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“Harriet Kimball Townsend!”
I stop in my tracks, turning and crossing my arms with a groan.
“I’m pretty sure you need answers to those questions even more than I do…so let’s talk it out.” Her eyes soften. “That’s why I’m here.”
“I know.” I blow out a raspberry. “I promised I’d stay for Hoedown this weekend. But the thought of leaving after that gives me this tight feeling right around here.” I gesture toward the left side of my chest.
She nods, listening intently. “That’s your heart, Hattie.” She squints as she thinks. “Or your boob.”
I snort a laugh.
“I’m glad you’ve enjoyed getting to know your birth father…but do you think, just maybe, part of you is putting off going home so you don’t have to deal with your mother?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
“You know I have a point.” Blair shoots me a pointed look. “I think reading those DNA results shook your identity, and now you’re confused about what you want. There’s a whole life here you never knew, and maybe this is where you belong. But don’t make big decisions when you’re all shaken up, okay?” Sadness washes over her pretty face, and I’m not sure why. “If you ask me, and I know you didn’t…you should fly back to California with me on Sunday and deal with things there.”
I open my mouth to speak, but she holds up a hand. “Convince Kimball to do counseling with you or put boundaries in place to get the space from her you need. Just do something besides leave the issues open-ended.”
I nod. Blair is good at giving direct commands, taking charge, making sense of the chaos in my head. “I’m not sure I want to keep show jumping.”
She studies me, her eyes bore into mine like she’s looking straight through me. “Then you don’t have to keep show jumping,” Blair says simply. “But once you’re back with Oakley, soaring over jumps, it might remind you how much you love it.” My best friend shrugs off the desk and crosses the room to pull me into a comforting hug. “Just don’t make any rash decisions, okay? Hot cowboy or not.”
I pull back, pouting. “But he’s a very hot cowboy.”
“He is.” She smirks. “Is this just a hook up thing?”
I shrug. “He said he’s not a hook up guy.”
She tuts. “They’re all hook up guys, Hattie.”
“Says the girl who’s been in a long-term relationship with the same guy for five years.”
She shuffles on her feet, and I notice again that any mention of Justin has her acting weird. Then I remember his family’s winery has a high-profile wedding they’re hosting this weekend. “Wait, don’t they need you at the winery all weekend? I thought it was all hands-on deck.”
Blair stalks past me, waving a hand in the air. “They’ll be fine without me. I never take vacation. Plus, I’m the office manager, not an event planner.”
Once we’re in the main living area of Hank’s cabin, I spot Poppy’s SUV bumping down the driveway and gasp. “That’s Poppy and Tripp! I almost forgot about his lesson.”
Blair glances out the window. “Who?”
“Lincoln isn’t the only friend I’ve made here.” I smile.
Blair’s eyes widen. Probably because I don’t have many friends, and I don’t socialize much between my training program and my travel schedule.
She’s looking at me like she’s seeing me for the first time…or perhaps she’s seeing why Montana quickly became so special to me.
CHAPTER 27
Lincoln
I’m supposed to be cleaning the mare stalls, but I can’t stop meandering over to the doorway to watch Hattie and Tripp.
Poppy and Hattie’s friend are sitting on top of the wooden fence, chatting amicably and pausing their conversation frequently to watch Tripp and cheer him on.
Hattie is great with Tripp, patient but firm. Making sure he’s safe but challenging him to make the proper adjustments to control Dolly. I’ve never seen my nephew smile so big. And Hattie’s smile matches his. She’s in her element, doing something she loves. I wonder if she smiles this big during her jump training, and when she’s wowing the judges during her competitions.
My gaze moves to her friend, Blair, and I find her studying me with watchful eyes. I tilt my head in a nod, then turn and stride back inside the barn. Something about Hattie’s best friend arriving unexpectedly has me on edge, has my mind moving a million miles a minute.
