Page 59 of Preacher

“No holding back.”

“Okay, fair enough.” She stared at me for a moment, then smiled and said, “So, I guess it all started with my father. He worked as a hand on a big ranch outside of the city, and he’d take me to work with him from time to time.”

A solemn look marked her face as she continued, “The man he worked for had a daughter. She was sixteen or seventeen, and she had this beautiful chestnut mare with long legs and a white blaze down her face. I’d sit on the fence and watch her ride for hours. She was really something. They both were.”

She paused, and her eyes drifted toward the window like she could still see that old ranch in her mind. “I spent years dreaming of having a horse just like hers. I even went so far as to ask Dimitri if he would buy a couple for the boys, but of course, he refused.”

“But when he died…”

“But when he died, I was able to buy the stables and several thoroughbreds, and I loved them. They were everything I’d always wanted, but there was something missing. It just didn’t feel right, and then, one day, I found myself sitting at the kill auction. I don’t know how I found out about the place, but when I saw those horses and the state they were in, I knew… They were the missing piece.”

We sat in silence for a beat, and then, I reached across the table and wrapped my hand around hers. “You’re not that little girl on the fence anymore. You’re the woman she hoped she’d become.”

Tabitha didn’t say anything. She just gave my hand a squeeze and said, “Thank you.”

I watched her more than I ate. The way her fingers traced idle patterns along the rim of her glass. The way her eyes drifted every so often toward the stables below. The way she toyed with her pasta and barely ate.

She was still worried.

Even with me here and knowing Faith wasn’t alone, she hadn’t let herself fully settle. I didn’t press her. I just made sure to listen when she talked and stay close when she didn’t.

When our plates were empty, I reached over and placed my hand on hers. “You ready to head back down?”

“If you don’t mind,” she answered in barely a whisper. “I’d really like to check on her before it gets too late.”

We made our way down together, and sure enough, Harlan was still in the stall, cross-legged in the straw, talking to the mare like she was a baby girl instead of a thousand-pound animal. She was calm—ears twitching, tail flicking, but she didn’t look distressed. That was a good sign.

“Hey, Harlan,” Tabitha said softly. “Thank you for staying.”

“Of course.” He stood up with a grunt, brushing hay from his jeans. “I’ll be in early, but if you need me….”

“We’ll be fine.” Tabitha gave him a grateful smile. “Go on home, get some rest. I’ll stay with her tonight.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Sure thing.”

He gave me a nod on his way out, and I returned it. Once he was gone, I turned and started back up the steps. I hadn’t gotten far when Tabitha called out, “Where are you going?”

“To grab a couple of blankets.”

I could tell by her expression that she wasn’t following, so I added, “I know you want to stay with her, and if you’re staying, I’m staying. Simple as that.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

I continued up the steps and up to her apartment. It didn’t take long to grab a couple of blankets and an extra pillow. When I came back down, Tabitha was still in the stall, brushing Faith’s side with slow, even strokes, and for the first time tonight, she seemed calm and relaxed.

And she couldn’t have looked more beautiful.

Damn. There was no doubt about it. She was getting under my skin.

I laid the blankets out just outside the stall so we could keep an eye on Faith without disturbing her. It wasn’t the most comfortable setup, but it would do. After a few minutes, Tabitha came over and sat down next to me.

I don’t know how long we just sat there, listening to the rhythm of the barn and the slow breaths of the mare.

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