Read Online Safely Home by Ruth Logan Herne - Free Book Online

back and mopped her eyes. “ Rough time of the month. Hormonal.”
    Audra’s look didn’t buy it, but she let Cress’s assertion slide. “Life as a woman. So. Come outside. Meet the crew.”
    Cress glanced around. “No guests?”
    “Two coming in later, but I’ve already cleaned the rooms and gotten things ready. Grab one of those leftover muffins from this morning and tell me what you think. Come on.” She gave Cress’s free hand a tug. “Down your tea and pet something live and furry. You’ll feel better.”
    Cress was pretty sure that wouldn’t be the case, but she let herself be led outside, a fruit-studded muffin in one hand while Audra clutched the other. The rear of the gracious colonial overlooked a pastoral setting. An L-shaped red barn, tall and sun-bleached, provided a cornerstone for the far edge of a barnyard that housed whatever leftover critters people didn’t want. Audra stopped by two sheep first. One stood quiet and still, letting Audra’s hands stroke her curly head, while the other shied away. “This is Belle. And this,” she pointed to the farther ruminant, “is Beast.”
    A gri n touched Cress’s lips. “Theme-park-oriented mutton. Excellent. So that’s a male?” She waved her hand toward the more skittish one.
    “A ram. This one’s a ewe.”
    “And Sesame Street has been brought to you today by the number two. And the letter K.”
    Audra laughed. “How am I supposed to know whether or not you’re familiar with the terms? It’s not like you’re farm-sympathetic.”
    “That’s not true.” Cress shook her head. “I loved Grandpa’s farm. Loved going there and helping out, taking care of the horses and the cows. We had some great times there, Audra.”
    “Yeah, we did. Tommy Russell?”
    The memory of chasing down Tommy Russell and locking him in the old shed until he promised to never bother Kiera again dispelled more of the shadows. Cress’s smile deepened. “And Mrs. Herlihy’s girdle?”
    Audra’s mouth gaped. “Could you even imagine an undergarment that big and that useless?”
    Cress laughed out loud, relaxing. Without thinking, she lay her hand atop Belle’s thick, wooly head. “Poor old woman. I bet that thing cost a pretty penny and we stole it. Used it for battle techniques.”
    “I sent her money.”
    Cress angled her head, surprised. “You did?”
    Audra nodded. “A few years back, once I was grown up and had a brain. And a conscience.”
    Cress met her sister’s look. “So did I.”
    Audra frowned. “How much?”
    “Fifty.”
    “Crap.” Audra glared at the ground, scrubbing her toe against caked, ruddy soil. “I only sent twenty-five. Think between us we covered it?”
    Cress’s lips quirked. “I don’t know. There was enough elastic in that thing to catapult a small planet into orbit.”
    “Amen.”
    “This way.” Audra switched gears as she tugged her left. “Come meet the horses.”
    “I really should get back.” Cress eyed her watch, then the horses. Deciding, she headed into the paddock with Audra. “Horses are expensive,” noted Cress. “How do you finance that?”
    “Rescue groups.” Audra led the way across the grass with a casual hand toward the ground. “Mind the droppings.”
    “Great. Horse dung. My favorite.” Drawing near, three horses stepped forward, heads nodding as though bidding them good day. One hung back, edging right, trying to look inconspicuous. Something about his manner caught Cress’s interest. “Who’s the shy guy?”
    “Brandywood. He’s new. And he is shy, but I think he’ll come around. He needs lots of attention right now, though, and I don’t really have the time to baby him the way he deserves, not with guests booked almost every day for the fall season.”
    “Rid eable?”
    Audra nodded. “He was a racer who brought in over three-hundred-fifty thousand on the circuit.”
    Cress whistled. Audra nodded. “I know. Pretty impressive. He had a problem with his right foreleg and the