Page 49 of When I Forgot Us
“Come on.” Sunlight infiltrated the car when Aunt Sarah opened the door. “No sense in mulling things over out here in the heat when you can do it even better in the shop.”
Michelle chuckled at the woman’s obstinate nature but followed her into the shop.
Sweet scents wrapped around her; the warm tones of vanilla and honey mixed with berries coming from a tower of candles on her left.
Small flower arrangements lined a low shelf where a cash register and a plate of cookies waited.
Aunt Sarah snagged a cookie, holding a second over her shoulder toward Michelle. “Here. Try this.”
She bit into the warm white chocolate macadamia and prowled around the shop. When Aunt Sarah said boutique, she’d expected dresses and ribbons. Not exactly the kind of thing Maude seemed interested in.
This, however, changed things.
Michelle let the space distract her. The further she pulled her mind away from the turmoil of her past choices, the clearer things became.
“Sarah, it’s so good to see you again.” A short, plump woman moved from the back room and rounded the counter. She swept Sarah into a swift embrace, rocking them both side to side.
This was the sort of thing she’d missed out on in the city, this close connection with friends and neighbors.
She’d made friends when she first arrived. They’d gone out together and enjoyed life. But nothing about the friendships had been genuine as what she’d known here.
“You want to change things up?” The woman crossed one arm in front of her waist and set her elbow in the counter. “Well, now let’s see. Maude’s not my most difficult, not by a long shot, but she certainly does have her preferences.”
“You can say that again.” Sarah winked and picked up another cookie.
Michelle left them to the conversation, but the woman’s words danced with the thought she’d carried around since this morning.
Living in the city, she’d wanted a change in her life but had been too afraid of making a mistake to go for it.
A couple walked into the shop and stopped near the candles. The woman popped open the bamboo lid on a pale purple candle and held it to her nose. The man with her waited, grinning when she stuck the candle out for him to sniff.
They were adorable. Young. Fresh-faced and newly in love if she had to guess.
She’d had that and thrown it away.
Was it too late to find her way back to that depth of love? Her heart begged her to try.
But it wasn’t up to her alone. Chase had asked for time. He deserved that. She’d walked away without giving him a reason.
It would serve her right if he decided loving her was too much of a risk.
Chapter Fifteen
“Get her in the barn.” Chase scraped his hat off and shoved a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes before clamping the hat back on.
The mare grunted and hobbled forward, one hoof up off the ground and her legs splayed. Sweat darkened the red coat in giant rings, and her head dropped close to the ground.
“What happened?” Michelle rushed out of the tack room where she’d been cleaning and straightening years’ worth of odds and ends. She threw her dirty rag back into the room and closed the door. “What can I do?”
Nothing. That was what he wanted to say. He couldn’t afford the distraction she offered with her worry and concern.
“Sorry boss.” Chuck held his hat in his hands. His chin dropped to his chest, a look of defeat so profound in his crestfallen face that Michelle reached over and patted his shoulder. “It’s my fault. She was a little antsy coming out of the field this morning. I didn’t think anything of it and rode her anyway. She spooked on the backside of the pasture and threw me.”
“Are you hurt?” Michelle took Chuck by the shoulders and turned him around. She scanned him with a critical eye.
Chase almost intervened. Almost. But it was a legitimate question. If Chuck had been injured too, they needed to get him into town.
Chuck ducked his head further. “No, ma’am. I’m fine. It’s her everyone needs to concentrate on.” His voice dropped. “She bucked halfway across the field before she ended up in the barbed wire.”
