Page 40 of A Photo Finish
“What’s underneath?” she asks before she hits the coffee grinder, effectively cutting me off.
Okay. She has a point. I turn and walk to my room. Cutoffs and a T-shirt so old and broken in that it’s almost see-through are my picks. Perfect for a lazy Sunday. All I have planned today is spoiling Pipsqueak and practicing some basic groundwork with her.
By the time I’ve brushed my hair and teeth and twisted my hair up into a bun, Billie has a cup of coffee ready for me on the counter.
“Okay.” I slide up onto a stool and wrap my hands around the old clay work mug. “Why are you here banging on my door and absolutely not checking out your fiancé’s brother?”
Before she can answer, the front door swings open again. “Can we have our coffee on the front porch?” Mira, our veterinarian and other member of the girl squad, waltzes in like she owns the place.
“We just came to visit our favourite little Por—”
“Billie,” I warn, widening my eyes at her and knowing exactly which new nickname she’s going for. Not that I wouldn’t tell Mira. I mean, she probably would have been a better choice to confide in anyway. Cool and collected, the woman is almost impossible to get a read on. It took me a while to figure out that she’s actually nice. It’s just hard to tell with Mira. She keeps her cards close. So, yeah, I should have told her instead.
“Oh, Vi. You should see the pictures I send Vaughn.”
I clamp my eyes shut and let out a dramatic sob. “Billie!”
Mira, all shiny black hair and intelligent almond-shaped eyes with a smirk on her face, raises one shapely brow without inquiring and pours herself a cup of coffee before changing the subject completely. “How’s Pipsqueak, Vi?”
I sigh, and I’m sure hearts pop up in my eyes. “So good. The best. Exactly what I needed.” I shoot my gaze up to Billie and quietly add, “Thank you.”
Her hand lands on my shoulder, and she gives it a firm squeeze. “Don’t mention it.” Billie seems like she’s joking around all the time, but you’d be a fool to underestimate the size of her heart. She knew exactly what she’d been doing when she trailered that filly over here for me.
“When you get her going, let me come check her out a couple of times. Just make sure she’s doing all right. No soreness or breathing issues.”
I nod and sip my coffee, watching Mira meander over to the front window again.
“Come to the races tonight. You need to get out. Leave the farm. See some humans, not just the cyborg you live with.”
“He’s not so bad,” I snap, a little more defensively than I intended.
Billie rears back a little, letting the corners of her lips tip up as she silently mouths “OK” before adding, “That’s good, because you’ll have to catch a ride with him. Mira and I are heading down there for the early races right after this little visit.”
I glance down at my coffee cup, trying to hide the pink stain I feel spreading across my cheeks. I hate how easily I blush; it’s so blatant. I can’t pull a fast one on anybody because I blush like a teenager at the drop of a hat.
“I think he’s . . .” I look over at Mira’s form as her head tips to one side. “Building your horse a shelter?”
“What?” I almost shout. “No chance.” But I also don’t want to go look. If she’s right, it will confuse me even more about where I stand with Cole Harding.
Billie hustles over to the window, peering out beside Mira. They look like two snoopy old women watching the hot pool boy.
“He is! He’s right in the paddock. Vi, come look.”
All my joints lock up as I try to wrap my head around what they’re saying. There’s just no way. Cole hates horses. He wouldn’t do that for Pipsqueak—he couldn’t even understand why I wanted to get her a blanket last night. Why would he go get wood and spend his spare time building her a shelter?
“Oh. He sees us.”
“How can you tell?” Mira asks, neither of them looking away. No shame.
“See?” Billie points out the window. “He’s scowling at us.”
“Huh. I wasn’t looking at his face, I guess.” Mira waves at him, like this is perfectly normal.
I groan. “You guyssss. Time to go. Out!” I march over to the front door and swing it open.
They don’t argue; Billie cackles, and Mira winks at me knowingly.Mothereffer.They’re both totally on to me.
“See you tonight?” Billie asks as she pulls me into a bear hug.
