Misplaced (78 page)

“
W
ell, that’s a first.”

“What?”

“A woman with nothing to say.”

She
w
as confounded. “I came to see the horses.”

He
pointed
to
Almos.
“His
name
means
‘The
Dreamt
One.
’
”
The
big
bay
tossed
his
head
at
the
sight
of
the
bag
of
oats
slung
o
v
er
Oli
v
e
r
’s
shoulder.
“
Y
ou
must
be
a
friend
of
Celeste’s,”
he
commente
d
a
s
h
e
mo
v
e
d
to
w
ar
d
th
e
stall
,
fillin
g
th
e
bucket
wit
h
oat
s
whil
e
Khar
a
admire
d
ho
w
hi
s
presenc
e
seeme
d
to
comfort the horses.

“I’m a friend of her niece’s. Do you know Bea?”

Only by reputation. She’s the apple of her auntie’s e
y
e.”

She
stroked
the
horse’s
neck.
“Chris
is
going
to
teach
me
to
ride.”

“I
coul
d
sho
w
you,
”
h
e
rushe
d
t
o
say
,
an
d
the
n
laughed
nervously.
“I
mean,
Chris
is
al
w
ays
so
busy.
W
e
could
go
this
mo
rning,
if
y
o
u
’
d
like.
I
pr
om
i
s
ed
Cele
s
te
I
’
d
ti
d
y
the
arena,
but
I can do it later. It’s a good morning for a ride.”

“I
n
Egypt
,
w
e
d
o
no
t
rid
e
horses,
”
sh
e
explained
,
looking
sheepishl
y
a
t
th
e
strong
,
cur
v
e
d
back
s
o
f
th
e
animal
s
and
wondered
how
the
idea
had
escaped
them.
A
w
are
that
Oli
v
er
w
as staring at her, she suddenly felt
w
arm. “
Y
ou look different
from the others here.”

“M
y
mothe
r
i
s
Mescaler
o
Apache
”
h
e
admitted
,
hi
s
face
seemin
g
t
o
ligh
t
fro
m
within
.
“M
y
grandmothe
r
say
s
I
ha
v
e
my
mothe
r
’s
features
and
my
fathe
r
’s
coloring.
The
only
thing
harder
than
being
Nati
v
e American
is
to
be
only
half,”
he
told
her
,
almos
t
apologetic
.
“Bu
t
it’
s
no
t
lik
e
yo
u
ha
v
e
a
choic
e
in
these things.”

“The
combination
suits
you.
V
ery
w
ell,
in
fact.”
She
found
it impossible to keep from staring into his e
y
es. “I am Khara.”

“That’
s
a
sombe
r
nam
e
fo
r
suc
h
a
beautifu
l
girl
.
Ar
e
you
serious about taking your first
riding lesson?”

Sh
e
nodded
,
an
d
Oli
v
e
r
grinne
d
an
d
le
d
th
e
ba
y
ou
t
o
f
th
e
stall
.
Grabbin
g
a
blanket
,
h
e
tosse
d
i
t
o
v
e
r
Almos’
s
back
,
and
then
slo
w
ly
ran
his
rough
hands
up
and
down
each
of
the
horse’
s
leg
s
i
n
a
manne
r
tha
t
fille
d
Khar
a
wit
h
unspeakable
envy
.
W
it
h
a
slow
,
cal
m
voic
e
h
e
quiete
d
th
e
anima
l
and
lo
w
ered the heavy saddle onto its back.

“It’s
been
a
while
since
I’
v
e
taken
him
out,
so
w
e
’
ll
let
him
fee
l
th
e
w
eigh
t
o
f
th
e
saddl
e
o
n
hi
s
bac
k
an
d
ge
t
use
d
t
o
us.
Apache
don’t
use
saddles,”
he
said
of
the
wonderful-smelling
leather contraption.

Oli
v
e
r
sho
w
e
d
he
r
tha
t
tw
o
finger
s
w
er
e
use
d
t
o
measure
if
the
saddle
had
been
pulled
tight
enough,
and
how
she
must
al
w
ay
s
approac
h
fro
m
th
e
left
.
H
e
swun
g
himsel
f
int
o
the
saddle to show her how to get up.

“I wish to try,” she insisted.

“No
t
o
n
thi
s
ba
d
boy
.
I
don’
t
w
an
t
t
o
thin
k
wha
t
Celeste
would
do
if
anything
happened
to
you,”
he
admitted,
looking
down as color flooded
his cheeks.
“
Are you staying long?”

“A few days, perhaps.”

“Too
bad,”
he
said
quietly.
“I
’
ll
saddle
Lucy
up
and
w
e
’
ll
be
on our
w
ay.”

Whe
n
Oli
v
e
r
w
en
t
t
o
anothe
r
stall
,
Khar
a
bat
t
le
d
th
e
sudden
urg
e
t
o
follo
w
him
.
Instead
,
sh
e
mo
v
e
d
outsid
e
th
e
bar
n
to
imprint
fore
v
er
on
her
mind
the
penetrating
green
of
the
trees,
the oculus of blue they formed o
v
erhead.