Page 42 of In Full Bloom

“Would you like to meet her?”

Sadie’s eyes widen further. She nods, then stops. “Can I?” she whispers, and I can’t tell if she’s worried about scaring the horse or if voicing the question is going to stop her being able to.

“Of course. Come here.”

Sadie climbs over the top railing, moving nice and slowly. She’s so aware of Aurora and any time the horse fidgets, Sadie pauses, waiting for her to settle again. I reach out and grab Sadie from the railings, holding her in my arms. Aurora is standing back, her lead rope stretched long between us, while she eyes up the new addition to our team.

“Hey, pretty girl,” I croon to the horse. “This is Lady Sadie and she’d like to meet you. Think that’s a good idea?”

The horse puffs out a breath, and takes a tentative stepforward.

“Hello, Aurora,” Sadie says quietly, copying my soothing tone. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

The horse takes another step and as Sadie reaches out her hand, Aurora stretches her nose towards her.

“Sadie?” The voice behind us comes out sharp, and both little girl and horse pull back, moments before making contact. “What’re you doing?” Dallas asks.

I close my eyes and let out a breath as Sadie curls into me, the hand she had reached out for the horse wrapping itself tightly around my neck. “He’s going to be mad at me,” she whispers.

That has my eyes flying open again. “Why?”

“Because I’m not supposed to go near the horses.”

“He won’t be mad at you, Lady Sadie,” I say softly into her hair as she clings to me.

“I don’t want him to be mad at you either,” she says as I reach the railings and balance her feet on them.

“Don’t you worry about me. I can handle it.” I give her a smile and she scrambles over the top of the fence, landing back on the viewing platform beside her father.

“What’re you doing down here?” He asks her. “I thought you were with Violet.”

“Violet needed a moment,” I say, climbing the railings to put me on a better height with Dallas. I don’t need him literally talking down at me while he’s telling me off. Because I know it’s coming.

Yeah, I know Sadie isn’t allowed to ride. I didn’t know she wasn’t allowed near the horses at all.

“So, you brought Sadie to the horses?”

I look pointedly at Sadie while he talks, then jerk my head off to the side. I’m sure Sadie knows what’s going on when Dallas asks her to stay where she is, but at least she doesn’t have to hear it.

“You’re upsetting her,” I whisper shout at him when we’re far enough away that Sadie doesn’t have to hear us arguing. “She’s absolutely fine.”

“You had her in the yard with a half wild horse,” he snaps.

“She’s not half wild and I was holding Sadie. I would have kept her safe.”

Dallas is breathing hard, glaring down at me. “I’ll take her back to Violet.”

“No, you won’t.” I straighten. There’s no way I’m going to even get close to his height but I’m not going to let him bulldoze all over me. “Violet needs some time to herself.”

“She’s fine to have Sadie. She has her every day. She’s never said she needs a break.” He doesn’t sound certain though, it’s like he’s trying to convince himself.

“She’s not going to ask you for one when she’s having a bad day. She probably just wants to shove all the grief down and carry on anyway. But she needs a morning off. I told her I’d take care of Sadie, and Iwill.”

Dallas’s eyes soften a little when I talk about Violet. “I don’t want her near the horses,” he says, his voice low and stern.

“She loves them,” I say. “And she’s good with them. Why can’t you give her a chance? Keeping her away from them isn’t going to do you any favours later. She’s surrounded by them every day.”

“She’s not going near the horses. She can be with me whileyou finish with Aurora.” He turns and strides away, back to where Sadie is leaning over the railings, cooing down at Aurora, who’s watching her carefully, but taking slow steps forward. Dallas pauses as he takes in the sight, then shakes his head, as though he’s removing the image from his memory, before going over and lifting Sadie down from the platform, talking with her in voices too low for me to hear.

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