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The horse snorted, loudly

“My skin’s not as tough as yours,” sheto a horse Upside, it couldn’t argue, yell or demean her Best conversation of her day so far “It’s been a shit day,” she added, because there was no one to reprie Even stranded and overheated, there was so over her shoulder, criticizing her every word and deed

She’d barely finished her ht of the day with her father He resented her reht with her brother about what the word deadline ’s take, or an actual due date and cutoff, Eden’s perspective His frustration toward her over hisalways found a way toher fault By the tiirls off to her ex-husband, Clark, she was ready to cry Considering how distracted and ihters’ first irls

She sed Thinking about her baby girls right noasn’t ss as a husband, he was trying to be a good father But Eden knew the only reason she wasn’t hyperventilating over the separation was because Clara, her wonder nanny, ith them Eden didn’t kno she’d ever survive without the older woman—not with the hours she kept and the stress she shouldered

Stress She could deal with stress It was a constant in her life Like now Stuck here Alone With a black horse staring at her, invading her personal space—almost nose to nose

“Is this so not to flinch as the horse sniffed her head and chest It’s just a horse Granted, it was a huge black horse, but what’s the worst it could do?

The horse , ether

What did that mean? Should she be worried?

No, she wasn’t going to worry If she ignored it, it would leave her alone She hoped

She shaded her eyes and peered down the dirt-and-rock road Since she hadn’t seen a car or truck in the last twenty ed her wheeled co from the backseat and tucked her almost-eage Because the last fight she’d had thisith the airline For reasons unknown, they’d sent her suitcase to Arizona But they’d happily offered to deliver it to the Lodge, the bed-and-breakfast housed on Boone Ranch where she’d be staying, as soon as it was located

The cloudless blue sky was endless—no hint of any reprieve froust afternoon heat She twisted her hair, clipping it high on the back of her head, and set off down the red dirt road, dragging her wheeled briefcase behind her She was not going to acknowledge the big black horse following directly behind her

Take a breath

Keep it together

It was hot Her black jacket, black pencil skirt and heels were soaking up the heat like a rung sponge She tugged off her blazer and tucked it over the strap of her wheeled briefcase Her white camisole was much cooler She could only hope her SPF 35 sunscreen would save her fro too burned

It was rugged country, with rock outcrops, twisted oaks, brightly colored wildflowers and needle-heavy cacti But it was gorgeous in a wild, untabirds, the whir and hiss of the cicadas, and the rhyth companion’s hooves offered a complementary soundscape

Her heel caught between two rocks, so she paused, tugging her shoe free What she wouldn’t give for her tennis shoes right about now The horse, however, didn’t stop When she had her shoe back on and she was on two feet again, the horsehugged her Hisher what she could only consider an embrace—minus the arms