Page 33 of Daddy's Little Farmer

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“For what?”

“You cried at least once, honey.”

She reached up and touched her sensitive eyes and her wet hair. “I slept through it.”

“You needed the sleep.”

She sighed. “We need to get to Melly.”

“Then let’s go. I’ll grab some coffee to take with us.”

“Okay.” She watched him walk out of the room and wanted to run her hands over his broad shoulders and muscular back.

She shook herself out of the daydream and got the clothes she had ready on the chair in his room. As she walked into the kitchen, she put her hair up in a ponytail, seeing Rafael already by the door with two cups and a clean bucket for the milk.

The day was sunny with a mild breeze.The perfect weather day, she thought. Being with Rafael kept her mind off of the sad things. It was her last full day on her farm, and she wanted to make the most of it.

Chapter Seventeen

Rafael got off the phone with Tony. He was headed over because they would leave early in the morning, and he and his wife, Betty, wanted them to say their goodbyes.

He watched Mara put one of the horses through its paces so she stood in the middle of the corral, and the horse went in large circles around her. She told him she wanted to get some of their energy out so the trip the next day would be easier on them.

He heard a vehicle drive in, turned to see Tony and his wife, and headed with his hand out. They shook hands.

“Is everything going all right?” Tony asked.

“She’s doing fine,” Rafael said.

“Rafael, this is my wife, Betty.”

Betty held her hand out, which he took and smiled.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Rafael said.

“You, too. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Betty said.

Rafael grinned. “Uh-oh. I hope it was good things.”

Betty smiled at her husband. “Of course.”

“How is Mara doing?” Betty asked.

“I’ll catch her thinking about Tiny and get upset, but I’ve tried to keep her busy all day. She’s in the corral right now.”

They looked over the top rail.

Tony’s mouth opened. “I can’t believe how far that horse has come.”

“What do you mean?” Rafael asked.

“When she got her hands on him, he had overgrown hooves. Look it up on the Internet to see what it looks like, but it’s painful for the animal. He was also emaciated and had scars all over from being hit.”

“How long ago was that?” Rafael asked.

“I was thinking seven or eight months ago. He’s not quite at the weight he should be, but horses take a while to gain weight if you do it the right way. When he arrived, they pulled the trailer up to the corral and opened the gate because no one could get in to lead him out. It took a long time for him to trust her, and now he loves her so much it brings tears to my eyes.”

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