Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“Oh, I’m not sure he’s a friend yet, but he’s at least not as skittish around me. Even let me get away with cursing the other day. Guess sharing a tent for a week has a tendency to make unlikely bonds.”
“That it does.” Garrick laughed knowingly.
“And who knows what I’ll end up doing as a winter job.” He pulled into the long gravel drive for Garrick’s dad’s small acreage, horses grazing in the pasture closest to the road, house and outbuildings farther back.
“Whatever you end up doing, you’re going to be good at it. You can do anything you want, and I’m going to support you no matter what.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” He let Garrick get away with stealing a fast kiss after he parked, and he almost said it right then. Those words. The ones he knew Garrick was waiting for. But then his dad was bustling out of the house and the moment passed. Or maybe he chickened out. Either way, no words were said, and they drifted away from heavier topics to lighter subjects like whether to let Cookie go off-leash with the farm dogs, a pair of older mixed hounds who were world-weary cowboys to Cookie’s youthful energy and sparkly accessories.
Eventually, Cookie did get them to run and play with her before she settled under a lounger while they hung out by the pool. If Garrick’s dad had an opinion on Rain’s outfit, he kept it to himself, humming happily as he grilled, same habit that Garrick had when he cooked. It was cute, the way Kenny and Garrick were so similar and so close to each other. Seeing them together, side by side, debating how to season their steaks, it was easier to believe that maybe all his dad really did care about was that Garrick was happy.
When he went inside to get a soda from the kitchen, he saw a row of pictures of little Garrick on the wall in the hall—T-ball and football and holidays through the years. Lots of sports and horses and gap-toothed smiles.
“Had him up on a horse before he could walk.” Kenny came up behind him carrying an impressive platter of vegetables. “And I’m just saying this once. Y’all can raise a pack of socialist vegetarians. But they’re gonna learn to ride. Some things are nonnegotiable.”
Dazed, Rain followed him back out to the patio. Kids. Huh. That was...unexpected. And almost as scary as Garrick saying the L-word and professing a willingness to follow Rain’s dreams, whatever they were. But it wasn’t an entirely unwelcome idea either, and he tried to figure out what the appropriate response was.
“Dad. What did you do to Rain?” Garrick called from where he was floating in the deep end, arms resting on a small inflatable raft. “He looks like you’ve been telling some of your ghost stories.”
“Just letting him know that my grandkids, they’re gonna know their way around a horse.”
Garrick’s slow blink was comical. Oh good. Rain wasn’t the only one caught off guard. “You mentioned kids to Rain?”
“Well, yeah.” Kenny shrugged as he arranged food on the grill. “You told me he’s sticking around. Figured I better get my bid for grandkids in while y’all are still in that lovey-dovey phase where you might want to make an old man happy. Speaking of, I’ve got a lead on a horse about to retire from a program down in Klamath Falls. Sweet girl, used to wearing an accessible saddle and working with wheelchair users. Think you’d be interested in saddling up if she comes here for her golden years?”
“You deciding you need another horse is the least surprising part of this whole conversation.” Garrick laughed. “And you’re right. I’ve missed riding. I didn’t want to talk about it much because it felt like one more thing I couldn’t do anymore. But maybe it’s like driving—I can get it back if some adjustments are made.”
“Exactly.” Forget kids and words he hadn’t yet said and uncertainties about the future. He was so damn proud of Garrick right then, proud of all the ways he was reconfiguring his expectations. His willingness to adapt made Rain all the more sure that maybe they could weather all those uncertainties together.
“I’ll ask Stephanie what muscles we can work on so I can use an accessible saddle. But, Dad, you need to stop scaring Rain.” He gave a nod in Rain’s direction. “Baby, ignore him. He finally got grandkids from my sister. He knows perfectly well that my spare room is a gym.”
“I didn’t say no.” Rain drank in Garrick’s slack-mouthed, wide-eyed expression before he dove into the pool, a perfect swan dive that probably surprised Garrick about as much as his words. But he wasn’t saying them simply for effect—the possibility, once raised, was...intriguing. One of those many varied future paths they might find themselves on, and as scary as not knowing was, it was also damn exciting. Adventures waiting to be had.