universe, a movie theater with a full bar attached, a grocery store with gourmet selections, and very nice people who are friendly but don’t ask too many questions. Some might call what we have a small existence. I call it perfect.”
I gazed toward town. “It sounds lovely,” I said, meaning it.
Our horses quickened their pace and soon we saw Mrs. Sinclair waiting for us on the crest of the next hill, dogs lying around Sebastian’s feet.
“There’s the old girl now,” he said, his face breaking into a wide grin. “Thank goodness.”
I gave him a long look. “She’s really lucky to have you,” I said. “You care so much about her.”
“Of course I do.”
“So, where did she find you? I’d ask if you were a local, but your accent betrays you. I don’t know of too many northern Minnesotans with Scottish accents. Canadian, yes, but yours, no. What brought you here?”
“I came with the place,” he said, looking straight ahead. “I’m Andrew McCullough.”
TWELVE
I nearly fell off Nelly when he said that. What could he possibly mean? Before I could ask him to explain himself, Mrs. Sinclair charged toward us on Sebastian at a full-on run. “Goodness me, you two are slowpokes,” she said, her horse circling us as she spoke. She was in complete control of the animal and obviously an expert horsewoman.
“Listen, children, I’ve had an idea. It’s the middle of the month and I haven’t heard from Tom.” She looked at me and explained, “He’s my land manager. He handles collecting all the rents in town. We own the town, Julia. I’m not sure if you are aware of that.”
I nodded. “Adrian said something about it, yes.”
“Anyhoo, I thought, since we’re headed toward town, I’d just stop by and pay him a visit. See what’s up, so to speak.”
Drew’s mouth hung open for a moment before he said, “You’re going to pay him a visit.”
“Yes! Whyever not?”
“No reason,” he said slowly, eyeing her. “In town, though? Are you sure you don’t want me to ask him to drop by the house?”
“No! We’re right here, and I thought I’d save him a trip, and…” She looked at Drew and threw her head back and laughed at his expression, which was a mixture of bemusement and downright horror. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, boy. Don’t get all worked up. My wanting to go into town is not evidence of the apocalypse. We’ve only got three horses here, not four!” She let out another greatlaugh. “I’m just going to pay a little visit to an office in town to transact some business.”
With that, she was off. “I’ll meet you at the Laughing Otter in an hour!” she called over her shoulder. “We’ll have cocktails!”
“The Otter is it, now?” Drew said, shaking his head and giving me a look. “For cocktails? I don’t quite know what to make of this.”
“I’m guessing she doesn’t go into town much?” I said, watching her disappear over the horizon, dogs at the horse’s heels.
“Very rarely. Almost never. I can’t remember the last time.” He scowled in the direction of town before calling out: “You’re meant to be lying low! You’re dead, remember?”
This made me chuckle. Dead, indeed. He turned to me. “Do you think you can make it to town alone?”
I eyed the distance. It wasn’t far and on relatively flat ground. “Of course!” I said, not knowing quite where my confidence was coming from. “Nelly and I are old friends by now.” I patted the horse’s neck and hoped she felt the same.
“I’m after her, then,” he said, picking up his pace. “Meet me at the Otter. It’s on the main street. Can’t miss it.” And then he was off, too.
It wasn’t until he was out of sight that I began to wonder what I was supposed to do with Nelly when I got to the bar. Or when I got to town, for that matter. I had never ridden a horse through city streets. How would she react to the cars?
But when I got there, I saw it was really no problem at all. Only a
I gazed toward town. “It sounds lovely,” I said, meaning it.
Our horses quickened their pace and soon we saw Mrs. Sinclair waiting for us on the crest of the next hill, dogs lying around Sebastian’s feet.
“There’s the old girl now,” he said, his face breaking into a wide grin. “Thank goodness.”
I gave him a long look. “She’s really lucky to have you,” I said. “You care so much about her.”
“Of course I do.”
“So, where did she find you? I’d ask if you were a local, but your accent betrays you. I don’t know of too many northern Minnesotans with Scottish accents. Canadian, yes, but yours, no. What brought you here?”
“I came with the place,” he said, looking straight ahead. “I’m Andrew McCullough.”
TWELVE
I nearly fell off Nelly when he said that. What could he possibly mean? Before I could ask him to explain himself, Mrs. Sinclair charged toward us on Sebastian at a full-on run. “Goodness me, you two are slowpokes,” she said, her horse circling us as she spoke. She was in complete control of the animal and obviously an expert horsewoman.
“Listen, children, I’ve had an idea. It’s the middle of the month and I haven’t heard from Tom.” She looked at me and explained, “He’s my land manager. He handles collecting all the rents in town. We own the town, Julia. I’m not sure if you are aware of that.”
I nodded. “Adrian said something about it, yes.”
“Anyhoo, I thought, since we’re headed toward town, I’d just stop by and pay him a visit. See what’s up, so to speak.”
Drew’s mouth hung open for a moment before he said, “You’re going to pay him a visit.”
“Yes! Whyever not?”
“No reason,” he said slowly, eyeing her. “In town, though? Are you sure you don’t want me to ask him to drop by the house?”
“No! We’re right here, and I thought I’d save him a trip, and…” She looked at Drew and threw her head back and laughed at his expression, which was a mixture of bemusement and downright horror. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, boy. Don’t get all worked up. My wanting to go into town is not evidence of the apocalypse. We’ve only got three horses here, not four!” She let out another greatlaugh. “I’m just going to pay a little visit to an office in town to transact some business.”
With that, she was off. “I’ll meet you at the Laughing Otter in an hour!” she called over her shoulder. “We’ll have cocktails!”
“The Otter is it, now?” Drew said, shaking his head and giving me a look. “For cocktails? I don’t quite know what to make of this.”
“I’m guessing she doesn’t go into town much?” I said, watching her disappear over the horizon, dogs at the horse’s heels.
“Very rarely. Almost never. I can’t remember the last time.” He scowled in the direction of town before calling out: “You’re meant to be lying low! You’re dead, remember?”
This made me chuckle. Dead, indeed. He turned to me. “Do you think you can make it to town alone?”
I eyed the distance. It wasn’t far and on relatively flat ground. “Of course!” I said, not knowing quite where my confidence was coming from. “Nelly and I are old friends by now.” I patted the horse’s neck and hoped she felt the same.
“I’m after her, then,” he said, picking up his pace. “Meet me at the Otter. It’s on the main street. Can’t miss it.” And then he was off, too.
It wasn’t until he was out of sight that I began to wonder what I was supposed to do with Nelly when I got to the bar. Or when I got to town, for that matter. I had never ridden a horse through city streets. How would she react to the cars?
But when I got there, I saw it was really no problem at all. Only a
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