Page 17 of Holding On

“Mean. You guys are mean.”

“We loved it.”

Salty nickers again, and she glances at me for permission. I nod and she twists on the ball of one foot so she’s facing the direction we’re walking in. She rubs his neck with long, even strokes. I can’t help but watch her arms, the curve of her neck, her lips parting in delight.

Her eyes find mine. “He’s so warm!” she says with a lilt in her voice.

“A horse’s normal temp is about a hundred and one.”

But she’s back to thinking about Geo. “Oh my God, I wish I could have seen that.” Then her mouth straightens and some other thought crowds in. A furrow starts across her forehead.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. I just have some unfinished business with that man.” But the furrow has deepened.

“With Geo?”

She waves hand, her slender fingers long and elegant. “It’s fine. Don’t worry.” She slips her arm through mine, and now we’re two old friends walking on a beach with a horse in tow.

But we’re not. My prick, already stiff, hardens further. I feel her breath on my shoulder. I straighten both and she drops my arm. I think that she thinks I’m shrugging her off. Shit.

“Why can’t you sleep?” I say. “Didn’t you have a good day at work?”

“I had an interesting day.”

She’s hunting for the right words.

“Did you not get along with Audrey?” I couldn’t believe that. That would be shitty. “Audrey’s amazing—”

“Oh, no. She’s great.” Maya places a thin hand across her chest. “I have so much respect for her. You have no idea.”

I wait while she searches for the right words. “It’s not really what I thought it was going to be, I guess.”

“What were you expecting?”

She shakes her head. “I mean, no, it’s—it’s much more involved. And it’s going to be a lot more stressful, I think.”

“I’m sorry.” Before I can ask a follow-up question, she lobs one at me.

“What about you? How was your first day?”

“Well, other than Claire trying hard not to act like she’s favoring me, it was fine.”

“Was she making things a little tougher for you?”

“Yeah, like she’s overcompensating for the fact that she’s my sister. But that’s okay. I think I would probably do the same thing. She just wants to make sure she’s not, you know, cutting me any slack.”

“I can understand that.”

“But you know, Audrey Pratchett’s one of a kind. I don’t know her as well as my sisters do, but when I’ve been up at the house, she’s been great. And she loves Cory and Laurel.”

“Oh, it’s not Judge Pratchett. She’s a direct communicator and she’s wicked smart. I just don’t know how much I’m going to be able to work with her.”

I’m confused.

“I’m not really working with her. I’m working for her.”

“What’s the difference?”