Page 7 of Summer Redemption

Maybe he won’t be there today when I go out to Limitless. A girl can hope.

But you want to see him and get your fill up close.

No. No, I don’t.

Maybe a little.

When I pull up outside of the large farmhouse, my palms are sweating. I got glimpses of a barn and another house in the distance. Maybe two houses? They’re just far enough away that I’m not sure, but I am certain those houses weren’t there the last time I came out with Wilber before I left for college.

Huxley wasn’t there that day and I could enjoy the beauty of the land and the ranch. Seeing it then reminded me just how much Wintervale and Montana were always going to be my home. Only a few weeks later, I was leaving it behind, but I’ve thought of that day and the view more than once when I was getting homesick.

Why was it that Limitless made me feel connected? I’ve never thought too deeply about it because it felt dangerous for me to do.

When the door of the house opens, a woman steps out who looks vaguely familiar. I tilt my head to the side as I look at her, but then my focus quickly shifts to the little boy who comes out right behind her.

“Hi,” I greet them and give a little wave. “My name is Sunshine Holloway,” the woman lights up as if she recognizes my name which has me cringing internally, “and I’m the new vetat the clinic. Dr. Harris called earlier about me coming by to get the lay of the land because I’ll be taking over home visits.”

The woman comes down the steps and offers her hand. As I shake it, she has a huge smile on her face. “I’m Eden Burns,” she greets me and motions toward the little boy, “and this is my son, Macklin. I would say it’s nice to meet you, but I recognize you from around town before I left. It’s been a long time.”

“It’s nice to meet you, officially. You do look familiar,” I offer.

She’s the girl who was with Fletcher when they were back in high school, but I was young then and didn’t care about the town rumor mill or what was going on in anyone’s life other than my own. If it didn’t have to do with school or whatever book I was reading, I wasn’t paying attention.

“What’s a vet?” A little voice asks, and I look down and meet the eyes of the little boy who is partially hiding behind his mom’s legs.

“Vet is short for veterinarian,” I explain. “Which is just a really big word for a doctor for animals.”

“Are the horses sick?” He sounds worried.

“No, Macklin,” I assure him. “I grew up in Wintervale, but I had to leave for a while and do a lot of school to become a vet. Now I’m back and working with Dr. Harris. He thought it would be a good idea for me to go out to the ranches and farms to meet all the animals. That way I know a little bit about them if they do get sick or if I need to come out and see them.”

“Oh,” Macklin looks thoughtful, like he’s really analyzing my answer. I can’t help but smile at him. He’s adorable. “That makes sense,” he finally agrees with a decisive nod. “You know,” he leans in a little bit, but doesn’t move closer, “we have somemares who are going to be mamas soon. Daddy lets me help him and Uncle Hux with the horses.”

My heart skips a beat when this little boy says the name of his uncle so casually. I try and keep my face neutral, but I have no idea whether I succeed or not. Maybe it doesn’t matter.

I have to clear my throat before telling him, “Did you know that baby horses are called foals? They’re some of my favorite animals. I think it’s amazing how they’re born able to walk.”

“That is pretty cool,” Macklin muses with his face twisted up slightly as if he’s really thinking about what I’ve said. “I’ve never seen a foal before,” he admits.

“Foals are adorable, but they’re also a lot of work. You have to keep an eye on them,” I warn him. “Can you do that for me?”

“What am I looking for?”

“You’ll need to make sure they’re eating and that their moms are taking good care of them. They need to get exercise by walking around, but also plenty of rest. Since they’ll be very curious about this new world, you’ll need to lookout for anything that could harm them,” I let him know.

His face turns so serious that I almost laugh. “I can do those things,” he vows and there is not a single part of me that doubts it.

Or him.

“I can already tell that giving you the job of watching over the foals is the right thing to do.”

Suddenly, Macklin isn’t hiding behind Eden’s legs anymore. He steps up to me and offers me his hand. I’ll admit, I slide myhand into his tentatively, but only because for a split second I wonder if his hand is going to be sticky.

It isn’t.

“Come on Dr. Sunshine,” he gives a tug as he starts to lead me away from the front of the house while Eden chuckles softly, “I’ll take you to the barn. It’s where Daddy is.”

My stomach twists and I desperately want to ask this little boy about his Uncle Huck, but I stop myself. I’m not going to pull him into my fears and insecurities. I’m better than that. I think. Maybe.

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