Page 103 of The Summer We Started Over

Bobby ran up to Eddie, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward the barn. “Read me a book!”

“First, let’s get you into some dry clothes.”

Eddie stripped his bathing suit off and used a long hose to wash sand off Bobby. He giggled and jumped in the force of the spray. She found clean underpants and dry shorts and a T-shirt in Dove’s beach bag. She dressed Bobby.

“Go in the barn and choose a book,” she said. “I’m going to rinse off your sandals and swimsuit, and then I’ll come in to read.”

She took the sandy clothes to the clothesline at the side of the house. She shook out the towels and beach clothes, pegged them to the line, and sprayed them with the hose until they looked reasonably sand free.

“Okay, Bobby,” she called. “Let’s read.”

As she spoke, she saw Bobby crawling under the fence.

The little boy stood up and walked toward Duchess, who was standing maybe twenty feet away. Bobby was talking so softly Eddie couldn’t hear the words.

What should she do? The horse had never bitten anyone before. Had never reared up and whinnied and come down, hooves striking a person. But clearly Duchess was on guard. Her ears were back. She was bobbing her head and huffing.

Eddie’s heart jumped to her throat. Should she call out to Bobby, tell him to come back? Would that scare the child and make him scream and frighten the horse? If Duchess hurt the child—and she was so huge, standing there towering over the little boy!—if she hurt the child…Eddie told herself not to panic.

She climbed over the fence. She crouched down, making herself small so she wouldn’t frighten the horse, and took a few steps toward the child and the horse. Her presence might be enough to make Duchess run to the other end of the field. Usually, it was. Duchess would only tolerate an adult’s touch if there was a fence between them.

Now Bobby was next to the horse. Talking to her.

“Bobby.” Eddie spoke in a normal tone, as if what was happening was also normal.

Bobby whispered to Duchess. The horse dropped her head down and made nibbling motions with her huge rubbery lips. The little boy giggled. He patted the horse on her head, near her mouth. He stroked the horse’s muzzle. The horse held very still. She closed her eyes.

Bobby continued to pet the horse, until the huge animal snorted softly and walked away.

Eddie whispered, “Wow.”

Bobby turned, a big grin on his face. “She likes me.”

“Yes, she does, Bobby. But maybe don’t get into a yard with a strange animal unless you have an adult with you. I mean, this horse usually isn’t very friendly. I was afraid she might kick you, or bite you.”

“I’m not strange to her,” Bobby said. “She likes me.”

He was so sweet, his cheeks and the tip of his nose pink from the sun, his hair stiff with salt, standing out in every direction, his face chubby, his eyes bright with youth. He looked like Stearns as a three-year-old.

She would be more careful. More watchful. She would protect this child with her life.

“Let’s go in the barn and read,” Eddie said, holding out her hand.

Bobby took her hand. Eddie climbed over the fence and watched him squeeze through. The barn was shady and cool. The quiet comforted them both like a soft breeze on a hot day. Eddie sat in one of the old armchairs, pulled Bobby onto her lap, and opened a book from the table. There was a frog and a toad, and the little boy nestled his head against Eddie’s chest and fell asleep.

—

By late afternoon, Barrett was exhausted. The shop had been swamped all day. Janny had been helpful, but she kept answering her phone and shooting mean looks at Barrett.

“Is something wrong?” Barrett demanded after the last customer left.

Janny picked up her clutch and got ready to leave the shop. “You should look at your phone more often,” she said. “You’re being kind of rude.”

After Janny left, leaving clouds of anger behind her, Barrett checked her phone.

She had three messages from Drew, asking her to get in touch.

“Hey, babe,” Drew said when he answered her call. “I wanted to take you out to dinner, but you never called me back.”

---