Page 19 of The Front Runner
“He’s good. The mare took him right away. It was amazing.”
He stomps his boots on the mat at the door before approaching the front desk. “Well, you know how it goes. Sometimes it takes mere minutes, sometimes hours, and other times not at all. You should give yourself a pat on the back.”
I reach over my back dramatically, patting my shoulder with a big grin on my face. I have to confess, I’m feeling proud of myself for working this out. I don’t even care about the three dates I agreed to go on with Stefan. I can totally handle it. Maybe I’ll get a good meal out of the deal. My stomach growls just thinking about it, and I resolve right here and now to make sure Stefan takes me for a super fancy meal.
He’s gonna pay for this trick, and I’m gonna enjoy the hell out of some delicious food.
“You did good.” Hank beams at me, his eyes crinkling at the sides as he leans over the counter. He’s so sweet. A surrogate father to pretty much everyone at the farm now. It’s probably close to time for him to retire, but I have a feeling Billie will have to drag him kicking and screaming off this property. It’s never going to happen.
“Thanks. How’s Trixie?” He tries to bite back a smile at the mention of the new woman in his life. They met at Cole and Violet’s wedding and hit it off almost instantly. She lives in Vancouver, just ninety minutes down the road, and they take turns visiting each other when their schedules allow it.
It’s freaking adorable.
“She’s wonderful. So different from anyone I’ve ever met or thought I’d be with. She keeps me on my toes.”
I can’t help but laugh because the woman is a character. “I’m so happy for you. On your toes is a good thing!”
“Is it ever.” He clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “Never settle, Mira. Sometimes what you want isn’t what you need.”
“You giving me dating advice, Hank?” My lips tip up at the thought.
“Yup. You spend too much time working for a woman your age.”
I flinch. This is a sore spot for me. I’ve known I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was tiny. It was my single-minded focus through school and into university, straight through vet school. Did I miss out on social experiences to get where I am? Yeah, but it was worth it.
Unless you ask my extended family on my dad’s side. They always have something to say about me needing to start a family. They mean well, and I know it’s a cultural thing, but it gets old fast. And while my parents would never say that to me, they don’t correct them either. It’s like none of them completely appreciate how hard I worked to become a doctor of something, that I graduated at the top of my class, that I worked my ass off to do it. At twenty-seven-years old, I’m more educated and more accomplished than anyone else in my family career-wise, and yet none of them seem to want to celebrate my achievement.
Basically, my love life revolves around the purple rubber boyfriend that lives in my nightstand and all the thirst traps I browse on TikTok. I don’t havetimefor a relationship, even if I wanted one. So, my silicone friend is perfect. He doesn’t need anything from me, and he doesn’t get in my way. I don’t owe him anything except to charge him up now and then. And that’s about the level of commitment I can handle right now.
“Hey, I didn’t mean that in a bad way.” Hank’s brow crinkles in concern.
“Oh, nah.” I wave him off. “It’s all good. Just distracted today. Did you need something? I’m planning to close up shop soon.”
I’m aware I come off a bit cool sometimes. I’d like to say I don’t mean to… but I think I do. I don’t like people meddling in my business. I’m not a spew-my-personal-issues type of girl. I’ve been told I’m intensely private.
I say I’m just independent with clearly defined boundaries.
Hank straightens and I smile at him kindly, trying to show that all is well without having to verbalize it. I’m not big on explaining myself when I don’t think it’s necessary. That’s one thing I like about animals. They judge you by your actions.
“Billie is meeting me here. I’m going to drive her to Stefan’s. Consider me her… bodyguard? Or Dalca’s, considering my job is probably to hold her back from killing him. I’m also her getaway car if she does.”
I huff out a laugh as I shut down the monitor at the front desk. “Billie should hold it together. His willingness to help is what’s going to save her foal.”
One corner of Hank’s mouth quirks up as his eyes scan my face, a little too curiously. “I wouldn’t put it that way to her if I were you.”
I wink at him. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The door swings open right at that moment. “Wouldn’t dream of what?” Billie asks, stomping her boots on the mat and shaking out the thick chestnut braid from under her hood.
“Oh, geez. It’s pouring,” I say, trying to change the direction of the conversation.
“Yeah. Just started.” She looks up with a smile. “We good to go see the baby?”
“Are you?” Hank asks with the quirk of an eyebrow.
Billie grunts and rears back, like she’s offended by the question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
I cut in. “I think what Hank is trying to say without actually saying it is: are you prepared to behave civilly?”
