back,” he called over his shoulder.
“Gladly,” Caleb mumbled. He needed to move about a hundred more to get the restless feeling out of his muscles. Setting the bale next to Dunder’s stall, he looked over and found the reindeer looking back at him. His eyes were clear and his ears up. He’d gained some weight in his belly and filled out. “How ’bout it? Do you want to fly some laps?”
Dunder tipped his antlers side to side, as if gauging his ability to handle exercise, and then finally nodded.
“Good, because it was you or Flash, and I didn’t feel like taking my life in my hands.”
Dunder chortled at that. He stood still while Caleb got the harness on, and they headed for the workout arena. A good run would help Caleb clear his head, though he doubted it would empty his heart. It was so full of Faith that it weighed him down at the same time it lifted him up. He didn’t want to feel so much for her, but it seemed that was inevitable, because she was just that wonderful.
Chapter 30
Faith
It had been a long day. Faith dragged herself inside the house and collapsed on the couch. The horse she’d been called to check out had an intestinal issue. In order to fix it, she’d had to give the animal meds to shrink its pancreas. Once they’d taken effect, she’d sedated the horse, hung him upside down from the farmer’s tractor, and then laid him down and rolled him. It was awful to do that to an animal, and if she didn’t know that it actually worked, then she’d never recommend it. The whole time, the owner was either in tears or cursing Faith’s name.
Faith’s stress level had been through the roof. The treatment was the animal’s only hope. Once the horse had woken up, she’d shaken herself out and then proceeded to fill the stall with stuff to shovel. This time, the owner had cried tears of joy and hugged Faith. Faith had hugged her right back because she’d been so grateful the horse was okay.
Now her arms ached and her back was stiff and all she wanted to do was fall into a bathtub and soak her muscles. Her phone rang, and she answered it, hoping it was Caleb. “Hello?”
“Hi, sweetie.”
Faith blinked in surprise. “Mom? How are you?” She hadn’t heard from her mom in months.
“I’m doing great. Just putting the guest list together for Christmas dinner and wondered if you’d be coming by this year.”
Faith hedged. She hadn’t been home for Christmas since her partner had gotten married, taking the extra shift so he could be with his wife. “I’m spending the holiday with Dad this year. He has some health issues, and I’m helping out with the clinic.” Faith rolled her eyes at her own vague answer. There were a hundred details she could have told her mom. Anything about Caleb would have been interesting. But somehow she knew better than to bring up Reindeer Ranch.
“Oh. That’s very charitable of you, Faith. The man hasn’t given you reason to take care of him, but there you are.”
The words were nice enough, but the tone was like claws down Faith’s back. Why did she feel like she was doing something wrong? “It’s not like that, Mom. Dad and I are working through some things.”
“Good luck with that. He’s as communicative as a washing machine.”
“Mom.” Faith pushed away from the back of the couch. Ever since she’d realized how much her mom’s view of Dad had colored her own, she’d wanted to say something to her mom. “I don’t believe I have to pick sides. I can love both you and Dad—my heart is that big. Please don’t feel threatened by this—he’s not going to take your place.” She wished she’d been able to say those words as a child, because so many of Mom’s insecurities could have been handled differently.
“I know you do, sweetie. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. I just don’t want to see that man leave you high and dry again.”
Faith’s blood boiled. “He didn’t. You’re the one who left without a forwarding address.”
Her declaration was met with silence.
“Look, Mom. I don’t want to fight. It’s Christmas—”
“You’re even starting to sound like him.” Mom sniffed. “The next thing you know, you’ll tell me that you’re working that darn reindeer ranch.”
Truth. Faith breathed. Truth will provide closure. “I’ve been out there. Many times. It’s a beautiful place.”
“Don’t fall for it,