Page 21 of Falling for Love

I cleaned out the hoof with a pick, flicking away bits of dirt and ice.

My gloves were damp by now, and my fingers ached from the cold, but the process was satisfying. Horses didn’t care about your bad days or your to-do lists. They just wanted you to show up and do the work.

My rasp scraped against the hoof again, the sound sharp and rhythmic in the barn's stillness. The cold was relentless, but the task repetition warmed me in its own way.

As I worked, I thought about Hayden, about how proud he was of battling the knights with Liam, and how he’d laughed when Liam helped him rebuild a fort after Lance knocked it over.

And then there was Liam, sitting in my kitchen, making jokes about bratwursts and sneaky kitchen gadgets, fitting into my life like he’d always been there.

“Focus, Evie,” I muttered, shaking off the thoughts as I checked the balance of Shadow’s hoof.

It was good—better than good. I smoothed out a final rough edge and set his hoof down gently, patting his flank.

“All done, big guy,” I said, stepping back and stretching my arms.

I smiled, feeling the satisfaction of a job well done, even as my hands throbbed from the cold. This work was hard, sure, but this business was mine.

The gentle buzz of my phone cut through the sound of hooves clomping on the barn floor, pulling me out of my focused rhythm.

I sighed, wiping my hands on my jeans, and fished it out of my pocket. The school’s number lit up the screen.

My heart skipped.

Calls from the school were never good.

“This is Evie,” I answered, tucking the phone under my chin.

“Hi, Ms. Grayson. This is Mrs. Wheeler from Buttercup Lake Elementary. Hayden isn’t feeling well—he has a fever and says his stomach hurts. We think it’s best if you come pick him up.”

I dropped the hoof knife into my tool bag and slung it over my shoulder.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thank you for calling.”

My mind immediately shifted into mom mode.

Hayden never got sick—he was one of those kids who could run barefoot through snow and be fine.

If he wasn’t feeling well, it had to be serious.

I made a mental note to call and cancel my last appointment as I climbed into my truck, the farrier’s tools rattling in the backseat of my cab.

When I pulled into the school parking lot, my worry had bloomed into full-on mom panic. I walked quickly to the office as my boots clunked on the tiled floors.

Mrs. Wheeler greeted me with a sympathetic smile and gestured toward the nurse’s office.

“He’s resting in there.”

When I stepped inside, Hayden was sitting on the cot. He looked pale and small under the fluorescent lights. His ordinarily rosy cheeks were flushed even more, and his eyes looked glassy.

“Hey, honey,” I said softly, crouching down to his level. “What’s going on?”

“My tummy hurts, and I feel hot,” he said, his voice tiny.

I pressed the back of my hand to his forehead.

Yep, definitely a fever.

I pushed his hair back from his face, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

---