Mounting Evidence by Karis Walsh

Author:Karis Walsh [Walsh, Karis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626393875
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
Published: 2015-05-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The next afternoon, Abby slid off Legs and pulled the reins over her head. She was stopped several times before she got back to the barn by people who wanted to take a picture with her and the pretty gray mare. She smiled for the cameras and chatted with the bystanders while they patted her horse, but she felt out of sync with the whole process. Today, she had put on a friendly expression the same way she put on her uniform. It was something she was supposed to wear, not something that felt natural. She was relieved when she got back to the more private aisle where Legs and the other police mounts were stabled, but even there they were on display. They were separated from the public by a mere piece of yellow tape, as if they were in a crime scene, and people stood just beyond the fragile barrier and watched the riders work as they untacked and groomed the horses.

Abby was carrying her saddle back to the makeshift tack room when a man with a little girl on his shoulders called out a question about it. She carried the bulky saddle over to him and explained the various parts of it while he asked question after question until she wanted to conk him on the head with one of the heavy stirrups. She would have publicly berated any of her officers if they were rude to a citizen when they were supposed to be goodwill ambassadors for the city, so she had to maintain the same pleasant and friendly attitude she’d expect from them. She eventually disengaged from the conversation, and she took the saddle into the stall Rachel had filled with saddle racks and grooming equipment. She sat on a small trunk and rested her hands on her knees while she inhaled and exhaled slowly. She could use more time and privacy to decompress before they went on duty tonight, but she didn’t have the luxury of either.

“You did well today,” Rachel said as she entered the stall with Bandit’s bridle in her hand. “You and Legs looked like old pros out there. You looked settled, I suppose.”

“Thank you,” Abby said. She had felt more natural on horseback, finally, as if she hadn’t had so much time off. She wasn’t sure how much of it was because she was adapting to the work and the routines and how much was because her mind was occupied and so her body had been able to perform without constant overthinking. She had been dwelling on Kira, replaying their interactions over the past days. The events had been crazy—from her recognition of Kira to their playful lunch to Kira’s kidnapping to their near-miss moment of passion. Time had been compressed because so much had taken place, and she had gotten too close too fast. She couldn’t believe they’d only met last Friday, but she’d been ready to kiss her yesterday. No wonder she had strict rules about not dating anyone connected to her work.

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