Better With You

by Ellen Joy

  “Good morning,” he said as soon as she stepped out of the truck.

  “Hello, Adam!” Maggie gave him a hug, even though he had extended his hand. “I can’t begin to tell you how grateful we are for taking her.”

  Strange noises came out of the trailer. “Why does it sound like there’s more than just a horse in there?”

  “Goats,” she said. “I picked up a pair of goats along the way. A man passed away and I need to find another home for them.”

  He hoped she wasn’t suggesting that he should take the goats. A pregnant horse was more than he could handle. He hoped Lucy wouldn’t find out about them. “Let’s keep the goats to ourselves.”

  She laughed. “Why don’t we unload the supplies, and then we can meet the mare.”

  He nodded and heard the screen door slam shut. Lucy was behind him in a matter of seconds. “I can’t wait to meet her!”

  Lucy jumped right into Maggie’s arms. The two had talked over a dozen times since meeting. The day he took her to the rescue, Lucy changed. She focused all her attention on horses. Her teachers said she was obsessed, but she stopped getting into as much trouble in school which was way better than before. “You must be so excited to meet her!”

  Lucy jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “I am!”

  The older woman smiled at her. Lucy’s confidence was a genetic gift from her mother, along with her curls. “You, young lady, are going to love her.”

  “I can’t wait!” Lucy squeezed her hands into fists with excitement, which made Maggie laugh.

  “Would you like to meet her?” Maggie asked, deviating from the plan.

  “Why don’t we take the supplies to the barn, first,” Adam insisted. He had to stop the love fest before those goats became his. He led them up the driveway to the barn. “I have plans for a new barn this spring.” He pointed to the east field. A long stone wall covered in lichen and vines ran along the dirt road of the five open acres. He had plans to bring in a mason to clean up the wall. He wanted a separate entrance with a gate that went directly to the barn from the road for easy access. Better than the long, slow-climbing driveway he currently had to contend with.

  But before the barn, the fields needed work. The pastures had at least ten years of overgrowth. Trees were starting to take root and even though the fences still stood, they, too, would soon need to be replaced. On the west side of the property, a creek meandered along the edge of the property and fed a small pond—a fresh water hole for the horses on the south end. In the woods surrounding the farm, he’d like to cut trails for Lucy to ride.

  As he opened the barn doors, Lucy ran over to the clean stall with fresh hay they bought the previous night. Maggie followed them inside the two-hundred-year-old barn and smiled as she looked around. “This barn will definitely be good enough until the new barn is built.”

  Lucy’s face beamed with happiness. Adam suddenly felt that feeling he experienced so many times with Lucy. The feeling of pureness mixed with delight. Every dark part of his soul filled with light. His whole body tingled with happiness, even in his toes. The more he made that little girl happy, the more happiness he felt.

  As they walked back to the trailer, Maggie said, “Right now it’s foster care, and if we find a suitable home for her and her foal, then of course we’ll come and get her and bring her to her new home. I want to be honest with you, though, before I take her out. There’s a very good chance we may never find a good home. Maybe for the foal, but there haven’t been too many people willing to take in rescues in the past few years. If folks can afford to have horses, they usually don’t want one just to look at.”

  “What do you mean, just to look at?”

  Maggie tilted her head. “Anastasia is a broodmare.”

  “You can’t ride her?” He looked at Lucy, who seemed unfazed by the news. “Did you know this, Lucy?”

  “She was almost dog food,” Lucy explained in that sweet voice that got him every time.

  “She’s a sweet thing, but very skittish,” Maggie said. “Doesn’t mean she’ll never ride, but she’ll need a lot of training.”

  He looked at Lucy, whose bright blue eyes pleaded with him. “Well, Lucy, let’s welcome Anastasia.”

  The little girl jumped into his arms, wrapped hers around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, Daddy.” After each phrase she’d kiss him again. “You will love her and her baby.” Another kiss. “I’ll take real good care of them. I promise!”

  He squeezed her, holding all his emotions at bay. He didn’t want to lose it in front of them. They’d never understand how happy and miserable he felt at that moment. He let go and shooed her to the trailer. He pulled out his phone and recorded Lucy’s first moment with her new horse as Maggie walked the mare out.

  Lucy waited patiently at the bottom of the ramp as the animal stepped down. Its chestnut brown coat glimmered in the sunlight. Its power was undeniable, but its eyes were full of fear. He had seen those eyes before, not on a horse, but the day Lucy came into his life.

  The horse was calm, but timid. Maggie clicked her tongue, guiding the horse toward Lucy. The animal looked like a giant compared to Lucy’s petite body. “Anastasia, meet your new best friend, Miss Lucy.” Maggie dropped a handful of treats into Lucy’s hands.

  Lucy held out her hand to the mare’s muzzle. The horse sniffed it, before slowly opening her large lips and sticking her tongue out to take the small pieces of feed. Lucy giggled each time the horse licked her palm. Maggie loosened the rein and the horse stepped closer to Lucy, allowing her to rub the bridge of the horse’s nose.

  “We’re going to take good care of you, Anastasia,” Lucy spoke to the horse. “You’ll never have to be alone again.”

  Maggie set them up with hay, water buckets, feed for about a week, and the bridles the previous owner had for Anastasia. Once Anastasia was good and safe in her stall, Maggie started making her way to her truck.

  “You’ll need to get a trailer.” She looked over at his truck. “Unless you beg your veterinarian to come out to the farm.”

  “Right.” The feeling of delight started to lessen as reality kicked in.

  “You’ll be fine.” Maggie patted him on the back. “Just have fun.”

  Lucy followed her out, skipping the whole way. Then stopped suddenly and asked, “What’s that noise in your trailer?”

  Adam’s heart dropped. Lucy had heard the goats.

  ELIZABETH WATCHED AS her mother, Sarah, buzzed around the family’s restaurant, checking all the preparations before people started arriving. The luncheon for The Blessing of the Fleet was in less than a half hour. The busboys floated around her, setting each dining table perfectly. The Fish Market opened for its new season tomorrow.

  Today, however, her mother was hosting the Blessing’s committee. Soon, over thirty women and a sprinkling of men would be discussing this year’s events over lobster rolls. Each year, the Congregational Church held the blessing on the docks of Camden Cove, and the committee ran the festival afterwards. Her mother had been an official member of the committee for almost forty years, and hosted the luncheon since Elizabeth had been born.

  Elizabeth had gone every year, even when she was in college. Her grandfather had been a fisherman, just like all her great-grandfathers and uncles and cousins and her brother, Matt. The Blessing meant more than just rides and good food. It meant another season of good fortune on the water. That each day they headed out, they would come back at night to their families.

  This year her mother outdid herself. Vases of tulips sat on each of the dining tables. White linen draped the tables, with polished silverware inside folded, matching linen napkins. Next to the flowers, silver lanterns held lit candles. A new purchase for the restaurant, bought over the winter.

  “When do you want the food to be served?” Jack, her oldest brother, asked. He was dressed in his chef jacket. Last spring, her mom and dad had “officially” retired and passed the restaurant to him, but Sarah had a hard ti
me letting go.

  “Let’s give the guests time to mingle and have hors d’oeuvres, then we can bring out the soup and salad.” Her mother knew Jack was the reason the restaurant continued to do so well. Even during the off-season when most places closed, The Fish Market stayed open with a dining room full of guests wanting their famous seafood dinners.

  “Do you need any help from me before people start coming?” Elizabeth asked Jack.

  “No, he’s fine,” Sarah answered for him and began placing her handmade name cards at each setting.

  “I’m going back before the guests start to arrive,” Jack said, as he kissed the women on the cheek and left for the kitchen. As Sarah walked around the room, inspecting one last time, she switched Mrs. Johnson’s name tag and moved her with the Hatfields. Elizabeth shook her head, finding her seat when she saw the tag with Justine Williams’s name.

  Sarah walked over to Elizabeth. “Did your uncles tell you what happened with Matt and Justine the other night?”

  “Uncle Frank told me.”

  Sarah’s scowl couldn’t be mistaken. “I can’t believe she’s pregnant.”

  “Is she coming today?” Elizabeth never remembered her coming before.

  Sarah nodded. “I couldn’t tell her to stay home, it’s the committee’s function, not mine.” Then she began to relay the events of Justine’s temper tantrum. “I heard she started yelling at him in front of everyone and stomped out of the tavern.”

  “Have you talked to Matt about it?” Elizabeth asked.

  “No, you know your brother and how he loves to defend that woman.” Sarah took in a deep breath. “I need to calm down before she arrives. That marriage is doomed.”

  “She’s family now. We have to let this go and try to get along. For Matt’s sake.”

  Sarah’s lips made a flat line as if she were squeezing them together.

  “You should put her with us at our table.” Elizabeth picked up her name tag.

  “I gave her the best seat in the house.”

  “Mom, you know people will start talking.” Drama in the small village was nothing new, but being part of it was. Justine didn’t have the respect for her brother to be private about it. Thank God Sarah didn’t have any social media accounts, because Elizabeth was sure her mother would have a heart attack if she knew what Justine posted, all at Matt’s expense.

  “Matt’s not coming, is he?” Elizabeth looked worried.

  “Not today, no.” Sarah looked around the room one last time. She saw a car pulling up out front. “We’ll just be polite.”

  Elizabeth grabbed the name tag and placed it at the table with her and her mom. She squeezed in another place setting so that no one felt jilted by being moved. She made her way to the front to greet the guests with her mom. Women were already arriving.

  “Good afternoon, Dr. Elizabeth,” Margaret Henderson, the former elementary teacher, greeted her as she walked in. She was with Ms. Lisa, Camden Cove’s librarian.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Henderson, Ms. Lisa,” Elizabeth greeted both women warmly with both hands.

  And just as the business of being hostess made her forget Justine was coming, her new sister-in-law walked through the door.

  “Hello, Elizabeth.” Justine’s voice was steady and calm, but Elizabeth saw anger in her eyes.

  “Glad you could come, Justine,” Elizabeth spoke coolly. She had something Justine lacked. Confidence. Plus, her integrity ran high and her loyalty even higher, and the people in Camden Cove would stand behind her if she needed them to, unlike the woman who couldn’t look her in the eye.

  “Well, my husband is a fisherman.” Her head tilted to the side.

  “Enjoy your lunch.”

  Elizabeth moved aside and greeted Meredith Gilbert, the secretary from the church.

  Next to come walking up was the mayor, Steve Gendren.

  “Hello, Elizabeth,” said the mayor, his words oozed out of him. He grabbed his handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his bald forehead.

  “Hello, Mayor,” she said, extending her hand.

  “You look lovely, Elizabeth.” His eyes drifted down to her chest as he spoke. “I actually wasn’t coming, but my appointment was switched, so I was hoping to join.”

  She immediately stood taller, not because she was shamed or flattered, but because she wanted to stand taller than the short, little bald man. “I’ll go and grab another place setting and sit you with Ms. Lisa.”

  “Oh, I’d much rather sit with you and your beautiful mother.” Sweat proceeded to dribble down the side of his face.

  “I actually have the perfect spot for you.” She left before he could say anything and ran back to the linen closet, grabbing one of the young servers. “Put a place setting for the mayor at table sixteen and move Justine Williams next to him.”

  ADAM GRABBED THE WHOLE wheat breadcrumbs and ignored the look on Lucy’s face. “It’s good for you.”

  “It’s disgusting.” She stuck out her tongue. “I won’t eat chicken fingers with those bread crumbs.”

  “It’s at least a little healthier than the other stuff you usually eat.”

  “You used to make the good kind.”

  “Processed chicken is not good for you.” Adam put down the container and took in a deep breath. Hold it in, he thought. She’s only seven. She’s not really trying to drive me insane. “Look, how about we make a deal? If you eat your five pieces of chicken tonight, then I will read an extra chapter before bedtime.”

  “Two.” She eyed the wheat crumbs, contemplating the deal, but she was no fool. Hell, he had taught her to always hold out. “Only two and a half, with a yogurt.”

  “You mean the sugar stick?”

  “You bought the stuff.” She waved her hand in the air, shaking it at him, and for a split second he saw Michelle in her mannerisms. He pushed the thought out of his head. “It was only because you were being all sweet, and promised to eat foods other than macaroni and cheese, and white bread.”

  She shrugged and made a face. “Why change?”

  He rolled his eyes and dumped the breadcrumbs into a bowl. How did this little girl turn into a sixty-five-year-old?

  “Okay, Dorothy,” he said sarcastically, under his breath.

  “Nana told me who Dorothy was, and also told me her real name was Bea Arthur and she was an animal activist.”

  He stared at her in disbelief. “Eat your yogurt.”

  As he finished dumping the last of the crumbs, he noticed a truck pulling up to the barn. The vet was here. He looked at the clock. Exactly on time.

  He quickly washed his hands, keeping his eye on the window as Dr. Elizabeth Williams stepped out of the truck and looked at the house. She wore a pair of jeans as though they had been tailored to fit her body. Her hair was tied back into a pony tail, but had the signature strand left out, he noticed, to fall over her right shoulder.

  He stood frozen in the kitchen as he watched her survey the property. Her expression showed what he guessed to be true. She did not want to be there. He didn’t blame her if she hated him. He had been a jerk, and probably should’ve apologized at the bakery the other day, but he didn’t want to talk about Max’s death in front of Lucy and get her upset again. He intended to apologize when he called the clinic about the rescue. But the receptionist had directed his call to Dr. Johnson, who then switched his call over to her, and she had sounded irritated at having to take the call. With the way she looked at him at the bakery, he could only imagine what she looked like when she found out it was him on the other end of the line.

  He kissed the top of Lucy’s head. “The vet’s here.”

  She looked out the window and saw Dr. Williams. She popped off the stool and ran past Adam, grabbing her coat and throwing on her rubber boots, which actually matched the vet’s, and flew to open the door. “It’s the fairy godmother!”

  Adam lingered behind as Lucy ran out onto the porch and down the drive. To his surprise, Dr. Williams bent down just in time for Lucy to wrap h
er arms around her neck in greeting. He couldn’t help but smile. He understood why Lucy thought the vet was a fairy godmother. Her genuine kindness toward Lucy, and her undeniable beauty, made it easy to see why Lucy would want to believe.

  If Adam really thought about it, that’s the real reason he hadn’t apologized. He, too, was mesmerized, and that scared him.

  When she stood up, he stepped out onto the porch. “Good afternoon, Dr. Williams.”

  “I assume the horse is in the stables?” She went straight to business, hardly making eye contact, before Lucy grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the barn.

  As she turned away, he smiled at her anger. He liked how controlled she was, even when clearly perturbed with having to deal with him. She handled herself with confidence. She’d probably kill it in a courtroom. Adam hoped Lucy would grow up to be just as strong.

  Lucy pushed open the doors, and soon they all stood in the belly of the barn. The smell was already more earthy since Anastasia and the goats had arrived. He’d never get used to the smell. Lucy, on the other hand, looked right at home. She opened Anastasia’s stall door. Even the horse’s enormous size and pregnant state did not intimidate her. Lucy walked right under the mare’s neck and rubbed the mare’s coat.

  “Well, hello, beautiful Anastasia.” Elizabeth let the horse sniff her as she pulled out a stethoscope. “She’s a Morgan.”

  He gave her a confused look. “No, her name is Anastasia.”

  She shook her head. “No, the breed. She’s a Morgan.”

  “Oh.” He looked at the horse.

  She quietly listened to the heartbeat while keeping her hand on Anastasia’s chest. Anastasia’s chestnut coat was just a shade darker than her brown eyes. Her body twitched to scare off the flies. When Elizabeth shined a light into the horse’s eyes, Anastasia didn’t spook. She seemed calm. Elizabeth smiled as Lucy comforted the horse. “She likes that.”

  “Anastasia is very sweet, already,” Lucy told her.

  “Then, a Russian princess is very fitting.” Elizabeth moved the stethoscope along the ribcage. “Have you been around horses much before?”