Afterthoughts by Lynn Tincher Read Free Book Online Page A

spring. Aileen says it’s beautiful when they have
it all ready for the Derby. I’ll bet that’s something to see.”
Paige wandered along the fence line, touching the leaves of the
Dogwood trees as she went, feeling the water trickle down her
fingers from the left over rain.
    “ I’m sure.” Jay wasn’t
paying as much attention to the trees as he was watching her enjoy
them. Suddenly he was whacked in the face with a rain drenched
branch that Paige had purposely sent his way.
    “ You’ll pay for that!” he
chased her toward the barn.
    Breathless, they ran down the way in
between the stalls. They were greeted with the warm smell of fresh
hay and horses. They walked along, stall to stall, petting the
noses of the thoroughbreds that would allow them to as the horses
were eating from their feed bags hanging in the stalls. The barn
was warm and dry, nothing like the storm drenched fields outside.
Paige was glad to be in such an inviting place.
    It comforted her somehow.
    “ It’s amazing how soft
their noses are,” Paige said as she rubbed her knuckles across the
nose of a chestnut mare. “And some of their names are so
interesting. This one is called Snacks R on Us. See, it’s on the
brass tag on the harness.” Paige tried to turn the horse’s harness
toward Jay so he could see the tag. The horse shook her head to
fight her off.
    Jay laughed. “I hope they’re not
referring to dog food.”
    Paige had to laugh along with him. “At
least his name is not Glue Stick!”
    “ Hey, this one is Sexy
Jay,” Jay chuckled as he reached for the harness of the horse in
the next stall.
    “ Let me see.” Paige
hurried to the horse’s stall. “You big goof ball!” she laughed as
she shoved him to the side. The horse was Big N Da
Saddle.
    They walked back to the house laughing
and coming up with their own silly horse names like ‘Turn the
Paige’ and ‘Jay It Out Loud’. Paige did feel better, better than
she had in weeks.
    She picked up a stick that had been
blown out of a tree and threw it for Harry. He chased it down and
brought it back to her. They took turns throwing it for him. “He
would love to live out here where he could run like that,” Paige
laughed. “Instead of being cooped up in my little yard, barking at
my neighbor’s little dog.”
    “ I think he’d be happy
living in a car as long as he was with you,” Jay added as he threw
the stick back across the yard.
    “ He seems to like you
too,” she smiled as she took her turn.
    “ Naw, he’s just
happy.”
    Paige stood and watched
Jay as he threw the stick for Harry. This seemed to be such a
natural thing for the three of them to be out here, acting this
way. She shook her head. “You’re just
lonely, Paige. Stop this,” she told
herself as she took her turn at fetch.
    “ Hey, Paige, look,” Jay
said as he pointed to the house. Sarah was standing at the window,
watching them.
    “ I don’t believe it,”
Paige smiled and waved. Sarah did not wave back but continued to
watch. “I think she is enjoying watching Harry run about. That
gives me hope.”
    “ It should,” Jay smiled at
her, genuinely happy to see her smile back.

Chapter 8
     
    The man smiled quietly at what had
been accomplished so far. He had successfully captured her, used
her, and set her free without anyone knowing, remembering, seeing.
It had been over a year and there had been no repercussions. He
could still watch her daily while she was unaware. She was his
prize, his biggest accomplishment. “Beautiful Paige. My little
pigeon. Forgetting her past and living her life as if nothing
happened. If only she knew!” he smiled even brighter, remembering
his time with her. He was very pleased she didn’t remember. His
plan had been wonderfully laid out and thus far
executed.
    He glanced at the old mattress in the
corner and laughed at the blood stains that covered it. “The
training arena,” he hissed as he ran his hand along the mattress.
He then walked around the dark