Page 52 of Spencer and the Younger Girl
Spencer
As a kid, Spencer hated Saturdays when he had to head to the farmers’ market with his mom. He always told her he was a rancher, not a salesman. Even as a boy, he’d just wanted to be around the horses.
He groaned as he rolled from his bed. During his travels, he’d still gotten up with the dawn. Some habits never went away. His occasional travel companions complained about his early morning runs, but he’d never cared much.
Now that he worked on the ranch, he’d rather ride a horse than go for a run.
Grabbing a fresh shirt, he shrugged it on over his head and changed into new pants. His muddy boots were barely laced up before he raced from the room.
He enjoyed being the first person awake each morning. As he unlocked the barn and slid open the double doors, light filtered into the darkness, illuminating the great beasts in the stalls.
Once upon a time, the Lees bred horses. Now, they only boarded them. The family’s horses were in the farthest stalls.
“Morning, Harbi.” He patted the door to his stall, knowing he wouldn’t have time to work with him until later.
For now, he just wanted to ride. Toby lifted his head, his nostrils flaring as Spencer opened his stall.
He saddled him quickly and led him from the barn.
Outside, he caught sight of his mom sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, watching him.
He lifted a hand in a wave before remembering how strained things were between them.
When she waved back, he forced himself to look away and mount Toby. There was nothing better than racing across the fields behind his property in the early morning light. It was a familiar route, one he’d taken a million times as a kid on his way to the tree that provided his escape.
At the edge of the woods sat an ancient oak tree on a small hill, bigger than any of the surrounding trees. From that vantage point, you could look out across the ranch, seeing all the way to the barn in the distance.
He didn’t dismount this time as he reached the hill, but he nudged Toby around. Seeing everything his family had owned for generations was always a sobering thing.
Once, he’d wanted it all to be his one day.
But Gulf City was broken for him. It was where he’d lost the first thing he’d ever loved and then the second loss shattered him.
It took a long time for him to stop seeing Victoria’s face every night in his dreams.
I don’t think we’re meant to be.
Maybe this is a sign.
He hadn’t seen it at the time, but she’d been right. They were lifelong friends who felt they should be in love. And he did love her. He always would. But not in the right way.
It didn’t make the sting of what might have been hurt any less.
After staring out at the pasture for a while, he urged Toby into a canter, loping across the fields. Sitting high in the saddle, he felt like he’d never left, like going three years without a horse underneath him was only a dream.
But soon, it would be reality once more. Because he couldn’t stay. Not after the way he’d left before.
Not after the lies and secrets.
As he raced toward the barn, he caught sight of Hadley watching him, her hair blowing back away from her face. The feelings she evoked in him were different from Victoria. Victoria always gave him comfort and calm.
Hadley made him feel out of control, like at any moment he’d combust if he stayed in her presence too long.
“You sure know how to ride that thing,” she called, shielding her eyes from the sun.
Spencer’s dad walked up beside her. “You think seeing him on Toby is something… it’s nothing compared to when Spencer rides Harbinger. Those two make magic together.”
It was the first nice thing his father had said to him since he returned. “I’ll get Harbi back out there.”
