Page 6 of You Can Leave Your Hat On

But in that moment, she longed for Aaron’s arms and their big bed. Nowhere was as comfortable as that.

They had bagels, a waffle maker, cereal of all kinds, and omelets made to order, so Maisey had them do a western omelet for her, and she carried it and a bagel back to her room. The little coffee maker on her countertop was more than adequate, and she drank her coffee and ate her food at her little table and chairs in the room while she watched the morning news. As soon as it was over, she showered, put on her makeup, and got dressed. They’d agreed to meet downstairs because Carly said she had a surprise for them, and she was ridiculously excited.

Cherilyn was already there when she stepped into the lobby, so Maisey sat down in one of the chairs there and they both waited.

There was no way of knowing who’d let out the long, low whistle, and they both turned toward the elevators. One look told them who the whistle was for. Carly swished and swayed toward them, her electric blue stilettos tapping the marble tiles, and her blue dress hugged every curve. Not only that, but her blond hair was a sweep of long curls, elegant and chic, and even for a straight female, it was hard not to gasp. Damn, she was gorgeous. “Good morning, ladies!” she singsonged as she stepped up to Cherilyn and Maisey.

“Holy hell, you’re a head-turner!” Maisey whispered.

“Of course, there’s gotta be a Neanderthal who whistles,” Carly groused.

Cherilyn snickered. “I think he was just wheezing out his last breath because you knocked him dead.”

“You two are looking pretty drop-dead gorgeous yourselves.” Carly plopped down in a chair by Maisey. “So I told you I have a surprise.”

Cherilyn perked up. “Yeah?”

“Ever been to a horse farm?”

“No,” Maisey whispered in excitement. She’d always wanted to see one and had never been able to.

“Well, I got us an invitation to a farm out on Midway Road. It’s beautiful. Wanna go?”

“Of course! Lead the way!” Cherilyn cried out. Maisey was almost hyperventilating. A horse farm! Carly had no idea how special the idea was to Maisey. She was so excited that she could barely stand it.

They stepped out of Cherilyn’s van and stood in the courtyard of the big house. To Maisey, it was more like a palace or a castle. The front door opened and a very ordinary-looking woman appeared in a pair of jeans, muck boots, and a tee. “Hi! You must be Carly and company! Any McEvers is a friend of mine. I’m LyraMcCutcheon.” She extended a hand, which Carly took first.

“Thank you so much for letting us look around! When my mother-in-law said she knew your family, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve always wanted to see one of these farms. This is my friend, Cherilyn,” Carly said and swept a hand toward the blond, “and my friend Maisey,” she said, indicating the smaller brunette. The women both shook hands with Lyra, and Maisey’s face hurt from smiling.

“Come this way. So welcome to Angel Acres Farms! We’ve got somebody new for you to meet. Just got here yesterday.” They followed Lyra toward a smaller barn near the house, and when they arrived, she slid one of the huge doors open and strolled down the concourse. Of course, smaller was relevant. The barn was enormous, but not nearly as huge as the others across the pastures. Lyra stopped at a stall door. “This is Winged Peace. She has a new little one. His name is Winged Fury.”

From deep in the stall, a large mare appeared, and she stuck her head out the open half of the door and nickered. Lyra rubbed her nose. “Good girl. Where’s your boy?” Maisey could hear a rustling sound, and in a few seconds, he appeared beside his mother, a little wary of the visitors.

“Oh my god, he’s adorable,” Maisey whispered.

“He is. And he’s our farm’s next great hope. Remember Pickle Thief, the horse that won the Derby and Belmont a few years ago?” All three women nodded. “Pickle is his daddy. We’re hoping that with Peace’s bloodlines thrown in, he’ll be a winner.”

“I bet he will!” Cherilyn said with a smile.

“So let’s go on down to one of the bigger barns. Glad to see you all have on decent shoes,” Lyra said, looking down at their athletic shoes.

“Yeah, thought we’d better change out of our heels to come here,” Maisey said with a grin.

“Good call. It’ll help that we’re going to take the cart.” The woman stopped at a large six-seater golf cart-type vehicle. “Climb on and watch your head.”

They bounced down the walkways toward the big barns, and Maisey was in heaven. The rolling green hills, the gentle breeze, and the trees rustling all spoke to her. It was so peaceful there that she couldn’t imagine any pain or strife ever touching that land, and yet she knew horses had died there, gotten hurt there, cattle and buffalo had probably grazed there, and even sheep might’ve called it home. They stopped in the concourse of an enormous barn. “We have fifteen horses in this barn.”

“How many do you have on the whole farm?” Carly asked.

“About a hundred. This is one of the biggest farms in the region. We have a lot of horses here. This is Asher’s Delight,” Lyra said as she walked up to a stall. “He loves having his face scratched, and I have treats for him.” As soon as the woman pulled the bag of treats from her pocket, Maisey held out her hand. She wanted to feed him and feel those velvety lips on her palm. The minute he took the treat, Maisey scratched his blaze and, to everyone’s surprise, he pressed his face into her shoulder. “He likes you,” Lyra said with a gentle smile.

“I like him too. He’s a good boy.”

“He is. He’s one of our old studs, and he’s very well-behaved. Looks like you made a new friend.”

“I hope so.” Maisey wanted to cry. She’d always dreamed of being that close to one of the big beasts, but she’d never known anyone who had a horse. She’d been a city kid, even though she lived in a small town, and she loved the idea of her kids being able to experience farm life.

After an hour and a half, they headed back to the house, then climbed back into the van to go to the tea. Maisey was on a cloud. It had been the best morning ever. The restaurant was packed, but they had a reservation, so they headed straight on in.

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