Page 40 of Stables Spurs Suits
“Really? You’re the suit?”
“Should I be worried that the nickname they gave me is catching on?”
“Sorry, Alan mentioned there was a suit guy, you know, a business type guy, who was managing orders and stuff. I never expected… well, you.”
I feel the deep frown etched into my forehead.
“I’m going to need a little more context to determine if I should be offended or not,” I say, and his eyes go wide.
“No. No. No, it wasn’t like that. I mean, you look like you belong out here, the way you were with the horse. You don’t look like a suit. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a suit.”
I break and burst out laughing. Ryan shoves me and laughs.
“You totally had me. Oh wow, you really are one of them now, aren’t you?”
I shrug. “I like to think I’m getting there.”
“I’m sure you are. Atlas, tell him, he’s fitting in perfectly out here, right?” Ryan asks, and I turn to find Atlas behind me, smiling, his broad arms folded over his chest.
“He’s finding his way.”
“Sure is,” Ryan says, and he jogs over to Alan and leaps onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck. They spin in place laughing and smiling, and it’s nice.
“So, I’m finding my way,” I say, and Atlas smirks that cheeky smile of his.
“Yeah, you’re doing alright. It was nice of you to give the credit to Ryan for getting Loki up.”
“It really was him. I think I’m starting to understand how his mind works,” I say, and we start a slow stroll back toward the stables.
“Ryan’s?” Atlas asks, and I shake my head.
“Loki.”
“Right. So, what have you figured out?”
“He’s the most comfortable around people who aren’t asking anything of him.”
“Pretty sure I heard an ‘up up up’ from you not that long ago.”
I roll my eyes. “Did it work?”
“Well, no.”
“Exactly. It wasn’t until Ryan stopped focusing on Loki and just stood up that he realized there were no expectations on him and he got up on his own.”
“So how do you explain his playing dead around guests?”
“The Pattersons walked right by him the other day. They didn’t know Loki was there, but he saw them.”
“So you think it’s more of an eye-contact thing?” he asks.
“Maybe. We’d have to test it.”
“I’ll get Skye to come out, and we can test it. Where did Loki go?” he asks, turning in a circle looking for him, but then my attention shifts to something in the grass a few feet away, and I rush forward like an excited child and bend to pick up the shiny penny.
“What you got there?” he asks, as I walk back over, turning it over between my fingers.
“A lucky penny.”
