of the bar. It’s odd to think that earlier that day he was thinking he might never see the barn again, and now he’s going back to living and working in it. At least for a while longer. He decides to ask Robyn if he can stay another night with her, and then gives serious thought to trying to get her to go out to California with the horses.
It still doesn’t feel right to think of going out there himself, not without Justin. But he knows that nowhere is going to feel right without Justin: not Kentucky, not California, not anywhere. He’s not sure whether it would be easier to be alone in a familiar setting or in a new environment. The big change, he realizes, is going to be trying to live without Justin. Everything else is just a petty detail.
Chapter 9
R OBYN readily agrees to keep working at the barn, even before Dan mentions the raise. And she’s kind enough to not look overjoyed when Dan tells her that he’ll be getting off her couch the next day. Then she’s the one who raises the problem of other staff.
“I don’t know….” Dan leans back on her couch and runs both hands through his hair in frustration. “Is it just going to be weird if Karl and Molly come back? Evan said they weren’t too enthusiastic, and it’s not like they need the money anymore. I don’t want them there just to do a favor for me, you know?” Dan thinks for a moment. “You’ve gotten really good at riding—if I worked with you, you could take over a few horses a day, right?” Robyn looks a little hesitant. “I mean, if I found someone else to do the job you’ve been doing. It’d be easier to find a replacement for a stable hand than for a trainer.”
Robyn’s tentative. “It sounds great, Dan, and you know I’ve been looking to move more into that side of things. But… are you ever going to deal with Karl and Molly? You guys were all really close—are you just going to let that go?”
Dan tries not to show too much of his frustration. It isn’t Robyn’s fault, after all. “I don’t know that we ever were all that close. I mean, I thought we were, too, but really it was just Justin. Without him… I’m just some guy who used to ride their horses.” He pauses. “And that would be fine, as long as everyone admits that’s all there is. But if anyone keeps pretending that there’s more to it, it’s just going to be awkward. You know?”
Robyn sighs. “I think you’re taking things the wrong way, maybe. I mean, they always say that you’re like part of the family.”
“Yeah, I think they mean Chris. He’s the one they talked to when it really mattered.” Dan takes the bitterness out of his tone and smiles apologetically. “I’ve been ‘like part of the family’ before, Robyn… it never lasts. People say the dog is like part of the family, right before they get rid of it because one of the real kids gets allergies.”
Robyn looks at him sadly. “So that’s it? You just pack up and move on, and leave it all behind?”
“I’m not the one who packed up! I was sticking it out!” Dan shakes his head in frustration. “But if everyone else is packed and gone—sorry, I’m not going to hang around and wait for them to come back.” The words remind him of Justin. “Nobody’s coming back, Robyn.”
He stands up suddenly and moves around the small living room. “But you’re right; I should at least talk to them. Make sure they don’t want the jobs for themselves. I mean, I can’t see why they would, but since Evan mentioned it to them, I’d better follow up, I guess.”
Robyn nods. “Tomorrow’s my day off, so I guess they’ll be at the barn most of the day… you could talk to them there.” She stands, too, and walks over to Dan. “I was thinking of going out to see Justin. It’s been a while, and I thought… I thought maybe I should….”
“Say goodbye?” Dan says softly, with a gentle smile.
Robyn tears up almost instantly and turns away. “God, Dan, I’m sorry. If I feel like
It still doesn’t feel right to think of going out there himself, not without Justin. But he knows that nowhere is going to feel right without Justin: not Kentucky, not California, not anywhere. He’s not sure whether it would be easier to be alone in a familiar setting or in a new environment. The big change, he realizes, is going to be trying to live without Justin. Everything else is just a petty detail.
Chapter 9
R OBYN readily agrees to keep working at the barn, even before Dan mentions the raise. And she’s kind enough to not look overjoyed when Dan tells her that he’ll be getting off her couch the next day. Then she’s the one who raises the problem of other staff.
“I don’t know….” Dan leans back on her couch and runs both hands through his hair in frustration. “Is it just going to be weird if Karl and Molly come back? Evan said they weren’t too enthusiastic, and it’s not like they need the money anymore. I don’t want them there just to do a favor for me, you know?” Dan thinks for a moment. “You’ve gotten really good at riding—if I worked with you, you could take over a few horses a day, right?” Robyn looks a little hesitant. “I mean, if I found someone else to do the job you’ve been doing. It’d be easier to find a replacement for a stable hand than for a trainer.”
Robyn’s tentative. “It sounds great, Dan, and you know I’ve been looking to move more into that side of things. But… are you ever going to deal with Karl and Molly? You guys were all really close—are you just going to let that go?”
Dan tries not to show too much of his frustration. It isn’t Robyn’s fault, after all. “I don’t know that we ever were all that close. I mean, I thought we were, too, but really it was just Justin. Without him… I’m just some guy who used to ride their horses.” He pauses. “And that would be fine, as long as everyone admits that’s all there is. But if anyone keeps pretending that there’s more to it, it’s just going to be awkward. You know?”
Robyn sighs. “I think you’re taking things the wrong way, maybe. I mean, they always say that you’re like part of the family.”
“Yeah, I think they mean Chris. He’s the one they talked to when it really mattered.” Dan takes the bitterness out of his tone and smiles apologetically. “I’ve been ‘like part of the family’ before, Robyn… it never lasts. People say the dog is like part of the family, right before they get rid of it because one of the real kids gets allergies.”
Robyn looks at him sadly. “So that’s it? You just pack up and move on, and leave it all behind?”
“I’m not the one who packed up! I was sticking it out!” Dan shakes his head in frustration. “But if everyone else is packed and gone—sorry, I’m not going to hang around and wait for them to come back.” The words remind him of Justin. “Nobody’s coming back, Robyn.”
He stands up suddenly and moves around the small living room. “But you’re right; I should at least talk to them. Make sure they don’t want the jobs for themselves. I mean, I can’t see why they would, but since Evan mentioned it to them, I’d better follow up, I guess.”
Robyn nods. “Tomorrow’s my day off, so I guess they’ll be at the barn most of the day… you could talk to them there.” She stands, too, and walks over to Dan. “I was thinking of going out to see Justin. It’s been a while, and I thought… I thought maybe I should….”
“Say goodbye?” Dan says softly, with a gentle smile.
Robyn tears up almost instantly and turns away. “God, Dan, I’m sorry. If I feel like
Similar Books
