Page 11 of His Wilde Little
My current goal was to save up enough so that I could buy my own petting zoo with figurines of the real thing. I’d recalled toys I had from when I was little and I’d wanted to get some more now, but every time I looked online, they sold them in packs with animals I didn’t want.
A knock came at my door. “Hey, sweetheart, are you in there?” my mom asked.
I closed the closet door and was confronted with the full body mirror across from me. My body straightened right out. “Hey,” I said, opening the door to her. “Is it that time already?” I asked, glancing to my wristwatch.
“Oh, no, we’ve got a little bit yet before that,” she said, standing in front of me with a big smile. “I’m just checking in on you. I told your dad last night that if you didn’t want to work with the horses, you didn’t have to. He would just have to go see someone about his back and get it sorted out.” She rolled her eyes.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I spoke to Lorenzo, and I think it’ll be fine, if not maybe a little fun.”
She cooed and patted my arm. “That’s good. I was worried the two of you would class, you know, considering Lolo is from the South and you’re so used to be in control over all the animals.”
I raised a finger. “Except the horses. They’re not my territory.”
“Except for Mary out in the stables,” she said. “We think it’ll be good, and it’ll probably take a while for the new horses to adjust and recoup after what they’ve been through, but your father thinks it’ll be good for the visitors.”
“And what has Olivia said?”
“She’s happier now knowing that some expenses are covered,” she said. “And she has agreed to spend some timewith the horses as well, alongside Max, who needs to learn some responsibility.”
“Absolutely not.” I shook my head. “Max bullied the barn cats.”
“That was years ago, and from what I recall, they were chasing him.”
“Because he had a laser pointer and they’re just smarter than him.”
Speaking of Max, he walked right by with his headphones on and his eyes fixed on his phone, completely unaware we were talking about him, and he definitely hadn’t looked up to see us standing there.
“And of course, I will help with the horses too, and I was just telling Diane, and she’ll help,” she continued.
“Diane had a crush on him, that’s why.”
Her voice cooed from the hallway. “Did I hear my name?” she asked, giggling as she approached us in my bedroom doorway. “Are we talking about that dish you’ve got and is he waiting around for me to grab a spoon and dig right in?” She waved a hand dismissively. “I’m just joking. But if he’s single, I’m ready to mingle.”
“He’s married, I think,” I said.
“No, he’s not,” my mom added. “And I’ve already told you, no distractions for him, he’s here to take care of business and your father will blow a fuse.”
He was the one Olivia had gotten her fuse from, and it was just as short. “That won’t take much,” I chuckled. “Oh, also, have you been to the factory? Lorenzo took the milk inside, thankfully.”
“He has an interest in the factory?” Diane took that to mean. “I can give him a tour.”
“That’s a good idea, but hands off, ok. The last thing we need is you breaking his heart and him leaving us with a stable full of horses we’re not ready to take care of.”
“I would never break anyone’s heart,” Diane said, scoffing. “Not like Rhys, the monster. I gave him seventeen years of my life, and all for what? Sure, I got the house, and we didn’t have any kids, but that man probably fathered a soccer team of players with the countless affairs he had.”
Once Diane got going, there wasn’t much stopping or even slowing her down. Nor would I want to, I’d learned that some people don’t scribble or journal their feelings of frustration, and some people needed to scream the pain from the rooftops.
During the window of time people came to the ranch to be among the animals, it didn’t feel too much like work. I was getting to do what I loved, and that was being around all the animals, except for the horse, who I kept a safe and manageable distance from, but with the deal I’d made, that safety zone was soon going to be under threat. It felt like I was in therapy for arachnophobia and being forced into aversion therapy, just a little step closer a day will help me overcome my fear.
Watching over as people came into the fencing outside the coop to try their best to pet the hens, I received a tap on my shoulder. Lorenzo stood with a smile on his face, which was immediately strange because I didn’t know he was capable of smiling.
“Everything ok?” I asked.
“Yeah, I just got word from the vet and transport team bringing the horses,” he said, as if he could smell my fear and he wanted to mention it. “They’re coming tomorrow. So, I’ll need a hand clearing out three stalls to make room for them.”
“And that makes you happy because?”
“Because none of the horses are injured, they’ve been given shots, and all they need is feeding, love, care, and a couple of cowboys to help build their muscle up,” he said, that smile growing stronger. I couldn’t help watching his lips as they moved, his tongue prodding at his lower lip making it glossy.
