Page 117 of Crystal Iris
“This couldn’t wait until it wasn’t raining?” I ask.
“My schedule’s tight this week,” he says.
I look at him.
“We’re getting a new horse tomorrow,” he adds.
“We are?”
“Yes, a purebred white.”
“White?”
“Yes. As you may know, true white horses are rare. Most people call gray horses white, but pure white is rare.”
“How did you guys find one?”
“I have no idea. Hoyt must have spent a fortune on it. I don’t even know why he bought it. It’s apparently not a racing horse.”
I’m exhausted after the lack of sleep and all the work Broc and I did. We struggled with a broken gate for a while. All that matters is that we got the job done. I stayed longer to help him finish.
Akira finds me when I return. “You look…” She eyes me. I’m dirty, wet, tired, and starving.
Hoyt comes downstairs just in time to see me that way.
“Bad day at work?” he asks as I take off my layers.
“You could say that. I’ll see you guys later. I’ve never needed a shower more in my life.”
I walk upstairs.
I take my time washing every body part. My hair is knotted, and it takes me ages to brush it through. When I get out of the bathroom, I see a tray with food waiting for me on the bed: asandwich with a pickle on the side, an iced coffee, and water on the right, with a note on the left.I’m an expert at washing off mud if you ever need help.I let myself dream about the idea for a minute. At least he’s teasing me again.
Thanks for the food,I text him.
I read a message from Akira:Went out for lunch with Broc. See you at dinner.
I don’t want to nap, but my body has other plans—I wake up to a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I mumble.
“Did I… wake you up?” Hoyt closes the door behind him.
I see worry in his eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
I sit up and rub my face. “What’s going on?”
“Aaron’s firm asked him to step down.”
“They what?”
“I guess they agreed he’s not himself. It might be a temporary thing, I don’t know.”
“What about your money?”
He takes a deep breath. “They transferred the care to Lara.”
