Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“He only planned to go for Pook. Now, I don’t think he could bear to. He’ll probably never leave.”
“He can have at it, I need a break. I don’t know if this is it for me. I’m going to take the summer to figure some things out,” he says.
“I know exactly what you mean. Nothing makes sense anymore.”
Tom releases a long breath. “I still can’t wrap my head around this. She’s gone. She was just on my back, laughing in my ear. Dude, I walked her to her truck.”
“Yeah, I’ve gone to call her every damn day. You know I would have come home if it weren’t for her. She used to send me pictures of Brad and Ann.”
“I know. She and Cliff would pick them up from school for your mama and take them for ice cream. She loved them like her own siblings. How are they holding up?”
I shake my head sadly. “My entire family is devastated. Mama bursts into tears if I just look at her. Brad and Ann cling to me when I’m around.”
I had wanted to come home so bad. Brooke was the one who told me my family had been counting on me to see my dream through. Although my dreams had changed, I appreciated Brooke helping me to connect with my family to keep me going. I didn’t want Brad and Ann to see me as a quitter.
“If I never told you, man. I love you. The four of us thought we would live to grow old and watch each other raise families. I never thought we’d lose her. And like this… I want to beat the shit out of that motherfucker.”
“He’s on life support. Not sure he’ll make it for the ass whipping waiting for him,” I mutter, then click my teeth and tug the reins to get my horse to turn. “Besides, that’s not what Pook would want. This trip. Us going to live out her dream. That’s what we have to do.”
“So that’s what we’ll do.”
CHAPTER 6
Wings
Lynn
I came out here to try to breathe. Snow was Brooke’s favorite horse. His pure white coat always shines because of the great care my sister gave to him.
I sit curled up with my knees in my chest as I huddle in the corner of Snow’s stall. He’s not paying me much mind as he whinnies to himself.
“You miss her too, don’t you?” I whisper.
As if just noticing I’m here, he turns and comes to me. I pull an apple from my hoodie and hold it out to him. Unlike Brooke, I’ve never claimed one of our father’s horses for my own. He’s bought plenty, hoping I’d want them. I’ve just never found my soul mate.
I believe horses and their riders are meant to be together like kindred spirits. I’ve yet to find my spirit animal.
However, Brooke and Snow hit it off from day one. The Camarillo White Horse was her favorite from the lot my father had brought in. He had plans for Snow, but he couldn’t tell Pook no when she asked for him.
Snow was the first horse we both helped to break. I think that’s when I fell in love with horses. Watching my big sister be so brave made me want to be the same.
I brush a hand down Snow’s muzzle. He snorts and places his forehead to mine. I get the sense he knows Brooke’s not going to return.
“What am I supposed to do?” I sob. “Nothing feels right anymore. I wish… I wish… I wish she would’ve told us she was leaving.
“I wish we would have left and found her on that road before it happened. I know Trev is right; she wouldn’t want me to pull away from him. He’s our friend. He always has been. I should lean on him to get through this, right?”
My voice breaks and I can’t hold back the tears. Snow starts to lick my face, but I can’t stop crying. He bumps my forehead with his as if trying to calm me.
“Babycakes?”
I look up to find my daddy and begin to frantically wipe away my tears. I don’t want to add to my parents’ pain. I already feel bad about lying to them when they asked why I wasn’t with Brooke.
“Hey, Daddy,” I say as I sniffle.
“I’ve been looking all over for you. I’ve been thinking about what Trev said earlier. Do you want to go on your sister’s trip? You know, to find your music?”
“Can I be honest?”
“Of course, you know that’s how we do things.”
Pain sears through my chest. I haven’t been honest and I know he doesn’t want me dating. How would he feel if he knew Trev and I had started a thing?
Not that he has to worry about that. It’s over. The one thing I’ve dreamed of all my life turned out to only last for a day.