While drinking his second cup of coffee the next morning, Ben stared out the kitchen window, watching Ashley as she fed the rescue horses in the farthest pasture from the house. He’d felt the dread fall off his shoulders this morning when her truck arrived, towing the horse trailer behind it. Having the final mare in that pasture made him a little more confident about Ashley staying in the position of barn manager. He hadn’t been any too sure after her reaction to his revelation.
When she’d returned to the porch yesterday, she’d thanked Ben for telling her his history, then had made it clear theirs was to be a business relationship only going forward. She hadn’t mentioned the kiss, but her meaning had been clear. He’d been wise enough to agree to her condition, although he had to believe—based on her response to his kiss—there was hope for more, given time.
“She’s afraid,” he said aloud as he rinsed out the mug. Now all he needed to know was how to relieve that fear. For now, he hadn’t a clue what to do except to prove himself dependable, to be kind, to be patient. He needed to be a good employer and a trusted friend.
He turned from the sink and stepped to the kitchen table where Andrew Henning’s Bible lay open to 1 Corinthians. Ben had spent time this morning reminding himself what love meant. True Christian love. Unselfish love. The kind that put another person first. He knew what he wanted, but what did Ashley want? That’s all that mattered for now.
Drawing a deep breath, he went to the front door where he put on a light jacket, just enough warmth against the crisp October morning air. Then he slapped a baseball cap onto his head and opened the door. Dusty darted outside ahead of him and ran toward the barn. In the time Ben had been away from the window, Ashley had disappeared from sight. He assumed she’d gone to her office now that all the horses were fed. Dusty, no doubt, planned to join her two dogs.
As Ben stepped down from the porch, the crunch of tires on gravel caused him to stop and turn his gaze toward the driveway. Recognizing Emily Cooper’s black Ford truck, he changed direction, feeling guilty that he’d forgotten he arranged for her to come by that morning.
“Hey, Emily.”
“Hey, Ben.” She dropped to the ground and closed the truck door. “How goes it?”
“Good.”
“Gorgeous morning.”
“Sure is.”
Her gaze swept the barnyard and fields. “You’ve been a busy man since the open house. Is that where you’re putting the new stables?” She motioned with a tip of her head toward the cleared and leveled area beyond the barn.
“Yeah. The crew’ll start construction next week. There’ll be an indoor arena too. I think I told you that.”
“You did.”
They started walking toward the barn.
Emily asked, “But you still don’t plan to have your first sessions until February?”
“Nothing official. At least not riding sessions. I’d rather not rush it. Do you agree?”
“Yes. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy until then. Volunteers to train. Tack to get ready. More advertising. There’s a lot to be done.”
They reached the barn, and he opened the small door to take them inside. “Ashley,” he called.
She stepped into the doorway of her office. Her expression revealed nothing.
“You remember Emily. I think I forgot to tell you she was coming this morning.”
“Yes, you did forget. Hi, Emily. Good to see you again.”
“You too. Ben told me you’ve got a few more horses on the place. Any with riding potential?”
“You mean from the rescues?” Ashley glanced at Ben, then quickly away. “One of them, maybe. Let me grab my jacket, and I’ll show her to you.”
A few moments later, the three of them headed outside on their way to the farthest paddock. The dogs ran ahead of them, racing and tumbling over one another in their excitement. Ashley smiled at the dogs’ antics, and Ben felt his spirits lighten when he saw it. He shortened his stride and allowed the women to move on ahead of him. Neither of them seemed to notice his absence as they slipped between rails to enter the pasture, making their way to where the horses grazed. Ben stopped at the fence and leaned his arms on the top rail. He couldn’t hear their conversation, but he sensed that talking to someone who loved horses as much as she did would brighten Ashley’s spirits. He smiled to himself, thankful for that. Thankful for anything that would put her more at ease.
* * *
“You must be in seventh heaven,” Emily said after she’d inspected the three newest arrivals at the farm.
“Sorry?”
“Getting to work here all the time instead of just volunteering.”
“Oh.” She looked at the horses, then let her gaze sweep over the land before looking at Emily again. “Yes. I guess that’s a good way to describe it.”
“You plan to take on more rescues, don’t you?”
“Definitely. There’s plenty of room for them here. I didn’t have anywhere close to enough space at my place. Four horses maxed me out.”
Emily grinned. “I’ll bet you’ve always loved horses.”
“For as long as I can remember.”
“Me too.”
Ashley nodded.
“Did you compete when you were younger? Barrel racing or anything like that?”
“No. I wasn’t ever into that kind of thing. And I didn’t have a trailer until I was out on my own, so all of my riding as a teen was done in or near the pasture I rented, unless I could bum a ride from somebody else. What about you?”
“I loved to jump when I was young.” Emily turned her back to the horses. “My dream was to be in the Olympics one day, but reality set in early. We didn’t have the money to buy a horse of Olympic caliber nor to get me the kind of training I would need.” She shrugged. “I was disappointed for a while, and then I realized I didn’t need to be in the show ring to enjoy my horses.”
“What got you into equine therapy?”
“I stumbled upon it, actually. There was a fancy-dress fundraiser, and a friend told me about the event because it had to do with horses. I was intrigued, so I decided to check it out. Before I knew it, I was volunteering for a barn in Ontario. Eventually I became a certified instructor.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t started a program of your own.”
Emily laughed. “No, thanks. I didn’t have the setup for that. Besides, I don’t want the headache and paperwork. I’d rather be working with the horses and helping people. Management isn’t my thing.” She looked across the pasture. “Seems to be Ben’s thing. I’ve never known anybody more focused and organized than he is.”
Ashley’s gaze went in the same direction, but Ben was no longer where she’d last seen him. Despite herself, she felt a sting of disappointment.
“What made you decide to work for him?” Emily asked.
“I was an unhappy girl when I got my first horse. A gelding named Gus. He rescued me. I’d like to help make that happen for others. This seemed like the best way to do that.” Her words served as another reminder of why she wanted to keep working for the Harmony Barn—for Ben.
“Looks like you’re going to be doing that. I plan to start training sessions with our volunteers in a couple of weeks.”
“We’ll be ready. Me and the horses, I mean.”