Page 59 of Huckleberry Hill

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I stood up and went to my dad and hugged him.

“Thought you’d be out with Gracie until the wee hours of the morning,” Dad said.

“Thought so too,” I admitted. “Her baby got sick.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just the flu.”

He made a noise in the back of his throat. “I checked on Mirabelle. She’s gonna foal soon. In a few days, I think. I’ll call Dr. Swanson tomorrow and make sure she’s aware we might need her in the middle of the night.”

“I’ll give Mirabelle some extra love tomorrow,” I said. “I think I’m gonna turn in early. Gotta get up and feed those chickens, you know?”

“Have you seen Declan?” Dad asked Muddy. “I want to tell him about Mirabelle.”

“Nope. He said he was going to the Copper Mule for a drink.” Muddy looked at me. “Did you see him while you were there, Hadley?”

My gaze narrowed at her, and a devilish twinkle entered her hazel eyes.

“No, I must’ve missed him,” I said. “Good night.”

I escaped to my bedroom and closed the door.

My grandmother was a sly one. She saw all. She knew all. And I was sure she realized that there was something going on between me and Declan.

I grabbed my cell phone from my sweater pocket and debated on whether or not to text Salem. It was near midnight on the East Coast, but I was in desperate need of advice.

Me

You awake?

Salem’s reply was almost instant.

Salem

Unfortunately.

Me

I need help.

Salem

that encompasses a lot.

Me

Call me you loon.

A moment later, my cell phone rang and I went into my closet and closed the door to muffle the sound.

“Hey,” I greeted, smiling at Salem. Her red hair was messy and pulled back into a lopsided ponytail.

“Hey,” my sister said. “What’s going on? I thought you were out with Gracie.”

“How did you know that?” I demanded.

“Muddy told me when I talked to her earlier.”

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