Page 32 of The Front Runner
“What happened now?” I turn to my sister, instantly concerned about what’s going on in her personal life. I’m not involved enough. I don’t know how to be. And every time I try, I get the distinct impression she doesn’t want me to be.
She waves me off, looking happier than she has in a long time. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t need to deal with them anymore after tomorrow.”
“Why is that?”
“Because tomorrow I’m cleaning my locker out and getting my distance learning packages. The next day I’m starting a new job.”
Jesus, what poor sucker hired Nadia?
But I opt to be outwardly supportive. Maybe some responsibility would be good for her. A purpose is good for coping with trauma, and I want my sister to succeed in life. Even if the girl is like a hurricane that leaves chaos in her wake. I want herhappy.“That’s great. What’s the job?”
Nadia’s full lips stretch out over her face, and she looks genuinely excited. “I’m Mira’s new assistant at the clinic!”
I blink, trying to wrap my head around that. And then I look at Mira, who softens her features and shrugs before grabbing her stuff from the ground near her feet. “I’ve been meaning to hire someone,” is all she says. As though Nadia is a perfectly qualified and natural choice.
She doesn’t act like she’s going out of her way to help my sister. To helpme. She doesn’t prance around acting like she’s doing us a favor or extending some great kindness.
But she is.
And after everything I shared with her on Friday night, this feels like more. It feels like someone caring about us—something that hasn’t happened in a very long time.
* * *
“I brought your eggs,”Mira calls into the barn the next morning.
She’s been coming back to check on Loki every evening and first thing in the morning before the clinic opens. Twice a day she’s been here, running herself into the ground because I’m a greedy prick who wanted to keep the upper hand in an imaginary war with her employers.
“Mira, I was joking about that.”
I’m sitting on the concrete floor just outside of the stall waiting for her, feeling like a full-blown shmuck for using a woman who would make a special effort to help my little sister.
“Trust me. You want these eggs. They’re from my parents’ farm. I collected them myself.”
Now I feel even worse, if that’s possible. But I still take them from her outstretched hand.
“I also brought you a coffee.” She holds the paper cup out to me with an amused tilt to her shapely lips.
I’m going to hell.
“Mira. Honestly. You don’t need to do this.”
“I know. But I like watching your face when I try to guess what type of coffee you like. It’s worth the few bucks that cost me.”
She pushes it toward me again, urging me to take it from her hand. When I finally do, she moves past me into the stall to check on Loki.
“Good morning, sweet baby boy,” she coos. “And you pretty mama, how are you?” I hear a quiet kissing noise and know she just pressed her lips to the mare’s soft nose. I’ve seen her do it before. And it made my chest pinch then too.
I conned a life-saving, sister-helping, horse-kissing angel into going on dates with me just because I could.I feel like dirt, and there’s a part of me wondering why it’s taken me this long to get to this point.
When she finally emerges from the stall, she locks it behind her, drops her workbox on the floor, and comes to the other side of me. I watch her boots as she slides down the wall to sitting. This time, she’s only a few inches away from me. I can’t figure out why she’s sitting with me when she could leave and carry on with her day.
“Seems like sitting on the barn floor is kind of our thing,” I say.
She laughs, a soft chuckle. A noise I want to take and suck into my mouth. I want to swallow her whole. Devour her. I don’t deserve her, but goddamnit, I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted another woman more.
“How’s the coffee?”
She quirks an eyebrow at me as I take my first sip.
