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THIRTY-TWO
Raya
“You caught me at a good time,”I said. “I was just about to take Romeo out and run him. I want to see what kind of magic you worked on him this past month.”
“I need to talk to you,” Cole said. “It’s important.”
“Uh-oh,” I replied. “Am I in trouble?”
“No,” Cole told me. “I just really need to talk to you. Are you free right now?”
“I can ride Romeo down to that fork in the road. You know, the one where if you turn one way you come here, and if you turn the other way you wind up doubling back to get on the highway? There’s a creek and a bench there, and I think Romeo would enjoy the time out and away from the other horses.”
“That’s just fine,” Cole replied. “Are you heading that way now? I can be there in half an hour.”
“Yes. He’s already saddled, so I might beat you there, but I’ll wait,” I told him. “See you soon!”
I hung up the phone, ignoring the knot in my stomach. I could hear in his tone there was something wrong, and I decided to cling to the fact he said I wasn’t in trouble. Not that I had done anything, but I hoped that he got the message I was worried he was going to break things off, and he was assuring me that wasn’t the case.
I wished I had been more direct with him about that aspect as I led Romeo out of the pen and onto the road. I knew we weren’t technically a labeled thing, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t breaking up with me. He wasn’t coming here to work with Romeo anymore, and I knew that was going to make things difficult.
We hadn’t even talked about the distance or how we were going to work with our relationship moving forward, so perhaps that was what he wanted to talk about with me. I wasn’t sure, but I was optimistic about it. I didn’t want to immediately default to the worst-case scenario, but it was tough not to when I was so nervous about what he might be doing.
Still, I pushed it out of my mind as I slowed Romeo to a walk. I couldn’t believe the change I felt in him since meeting him the first time. I’d stood by my opinion that any horse could be helped, but I had to admit, it was pretty impressive to see the change in Rome so soon. It had been less than a month since the first visit with Cole, and he was behaving like a little lamb under my touch.
I would be willing to let him work with most of the clients who came to the facility as he was now. Of course, I would follow the recommendation Cole gave me of having more experienced clients and staff members work with him before putting him out there with someone new, but still, I could see how he would be just as good with a newbie as he was with me, someone who had spent a lot of time around horses.
He was clearly happy to be out of that stall, and I was sure he enjoyed the run I let him have on the way to the spot. He was a lively horse, so full of spirit, I was glad that he was given a second chance with us. I knew there was a place at the facility for everyone, and that included those with two feet as well as those with four.
The horses were the reasons why we were able to help so many people and adding another to the mix that was in need of help himself – a horse that had gotten the help it needed – was so encouraging, I was so happy I had come back to work at the facility. It felt like I was right where I needed to be in life. I was sure of that.
We waited for Cole to pull up, and he was right. It took almost exactly half an hour from when he called me to when he was pulling up to our spot. He turned off the truck and got out of the vehicle, waving to me as he did. I had Romeo tied to the bench by his lead rope, giving him the chance to graze on the grass that grew along the creek’s edge. He had to stretch to reach, but I was okay with that.
It gave him something to do while we talked.
I smiled when Cole got closer, but it faded when I saw the look on his face. There had been something on his mind all weekend. I knew that. I had sensed it from the moment I walked into his house on Friday night. But, I had given him the privacy of working it out in his head and including me if he wanted to.
I could have asked about it, but with how much I knew Cole at this point, I was glad to give him the space to come to me when he was ready. I believed it was one of the driving forces that brought us together so well. But, the look of something bothering him was gone, and it was replaced with a much darker, far more worried look than before.
He didn’t have to tell me there was something wrong. I could read it in his features plain as day.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“We can’t see each other anymore,” he announced.
My heart skipped a beat, and the knot that had formed in my stomach grew at his words. I felt someone had punched me right in the gut, knocking all the wind right out of me. It felt like a dagger had just been thrust into my heart, and I felt like I was suffocating. But, there was also something in me that said I hadn’t heard him properly.
That had to be it.
There was no way he would come here to break up with me without any reason at all. Surely he wouldn’t do that to me. We got along so well together. We complimented each other better than anyone else I had ever met. I was sure our relationship would take off once he stopped working for me.
I didn’t expect him to break up with me.
“What?” I asked. I stammered the word, barely able to get it out. “What did you say?”
“I said I can’t see you anymore. I’m sorry,” Cole replied. His tone was flat.
There was very little emotion in his features. I could see a darkness in his brow. I knew there was more to it than he was telling me, but I panicked. I got the strongest impression he wasn’t going to tell me why he was doing this, and that left me with a thousand questions.
