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“I know. I will.”
“Enjoy this quiet, Ava. This time tomorrow is going to be a lot louder!”
“So, do you always schedule groups to come for a week?”
“It depends. We used to require a week-long stay. After we started hosting certain women’s groups, we found it best for everyone to book for only five days. That's more than enough time for them to get the whole experience. They’re a fun group, but they can be a lot to handle.”
We made small talk throughout the rest of dinner. The conversation flowed easily, which I was glad about. Sometimes, I hate eating with guests. I’m not usually in the mood to entertain and socialize after a long day’s work. And my work doesn’t end when I come off the ranch if we have guests.
Mia took Ava out to the stables to meet Shadow. I’ve just recently started letting Mia go to the stables alone. Manny has been pushing it for years. He’s usually there and says she’s a natural when it comes to horses. I just don’t want anything to happen to her—I’ve lost enough already.
I sent Kenny home and helped Roberta clean up. Kenny put in a full day’s work on the fence, and I could tell he was tired. I need him to rest up. I can’t deal with these ladies without him.
“Well, Ava sure seems like a nice young lady, doesn’t she?” Roberta says, passing a wet dish to me.
“She does.” I dry the dish. I hope this isn’t going where I think it’s going.
“Quite good-looking, too. Stunning, actually.”
“I didn’t notice.” I lie.
“Pffft…Travis, get your head out of the ground. She’s gorgeous, and you know it!”
“I guess so.”
“Stop it. Now you’re acting like a teenager. You know, one of these days, you might want to find love again.”
“No. I’m good. I had my love, and I lost her.”
“You can have more than one love in a lifetime, you know. If you keep on like this, you’ll end up a very lonely old man. Plus, Mia could use another feminine influence…a younger one than me.”
I sigh and say nothing. I know she’s right, but my love life is none of her business, and besides, Ava is much too young for me.
“Believe it or not, you’re still young, Travis. You’ve got a lot of life ahead of you. And Mia, she’s growing up. She’s going to have her own life sooner than you’d think. Then what will you do?”
“Maybe I am dating, and I’ve just chosen not to share the details with you! Did you ever think of that?”
“Travis, I can read you like a book. You can’t hide anything from me.”
“Travis…come in…it’s Manny…Travis?”
I dry my hands and pick up the walkie-talkie. “Yeah, Manny? What’s up?”
“I need you to get down to the stables immediately. Bring towels and gauze and warm water–actually, bring the whole first aid kit.”
“What’s going on? Is Mia ok?”
“Just come. Now!”
5
AVA
Igot my first close-up with a horse. What I didn’t expect was the smell. It’s quite strong, which makes sense. They do live outside and poop wherever they happen to be, after all.
I get over the scent because Mia’s love for Shadow–and all of the horses–radiates from her. It’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. But now I get the whole “horse person” thing. Unfortunately, I am not a horse person.
I think Shadow likes me. Mia wants me to pet her, but I’ll save that for tomorrow. Seeing a horse this close up is enough of an experience for me for one day.
