Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(57)

She jerked her backpack out of the truck’s bed. “I don’t have to answer you. I’m bad news and not your problem. You don’t want to mess with me. Just point me in the direction that heads away from Honey Creek and I’ll thumb a ride.”

“You’re five miles down a muddy road with no traffic. Once you hit the pavement, you’ve got a ten-mile walk to Honey Creek or a thirty-mile walk to the next town if you turn the other way. Don’t plan on anyone stopping to pick you up. You’ve got runaway written all over you. No one in their right mind would help you, so go back where you came from.”

The girl glared at him. “I’m never going back to Honey Creek. Never, never, never. I’ll die first.” Then out came a string of cuss words that were starting to hurt his ears. “No one can tell me what to do! It’s my life!”

The horses objected loudly and Star stopped cussing.

Jesse said calmly, “You’re scaring the horses.”

She turned to look at the stalls. “I’m sorry!” she yelled, not to him but to the horses.

“As skinny as you are, you’ll probably starve before you walk the thirty miles, or maybe freeze, because it’ll take you more than one day. That is, if the highway patrol doesn’t pick you up. He’ll take you straight to the sheriff, and my guess is LeRoy has probably seen enough of you.”

Jesse saw that she was wrapping her arms around herself as if growing cold.

“Come to think of it, you won’t freeze. This time of year the wolves are hunting at sundown.”

“I didn’t know there were wolves around here.”

“Wolves, mountain lions, a few bears.” Jesse lied. “You’re lucky, it’s too cold for the snakes.”

She glared at him. “Then you’ll have to drive me to another town. This is all your fault anyway for not changing your tags. That’s illegal. You could go to jail.”

“I can’t take you anywhere. I have to take care of the horses first. They haven’t had their breakfast, then I’ve got to brush them down and walk them.”

“I haven’t had breakfast either, but hell, I’m not complaining. Take me to the next town or I swear I’ll scream my head off.”

Jesse shrugged. “Much as I’d like to see that, I got work to do. You can help if you want, but I’m not leaving until the chores are done. I could call your kin or the sheriff to come get you.”

“No. The sheriff and me aren’t speaking and my sister is working.” Star Summers glared at him as if adding him to her hate list. After a long moment, she said grudgingly, “Okay, I’ll feed and water the horses, if you take me to the next town when I’m done. I’ll be on a bus before anyone knows I’m gone. No one in Texas will ever find me.”

Jesse headed for the first stall, deciding teenagers have Jell-O for brains. The knowledge that he’d have three in ten years gave him a shiver.

She dropped her backpack and removed her jacket as he brought out the first horse. “You know how to brush a horse down?”

“No, but how hard could it be?”

Thirty minutes later, she’d fallen twice and been stepped on once. To his surprise she seemed to enjoy the work.

“Horses are my spirit animals. You probably don’t even know what that means.”

“Nope,” he answered. “Horses probably don’t either. But that’s a good thing, I guess.” Jesse pointed toward the tack room. “See those mud boots over there? Put them on. They were my wife’s. Those tennis shoes are wet.”

“Won’t she mind?”

“No.” He turned the grooming over to Star. She’d got the hang of it, plus the pampered horses loved her talking to them.

Afterward, he saddled Princess and asked Star if she’d like to ride her around the corral, and the teenager actually smiled.

For the first time he saw the resemblance to Adalee. He wondered if big sister had been just as much of a hellcat at fifteen.

After exercising each horse, Star hugged their necks and talked to them as if they could understand every word she said.

Jesse didn’t leave the barn. He watched her, making sure she didn’t get hurt. Each ride was longer than the last. The kid really did love horses. He’d only seen that kind of devotion once. His Beth had loved horses. When they’d built the barn, he’d planned to use it for storage, but she’d insisted on at least two horses. The upkeep was worth it for the long rides they’d take.

He’d sold the horses after she died. Now, watching Star, he was thinking he might buy a few for the kids.

It was almost noon when Star put the last horse back in his stall.

“You want some lunch before we go?”

She nodded. “I’m so hungry I was thinking of trying the hay.”

They walked back to the house as she asked questions. Jesse pulled a frozen pizza from the freezer and told her she could wash up in the kids’ bathroom.

“Your clothes are really dirty. I’ve got a few things that should be your size. I’ll toss them on the bed in Sunny Lyn’s room.”

“You said your daughter’s four. I can’t wear her clothes!”

“No. But you’re about my wife’s size.”

“Your wife . . . Where is she then? Did you run her off with your work ethic?”