Summer Nights (Fool's Gold #8)(71)
“I’m saying from where I’m sitting, falling in love sounds nice,” Charlie admitted.
“Then you could, you know, start dating.”
“I don’t think so. I can walk right into a burning building without blinking, but going out with a man?” She shook her head. “Not going to happen.”
Annabelle reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. Sometimes the solutions were obvious. Impossible, but obvious. Charlie should get off her butt and go out with a guy and Annabelle, well, she was less sure what she should do. Trust Shane came to mind. Believe in him to find his way.
Because Charlie had a point. From where she was sitting, falling in love sounded very, very nice.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“IS THAT A PIG?”
Shane didn’t bother turning around. What was the point? There was only one answer to the question.
“Yes.”
“A real pig?”
“His name is Wilbur.”
Giggles exploded from behind him. He flinched like a cat being hit by rain.
“From the book,” one of the girls said.
“It’s Charlotte’s Web,” another offered. “Shane, have you read it?”
He finished adjusting the saddle and then reluctantly turned around to face his class of beginning riders. “Yes, I know it’s a book. Yes, I know the name of it. Yes, I’ve read it.”
Shane’s big plan that would give Wilbur a week with Priscilla and Reno had ended the second his mother seen the pig. Once she’d met Wilbur, it had all been decided.
“Let’s get started,” Shane told the girls.
They stood in line as he gave each one a lift up into the saddle, then pointed to the open gate on the left.
“In there,” he said.
They did as he asked, walking sedately into the ring. Before he could follow, his mother burst out of the house.
“Did you tell them?” she asked eagerly.
“Not yet,” he answered, over a chorus of “Tell us what?”
“Sorry,” May said, not looking the least bit sorry. “I’ll be quiet while you tell them now.”
Four pairs of eyes stared at him. Shane stood in the center of the corral and suddenly felt foolish. What if they didn’t want to be a part of things? What if he couldn’t teach them or the horses?
He cleared his throat. “I thought it would be fun for you to be in the parade with Annabelle.”
“Really?”
“Can we?”
“That’s so great.”
“Yay!”
“That was a yes?” he asked, holding in a smile.
They all nodded.
“Yes!”
“Good. I’ve been working on what you could do on your horses. A few simple steps.”
“And there’ll be costumes,” May added.
Shane turned to look at his mother. “Excuse me?”
“Costumes. For the girls.”
There was more cheering. Shane felt the beginning of a headache. “I didn’t say anything about costumes.”
“That’s because you’re a man. It’s a parade. They need costumes. I’ve seen what Annabelle is going to wear and I’ve made a few sketches. Now we just have to find someone who can sew.”
“My mom sews,” one of the girls offered.
“Mine, too.”
May beamed. “See. Problem solved. I’ll talk to the girls after their lesson. Annabelle will be so happy.”
Words deliberately designed to make him rethink any complaints. Because making Annabelle happy had become a priority with him.
“Now you’re fighting dirty,” he told his mother.
She laughed. “I do what I have to so that I win. You should respect that.”
“Mostly it frightens me.”
Still smiling, May waved at the girls. “Listen to Shane,” she called as she walked back to the house. “Don’t forget, he’s a real cowboy.”
“Thanks for the endorsement,” he muttered as he turned back to his class. “Okay, let’s start practicing being in the parade.”
Mandy raised her hand. “Can we wear lip gloss?”
Shane’s almost-headache began to grow. “Excuse me?”
“If you tell us we have to wear lip gloss, we will.” She bounced in the saddle. “Because my mom says I’m too young.”
“Mine, too.”
“But we want to.”
“I’m not going to say you have to wear lip gloss.”
Four ten-year-olds immediately began to pout.
“Why not?” Mandy asked.
“Because…” He sucked in a breath. “Because I’m not going to get your moms mad at me, okay? If your moms get mad, they might say you can’t ride anymore. Do you want that?”
They exchanged glances, then shook their heads. Then Mandy smiled at him.
“You like us.”
Shane held in a groan. “Can we get started now?”
“Okay, but just so you know, my mom says I can’t start dating until I’m fifteen.”
* * *
“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is keeping everything clean and sanitized,” Heidi said, leading the way into the goat house. “And we’re talking about a goat here, so it’s not like you can count on her to cooperate.”