find a new ending for us. I want that chance.”
She waited a while to answer. They held each other as the seconds ticked by, and Owen wished time would stop. Her closeness completed an empty piece of him he’d been mourning since he walked away. He held his breath as she slowly broke the embrace and took a few steps back.
“Okay. We’ll go to the farm.”
He smiled at her. Her wobbly smile back touched his heart.
He left her place with a fresh hope and looked forward to the weekend.
* * * *
The Robin’s Nest B&B was nestled in the quirky upstate town of Gardiner, which held twisty country roads and a charming array of farm markets, shops, and cafés, all framed by the mighty Shawangunk mountains. Endless green acres sprawled out for miles, the red barns for the horses dotted in a long line from the distance behind a pretty white fence. As Chloe got out of the car with Dad and Alyssa, a light-hearted joy flowed through her, reminding her this was where it had all begun.
Her love for animal rescue. Her blossoming into a woman rather than an angry girl. Forgiving her father for the past and moving forward. Getting her own horse to care for and love. Falling in love for the first time.
But most of all, it was a reminder that family was everything.
“Is it okay if I go to the stables?” she asked.
Her father laughed. “Sure—I’ll bring in your luggage and meet you there in a bit.”
“Thanks!” She took off at a run, flying down the familiar path that wove through the woods, then exploded into a clearing where horses grazed and the mountain’s jagged, earth-colored rocks rose before her like a king on his throne. She spotted Harper and Aidan immediately, washing down two of the horses, playfully squirting water at each other.
“Chloe, you’re here!” Harper said, dropping the hose and coming to greet her. “You look amazing!”
They hugged and Aidan walked over, a big grin slashing across his sun-creased face. The Irish horse trainer had come to the farm to help train Phoenix, an abused rescued horse, to win the Triple Crown. Phoenix had fallen short but captured America’s heart and everyone else’s along his journey.
And Aidan had captured Harper’s. They’d gotten married and doubled the size of the horse rescue farm.
“We missed you around here,” Aidan said, jerking his head toward the stables. “Especially Chloe’s Pride.”
“I know, it’s been so damn busy with the Spagarelli case at work along with other issues. I promise to get here more often.”
“No worries, she’s well taken care of,” Harper said with a wink. “Seems she’s got a crush on our new stud Maui.”
Chloe laughed. “Maybe Owen can test him out when he gets here. See if he’s worthy of my horse.”
Aidan cocked his head. “Things okay with you two? We didn’t know, but Mia really wanted all of you here for the party.”
The Bishops had all watched Chloe and Owen fall in love and pursue a serious relationship during college. They’d also comforted her when it had all broken apart, but Chloe had always been careful never to badmouth Owen to the clan. He was part of them, and she never wanted to come between them. “He’s back to stay in New York and we’ve been working this abuse case together. Finally have a date for a civil trial. We’re going to see how things unfold.”
Harper nodded. “We love you both and just want to see you happy, however that unfolds.”
“Thanks. Now, what should I get to work on?”
Aidan waved his hand in the air. “Nope, not this weekend. We’ve got plenty of helpers now, and we want you to enjoy yourself. There’s a cupcake festival this weekend you may want to hit. Have you seen Mia or Ethan yet?”
“No, Dad and Alyssa went ahead to the inn. I’m going to check on Chloe’s Pride and then head back.”
“Sounds good.”
She strolled down to Barn C, enjoying the musty scents and the hay beneath her feet. She grabbed an apple, reached the stall, and whistled low, putting her hand out. The beautiful white horse did a double take of recognition, then immediately pushed out her nuzzle for affection. Chloe crooned love words to the horse, slowly feeding her the apple.
Horses had been the gateway to her passion. The magnificent creatures were so full of love to give, yet too many discarded them as worthless once they couldn’t race, or work, or do something equally useful.
Chloe had