horses being good for kids.
Jemma relaxed in front of the TV downstairs. She had a microphone in Kassie’s room, just in case. Secretly, she was hoping for a few more words, but so far nothing. She read her mail, checked her blog and responded to the queries from readers, and entered a happy post celebrating her daughter’s horse lesson. Her phone rang as she closed her laptop.
“Hey Janna.”
“Sorry for losing it earlier. She’s speaking? OMG, I can’t believe it.”
Jemma chuckled. “Remember, it’s just been a word here and there. So we can’t jump the gun.”
“I know, but it’s been so long since we’ve heard her say anything. I’m a doctor, so yes, I know better. I’ll tell Mom, so she doesn’t go nuts. I’d say those lesson are already paying off.”
“Speaking of, I’ve yet to pay anything. He keeps telling me he’s doing monthly billing because of her condition.”
“That place is a multi-million dollar ranch, I’m sure they’ll charge you.”
“I just don’t want Kyle to get in trouble for not charging me correctly. I know how those places are. Especially since his mother helps runs the office and his father works there too.”
“Stop worrying.”
“Well, there’s something else,” she said quietly.
“What?”
“Kyle walked me out to the car tonight. I mean it was late and everything, it seemed out of the ordinary.” She took a deep breath. “What do you know about him?”
“He’s good at his job and he’s good looking.”
Sometimes, Janna could be a pain in the ass. “Besides, that.”
“He’s white.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Liar. He’s divorced. He used to live in Austin, but came back to the ranch about five years ago.”
“That’s all you got?” Her sister was known for gossiping.
“For you, yes. It’s been a while since Jared died. It’s not a sin to want companionship, but you need to be sure you’re not feeling the effects of Kassie.”
“What?” She was totally confused.
“I’m saying don’t let the fact that Kassie reacts positively to him be the reason that you’re attracted to him.”
“I’m not attracted to him,” Jemma corrected her sister.
“Right. The man is letting you pay monthly, when they have a strict policy of per week payments. He walked you to your car. There’s something there. Only time will tell.”
“How do you know about the payments?”
“As stated on their website,” Janna said. “When you said you tried to pay and he mentioned billing, I call Krista. That’s his sister. She said they didn’t do it as a rule, except for special cases.”
“So what do you think?”
“I think he sounds like a nice man, who is doing a nice thing for a widow and her troubled daughter. Just enjoy it for what it is.”
FIVE
The next week, Jemma drove to the ranch listening with joy as her daughter hummed along with a song on the radio. It had been a remarkable week for the Patterson women. It all started with the parent-teacher conference earlier that day.
“Mrs. Patterson, Kassie has had a great week. She’s been using a few words in class this week,” Mrs. Johnson said. “She always does her work and is very smart. Has anything changed in her life lately?”
“She started taking horse riding lessons,” Jemma said proudly. “She just started last week, but she’s been saying words here and there.”
Mrs. Johnson nodded. “Yes, she seemed so much more animated this week. I mean, she always communicated, but it’s nice to hear her voice.”
“Thank you. She has a lesson this afternoon.”
Mrs. Johnson smiled. “That’s wonderful. I’ve never seen a case quite like this one. The school counselor has been baffled as well. Kassie passed all the tests with flying colors.”
Jemma remembered all too well when she enrolled Kassie in the private school, they were hesitant to admit