She Can Hide (She Can #4)(23)

The animal turned its head toward Ethan and blew air from its nostrils. Ethan moved slowly, extending a hand, reading the animal’s body language until he was at the horse’s head. He snapped the rope to the halter and walked out of the stall. The skittish bay followed, tentatively stepping its front feet into the aisle and stopping.

“Easy there, big boy.” Ethan stopped, patiently waiting for the horse to settle. The bay blew hard and gave Cam a nervous eye roll.

“Thanks.” Cam took Ethan’s place at the horse’s head. “The farrier will be here in a few minutes. Poor guy’s feet haven’t been trimmed in so long, his hooves are curling up in front.”

“Maybe his attitude will change when he can walk right.” Ethan dug the second carrot out of his pocket. After a cautious sniff, the bay crunched it down. “Where’s Bryce?”

“Lumberyard.” Cam removed the bay’s blanket in slow motion and hung it over the stall door. Picking up a soft brush, he swept it over the horse’s side. With proper nutrition, the scraggly coat would shed out into healthy fur over the next month or so. “We’re going to start repairs on the pasture fence today.”

“Cold day for fixing fences.”

Cam sighed. “Yes, it is, but these guys have been cooped up too long, and we have to go back to school soon.”

“Thanks.” Ethan rubbed the bay’s neck. “You and Bryce were a big help this weekend.”

Cam glanced over. “I know we were a pain in your ass in high school, but we’re not kids anymore. You can depend on us.”

“You weren’t a pain in the ass.” Ethan examined the rub mark on the bay’s nose. It was scabbing over nicely.

Cam snorted. “Yes, we were.”

“OK, you were, but it wasn’t your fault.” At sixteen, his younger brothers hadn’t been emotionally equipped to deal with their father’s sudden death. Ethan had worked hard to get them both through high school and into college.

The next five minutes passed in silence as Cam picked out the horse’s hooves and spread the blanket back over the bony body. “You’re welcome to help with the fence today.”

“As appealing as that sounds, I have to work.” Ethan had more questions for Abby Foster today. Warmth spread through his chest. He should not be looking forward to interviewing her with this much enthusiasm.

“Sure you do.”

“I actually do.” Ethan gestured to his uniform with both hands.

Cam secured the blanket straps. He brushed past Ethan and entered the roan’s stall. The animal shoved its nose deep into his brother’s coat pocket. Giving the pony’s forelock a playful tousle, Cam ducked out of reach. “You already ate it, greedball.”

“That guy has a great disposition.” Ethan braced himself as the bay horse rubbed its head up and down his body. “He’ll get adopted no problem.”

Ethan gave the bay a worried look. That one would be hard to place. “Yeah. The pony’s like a big dog.”

“He is.” The thought of big dogs brought Abby and Zeus to Ethan’s mind. How was she feeling four days after the accident? Had she remembered anything? “We’re not keeping them.”

Cam held up a hand in surrender. “I know. No time. No money.”

The farrier arrived, and Ethan handed the horse off to him with a final pat. “I’m going to take off then. See you later.”

He stopped at the house to wash the horse smell from his hands. He reached for his truck key on the rack. The hook was empty. He glanced out the window. His pickup was gone. The shiny red MINI Cooper Cam and Bryce shared mocked Ethan from the driveway. Of course Bryce had taken his truck. There was no way to stuff lumber into a car the size of a mailbox.

Ethan glanced at the time on his cell phone. He couldn’t wait any longer. He grabbed his brothers’ keys and folded his body into the driver’s seat of the subcompact. The MINI Cooper’s three-hamster engine whined as he pressed the gas pedal.

He was cruising past Abby’s neighborhood when he spotted a figure walking next to the snowplow berm. It was a kid. An unwieldy backpack sagged from his shoulders. Ethan slowed. The kid turned, and Ethan recognized the boy who lived next door to Abby.

Stopping, Ethan lowered the passenger window. “Hey, Derek.”

Derek backed a step. He tripped on a clump of snow and nearly fell into the dirty roadside slush. His eyes darted to the horizon, as if he wished he was there.

“Cold morning for a walk,” Ethan said.

“I missed the bus.”

“That sucks. Can I give you a ride?” Ethan pressed the unlock button on the door.

The kid hesitated. He scanned the MINI Cooper.

Ethan had a feeling if he’d been driving his police cruiser the answer would have been an emphatic “no.” He checked the dashboard clock. “I can still get you there before the first bell.”

Derek sniffed and gave a reluctant nod. “Yeah, thanks.” He slid into the passenger seat and jammed the backpack between his feet.

“No biggie.” Ethan pulled out onto the road. “I don’t like to be late.”

No response.

The MINI’s engine sounded like an electric weed-whacker as Ethan accelerated. “What do you think of the car?”

Derek shrugged. The kid spoke zero words during the seven-minute ride. Ethan dropped him off in front of the main entrance. “Have a good day.”