and offered a hand to help her up. “Shall we go?”
“I need to let Kate know that I’m leaving . She will be beside herself with worry if I just disappear without calling her first.”
Roland started leading her to the door. “You can call her from the truck . We have a long drive ahead of us.”
Chapter 8
“What do you mean you’re leaving? I mean Roland’s hot and all , but Tally you just met him.”
Tally couldn’t even begin to exp lain to Kate everything that happened since she had last seen her. She decided to tell her just enough to explain why she was leaving. “Kate, I know you think this is sudden, but if you think about it, it’s the safest way. I can’t go back to work knowing that Sean could come back for me at any time. My apartment’s not safe anymore and I don’t want to put you in danger by staying at your place.”
“ When will I see you again?” Kate’s voice almost broke Tally’s resolve.
“Soon, I promise.” Without looking at Roland for confirmation, Tally committed to seeing her friend again with or without his help. “I need to go now and you need to make some phone calls for me.”
“Take care of yourself, and call me as soon as it’s safe.”
Tally’s eyes clouded with tears. She closed them and turned toward the passenger window to say good-bye to her best friend. “I will. Kate, be safe and thank you for helping me with this. I love you.”
“Me too, girl .”
And with that Kate hung up.
Tally opened her eyes and let the passing desert become a blur as she regained her composure. After about twenty minutes juniper trees appeared on the horizon. “Where exactly are we going?”
Roland turned the radio down, “We have a place just outside Pinetop . Ever been?”
“Nope . How far away are we?”
“W e just entered the Miami area so we have about two hours.” Roland adjusted the radio volume, “We will be in Salt River Canyon soon. The views are breathtaking but we won’t be able to get a signal for the phone if you want to call anyone else.”
“Nope, Kate is the only one that needs to know . Anyone else would automatically check with her anyways.”
“What about family?”
“Last time I heard from them, my parents were just leaving Melbourne, Australia on their way to New Zealand. They finally retired and decided to see the world for a few months. They call every month or so and don’t expect me to return a missed call. They won’t worry for a while.”
“S iblings?”
Tally looked across Roland to see the gray and red striped hills of earth terraced by decades of mining. Miami, Arizona was a town whose population was dominated by employees of the copper mine. “Nope, just me.”
“Were n’t you lonely growing up?”
A smile formed on Tally’s face before she could stop it. “It had its moments, but my parents made sure that I kept busy; softball, art classes, bowling. My favorite memory is when my dad and I would ride horses through the Superstition Mountains every other weekend. We became friends with the couple that owned the stable and were able to go out on our own after the first summer.”
Roland looked over to Tally, confused at this new information. “You ride?”
“Is there a reason that surprises you?”
“I just didn’t see you as the equestrian type.”
Tally turned to watch Roland drive and squinted her eyes, “So how did you see me?”
Roland laughed, “ Well, I didn’t see you riding off into the sunset on your own horse! The dust, the flies, the smell, it just didn’t seem to be something you would enjoy.”
“ Are you kidding me? It’s the only place that I can let everything go.”
Roland seemed even more confused . Tally tried to explain, “Animals have no ill intent, no motives; just pure emotion without judgment, shame, or guilt. I can let my shields down and not be overwhelmed. Half the time the horse just mirrors whatever I am going through. If I am tense, the horse gets anxious. As soon as
“I need to let Kate know that I’m leaving . She will be beside herself with worry if I just disappear without calling her first.”
Roland started leading her to the door. “You can call her from the truck . We have a long drive ahead of us.”
Chapter 8
“What do you mean you’re leaving? I mean Roland’s hot and all , but Tally you just met him.”
Tally couldn’t even begin to exp lain to Kate everything that happened since she had last seen her. She decided to tell her just enough to explain why she was leaving. “Kate, I know you think this is sudden, but if you think about it, it’s the safest way. I can’t go back to work knowing that Sean could come back for me at any time. My apartment’s not safe anymore and I don’t want to put you in danger by staying at your place.”
“ When will I see you again?” Kate’s voice almost broke Tally’s resolve.
“Soon, I promise.” Without looking at Roland for confirmation, Tally committed to seeing her friend again with or without his help. “I need to go now and you need to make some phone calls for me.”
“Take care of yourself, and call me as soon as it’s safe.”
Tally’s eyes clouded with tears. She closed them and turned toward the passenger window to say good-bye to her best friend. “I will. Kate, be safe and thank you for helping me with this. I love you.”
“Me too, girl .”
And with that Kate hung up.
Tally opened her eyes and let the passing desert become a blur as she regained her composure. After about twenty minutes juniper trees appeared on the horizon. “Where exactly are we going?”
Roland turned the radio down, “We have a place just outside Pinetop . Ever been?”
“Nope . How far away are we?”
“W e just entered the Miami area so we have about two hours.” Roland adjusted the radio volume, “We will be in Salt River Canyon soon. The views are breathtaking but we won’t be able to get a signal for the phone if you want to call anyone else.”
“Nope, Kate is the only one that needs to know . Anyone else would automatically check with her anyways.”
“What about family?”
“Last time I heard from them, my parents were just leaving Melbourne, Australia on their way to New Zealand. They finally retired and decided to see the world for a few months. They call every month or so and don’t expect me to return a missed call. They won’t worry for a while.”
“S iblings?”
Tally looked across Roland to see the gray and red striped hills of earth terraced by decades of mining. Miami, Arizona was a town whose population was dominated by employees of the copper mine. “Nope, just me.”
“Were n’t you lonely growing up?”
A smile formed on Tally’s face before she could stop it. “It had its moments, but my parents made sure that I kept busy; softball, art classes, bowling. My favorite memory is when my dad and I would ride horses through the Superstition Mountains every other weekend. We became friends with the couple that owned the stable and were able to go out on our own after the first summer.”
Roland looked over to Tally, confused at this new information. “You ride?”
“Is there a reason that surprises you?”
“I just didn’t see you as the equestrian type.”
Tally turned to watch Roland drive and squinted her eyes, “So how did you see me?”
Roland laughed, “ Well, I didn’t see you riding off into the sunset on your own horse! The dust, the flies, the smell, it just didn’t seem to be something you would enjoy.”
“ Are you kidding me? It’s the only place that I can let everything go.”
Roland seemed even more confused . Tally tried to explain, “Animals have no ill intent, no motives; just pure emotion without judgment, shame, or guilt. I can let my shields down and not be overwhelmed. Half the time the horse just mirrors whatever I am going through. If I am tense, the horse gets anxious. As soon as
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