The Girl He Used to Love by Amy Vastine

Author:Amy Vastine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-07-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WATCHING FAITH SAY goodbye to Duchess had been the second most gut-wrenching experience of Dean’s life. If he could have taken her pain away, he would have done it. Instead all he could do was offer comfort and his condolences.

Sawyer joined them in the stall after calling the vet, who couldn’t have arrived in time. With tears in his eyes, Sawyer pulled his sister off Duchess and into his arms where she let out the most heartbreaking wail. There had been so much loss in this family, Dean didn’t know how they managed it.

Feeling like an intruder on a private moment, Dean got up and left Sawyer and Faith to mourn. He brought the rest of the feed in and was the first one to greet the horse vet when she arrived. He waited on the Strattons’ front porch while they spoke to Rebecca.

“Thanks for your help,” Sawyer said when he finally emerged from the barn. “I’m sorry you had to be here for this.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad I could be of some help. How’s Faith?”

Sawyer shook his head. Not good, would be Dean’s guess. It took all of his self-control not to go back into the barn and take her in his arms and hold her until she stopped crying.

“Duchess was Dad’s first therapy horse,” Sawyer explained. “She was Faith’s baby. This one is going to sting for a long time.”

“What can I do to help?” Dean needed to feel useful or the sadness would become too overwhelming and he’d have to leave.

“I need to dig a hole,” Sawyer answered. “I also need to figure out how I’m going to move her body.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Dean assured him. Whatever he had to do, he’d do.

Faith and the vet came out of the barn together. The sight of her caused him to lose all control. Her pain was suddenly his. The only thing that would make him feel better was helping her and easing her burden.

Dean didn’t care if it was awkward or their relationship was messy; he took Faith into his arms. She began to sob and fresh tears wet his shirt. He didn’t let her go until she was finished.

It took the majority of the day to bury Duchess. Dean and Sawyer were sweating up a storm, but they had managed to borrow a neighbor’s backhoe to dig a hole big enough and cover her back up. When it was finished, Faith joined them for a final goodbye.

Harriet came over and unsurprisingly brought flowers with her. Her presence seemed to calm Faith more than anything else had all day. Sawyer led the four of them in a prayer and Faith was the last one to leave the gravesite.

The others were walking back to the house when a car pulled up. Sawyer didn’t recognize it, and neither did Harriet. A woman got out and spotted them in the distance. She waved and waited for them to get to her.

“Hi, I’m Molly Medina from NETA.” She extended a hand to Sawyer who shook it with confusion creasing his face.

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