“Oh, have you?” Diane added.
“No. I was hoping to, you know, see if he’s—but now I’ve got to deal with three horses coming in, and how much of a financial drain it’s going to be since they’re malnourished and will need to be seen by a vet to get a real work up. Allthreeof them.” Olivia wasn’t screaming, but she might as well have been with the way she was worked up by the news, and I agreed with her. I also wanted a front row seat with fresh popcorn when she blew up at our dad too.
Back out of the house, we didn’t see Lorenzo as I walked with Diane on my arm towards the gift shop my mom was manning. I turned back on myself to walk up the path towards the alpacas, and passing them, I headed for the stables which were signposted as out of bounds for guests, purely because of how old the horse was, and she didn’t want to be around people.
Lorenzo, stood at the corner of the stables, puffing on a cigarette. He dropped his head back slightly, extending his neck out to exhale the smoke. I stared for a moment until he caught me, and I had to pretend I was just approaching.
“I—hey—I’m—” he stubbed the cigarette out on the inside of the packet, closing it, he stuffed it inside his jacket pocket. “I’m not a smoker, it’s an old habit, and big changes stress me out a little.”
I nodded. “I get it, it’s a big change for me too,” I told him.
He pulled out some minty gum and offered me one. “I’m not the biggest fan of interacting with people, so I kinda wanted to just see what Mary Poppings had to say to me.” He snickered. “Who gave her that name?”
Taking a gum, I looked him over, still unable to decide how I felt. Maybe I should’ve kept Diane with me. “Olivia gave her the name. She was the one who rode her and mostly took care of her. Now it’s my mom that takes her out to the field every day. You’re better off asking her questions about the horse, andthe three new ones coming in.” A shudder tickled over me. “I only come in here to clean and leave food.”
“Wait. You said three,” he said, eyes snapping open. “Three?” He wiped at his brow and pulled his hat away briefly to swipe them through his hair. “Are you sure?” He held three fingers up to me. “I heard it was just the one. A neglected stallion gone wild in need of taming.”
I shrugged. “Just what I heard. But surely that’s not a problem for you, right? The horse whisperer, that can’t be tough for you.”
“It’s—it’s more than I signed on for,” he said. “I might need your help.”
“Olivia will—”
“But you handle the animals well,” he added. “I think we work well together.”
“Yeah, but she’s the one who had horses on her walls and didn’t get out ofMy Little Ponyuntil she went to college,” I said.
He smirked. “I’ll teach you all you need to know about horses, since you’re teaching me about alpacas and goats. I think it’s only fair.”
This man had magnetized me, whatever I said, he was sticking to me with each response. I didn’t know if I was trying to think of more excuses for him to combat or just accept that he wasn’t the person I’d made him out to be hours ago.
“Have you seen my dad?” I asked.
“Yeah, he just left, he was the one who showed me the horse. And for what it’s worth, I think she’s lonely,” he said, stepping closer, I thought he was just trying to get closer to me, but in reality, he was just trying to get a view inside the stable.
It was a large stable. At one point, there had been several horses in there. The family had a history of buying, breeding, and selling show horses, but that was way before I was born. The ranch had also at one point been home to a flock of sheep and aherd of cows. My dad spoke fondly over those days, saying how it felt like a ranch back then.
I glanced to my wristwatch, not noting anything, just a way to change the topic. “I have some time now if you want to head into town,” I told him.
“? I thought you would be busy doing those tours and such.”
“Oh no, it’s all self-guided here, I just like to be around to answer any questions,” I said. “But I have time, so, do you want to head into town, or not?”
“Of course, yeah, I’m absolutely ready. I’ve got a bit of a list that I need.”
Visiting Pineberry Falls was going to be the real test of who he was. Town was covered in rainbow pride flags. I’d know right away if what he’d demonstrated before was just for show, or if he wasn’t bothered it at all. Better yet if he was an ally, and best, if he batted for my team.
Leaving wasn’t as easy as I’d made it sound. I got the ranch branded van and drove up to the guesthouse where Lorenzo waited, now dressed in a thicker jacket and his boots looked a little smarter.
“Yes, before you ask, these are my show shoes,” he said, meeting my gaze at his feet. “It’s important people see me clean.”
They were noticeably the boots he’d worn when he arrived yesterday, and smart thinking on his behalf because I would never have worn those around the coup or barns, especially with all the poop and the way I’d once had a goat try and gnaw at my boots.
We reached the house, driving back toward the gate when we were stopped by Diane, nearly flinging herself in front of the car. Forming a giant X shape. “Stop,” she yelled.
“What? Is everything ok?” I asked, sticking my head out of the window to try and see if I’d hit something. It hadn’t felt like I had.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” she asked.
