Page 24 of Daddy's Little Farmer

“You’ll be able to see me the whole time if you stand on the fence at the corner of the barn. I always hold onto the gutter.”

“I want you back.”

“I will.”

He nodded and watched her effortlessly mount the horse and walk out of the barn.

Rafael raced to the place she told him, and she was right. He could see her clearly, and since he was so tall, he could sit against the barn roof and watch her.

Mara slowly rode down the hill and dismounted by the grave they had just made the day before. She sat by it for the longest time. He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally returned to the horse and started back home. He held his breath because she was going faster than she had gone to the grave.

Rafael didn’t relax until she was in the barn and off the horse. Jesus, she wasn’t even his yet, and she was already giving him gray hair.

Chapter Twelve

Mara could see the mound of dirt and instantly, after leaving the barn, started crying. When she knelt by Tiny’s grave, she set her hand on top of the hill of dirt.

“I’m so sorry. I should have taken better care of you. You were such a good friend, and I loved you so much. I will miss you, my friend, until the day I die.”

She set her head down and cried until she had no tears left.

“I will bring back a bone for you when I visit next. Who will I have to sleep with? It was nice having you in bed. It made me feel less alone.”

Mara sighed, stood, and looked around. Tony had picked the perfect place. The grave was under a grove of trees that surrounded a small pond. Tiny used to love to come down and swim around on a hot day. The grass was green and lush with wildflowers scattered about. If she could, she’d want her grave to be here, too.

She got on the horse and headed back to the house. When she caught sight of Rafael, she nudged the horse to go faster, cantering home. He was striding into the barn when she dismounted. He pulled her into his arms as soon as she hit the ground and held her for a long moment.

“Do you feel better?” he asked.

“A little.”

“It will take time.”

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist. God, she was going to miss him.

“Do you think you could eat something, baby?”

Her stomach twisted at the thought, but she knew she needed it. “I’ll try.”

“Come on. I’ll make you my specialty.”

She leaned back and looked at him. “You only know how to make sandwiches.”

“Yeah, that’s my specialty.”

She couldn’t help grinning because he was so proud of himself. He had tried canned soup but had burnt it, and his toast was getting close to being edible.

“How about you start to the house while I take the saddle off Stormy?”

“That’s fine. I’ll get everything on the table.”

She nodded and turned toward the horse. She took in the sounds of the animals, and it helped soothe her as nothing else could.

Mara was finished with the horse and on her way to the house when her sister pulled in. She groaned. Her sister was the last person she wanted to deal with.

“Hey, sister.”

Mara snorted and stopped a few feet away. “What do you want?”

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