Page 38 of The One for Me
“Daddy, can I name him whatever I want?”
Connor sighs. “Of course you can.”
“I am so excited. I love my horse now, but this will give him a friend and you will be able to come riding with me and it’ll be so fun. I’ve thought of so many names. I was thinking if I named him after Uncle Declan, he would love it. Do you think he would love it?”
“He’s definitely a horse’s ass,” I say under my breath.
“That’s for sure,” Connor agrees before turning to Hadley. “Sweetheart, you can name him anything you want.”
My baby brother being a father is still something I can’t get over. Hadley is his world, and I’m truly happy for him. He seems to have it all. Two amazing kids and the life I always knew he’d fit into, even when he didn’t.
Here I am, still figuring my shit out.
“Do you ever wonder how it is that you’ve ended up living in Sugarloaf with horses and a farm?” I ask him.
“Not even a little. I know exactly how.”
“Ellie.”
He nods.
“And me!” Hadley cuts in.
“Of course.” Connor leans down and scoops his daughter up. “And your sister.”
Hadley giggles and wraps her arms around his neck. “This has been the best month ever. I got a sister and a new horse!”
“Which do you like better?” I ask.
She tilts her head to the side. “I think the horse. Bethanne cries—a lot. And she always has stuff coming out of her mouth.”
“I get it, Squirt. I have two younger brothers, and each time one of them came along, I wished for a horse instead.”
Connor rolls his eyes. “Younger siblings make things interesting.”
I get close to her ear and whisper, “But older siblings can make them do things.”
Her face lights up, and she whispers back. “Like what?”
“All kinds of chores, and you can usually blame them for the mess.”
Connor huffs. “Don’t even think about it.”
I give her a wink, and she grins. “I like you, Uncle Sean.”
“I like you more.”
“But Uncle Declan got me a horse.”
She has the Arrowood brothers wrapped around her tiny finger. Between the humble abode her father built her that masquerades as a tree house, the horses Declan got her, and the quad I got her for Christmas, she’s set forever. Lord knows that when Jacob comes, he’ll want to outdo us all. She’ll probably end up with a boat.
“Well, he’s pretty cool, but if it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have the best horse ever, so that kind of means I got you a horse too.”
Hadley looks up to Connor and then back to me. “I guess you’re right. Are Devney and Austin coming?”
I nod. “Yeah, she went to get Austin and hang out with your mom. After we eat and the horse settles in a bit, they will be here so we can go on a ride.”
She squeals and wraps her arms around me. “You’re the best.”
