Chapter One
“Aunt Elaine, how are you?” Catherine Mornelli twisted a section of her black hair around a finger as she sat at her workspace. Elaine, her great-aunt, had something she could use. Money was tight, what with paying off student loans and her own living expenses. And she had the expenses of her rescue operation.
“Catherine, what a pleasant surprise. Is everything okay?” The concern in her aunt’s voice couldn’t be missed.
“Fine. Nothing to worry about,” Catherine assured her. “I have a question, or better yet, a favor to ask of you.” Two weeks ago, she had started the search to locate a new home for her rescue horses. Their current location in Pinedale, Minnesota was up for sale.
“Anything for you, dear. You know that.”
Sincerity sounded in Elaine’s voice and filled Catherine’s chest with warmth. “Are you using your barn?”
“No. I have no use for that thing. Although, Joe’s using the hayloft for storage.”
“Okay, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Her love for animals stemmed from the summer months spent on the farm throughout her younger years.
“What do you need a barn for? Is this for the horses your mother’s been telling me about?” Aunt Elaine’s excitement traveled through the phone line, and although Catherine wasn’t in front of her, she envisioned her aunt’s dentured smile and crinkled eyes, hiding behind large plastic framed glasses.
“That’s exactly the reason. The place where I’m now boarding the horses is for sale, and I don’t know how long I have until it sells. I’ve been looking around and then thought of you.” Property sold quickly in the southern suburbs of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Housing sprawled out and popped up in place of farmland.
“Consider it yours.” No hesitation.
Exhilarated, her heart beat like a horse jumping a combination—pole after pole after pole. Relief washed over tense shoulders, and she released the strand of twisted hair. “Great! I’m going to plan a trip up to see you. I want to take a look at the barn.”
“I’ll get the room ready for you. Joe was over today.” The last bit of information rolled off her aunt’s tongue slow but dangerous like a steamroller.
“Really?” The word escaped her lips in a more snotty tone than intended. She wasn’t interested in Josef despite what her aunt might think. He was a part of her past.
“He comes to visit every now and then to check on me and see if I need any help.”
“Huh.” Disinterested in hearing about Josef, Catherine perused the papers sitting on the desk.
“He looked at my water heater.”
“I was hoping this weekend would work for you.” She changed the ex-boyfriend topic. Although he was history, her memory brought forth a picture of him, twenty-one with shaggy black hair and brown caring eyes.
“That’d be fine, Catherine. I’ll see you Saturday.”
“Actually, I was planning on being there Friday night. Will that work for you?”
“Of course. Will you be here for dinner? I could see if Joe’s available.”
“Sorry, no. I have to work and then go home before hitting the road.”
“That’s too bad.”
“I’ll see him while I’m there, Aunt Elaine,” she said to satisfy the woman’s pushing about Josef. When Catherine and Josef ended their relationship eleven years ago, it pained her aunt. Elaine had big plans for the two of them and was never afraid to voice them.