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she would not let him ruin it. A talk show was ending, and the drone of voices soothed her. She waited through several commercials for the news to come on. She didn’t care that much about what was happening in her hometown of Crystal Falls. It was the ritual she needed. Vegetating for an hour restored her energy before she started dinner.
    Sometimes Luke listened to the news, but today he was bent on maintaining the frigid silence. Good. Attending college was important, and the longer he stewed about it, the better her chance of impressing that upon him. As if he read her mind, Luke wadded a candy wrapper and sent it flying with a flick of his finger. Mandy knew he did it to tick her off. Well, for all she cared, he could throw papers as far as the dining room. She’d just vacuum them up in the morning like she always did.
    Another wrapper went flying. This one struck the television, which she knew was accidental. Luke couldn’t see to take aim. She tapped a toe on the cushion. He was such an ingrate sometimes. As if she didn’t have enough work to do?
    “I have to use the toilet,” he informed her.
    Luke had perfect timing; she’d give him that. The news was starting. She hit the record button. No matter what, she would enjoy her hour of TV. If he played the interruption game, he’d get a late dinner. She wasn’t hungry yet because she’d eaten cookies. Luke, on the other hand, couldn’t even heat up a can of soup to tide him over.
    Having that thought made Mandy feel terrible. She had no idea what it was like to be blind. It was wrong for her to have so little sympathy. Still, it was absurd that she had to guide him through this small house to the bathroom.
    While Luke went inside to do his business, Mandy remained near the closed door, waiting to lead him back to the sofa. Seconds later when Luke emerged, he said, “I think I missed the bowl when I peed.”
    His faint smirk announced that he’d done it on purpose. Fine . She’d have to clean it up, making dinner even later. Saying nothing, she led him back to the living room, got him situated on the couch, and then went to get rags and disinfectant.
    It was twenty after five before she could sit down again. Luke scowled, but she ignored him. He put his headphones back on and cranked up the volume until the sound reached her. She responded by turning up the television.
    Setting thoughts of Luke aside, Mandy focused on the screen to see a cowboy leading a tiny palomino horse along a sidewalk in downtown Crystal Falls, only a half mile from her house. He didn’t seem thrilled to be caught on camera, but when he tipped his black Stetson low over his eyes and quickened his pace, the news team hurried to keep up. The animal wore a harness with a handle that lifted over its back and a looped leash attached just below the chin. Interest piqued, Mandy curled both hands around the now-cold mug and shifted to get more comfortable.
    A slender blonde wearing an expensive-looking gray trench coat announced, “This is Zach Harrigan, a renowned local quarter horse trainer.”
    Mandy recognized the name. The Harrigans were well-known, not only in Crystal Falls but all across the nation, for breeding and training world-class cutting champions.
    “Mr. Harrigan has been spotted here on Main with this tiny horse at about the same time each afternoon for nearly a week,” the reporter continued. “That sparked our interest, so we did some investigating. To our delight, we’ve discovered that he has recently embarked upon an incredible journey: training a guide horse for the blind.”
    Guide horse? Mandy jerked upright. Shooting a glance at her brother, she snatched the remote, thumbed down the volume, and leaned closer to the set.
    “Recently is right.” The cowboy, clearly annoyed, just kept walking. “Rosebud’s in the early training stages, not yet ready to be in the public eye. Why not wait until she’s trained to feature her on the news? The future of guide horses