Feeding the Heart (Serenity Stables Book 1): Falling in love over the healing of a horse.

by Wendy Nickel

  Whoever put these shelled, roasted pistachios in here was a genius, he thought to himself and chuckled. Oh yeah, that was me. And this protein bar? More genius.

  He couldn’t wait to get to Josie and was thinking about Enzo and Quarter cracks as he took a long swig from his water bottle and turned the key in his ignition…

  Nothing. The engine didn’t turn over. At all.

  He turned the key again. And again. And then again.

  Still nothing. No response.

  No phone, no owners, no way to get to Josie… except on his own two legs.

  He was on the far end of Black Diamond, making it a 15-mile walk minimum to get back to Serenity, Enzo, and Josie. He checked the barn to see if there was a bike he could borrow. No such luck.

  Cam half-thought about saddling one of the horses and borrowing it to get there faster… but given his luck so far today, the last thing he needed was to endanger a new client’s prized horse. It was far too risky… Remember, you’re trying to make a good impression here.

  Resigned, he knew he had a leather backpack in the cab that he could pack with a few basic tools to take care of Enzo once he got there.

  They were all heavy-duty steel and he needed several pieces to make up a basic kit. Cam refilled his water bottle and put the three packets of peanut M&M’s into his coat pockets.

  Okay, genius, you’re going to need to pack more pistachios next time.

  I’m coming, Enzo… I’m so sorry I’m late, Josie… but I’m on my way. Hold on for me.

  And he was off.

  That was 15 miles ago, and more than six hours of a slow walk with a heavy pack. In November. Where it was 32 degrees and dropping… in the dark.

  Cam tried not to identify with a sad country-western song by focusing on what he remembered of the picture Josie has sent of Enzo’s hoof. What else did he remember about Quarter cracks?

  It was rural and quiet on the roads, and sadly, the fastest way didn’t go through any part of any town. He didn’t even pass a gas station, not until the last mile and a half.

  He’d grabbed a few coins from the change box in his ashtray before he’d left, but the phone box didn’t have a receiver on it. Someone had ripped it completely out of the box.

  And the gas station had been closed by over an hour. Go figure. It was after 8 p.m. at that point.

  The closer he got to Serenity, the more his thoughts turned to Josie and the time they’d been spending together. That first dinner they’d made together. It blew his mind… the chicken and dumplings, yeah, they were amazing…. But the chemistry?!

  That’s what dating could be like? It could be that easy? That natural? That funny? That fun?

  Dating for me could include a woman like Josie? He marveled at his good fortune, all of the gifts he’d received. Timing, place, location… what if he’d stayed in Sonoma County?

  He shuddered and pulled his coat collar higher around his neck and shifted his backpack so the straps were more comfortable.

  He was in the right place, all right. As long as he could earn enough money to allow him to stay there. A new phone and a truck repair were steep expenses to incur in one day.

  He pushed the thought out of his mind and brought forward the sweet memory of the last slow dance he shared with his barn manager with stormy sea-green eyes.

  The gate creaked to announce his arrival, if anyone else was there to hear it. All of the lights were out in Pammy’s house. Cam walked up to the barn and opened the gate.

  He reached down the battery-powered lantern from the top shelf in Josie’s office and the more powerful, smaller flashlight from her desk. He clicked the lantern on and walked down to Enzo’s stall. It was half past 10, according to the barn clock.

  “Hey Enzo, Hey Buddy!” Cam whispered as he drew the steel bar open and stepped inside, quiet and gentle, trying not to disturb the rest of the horses in the barn.

  The lantern light was soft, not too bright. Enzo was sleeping in his shavings, his head down, a light snore motoring up from his chest.

  Cam pulled off his backpack and set it gently down near the lantern. He stepped close to Enzo’s head and squatted, then sat down next to his face. His luck was changing… it was a clean, dry spot in the shavings he was sitting on.

  Cam stroked Enzo’s cheek and and neck, crooning softly, until the little horse stirred and stretched. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. Cam asked him to sit up a bit and let Enzo know he was there to look—only look—at his foot.

  Enzo, sleepy and warm, pawed the air, his legs and feet in front of him. He roused himself so his head was up even though his body was still down. And he watched Cam as he drew out the flashlight and let Enzo smell it.

  “It’ll give a brighter light, little man. It’ll help me see your feet. Sound good?”

  Enzo was aware, if still half-asleep, and affirmed his willingness by laying his head back down and stretching his neck out, long and relaxed.

  “You must’ve gotten a little bit of good pain med, huh?” Asked Cam. Enzo nodded in the shavings and put his hoof forward, a little closer to the farrier.

  “Well, aren’t you sweet?” Murmured Cam as he switched the flashlight on, careful not to shine it in Enzo’s eyes.

  He crawled closer to the proffered hoof and took it in his hands, moving it only slightly and only when necessary to get a better look.

  “You must’ve had a pretty long day, Enzo. It seems like you’re not feeling pain, so that is really good. Really good. And this crack in your hoof right here, this might be here because you’re feet are still in pretty bad shape. We’re gonna fix you up, Enzo. You’re gonna be rompin’ around after the mares come springtime. You think you want to do that with us?”

  Cam saw the little head move up and down again.

  “Well, it sounds like we have a deal then, don’t we?” Cam chuckled despite his tiredness and looked up at the sound of the steel door being opened.

  Josie.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Cam whispered, wanting to keep quiet and relaxed.

  She moved into the stall without a sound, not looking at him… only looking at Enzo.

  Maybe she hadn’t heard his whisper?

  “How does his hoof look?” Her voice was soft and quiet, but all business It sounded cold.

  “It’s a Quarter crack for sure, but I can’t tell if it’s coming from an abscess or from him just having an abnormal hoof from however many years he went without a farrier working on him. I’ll be able to tell with more light in the morning.”

  She nodded her response.

  “He doesn’t seem to be in pain right now…” he trailed off, trying to keep the conversation about Enzo going but not having much success.

  “No. Vet was out and made sure he’d be comfortable tonight. He’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

  “Good. That’s good,” those were the words he said, but he couldn’t tell if they were true. For him, anyway..

  “Josie, I got your picture but then my phone… it got stepped on. By a Percheron,” his words began tumbling out, and once he started he couldn’t stop.

  Throughout his entire explanation he watched the expressions on her face while he tried to hold her gaze. It started out with marked signs of annoyance, irritability, and anger.

  But then it turned to surprise. And that’s when her brow unlocked and her lips softened. Followed by a look on her face that he couldn’t quite read.

  “I’m sorry you were waiting to hear from me for so long. I really was trying to get to you all day, Josie,” he looked into her eyes, pleading for her to believe him. Enzo snorted and snuffled his presence. “And you too, little man, I was trying to get to you all day, too.”

  Enzo huffed a big exhale as if to say, “you better had.”

  They both smiled at the mini’s eavesdropping and demand for his part in the conversation.

  They let the silence settle between them for a few minutes. Josie took a step closer to Cam and knelt down, still out of his reach.r />
  She was at the other side of the mini’s neck, which she began to stroke as she shared, “A couple things came up for me when I didn’t hear back from you today. Especially after I’d sent that picture.”

  Cam wanted so much for her to look at him, but her eyes stayed down. He wanted to touch her, hold her, hear everything she had to say… but at closer range.

  He waited, listening hard and looking at her hands as they stroked and traced the white patch on Enzo’s neck up close to his mane.

  “My dad took off and left me and my mom without a word when I was 15. He made some of the most memorable meals of my life. And then he was just gone,” she paused a moment, seeming to choose what she wanted to say next.

  Cam didn’t say a word, though he wanted to. He wanted to apologize again, reassure her, call her father an idiot… but he didn’t. This was her time to talk and if he said anything now, would she share whatever else was inside of her?

  Josie was looking at him now. The lantern light was so soft on her face. She went on, “We’ve been making some memorable dinners lately too. I’ve never cooked with anyone like this... like we do, together… it’s been… new, and feeling good… and tasting good…”

  She was quiet another moment, taking a break from his gaze to look down for just a second, and then finding his eyes again.

  “I felt like I was opening up in a way I hadn’t been open for a long time... and then, for just a little while, I didn’t feel like I had that connection with you… and I felt some old, painful feelings come up for a little while.”

  Cam’s face was awash in changing emotions. His heart pulled and tugged to break free of his ribcage while she talked. He wanted to hurt the man who had hurt her; to hold her as a little girl and protect her; and to just keep listening to her now.

  For as long as she would talk to him, he just wanted to listen.

  “I realize that I didn’t know everything that was going on in your day, Cam. But I took care of myself, and this little stinker, and tried to let everything else go for today.”

  It seemed that she had stopped. He waited another minute and then asked, “Are you okay, Josie?”

  She met his eyes before she answered, and he was relieved and in awe that there was just a bit of a smile that danced on her lips, “Yes, I’m okay.”

  “Will you… ever want to….” he began.

  “What?” She asked, tilting her head to one side.

  “Make dinner with me again?” He wasn’t teasing, wasn’t flirting… Cam was dead serious and just waiting.

  Josie leaned over, and placed her hands on either side of Enzo’s neck so she could be closer to Cam’s face. He breathed in the scent of her… warm, sweet coffee, apple, and a heady amount of cinnamon. She was magnetizing.

  “Oh most definitely,” she said. And she sealed it with a kiss that promised more dinners, and more than a few desserts.

  17

  Josie

  Thanksgiving Day.

  So much had happened in the last few days to get here. She and Cam had spent the previous days shopping, planning, teasing, and creating a myriad selection of side dishes for today.

  Some were longtime favorites and some were brand new. The fun was in the creation and the sharing… and yes, she admitted to herself, also in the tasting and eating too.

  There was even a dish that was a complete flop: the sweet potato casserole with the mini-marshmallows on top. It totally scorched. Well past the point of being able to call it “caramelized,” they had agreed. It was one of the last dishes they decided to put together the night before.

  It was an old favorite of his. The recipe was mixed, topped, and in the oven baking with the timer on, she recalled with a laugh as she pulled her sweater on and walked to the bathroom for her hairbrush. She and Cam had snuggled and kissed on her super-wide, slouchy sofa while it baked, and they ended up falling asleep in each other's arms.

  She stopped brushing her hair and just took a moment to look in the mirror, replaying the scene in her mind.

  They woke up to the timer buzzing, a smoke-filled kitchen, and the hallway smoke alarm beginning to honk out it’s antagonizing bleat. They woke with a start. But despite the shock, they were both sweetly surprised that they had drifted off together.

  She went to the windows and got a kitchen towel to fan the smoke alarm until it stopped its high-pitched, stress-inducing sound.

  Cam bolted to the oven, grey smoke billowing out the sides and top of the pull-down door. He removed the pan and set it on top of the stove, taking another towel to fan away the steam and smoke.

  They peered at their first culinary fail.

  The char on those marshmallows was a pitiful sight. The casserole under that carbon material had deepened into an orange color that had begun to burn and stick to the bottom of the glass pan.

  They looked at each other for a long moment. And Cam, barely containing a grin, wondered aloud if there were any amount of caramel sauce that would mask it?

  Josie gave the suggestion of adding another layer of marshmallows over top and putting it back in the oven for a few minutes… but she couldn’t even get the whole sentence out of her mouth before they were both cry-laughing, entangled in each other’s arms, stopping only to wipe the joyful tears from each other’s cheeks.

  Now, she looked at the many dishes strewn across her countertop. They would be taking them over to Serenity Stables for a feast that would mark the first of many.

  He’d be here in just a few minutes, she knew. Another message from him lit her phone screen…

  Leaving now. I’m coming for you!

  She looked again at the countertop, at the creations they’d made together to share with their community. Cornbread stuffing, sage stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce with orange, roasted brussels sprouts with bacon, green bean casserole with the crunchy canned onions on top (Josie had insisted), mashed potatoes, broccoli salad, and a huge pot of mac and cheese.

  Oh! And freshly whipped cream with double vanilla, both essence and bean.

  Josie had whipped that up just a few minutes ago. It was her regular offering to go with Pammy’s pumpkin pie.

  A wave of gratitude washed through her and warmed her from bones to soul.

  Then Cam was at her door, tapping eagerly and turning the knob to come in. “Happy Thanksgiving, Beautiful,” he nuzzled the back of her neck and looked at the counter with her. “Quite the spread… there isn’t even any turkey here,” he observed, his breath warm in her ear.

  She turned and lifted her face to his, their lips just beginning to brush, softly, playfully.

  “Pammy’s all about turkey and pie,” Josie whispered into his mouth as she twined her hands around his neck and stretched up to him.

  He pulled her closer. His lips fit perfectly against hers; he deepened their kiss.

  Josie had tasted the whipped cream to be sure there was enough Madagascar vanilla, the right amount of turbinado sugar. She thought it was good at the time… but nothing topped vanilla whipped cream kisses from Cam.

  She kissed him again, with her whole heart… and with relish.

  18

  Epilogue: 13 months later

  “A little further, babe,” Josie called back to Cam, preferring to choose a Christmas tree for the stables from as far out and away as she could find.

  It was mostly for the walk and for the meditative quality of a good snowy stomp through Tinsel Tree Farm. The past year had been a gift that kept getting opened... a blessing, containing many blessings.

  The stables were running at a clean, efficient clip; the horses on site were thriving and healthy, including the mini apple of her eye, Enzo.

  His personality had really started to shine last spring, and he was even interested in developing a more serious intimacy with Easter, a full-size mare who was definitely having none of it.

  Still, he was thriving and it was a good sign that he was looking for a little romance.

  Two new sponsors had come on board this y
ear, fresh from the last fundraising effort. And there was a therapeutic program starting up for veterans early on in the new year.

  There had even been a handful of just-right adoptions for some of the rescues this year. Bittersweet, yes… but the right homes for the right horses.

  She felt stronger, more focused, and fed. Body, mind, and soul.

  Including a growing and steady love with that handsome, now-established, not-going-anywhere farrier, Cameron Delany.

  Josie turned around to find her sexy man coming up with strong strides and his melt-in-me smile, the golden flecks in his eyes hinting at… mischief, was it?

  “Lead the way, Jos,” he called up to her, smiling to himself, crunching snow and pinecones underfoot.

  The day was brisk and clear, a rarity in the Northwest, with fresh powder from the night before. They’d made this trek the previous year, not long after they’d first started dating, and Cam had taken a stroll of his own the day before.

  Around the next bend, Josie had already come to a full stop, her mouth open in stunned silence.

  A banner sign was hung across the boughs of the most perfect Christmas tree.

  Will You Marry Me, Josie?

  He’d made the banner out of red woolen felt and black pre-cut letters he’d picked up at a craft shop. It was a simple sign, not really perfect, but rugged and direct.

  And he’d found this tree the day before, knowing somehow that this was the perfect tree for the biggest decision, the biggest risk and the biggest question, of his entire life.

  His warm hands came around her, grazing her hips on his way to wrapping her in his arms, holding her against his chest.

  “Marry me, Josie?” he asked in a whisper. “Make me the happiest man in the world?”

  She turned to face him in an instant, his arms still circled around her.

  Here comes another year of gifts, she thought as she gave him the answer he longed to hear. She knew the smile in her heart and on her face would never leave her. Never again.