Page 59 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
Chapter Fourteen
His mother drove into his yard the next morning as he led Legend out of her stall.
Since she rarely came down, Kade knew she’d heard about his date.
“Hi, Mum.”
“Hi,” she said with a grin after lowering the window of her purple Jeep. “I’m off to work, but your father tells me you had a date last night. With Megan.Finally, Shannon said, but you know your mind. Of course, this was after your father came home cursing up a storm chasing down that wild beast that almost ran you down.”
“How long did it take him?” Kade asked, pleased he had no guilt over not helping.
“Four hours and then some.” Nicola rolled her eyes. “When he curses like that, I remind him that he could sell the whole lot.” Her gaze shifted to the horse. “That’s Legend, yes? How he could have thought that mad horse would be acceptable to Legend is beyond me. I told him to listen to you, but we know how many times I’ve said that.”
They shared an eye roll. “I still am grateful when you say it, Mum.”
“You’re welcome.”
He walked over to her jeep when she made no move to leave, Legend’s soft footfalls accompanying him.
“I wondered if Megan might be for you when you took the boy camping overnight a month or so ago,” she said, looking straight at him. “Ollie’s a good boy, and she’s coming alive again. You’d be the one knowing how to help them thrive. You always have. You seem to be coming alive yourself. Love looks good on you, son.”
When she held out her hand, he grabbed it. “I’m glad you came by today.”
“I need to leave if I’m going to beat Shannon to the shop.” She dropped his hand and blew him a kiss. “She had a date last night too.”
He didn’t bother to ask with whom. His sister was like Liam that way. She loved to date around. “Wouldn’t it be funny if Megan and I ran into Shannon and one of her dates one night?”
“She’d love it. You know her. She’s happy for you too, Kade, but I expect she’ll tell you that herself soon enough.”
His sister did tell him, in fact, coming by after work that day. He’d just finished his last pony ride. Megan had left a couple of hours ago since Angie was hanging out with his aunt. Freshly kissed after a pony ride, she’d told him her hands were itching to mold clay. He’d told her to go to the studio early before she went to fetch Ollie. She had pieces to make for the St. Stephen’s Day fair, after all. She’d gone after a few more kisses.
“Your face says it all, brother,” Shannon said, lifting the saddle off Winston before he could. “You’re in love.”
“I am, indeed.” He laughed as Winston bowed to her. “You seem to have all the males in the local area wrapped around your finger, my horse included.”
“He has good taste.” His sister walked over to Legend’s stall. “How about a ride? You can tell me all about things. I’d like to ride this girl.”
“You think you can handle her?” Kade grabbed a saddle for his sister and set it on Legend when she didn’t respond to his teasing.
Shannon took over the task of saddling the horse. “I need fast. Come on, I’ll race you.”
Legend gave his sister the ride of her life. They thundered across the shore, seals scattering and barking at them. Shannon laughed, her long brown hair flying madly behind her. Kade patted Blaze’s side. She couldn’t match Legend’s speed, but he didn’t need her to. He simply took in the sight of a patch of sunlight breaking through the clouds, turning the lichen to a spring green as it danced in the water’s shallows. He led Blaze through the water since the horse loved to splash. He thought about Megan and how beautiful she’d looked yesterday, gazing up at him with love in her eyes.
They’d turned a corner, and their roots would only grow stronger.
Shannon was waiting for him when he reached the path they would take back to his yard. “She’s wonderful, Kade. I can see why Dad is so tied up to have a foal from her. Did Mom have it right about your deal with Dad?” She parroted back the details of the deal he’d made with his father.
“You have the right of it.” He brought Blaze even with Legend as the horses walked past the rows of fresh blackberries hanging thickly from their thorny branches.
“I wish things were different between you two.” Her gaze was troubled. “I know you’ll find the right horse for Legend and it will all work out, but you shouldn’t have to do it in the first place.”
“My relationship with him has always been more complicated,” Kade said, “and it’s not something you need to feel guilty about.” But she still did, and he knew it.
She positioned Legend closer and touched his arm. “The guilt is mine. I’ve wondered if it would change things if I had an interest in taking over the farm. But I don’t think it would. Dad still expects you to want to do it because you’re a man. Sometimes he makes me want to scream.”
His sister had always been like his horses—in need of her independence. “I hear you’re going to be in the St. Stephen’s horse race.”
She shot him a look like she was angling for him to share his chips with her. “Why do you think I was trying out Legend? I want to ride her for the race, Kade.”
