Finding Home by Lois Greiman

the camera over. The screen had captured the scene in vivid color. But the image looked nothing like her. Her face was shining with something she knew to be terror, but almost looked like excitement. Her hair, dirty blond in real life, had caught the citrine gleam of the setting sun in every dancing lock, and her legs were splayed wide as if she were spurring the horse to greater heights.
    â€œIs that really you?” Jaegar asked.
    â€œWell . . .” Casie began, a little stunned by the idea that it was possibly the click of the camera that had sent the horse into his murderous frenzy in the first place. “Yes. It’s me, but I’m afraid Emily’s overstating. A half a second after that picture was taken I was lying neck deep in the muck with the horse bucking off into the sunset. I’ve been walking like Quasimodo ever since.”
    â€œBut it never stopped her,” Emily said. “Shi—”
    Casie cast a scowl in her direction.
    â€œI mean, dang, ” she corrected and grinned like a devilish urchin. “She didn’t even whine about it. Just headed off to the pasture to check the cows. Didn’t see her again for hours.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œShe’s like June Cleaver and John Wayne, all rolled into one.”
    â€œJune Cleaver?” Casie said.
    Emily grinned. “I like my retro TV.”
    â€œActually,” Jaegar began, and suddenly he looked a little nervous. A little jittery. “That’s why I came.”
    They turned toward him in unison.
    â€œYou have a thing for the Beav’s mom?” Emily asked.
    â€œNo.” He grinned and rubbed his hands together. “I umm . . . Well . . . you met my daughter.”
    They stared at him for a moment, thinking their own thoughts.
    â€œSophie,” Emily said finally, deadpan.
    â€œShe’s very pretty,” Casie said quickly, in case Em lost her battle with diplomacy.
    â€œYes. Yes, she’s quite attractive, isn’t she? And sweet. I mean . . . I know she came off kind of . . . well, she can seem a little . . . short, but she really loves horses and she didn’t realize you’d just taken that animal in.”
    They continued to stare. Sophie, they both knew, was hell in heels.
    â€œShe’s a good kid,” he said and darted his eyes from one to the other. “And smart. Smart as a whip. But since the divorce . . .” He shook his head. “I’m afraid she’s bored at my house.”
    The room went silent. Casie struggled to fill the void before Emily did. “She’s living with you?”
    â€œShe wasn’t supposed to come until June, but her mother . . .” He said the word carefully. Maybe to hold back the vitriol. “Well, she had a chance to go to Europe for her business, so I got the opportunity to have Soph with me a couple months early.”
    More silence. Casie didn’t even try to fill it.
    â€œShe’s a great girl,” he added hastily. “But it’s been . . .” He paused, shook his head. “It’s been difficult for her to get used to Amber.”
    â€œAmber?” Casie said, thinking the name was familiar.
    â€œHis girlfriend.” Emily’s tone was absolutely certain, her eyes dead sure.
    Casie glanced at her in surprise.
    â€œRight?” she asked, expressionless.
    â€œWell . . .” He smiled. “My fiancée, actually,” he corrected and sighed. “That’s why I stopped back.”
    â€œI don’t understand.”
    â€œHe wants us to take Sophie in,” Emily said.
    Casie sat absolutely still, waiting for the words to sink in, but they failed to do so.
    â€œListen . . .” He laughed. “I’m not saying you should adopt her or anything. But she’s got nothing to do in my condo. And you said yourself that horses are good for kids. She loves animals, so she could help you out.”
    â€œHelp me with—”
    â€œBreaking