common courtesy. A word or two when we passed. Drew, Devin, and I had started to do more and more together, but if I ever found myself alone with their dad, I usually headed to my bedroom.
He hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his Wranglers. “Get on some work clothes and come outside with me.”
If Mom had been home, I would’ve asked her to tell Dwight I wasn’t interested in forced bonding time. But I reluctantly changed into my jeans with holes in the knees, threw on a T-shirt, and headed outside.
Dwight was leading a young reddish-brown horse out of the trailer. “I just bought this gelding down at the auction. And this summer, you’re going to help me break him in.”
I stared into the pony’s big, dark eyes. “But I don’t know anything about horses.”
“He doesn’t know much about humans, either. That’s what we’re going to change.” Dwight patted him. “Why don’t you come over here and let him get to know you.”
The horse lifted his tail and pooped on the ground.
“Pick a name,” Dwight said, “and nothing girlie or hippie.”
“How about Major?” I asked. Major was the name of Cinderella’s horse.
Dwight looked from me to the horse. “I like it.”
Once I started working with Major, I fell in love. Dwight was always there, helping me, talking with me about this, that, and the other as we worked. And somewhere along the way I started loving Dwight, too.
When we’d finished breaking him in, Dwight sat me down. “Darby, I want you to know that I consider you part of my family. I know it was hard for you to get used to us boys, and they might not show it, but Drew and Devin like having you and Janet around. And I do, too.”
“I like it here, too,” I said.
“There’re two things my kids need to have. Names that start with D—see, you already have that down—and a horse. That’s why Major’s yours. If you want him.”
My heart swelled. “Mine?”
“You’ll have to take care of him.”
I nodded. “I will. Thank you so much.” I’d never been a hugger, but my arms were around Dwight before I’d even realized I was going to hug him.
He patted me on the back and then told me to go feed my horse.
When I had to go back to school, I’d been pretty upset about leaving Major all day. He went through a rebellious phase, too, trying to buck off anyone else who tried to ride him. And while I knew I shouldn’t be proud of that fact, I was.
“Whoa,” I said now, pulling on the reins and slowing him down to a trot as we approached the pond. I slid off him and sat in the shade of the tree while he drank some water. Even now, he was picky about riders. He tolerated Dwight, Drew, and Devin, and would slowly make his way over when they called. But he only came running for me.
I laid back in the grass and saw the initials carved into the tree. That had been a romantic story at one point, just like any one of the stories I’d heard today at Steph’s shower. Yet throwing your initials together with
…
The raised voices drifted through the front door, combined with the sound of a crying baby. I stood on the porch of the house, wondering how long they’d be at it this time.
“I took care of her all day yesterday,” Anne yelled. “I think you can handle a few hours.”
“I’m taking her,” Devin said. “I just wanted to know if you’d be back before I needed to drive home and put the kids to bed.”
“I don’t know. All I know is I’ve got to get out of here before I go insane!” Anne swung the screen door open with such force that I had to jump out of the way. She charged down the stairs and climbed into her car. I don’t even think she saw me.
I stepped into the house and saw Devin holding Ava, while Levi, my five-year-old nephew with hair so blond it was almost white, was parked in front of the television, watching cartoons.
I gave Devin a tight smile. “Hey. I’d ask how it’s going, but I’m pretty sure I already know.”
Devin shook his head. “Ava’s teething, so she’s crabby, and I’ve been working long hours, helping out with the cows and getting the machines ready for first cutting.” He ran a hand through his hair. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. “Needless to say, things are a little tense lately. I try to keep the mood light by joking around. Back when we were dating, Anne said she loved my sense of humor. Lately all I get when I tell a joke is a glare.”
I looked down at Ava and her epically chubby cheeks. In her six months on earth, all I’d ever seen her do was cry or sleep. With her dad bouncing her around, though, she seemed pretty happy. “On the bright side, you two sure do have cute kids.”
“That’s about all we have,” Devin said.
Ava seemed to take offense to this, even though we’d been calling her cute, and started screaming again.
“I’m going to go walk her around outside. Janet and Dad ran to the store, but they should be back in a few minutes. Until then, could you keep an eye on Levi for me?”
“Sure.”
I felt bad for Devin, but I also felt bad for Anne. Everyone talked about how much she’d changed. I once heard this statement that women marry men hoping to change them, while men marry women hoping they’ll never change.
So maybe it’s a little true. After all, there are definitely some fixer-uppers out there that could use a good coat of paint. Or five. And while I’ve never been married, I’ve been in long-term relationships before. I’ve also been around my fair share of married people. And it did seem like the men always complained about how much their girlfriends and wives had changed. But men change, too. While there used to be a little effort put into date night, he now drapes his smelly feet over his significant other and sits blank-faced, staring at the television with little conversation besides, “What we got to eat?”
He used to dress up; now he doesn’t even bother getting dressed. Responsibilities and stress replace the romance. So, yes, things change. Really, guys? You didn’t see that coming?
Okay, rant over.
I sat down next to my nephew. “Hey, Levi. How are you doing?”
He peeled his gaze off the TV and looked at me. “Ava cries all the time. Then Mommy does. It’s lots of crying at my house.”
I ran my hand over his head. “It’ll get better.”
A few minutes later, Mom walked in the door holding Ava. Mom had this gift with babies. Whereas my first instinct was to run from a screaming kid, hers was to take the child and comfort him or her.
Devin and Dwight came in, arms loaded with groceries.
“Are there any more?” I asked, motioning to the bags.
“Nah. We got ’em all,” Dwight said.
I stood and followed everyone into the kitchen. Dwight set down the bags on the table, then turned and gave me a hug. “How’s my girl? Still showing everyone in the city what’s what?”
“I’m not sure about that,” I said. “I do show them how to rearrange their homes, though. Plus spending other people’s money is always fun.”
Dwight pulled out a bar stool for me and then sat down on the one next to it. “You take Major out?”
“Of course. How’s he doing?”
“Damn thing bit Caleb the other day.”
Mom stopped her humming and shot Dwight a look. She’d been trying to get him to break his cussing habit for seventeen years, and obviously had no intention of giving up.
Dwight continued his story about Caleb, the neighbor kid who sometimes worked on the farm. “Anyway, while Caleb’s trying to saddle him, Major kept biting him. So Caleb smacked him on the nose.”
“Oh no,” I said, already knowing it was going to be bad. Not only was Major stubborn, he also held grudges.
