Willow Smoke (41 page)

“Sounds
like
we’ll
be
running
tests
and
setting
stopwatches
to
find
the
right
moment for her to get together with her man.”

Chuckling,
Daisy
nodded.
“I
wonder
which
of
us
will
be
more
nervous
when
the
time comes.”

Nick
glanced
sharply
at
her, but she
maintained
a
steady
gaze
assessing
the
range
of
motion
available
to
RainbowBlaze.
Satisfied
at
last,
she
turned
to
Nick.
“Cassie said
she’d
make
some
lemonade
while
we
checked
on
Rainbow.
Are
you
ready
to
quench
your
thirst?”

“Sure
am,
but
I’m
not
positive
lemonade
will
do
it.”

Daisy
smiled
at
the
dark
passion
evident
in
his
pupils.
“It’s
all
you’re
going
to
get
for the moment. So it better tide you
over.”

She
swung
their
clasped
hands
back
and
forth
as
they
made
their
way
toward
the
house.
It
was
good
being
back
at
the
farm.
She’d
missed
it.
She’d
spent
nearly
three years of
her life here. It was so close
to
the city, yet at times, like right now, it
seemed
so
far
away.
No
smog.
No
Maxine.
No
Reggie.

“You
two
look
quite
content,”
Cassie
shouted
from
the
porch.
“Quit
lollygagging.
I’ve
got
lemonade
and
cookies.
Clint
will
come
out
and
join
us
in
a
minute.
The
older
kids
are
at
a
4-H
leadership
camp.
And
the
younger
two
are
down
for
a
nap.
At least I hope they are.”

Daisy
and
Nick
sat
on
the
old
stuffed
couch
where
Daisy
had
slept
many
a
night
listening
to
spring
peepers
and
the
mournful
sounds
of
owls.
The
screened-in
porch
had
been
one
of
her
favorite
places
on the farm. From there she
could hear,
see
and
smell
the
change
of
the
land
and
the
horses
and
yet
still
feel
protected
from the
mosquitoes and the ghosts of the
dark.
It had taken her months to adjust
to
the
relative
quiet
of
rural
McHenry
County.

She
glanced
over
at
Cassie.
She
never
was
certain
who
she’d
see.
Cassie
the
social
worker.
Cassie
the
mom.
Or
Cassie
the
friend.
This
looked
like
Cassie
the
mom.

“RainbowBlaze
is
doing
fine,”
Cassie
said.
“She’s
getting
around
pretty
well. And
how
about
you,
girl?
How
are
you
doing?”
Cassie
glanced
at
Nick.

Daisy
smiled
shyly.
“At
least
I’ve
stopped
crying.”

“Good. Oh, here’s Clint
now.”

- o -

Everyone
stood.
Cassie
made
the
introductions.

Nick
liked
Clint
immediately.
The
deeply
tanned
man
had
a
crinkly
smile,
as
if
life
was
treating
him
well.
Daisy
had
told
him
Clint
was
part
Ute.
Somehow
he’d
expected
his
host
to
be
more
reserved.

“So,
Daisy,
it’s
good
to
see
you.
Why
don’t
we
all
sit
down?”
Clint
pulled
up
a
chair
to
sit
by
his
wife.
“So
this
is
the
scandalous
older
man,”
Clint
arched
his
eyebrows,
“that
Cassie’s
been
telling
me
about.”

“Complaining
about,
more
likely,”
Daisy
snorted.

“Maybe at first,” Cassie
admitted. “But I’ve
come
around.
You
have
your
life
to
live.
Besides,
I’ve
seen
enough
of
Nick
to
know
that
he’s
not
going
to
go
out
of
his
way
to hurt you.”

“Thanks for your vote of
confidence,” Nick
said,
lifting
his
glass
in
mock
salute.
He
leaned
back
and
smiled.
Whether
Daisy
saw
it
as
such
or
not,
this
was
part
of
her
family.
These
two
cared
about
Daisy
and
what
happened
to
her.

“So
I
understand
you’re
interested
in
purchasing
some
horses
come
fall.”
Clint
redirected
the
conversation.

“Yes.
Especially
now,
with
RainbowBlaze
unable
to
compete.
You
interested
in
working
with
us?”

Clint
glanced
at
Cassie,
who
gave
him
a
soft
nod.
“Of
course.
So
Daisy
will
be
involved
in
the
purchases?”

Nick
smiled.
“She’s
my
coach
and
trainer.
I
like
the
trainer
to
own
part
of
the
horses; I think it gives her a little more
vested
interest.
She’ll
be
in
for
twenty
percent,
like
she
is
on
RainbowBlaze.”

Clint
reached
for
his
glass.
“Fine
by
me.
I
know
a
number
of
owners
who
prefer
that
arrangement. Sometimes it’s a
little
messier
to
dissolve
partnerships
that
way, though.”

“We’ll
cross
that
bridge
when
the
time
comes.”
Nick
hadn’t
been
able
to
keep
an
edge
from
creeping
into
his
voice.

“I’ll
make
sure
you
get
copies
of
the
major
sales
catalogs
as
they
become
available.
In
the
meantime,
you
might
also
want
to
work
with
Daisy
on
claiming
a
horse.”

“Actually, I’m trying to
get Daisy to take
a
little
time
off.
This
past
week
has
been
quite
hard
on
her.”

Nick
ignored
Daisy’s
stern
look.
He
figured
Cassie
might
be
an
ally
for
once.
She
certainly
knew
how
distraught
Daisy
had
been
over
Blaze’s injury. “I need to take a
prototype
of
a
new
canoe
up
to
Northern
Minnesota and test it for my company.
Thought
it
might
be
an
opportunity
for
Daisy
to
get
away
and
recharge
a
little.”