if this was even a good idea, but then thinking, what could possibly happen? I mean, I loved horses, but I wasn’t sure that the horses were going to help heal me.
Charlie was behind the desk and looked up as soon as I stepped in. I had come by myself, wanting to take some steps of independence and see if I could actually do it. Or have a complete and total full-blown panic attack. It was fifty-fifty. I had a panic attack at the stop sign right after I left my parents’ house, but I made it here all by myself. I considered that a win in my eyes. It was a half-glass-full kind of thinking instead of half-empty glass.
“You must be Lilah.” He smiled at me before picking up the phone, and then I heard his voice through the intercom system. “Emmett, Lilah is here.
“We had a trainer all ready for you,” he said, “but he called in sick this morning, so we have the second-best thing.” I looked at him, thinking this must be a sign not to do this and contemplated turning around and running back to my car.