Michelle crouched at the mare’s neck, stroking and soothing as she muttered nonsense.
The mare lifted her head and snorted, then tucked her hooves beneath her and scrambled back to a standing position.
“Looks pretty standard to me.” Chelsey draped her stethoscope around her neck. “Those cuts will need to be monitored. I’ll give her an antibiotic to help fight off infection. Tetanus is her worst possible problem. I’ll give her a shot for that, too, but you’ll still need to keep an eye on her. Especially for the next twenty-four hours.”
“I’ll stay with her.” Michelle remained beside the mare, her presence calming him and the horse.
He’d almost expected her to offer. It was something the old Michelle would’ve done. Maybe some things about her were the same.
She gave him a look he remembered all too well, one that said she expected him to fight her over the decision. She’d made up her mind. That stubborn determination mixed with the compassion she’d always possessed and created this beautiful, willful woman he’d never been able to stop loving.
“Great.” Chelsey retreated to the aisle and rummaged in her bag. She came back with two syringes that she injected into the mare. “Call me if anything develops. Especially a fever.” She held up her hands in a placating gesture. “I know. I know. You already know all this stuff.” A grin flashed. “But I have to tell you again. Even if you’ve heard it a hundred times.”
“Thanks, Chelsey.” The relief in Michelle’s voice almost undid him. She blinked back tears and scratched the mare behind the ears.
“No problem.” Chelsey shrugged. “It’s literally my job.”
“Don’t give me that. You always wanted to do this. It’s all you talked about for years.” A wobbly smile trembled. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too.” Chelsey hugged Michelle again. “Seriously, let’s catch up sometime. I can’t stay to talk right now, but I’m free this weekend.”
Chase tuned them out and worked on clearing out the stall. Unused bandages went back into the office. He poured the water down the drain and rinsed his hands. The blue would wear off eventually. He’d sported it around often enough that no one really paid attention anymore.
By the time he finished, Chelsey had left the barn and Michelle sat in the corner of the mare’s stall weaving strands of hay together. She held out a circlet to him. “Your crown.”
“You…” His throat clogged as he took the crown from her. “You remember?”
“Yes.” Barely a whisper but there all the same. “Not everything, but I remember enough.”
“What does that mean?” He remained at the doorway, the straw crown tight in his fist.
She sighed and tipped her head back, resting it against the wooden wall.
He should tell her it wasn’t safe, but she wouldn’t listen. He never did either. The mare would never intentionally hurt them, and he’d make sure they both gave her space later.
Michelle brought her knees to her chest and hugged them close. “I remember leaving. I remember feeling like I’d never be whole again.”
“Why did you go?” The single most important question that tore them apart lingered. The unfathomable depths of his pain resurfaced and washed through him.
She opened her mouth, closed it, and finally released a keening sound that pierced his heart. “I wanted to see what life was like outside of this.” One hand left her legs long enough to wave around them. “I wanted to see what I’d be missing out on if I stayed here and never adventured into the life that I’d always dreamed of.”
“You never told me you wanted to live in the city.”
“Because you hated it.” She winced and grabbed his arm. “It was never your fault. I didn’t want to make us both feel bad. It was my decision to go.”
“You could have asked me to come with you.” He did despise the city. But he would’ve tried to make it work. He loved her that much.
She must have seen his answer in his face, because she leaned her head on his shoulder after he slid down beside her. “I almost did. A hundred times. I’d gather up all my courage and try to ask.” She pinched her fingers together against her thumb and tapped them to her chest. “And I’d freeze. The words wouldn’t come. I was afraid you’d come to despise me for convincing you to come with me, and you’re too loyal to have ever been comfortable leaving me there.”
“So, you abandoned me and everything we had together.” It wasn’t an accusation as much as a clarification. He’d thought long and hard about her leaving and had come to this conclusion years ago.
It made sense…in a Michelle kind of way.
“I thought I was doing the right thing. We were so young.” Her head tucked closer to his, until his chin rested on her temple. “Another excuse.”
He could stay in this moment forever. They were together, and despite the circumstance, happiness bloomed deep inside and began rooting out the discontent he’d initially felt at her arrival.
She’d given him the answers he sought, and they matched what he’d always suspected.
