Page 25 of Adam's Rising

“You’re early today,” Rusty said.

“Yeah,” answered a female voice that was softer — and warmer — than Lala’s. “I missed yesterday.”

“You okay?” Rusty asked.

No answer.

Adam crept to the edge of the stall. It didn’t sound like Lala. Still, he wasn’t ready to run into her again — or anyone she might’ve talked to. He couldn’t peek over the door without letting Rusty and the owner know he was there, so he pressed his ear between the wood pillar and stall door.

“Not trying to pry,” Rusty said gently. “I just wanna make sure he didn’t hurt you.”

Didn’t hurt you? Had a horse hurt the owner, the reason the girl didn’t come yesterday? Adam realized that the young woman couldn’t be Lala because she’d been at the ranch yesterday.

“I’m okay…” The girl sighed softly. “Thanks to you.”

“That punk’s lucky I —”

“I’m okay, Rusty. Really.”

“Alright, let me know if you want to ride.”

“Thanks. I’m just visiting today.”

“Okay.”

Shuffling. A tap to the wood. Adam could picture the scene. Rusty was nervous. First shuffling in place, then tapping his boot to the wood stall — like he was knocking dirt off the sole. The shuffling faded as he must have left the barn. Was Rusty interested in this girl — woman? Maybe she only sounded young.

Other than birds chirping and horses moving inside their stalls, the barn was quiet again.

Had she left, too?

Soft whispering interrupted the bird chatter, but Adam couldn’t make out any words.

He pressed his ear between the stall gate and beam, anxious to catch a clue about the owner, but a hard thump on his back knocked him into the rough wooden boards.

“Hey!” he barked, spinning to face Bolt. “What the heck are you thinking, knocking me — ?”

He remembered a second too late that he was supposed to be invisible. He clamped a hand over his mouth, then shook his head.What an idiot!

Bolt nuzzled him, but he pushed him back with a pointed finger.

In response, his defiant horse whinnied.

“You!” he mouthed.

“Hello?” The soft crinkling of wood chips warned of the girl’s approach.

Adam squeezed his fingers around the tools and dropped into a squat next to Bolt’s right back leg.

“Is that… you…Brett?” The girl sounded nervous.

Adam recalled Lala skittering out of the barn after Brett made eye contact with her.

“Hel… lo?”

A tap on the stall door had Bolt looking over the gate, but Adam kept his head lowered.

“Oh, hey!” The girl raised her voice. “Are you the new guy?”