I wanted to tell him about these changes and the decisions I had made. I knew there was a chance he had already moved on. He may have. Millions desired him, but I had plans.

I kept thinking about them as Shoal and I searched. Then, I didn’t know how much later, her ears perked up and she paused.

I looked up. There was a small hill toward the farthest corner in the south. I knew what was beyond it. It was the end of a creek that had wound its way around the mountain, the mouth of the creek that opened into larger river flowing toward the south. The current was strong, and if a kid played in the water there was a good chance they would be swept up.

If they were indeed up there, the only saving grace would be the logs that sometimes clogged the creek ahead. If someone were to get swept up and wasn’t able to break free, they had a good chance of grabbing on to some of the logs and pulling themselves to safety. It would leave them wet and chilled to the bone but alive. If this was the route the girls had taken—they were probably chilled to death.

I listened and heard nothing but the trickle of the water. Still, I urged Shoal ahead, and we crested the hill.

And there, like I thought, were his two nieces.

And they were alive.

Just like I had been too.

I was waiting in Brody’s bed for him. I knew he needed to be at the main house for a bit, to hug his nieces, to talk to his sister-in-law, or whatever else he needed, but I was waiting for him.

And that was when I told him my decision.

“Are you sure?” He could only stare at me.

I was kneeling on his bed, the sheets pulled back already, and I nodded. My heart was in my throat as I nodded. “Yes,” I rasped out. “I’ve lived most of my life with Shiloh and Shoal. It’s time I formed my own family, and if that’s just you and me, I’m ready.”

I didn’t tell him about how I felt like dying when he left or how I sat and watched his car take him away, weeping the whole time.

I hadn’t just cried for him, though.

I had cried for losing my mother.

I had cried for never having a father.

I had cried for the loss of my siblings when my mother died.

I had cried because I had kept Finn, Abby, and Matthew away.

I had cried for closing myself up.

I had cried for turning my humanity off.

When Brody had left that night, I had already been starting to change. I just hadn’t changed enough or quick enough to go with him.

And I waited because I wanted to know if everything would go back to normal. If I would be content again with Shiloh and Shoal, but it never went back to the way it used to be. I think both mares knew I was changing. It was in how they looked at me. They would watch me, waiting for me to leave and not come back.

Bringing those girls back was like I was bringing myself back. I was returning to a life that was interrupted when I was ten years old. I was returning to make my mother proud of me. I was returning to someday have my own little girl.

And that time had come.

It was four weeks later.

Finn and Jen married. Peter was convicted. Matthew took over the Kellerman company.

The day before I was supposed to fly to Iceland with Brody, I spent from sunrise to sunset with the herd. Both Shiloh and Shoal were glued to me. I barely got off Shiloh the whole day. When it was time to go back to the house and to Brody’s arms, I got off Shiloh and walked to Shoal.

She was watching me with those big dark eyes, and as I stepped toward her, she lowered her head. My forehead rested against hers, and I held her face. We stood there a long time, both knowing we wouldn’t see each other again. I would be gone when she would pass, so it was a forever goodbye.

I wept that night like I had when Brody left.

I hadn’t been able to stop crying, even after Shoal stepped back and Shiloh moved into her place. I reached blindly above and lifted myself up to her back, and I couldn’t stop crying in order to see if Shiloh was even taking me the right way, but I knew she was. She always carried me the right way.

Brody was waiting for me when I slid off my sister.

He waited as I threw my arms around her and then pressed my forehead against hers, saying goodbye.

When Shiloh stepped away like Shoal had, Brody stepped forward and swept me up in his arms.

He carried me to bed that night, and my heart ached.

I was starting a brand new life.

“Look,” he said the next morning when we were in the car that would take us to the airport. We were going down our driveway. Gayle was with us, and I heard her gasp before I looked.

The herd was in the woods, running beside us.

Brody opened the window for me. I leaned across his lap and half out the window so they could see me.

Shoal stayed among the herd, but Shiloh veered off so she was the closest to us, still running. We got to the gate and went through, and as we turned left onto the road, the herd went right toward the mountains. They fanned out over a clearing, and I watched until I could no longer see them.

Brody squeezed my hand and leaned over to brush a tear away. “Do you regret coming?”

I ached for them, but there was no regret in my body. I loved him. I chose him. I shook my head because he was my new chapter.

THE END

For more stories by this author, head to:

www.tijansbooks.com