Winter Star by Kassandra Lea

Author:Kassandra Lea [Lea, Kassandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2019-11-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Belle rode out in front, Davenport plowing through the snow and making it easier for Julie to follow on Pinecone. Between the creak of saddle leather and the branches glistening with winter’s touch, Belle relaxed, finally feeling a sense of peace. All her doubts and worries slipped away and she lost herself in the moment, following the rhythmic motion of her mount. She even closed her eyes, trusting Davenport.

They rode along in silence for quite some time. Belle’s parents had inherited the farm from her maternal grandparents, who in turn had had the land handed down to them. The original house was long gone, burned up in a wildfire sparked by fireworks long before her birth. Back in the day, the three hundred acres proved to be a profitable farm, though her family was far from what society considered rich. Now most of the land laid untouched, reclaimed by Mother Nature and her animals.

And yet Belle knew every square inch, having explored the acreage on the back of Pinecone. Her summer days had been spent imagining bandits hiding out in the thickets and she had been the copper going to catch them. Other times she had been on safari.

Belle sighed, melancholy spying the crack and slipping back in.

“Something amiss?” Julie asked.

“Just thinking,” Belle replied. “You know how it is.”

“Can we stop? I want to talk to you about something, and it’s kind of important.”

Oh no, here it comes. She’s brought me out here to tell me she wants to be with Hector. She’s going to break my heart. Can’t she wait until the holidays have passed? Belle fought the urge to spur Davenport into a trot. It wouldn’t have been fair to him, and besides, she might as well get this whole affair done and over with. Steeling her spine, she asked Davenport to turn. The gelding flicked his ears, excited to be facing the route home.

“Okay.”

Belle had to admit, Julie looked adorable sitting on the back of Pinecone, the pony about half the size of Davenport. She wore a borrowed helmet and her cheeks were rosy from the cold. Belle knew the set of Julie’s jaw, the expression on her face, the way she kept her gaze slightly averted. Normally Julie was the braver of the two, often saying with ease the things on her mind, whereas Belle let them dwell and fester. Julie loved life boldly, not caring how others perceived her.

But once in a while, even she struggled with finding the right way to phrase the thoughts bouncing around in her head. Moments like that piqued Belle’s anxiety; which given her current fluctuating mood, only served to make matters worse. Davenport picked up on her unease, shifting his weight. Belle shivered, praying it was the temperature and not the impending sense of doom.

What kind of coldhearted person breaks up with someone not only on the holidays but also at their home while technically on vacation? Coldhearted? That’s not Julie. She’s been so sweet, so kind, everything

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