“Of course it does,” Claire said, looking horrified. “I’m sorry. I was just so surprised.”
“Please, it’s fine,” Julia said. And it was, as long as Paul offered her the support of his body. “Just embarrassing when you’re known as an equine artist.”
“You know, you can still hang around Sharon’s barn and talk to the farrier,” Tim said. “Sharon’s an admirer of your paintings too.”
“Then I’d like to meet her.”
Paul stepped away, and the side of her body that had been pressed against his felt chilled. “I’ll take you down there tomorrow,” he said.
She felt a surge of gratitude for his matter-of-fact tone, but she didn’t want him to babysit her out of a sense of responsibility. It was time for her to stand on her own two feet. “Thanks, but I don’t want you to feel no good deed goes unpunished.”
“I would hardly call a fifteen-minute drive with a famous artist punishment,” he said. His words were light, but he wasn’t smiling. She got the sinking feeling she had somehow insulted him.
“A beautiful famous artist,” Tim interjected into the suddenly tense atmosphere, his eyes holding a twinkle.
When she caught Claire throwing him an approving glance, Julia knew she had put her foot in her mouth. “Well, when you put it that way…”
“Maybe Sharon will find you a whisper horse,” Claire said.
“A whisper horse? What does that mean?”
“I’ll tell you on the way home,” Paul said. “Claire’s explanation might make you question her sanity.”
Julia’s curiosity was piqued when Tim smiled at Claire in a very private way, and said, “We owe a lot to Claire’s whisper horse.”
Paul came back to Julia’s side, taking her elbow with his hand. “We should get going. I have an early meeting tomorrow morning.”
Julia said her good-byes with regret. These people made her feel like one of their circle, but they didn’t handle her with kid gloves. Her uncle treated her like a hothouse flower that had to be protected from the elements and fed special food. But this flower was expected to grow in a certain direction.
Chapter 8
OKAY, IS A whisper horse like a horse whisperer?” Julia asked as soon as the ’Vette had cleared the first bend in the Arbuckles’ driveway.
“I’ll explain, but you’re not going to believe it.”
“I’m in the mood to believe anything.” Julia settled back in her seat with a contented sigh. “All that good food and wine have made me very receptive.”
“Now that’s a good way to get yourself in trouble.” Paul’s voice vibrated low and sexy in the dim, enclosed space.
Julia was glad he couldn’t see her blush. “You know what I meant. Whisper horses.” Even though her comment had been innocent, it wasn’t far from the truth. She would meet him halfway if he decided to lean across the gearshift and kiss her.
“The owner of Healing Springs Stables, Sharon Sydenstricker…” His voice held a husky rasp, and he paused to clear it. “Sharon, who is the most grounded human being in most ways, has this strange idea that every person has a special horse. Once you find this special horse, you will be overwhelmed by the desire to whisper all your troubles in its ear. Said whisper horse will then help you solve all your problems. And everyone lives happily ever after. In Claire and Tim’s case, anyway.”
“I don’t think that’s such a strange idea. Horses are very good listeners. You can tell what the horse is feeling just by the angle of its ears.”
“I don’t discount the effectiveness of talking out your problems. That’s part of the reason why people love their dogs and their cats and their birds, and even their lawyers.” His tone was wry on the last phrase. “However, Sharon thinks there’s one particular horse for each person, and the horse actually helps fix things.”
“I’m still willing to go along with the concept because I think it might work psychologically. What about Claire’s whisper horse?”
“Claire decided her whisper horse was Willow, a very sick, abused mare who Sharon rescued from a racetrack. Tim was the horse’s vet. When Claire was about to leave Sanctuary for good, Willow took a turn for the worse. That forced Claire to stay long enough for Tim to realize what a fool he was to let her go.”
“And after that you still don’t believe in whisper horses?”
He took his eyes off the road long enough to throw her a sharp look. “Tim would have come to his senses and gone after her.”