Page 63 of Back in the Saddle

“Yes, exactly,” Mam said, giving my arm a rub. She’d never given me this much credit before.

Taylor’s lips lifted in a smile that couldn’t be less genuine if she’d tried. She remained quiet for the rest of the meal. Was she unhappy about someone recognising the hard work I put in? That was strange, seeing as she’d mentioned it herself only the other day.

After dinnerI drove Mam home. Before she got out of the car, she said, “How about we go for a walk? I haven’t spent time alone with you all day.”

I turned the car off and joined her on the road. The night sky was black and dotted with stars, and the full moon lit our way. Mam smiled up at me as we walked aimlessly. In my childhood she was never interested in spending this much time with me. Was she trying to make amends?

“I enjoy spending this time alone with you. Taylor won’t mind, will she?” Mam asked sweetly.

“Not at all. She will be happy for us.”

“She doesn’t seem very comfortable in my presence. I do wish I could be closer to her.”

I glanced up at the tree line where it met the dark night sky. It wasn’t only Taylor I needed to be braver with. “I think some of the things you say can be misconstrued. Like how you said, I do so much work. It made it sound like she doesn’t.”

Mam rested her hand on her chest. “Oh.” She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant at all. I can see the farm is important to her. She seems to sacrifice a lot for it.”

“We are all working hard. The drought has been very tiring.”

She took my hand. “Of course, of course. I just worry about you. You look so tired.”

I sighed. That was the truth.

“You are not young like you used to be when you helped me with the boys. You worked so hard for us all. I never thanked you for that.”

I concentrated on my footsteps to help ground me in this moment. I couldn’t believe I was hearing those words. That she was sorry for the past. That she truly cared about me.

“You need to take care of yourself more. I know you don’t want to, but if you moved back to Ireland, I could help with Isabelle and Callum. Make it easier for you. I have more time now that all the boys have moved out.”

“Thanks, Mam.”

I didn’t want to move. None of us did, but her words of support meant the world to me. We walked in silence until we reached the intersection and then turned around.

“I will apologise to Taylor. I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings,” Mam said. “She does seem quite fragile at the moment.”

“That would be good, Mam. I’m sure she will appreciate it.”

Mam rubbed my hand. “I don’t want to cause friction between you. Taylor is so lovely. Even when I was unkind to her in the past, she never spoke against me.”

Who was this woman walking next to me? She’d changed. It gave me confidence that Taylor could change too.

24

Taylor

Ilay snuggled up to Ciaron in bed. “So work was OK?”

“Easy. It’s not like you do much.”

I poked him in the ribs, trying not to take his words to heart. “That’s what your mam thinks.”

He chuckled. “You and I both know that’s not true.”

“You could have told her so.”

“I’ve told her before how much work you do.”

“It would have been nice if you’d said it at the dinner table instead of going along with what she’d said.”

---