Three Lessons: A Wild Ones Novella by Rachel Ember

Author:Rachel Ember
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-01-21T22:23:26.856316+00:00

When Luke returned to the truck, Reed wasn’t there. Assuming he’d gone for a walk, or maybe up to the house to the bathroom, Luke didn’t worry about it. He went out to the pasture to gather Stormy and another mare, Moon, and then, on a whim, led the horses up the lane. The sight of Reed leaning against the fence to the pony pasture made Luke smile. Reaching through the boards, Reed was petting Brandy’s neck. She’d sidled up to the fence, helpfully positioning herself within range, but now, seeing the approaching horses, she pricked her ears and nickered. Reed looked over his shoulder, squinting into the sunlight, and smiled.

“How was the script?” Luke asked, watching with amusement as Reed split a cautious look between the horses standing on either side of him.

Reed glanced from the horses to Luke, and his uncertain expression didn’t clear. “It was good. Great, even.”

Luke cocked his head. “What you’re saying doesn’t match the look on your face.”

“Yeah.” Reed’s smile looked forced. “I guess I’m a little distracted.”

He gave Brandy a last pat and sidestepped away from the fence, back to looking at the horses with trepidation. Visibly steeling himself, he took a couple of cautious steps toward Stormy. He stroked her neck and didn’t even flinch when she brushed her muzzle against his hip pocket.

“First,” Luke said, dropping his phone into the grass beside the nearest fence post, “let’s dump these.”

Reed looked dubious, but he crouched and set his phone next to Luke’s.

Luke held out Stormy’s lead. “Are you okay walking with her?”

Reed hesitated for a moment, then accepted the soft nylon rope. “Sure.”

They led the horses on, past the ponies’ gate. Brandy followed along on her side of the fence for a short while before she lost interest and drifted back toward the hillside, where the other ponies grazed.

“It’s nice out here,” Reed said, looking around. “The whole area, I mean. Have you always lived here?”

“I’m from here. Sort of.” When he caught Reed’s puzzled stare, he explained, “My father was born here and lived here his whole life. My parents split up when I was little, and I went to Texas with my mom. But I came in the summers, then moved here when I finished school to help with the shop.”

“The business was your dad’s?”

Luke nodded. “His and my grandpa’s. Grandpa was only sixteen years older than my dad, but my dad had me pretty late in his life.” They had sometimes seemed more like brothers to Luke than father and son, and they’d been best friends too. “Grandpa died about five years back. He was ninety-nine. And dad passed almost exactly a year after him.”

“I’m sorry.”

Luke shrugged. “That’s how it is. Are your parents still with you?”

“As much as they’ve ever been,” Reed said with a wry little laugh. “My dad has a houseboat down in Florida and calls when he needs cash. Which isn’t that often, honestly. He is who he is; it could be worse. My mom and stepdad are…fine.

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