Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance(22)

“Nah. It wasn’t a crash. I blew a tire on my truck by the highway and managed to limp into the driveway. It was in the middle of a blizzard several years back. I was fucked up. Not drunk, but...real heavy shit on my mind. Heavy, darlin’.”

My lips purse slightly at the way he says it. I’m almost afraid to ask what that means, and something tells me he wouldn’t just blurt out easy answers.

“Were you hurt?” I decide to play it safe.

“No. That’s all thanks to Jonah. I couldn’t see a damn thing, figured the mailbox meant there might be a driveway somewhere. I was right. Your grandpa came tearing through the storm a few minutes later with his plow. He pulled me and my machine out of the arctic, and I’ve been here ever since.”

“For four, five years?” I know it’s been about that long because I remember the day Gramps told me an old Army buddy moved in.

I was still in college and had to cut our conversation short because class was starting. When I’d called him back that evening, I’d ended up answering more of his questions about school than he had mine about his Army pal.

“Four years this past winter. February. Don’t regret a single day.”

Interesting. Maybe this is why Gramps never said much about his 'helper.'

What kind of heavy did Drake have?

I certainly would’ve warned him about picking up strangers and bringing them home – especially troubled strangers.

But Gramps would’ve told me not to waste the energy.

Considering Drake had been around for four years, he’d have been right. If this guy wanted to do anything shifty, he’s had plenty of opportunity.

In other words, Gramps is right as usual.

A loud whinny draws my attention to the window.

Edison. Outside, galloping majestically along the fence line, a rope dangling off his neck.

Drake hits the brakes before I have time to call out. “Damn it, how? I not only double-latched his stall, I tied him.”

He stabs a thumb into his seatbelt buckle and reaches for his door, but I move quicker.

“Wait here. Let me handle this,” I say.

He opens his door. “No, clock’s ticking. We have to take him back to the barn or he’ll follow us all the way to town.”

“He won’t if I have anything to say about it. Just give me a minute.” I climb out and walk through the ditch to where Edison stands on the other side of the fence. Drake doesn’t follow, but still gets out, leaning against his truck.

I click my tongue. “Come on, bud! This is no place for horses right now.”

Edison tosses his head. He’s moody and spoiling for a fight today, I guess.

I bite my lip. Don’t fail me now, Edison. Please. I need something to go right.

He takes a step closer, then another, keeping a wary eye on Drake.

“Let’s go, bud,” I say again, softly.

Once he’s in reach, I grab the end of the rope and give it a gentle shake.

“You promised me,” I say, pulling the rope over his head. “Remember? We’ll help each other.”

He turns his eyes on me. I can almost hear him say, “You promised, too. No leaving.”

“I’m just going to town,” I say. “Sorry. I should’ve told you before I left. I won’t do that again, but you can’t do this again, either.”

Ugh. I wonder if I’ve lost my marbles when I’m carrying on a make-believe conversation with a horse, but...

He sniffs my shirt.

“No, no candy, but I’ll bring you some later if we’ve got ourselves an understanding.” I lean closer as I say, “At the barn. You hear me, Edison?”

His ears twitch.

Crazy or not, I think he gets it.

I bite back a smile as I take a step backward. He watches me slowly take another.

Then he tosses his head again. I grin. I knew he wouldn’t let me down.

Turning, I coil the rope as I cross the ditch and walk to the truck.

“It would’ve been easier to lead him back with the rope,” Drake says.

“We don’t need to lead him back. Get in.” I turn around, wave at Edison, and shout, “Meet you at the barn!” He turns around and with a thick snort, starts galloping back toward the barn.

Drake hasn’t moved an inch, staring in bewilderment, his eyes shifting from the horse to me.

“Mighty impressive, but you sure?” He shakes his head as he looks at me, then at Edison. “He won’t stay there. Can’t trust him.”

“He’ll stay, and we’ll trust him this time.” We aren’t that far down the driveway. I can still see the house, and barn, and a shrinking Edison, still galloping to the place I told him. “He’ll be at the barn when we get back.”

I climb in the truck and shut the door.

Drake climbs in behind the steering wheel. His eyes instantly go to the rear-view mirror and after a good, long look, he shrugs. “Your horse, your call, darlin’. You seem pretty damn confident.”

“I am. We have a thing.”

“Fine and dandy, just as long as your 'thing' doesn’t mean me having to chase him all the way to the lake again.”

I smile, shaking my head, more confident than I really should be. It’s more like faith. Hope. But that’s been in short supply lately, and I know it won’t change unless I start to make some.