As much as I don’t want to, I do feel bad for Mr. Knight. A man who’s had everything given to him – or who has taken everything – is no man at all. Men understand that life is give and take, not take, take, take. And if Mr. Knight has never lost anything important, then he’s shallow and has never experienced life on life’s terms.

What a pity.

Olivia stands back to admire her handiwork and I praise her. “Keep up the good work and I might have to hire you on!” I say, and her face lights up.

“We’d be a great team,” she says, and I feel like I’ve been kicked in the gut by an excited mule.

At a loss, I merely walk her over to the mare whose stall she’d cleaned. “This is Dear Dreamer,” I tell her, and she strokes the mare’s nose as she talks to her.

“Hello Dear Dreamer. I feel like we’d be best friends, given enough time.” Her grown up words flash me back to my father. It’s something he would have told a new mare that needed the calming tone of his voice most. And he’d hold the promise through. He’d become fast friends with her, sharing secrets, small talk, and companionable silences all alike with her.

“Emma?” Olivia says, snapping me out of my moment. I realize tears are welling up in my eyes, and I blink them back.

“Sorry, I think I was about to sneeze,” I say, hoping the cover is enough.

“It’s okay to cry,” Olivia says softly, looking over her shoulder at her father, who’s off looking up at the ceiling of the barn, likely appraising the value of the wood. “I cry sometimes too. When I really miss mom, I can’t help it.”

My throat aches for this little girl whose loss is as acute as my own. “I miss my dad,” I tell her, finding comfort in our common ground. “He died and I miss him every day.”

“I miss mom every day too,” she says, her hand finding mine in a gesture of comfort that’s wise beyond her years. With a smile, I steer the conversation back to the horse. If I keep talking like this, I’ll cry for real, and while I’m sure Olivia would be level-headed about it, I doubt her father would be. Hell, he’d find a way to use it against me, I’m sure.

“So, we have to check her hooves.” I show Olivia how to stand and run my hands down Dreamer’s leg. She lifts for me and I use the hoof pick to teach Olivia the parts of the hoof and how to clean them.

As I talk, I feel Knight’s eyes on me and I glance his direction. He’s watching me with an intensity that’s almost unsettling. My heart begins to pound and my mouth dries up. Thankfully, Olivia says she’s got this and I turn away from his stare and watch her. But I can feel his gaze on me.

“Good job,” I tell her and she beams at me in an honest pleasure that’s heartbreaking. “Can you do the rest?” I ask and she nods. While she works, I make my way to her father.

“She’s doing great,” I say, feeling awkward. Part of this job is talking to eh parents. Often I wind up teaching them as much as I teach their children. But not Mr. Knight.

“She generally does,” he says.

“You don’t have to be here,” I say. “You signed the waiver. You can go.”

“I’d rather stay,” he says, leveling that stare at me once more.

“Fine,” I say, refusing to let him get to me.

He seems to consider a moment. “So, how is the farm doing?” he asks, and I know he’s pushing.

“Very well. Overhead is low, profits are high.” It’s not a lie, really.

“Interesting,” He says, studying Olivia as he stands beside me. She’s working hard at the back hoof, her little face screwed up with intense concentration. “You look like you work too hard,” he says, and I struggle not to roll my eyes. “Wouldn’t you like to retire?”

“I’d be bored,” I say, refusing to think about how life would be if I wasn’t working myself to the bone day in and day out.

He glances at me, his expression incredulous. “Really? You wouldn’t like to see the world? Travel? See all the great things the world has to offer outside this place?”

“That would be fun for a little while,” I say honestly. “But I’d get homesick pretty quick and miss my home here, and my life.”

He falls silent, and I wonder what approach he’ll try to take this time. Thankfully, Olivia finishes up and I hurry to her side to see her handiwork. She’s done well, and I show her how to saddle up the mare. She’s a quick study, and she bridles up Dreamer without help.

“Always look forward when leading,” I tell her as she leads Dreamer out toward the round pen. Grabbing a hardhat, I follow her. While I don’t look to see if Knight is following, I sense his eyes on me once more and know he is without a doubt.

At the round pen, I help Olivia put on the hardhat. Once it’s secure, I help her mount and run her through the basics before letting her try for herself. I fall back toward the fence, knowing she’ll learn quickly. Dreamer has been training riders for well over a decade, and she’s good at it. If Olivia makes a mistake, Dreamer will let her know.

“Is she still doing good?”

Without looking at him, I answer. “She’s a natural. Are you sure she’s never had lessons?”

“Quite,” he says, the single word clipped.

“I’m never going to sell,” I tell him, needing him to hear it again. “There’s nothing you can do to me that will make me budge.”

“Why are you so unreasonable, Emma?” he asks. As he says my name, my body lights up like a Christmas tree. Nerves fire off white-hot and excited. It’s confusing, and I try to formulate a response.

“I’m not unreasonable.” How dare he be so rude?

He’s silent, and I can’t help but rise for the bait. “What makes you think I’m being unreasonable?” I ask, feeling anger surging in my gut.

“I offered twenty million on a property perhaps worth five million at most. You turned me down. That’s unreasonable.” He’s so calm and matter of fact it boils my blood.

“Perhaps you don’t understand the notion of sentimentality,” I say, hearing the fury in my words. “But how could you understand sentimental value? You always get what you want, therefore you value nothing.”

“That’s not very nice,” he says, his eyes locked on his daughter as she rides circles around the pen. Dreamer is keeping true to form, moving at a good pace that trains Olivia’s balance without being too quick or changing directions too suddenly.

“You expect me to be nice?” I ask, incredulous. “You’ve done everything you can think of, even resorting to using your daughter, to make me sell my home.”

His eyes leave Olivia to lock on me. There’s an icy chill in them as he stares me down. “I never used her,” he says, his voice dangerous. “She wanted lessons. I allowed it.”

“And it’s luck that brings you both to me?” I say a bit too sweetly. I know he’s lying.

There’s a flicker behind his eyes, as if he’s surprised I’m calling him on his bullshit.

As we both look toward Olivia again, I feel the question forming before I can tamp it back. “Where is Olivia’s mother?” I ask, dreading the answer.

Beside me, I feel Knight tense up and fury begins rolling off him like a choking fog.