Debra walked down to Misty's corral a short while later. Misty came over to her. Debra pet her. "How are you doing, girl?" Debra asked. "We are going to be fine. We are both fighters. We are in very capable hands. You just need to trust your heart. These are all good people." Debra said as she pet her. Misty nodded her head then trotted off and around the corral. Debra watched her until she heard a commotion coming from the other side of the barn. She walked slowly towards the barn and through to the other side. She saw Edward backing a horse out of a trailer and to a corral. He put it inside and closed the gate. He returned to the trailer and went inside. Debra leaned against the barn and watched as Edward slowly backed another horse out of the trailer. This one was more restless, but Edward kept a hold of it as he led it to another corral. Inside the trailer, another horse snorted and kicked around which startled the horse Edward had a hold of. It tried to pull away from Edward, but he held his ground and calmed it down. He got it inside the corral. The men closed the gate. Edward unclipped the lead and backed slowly towards the gate. The horse kept an eye on him the galloped towards him just as he got out of the gate. Edward took a moment to catch his breath before he walked over to the trailer. He quietly and slowly went inside. He talked softly as he approached the horse. The horse kicked and snorted as he got closer. The horse kicked more, and she noticed Edward fall against the side of the trailer as he lost his footing. He put his hand up as Josh hurried to the end of the trailer. Debra took a deep breath and hurried back inside the barn. She sat down on the first hay bale that she found, pulled her knees up to her chest and started crying.
Edward found Debra inside the barn a while after the truck left. He knelt in front of her. "Hey, are you all right?"
Debra looked up at him. "I should be asking you that." She said as she wiped her eyes on her shirt.
"I'm fine. Why would you need to ask me that?"
"I saw the second horse nearly knock you over and I heard that other horse. By the looks of you, he knocked you down."
"I'm fine. It’s not the first time a horse knocked me down and reared up at me. Misty knocked me on my butt several times."
"Maybe so, but those horses wanted to kill you. That’s what it seemed like anyway."
"Really? I'll take that under advisement as I work with them." He smiled.
Debra pushed against him with her foot knocking him on his butt. "That isn't funny."
Edward got up. He sat down next to her on the hay bale. "I know it's not. Thank you for being concerned." He said. "I do this for a living. I take precautions and I am good at what I do. I always have men around and a tranquilizer gun and a real one is always nearby. I am prepared." He said as he put his arm around her. He pulled her against him. "Don't worry about me, darling. I am tougher than I look."
"I will worry when I hear those kinds of noises coming around and your men yelling."
"I want you to do something for me. I want you to look at the horses and tell me what you might feel about them. I want your input."
Debra pulled back slightly and looked at him. "You want me to go near those horses?"
"They are safe inside the corrals. I won't let them hurt you."
"All right." Debra said then got up. Edward got up and walked next to her out to the corrals. Debra stood several feet away from the fence. "I don't think that one,” She said as she pointed to the first one, "will be much of a problem." Debra said then moved to the next one. "That one has a lot of spirit, but she tends to be a little spooked. I think she will be a rather fast runner. She is a little scared." She said then slowly walked over to the third corral. The horse reared up. "Now, He is wild. He really wants to kill you, actually." He kicked his feet in the dirt. "I think he will be very fast if you can tame him enough to ride. He is dangerous."
"He is wild, but I have worked with wild horses before. Do you have any advice?"
"I haven't read those books yet. I don't know the first thing about this."
"I know. Humor me, Darling."
"Well, from my general aspect of men, they seem to calm down after sex." She said then turned towards the house.
"Wait, you want me to have sex with a horse?" Edward said as he caught up to her.
"No, of course not. You could always cut off his balls. That might calm him down too. It works with dogs." She said as she continued to walk.
"I don't think either one is an option."
"You asked. That was the first thing that popped into my head." Debra said then stopped and turned towards him. "I guess you will have your hands full if you don't kill yourself first." She said then took off running towards the house. Edward watched her go.
Edward walked into Debra's room a while later. Debra was sitting in the chair in front of the window. Edward walked around to the front of the chair and squatted in front of her. "You really need to stop running away when something scares you."
"I don't like confrontations."
"I wasn't having a confrontation with you. I asked for your opinion. I value your opinion."
"I figured it would turn into one."
"Well, I am not going to give up on an animal because it has trust issues. It just makes me work harder." He said then touched her leg.
"I'm just not going to be able to watch you or be around when you are working. Good thing I have other things to do."
"Yes, the men are unloading the truck as we speak." Edward said. "By the way, lunch is ready downstairs when you are ready." Edward said then got up. He walked to the door, turned around and looked at her. "I love you, Debra." He said then walked out the door.
Debra walked into the dining room a while later. She sat down next to Edward at the table. "I'm sorry. I guess I am afraid of losing you just when I found you." She said. "Just be careful."
"Technically, I am the one who found you, but I understand what you are saying. I am always careful around strange horses. I have a protocol that I follow and so do my men. I will be fine."
"So, are you still going to help me get started on the flowers?"
"Of course. I'm not going to do anything with those horses until at least tomorrow. I'll let them settle into their surroundings first."
Debra started to eat her lunch. "So, I was thinking about what we can do with all the stuff you bought. You bought way too much for just the front of the house."
"You can do whatever you want. As long as you don't do anything you’re not supposed to."
"I won't." Debra said then ate some more of her lunch. She pushed her plate back.
"Are you feeling all right?"
"Yes. It says to eat several small meals to help keep it down."
"All right." Edward said then finished his lunch. "I guess you are ready to get started."
"Yes. I want to keep busy."
"All right, let's get started." He said then got up. He pulled out her chair as she stood up. They walked outside.
An hour later, they had everything laid out around the house and the extra on the side of the house. Debra started digging up the ground as Edward headed off to the barn.
Edward walked into the house shortly after dark. He went into the kitchen where Mrs. Gardner was washing dishes. "Did Debra eat?"
"Yes. She ate then went upstairs."
"Did she look tired? I know she didn't take but one break all afternoon."
Mrs. Gardner took a plate out of the microwave and set it in front of him. "No, she didn't look that tired. You need to stop worrying about her so much, Edward. She's fine."
"I should check on her."
"No, you need to eat, then you can go check on her. She's fine."
Edward started eating. "I have never felt this way about anyone before. I don't want anything to happen to her."
"I know, but you can't suffocate her. You need to give her room to breathe. I understand that she has been through a lot and you don't want anything to happen to her, but you can't be on top of her all the time."
"I know I can't. That is why I have my employees keeping an eye on her. I think about her all the time. I don't want anything to happen to her or her baby."
"I know, but until she realizes her limits, she isn't the one to slow down. She’s like you in that aspect. You overdue yourself all the time."
"Yes, I know, but I am not pregnant."
"If she handled the dehydration and the cold mud, she can handle doing gardening."
"Fine, I will try to give her space."
"Good. Finish your dinner." Mrs. Gardner said as she put a cup of coffee in front of him.
Edward finished his dinner quickly and drank his coffee. "Be careful going home."
"I will. See you in the morning."
Edward got up and walked out of the kitchen. He climbed the stairs and stopped at Debra’s room. He peeked inside and noticed Debra on the bed. He walked softly inside and noticed she was sleeping. He walked around and picked up a blanket off the back of the chair and covered her. He walked quietly out of the room.
Edward walked out of his room the next morning smelling bacon frying downstairs. He stopped by Debra’s room, but she wasn't there. He walked downstairs and to the kitchen to see Debra standing at the stove. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her. "Morning, Darling." He kissed her cheek. "It smells good."
"Sit down, I'll be done in a minute." She said. "I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee."
Edward kissed her cheek again the let her go and grabbed a coffee cup. He poured a cup of coffee. He walked around the island and sat down. He grabbed a cookie off the tray. "How long have you been up?"
"I’ve been up for a couple of hours. I had some energy and decided to bake and make you breakfast."
"You out did yourself."
"I got started and couldn't stop myself. Why didn't you wake me up when you got home?"
"I figured you needed your rest. From what I noticed; you did a lot outside."
"I got a lot done, but I was sitting down most of the time. I hope Mrs. Gardner doesn't think I am taking over her job." Debra said as she dished out two plates of food. She turned off the stove and set then down on the island in front of Edward.
"I'll make sure she doesn't." Edward said as he took a bite.
Debra walked around the island and sat down on the stool next to Edward. "How does it taste?"
"It tastes delicious." He said then leaned closer and kissed her on the lips. "You are a very good cook."
The back door opened, and Mrs. Gardner walked in. She put a bag on the counter. "It looks like either I am late or you two are up early."
"We are early." Edward said. "I woke up smelling breakfast and thought I overslept."
"I was up early because Edward didn't wake me up when he got home, so I made breakfast. I'll clean up my mess."
"Nonsense. It’s my job."
"I told you before that I would clean up when I cooked in your kitchen."
"It's not my kitchen. It's Edward's. I just use it to cook." Mrs. Gardner took a cookie off the plate. "No more arguments. I'll clean up."
"All right." Debra said then ate a couple of bites of breakfast. She got up and hurried down the hall towards the bathroom.
Edward took another bite. "She worked so hard on breakfast and she can't even eat."
"She'll be fine. I'm sure she ate as she cooked like I do."
"Maybe." Edward finished his breakfast then drank finished his coffee. He got up and walked down the hall to the bathroom. He knocked softly. "Debra, are you all right?"
"Yes. You can come in."
Edward opened the door and walked in. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes, or I will be when this is over. I ate earlier so, at least I had something before. Maybe it was the grease."
"It was delicious. I ate every last bite, but now I think I need to do some laps around the barn." He laughed.
"There are other ways of burning off my cooking, you know."
"Are you up for it?"
"I wouldn't mention it if I wasn't." Debra said as she got up and walked over to him.
Edward opened the bathroom door a while later and peeked out. He opened the door the rest of the way. "I better get going before Josh starts calling me." He said as he turned towards Debra. He pulled her close and kissed her.
"I'll be out shortly. I'm going to try to eat a little more."
"Ok. Take it easy."
"I will. I love you."
"I love you, too, darling." Edward said then let her go and walked away.
Debra walked out to the barn a while later carrying a plate of cookies. She walked into the barn and walked down to the office. She put the plate on the desk. She walked out of the office and over to Misty's stall. "Morning, girl." She said softly. Misty walked over to her and nudged her hand. Debra pet her. "How are you doing this morning?" She asked. "Do you want to go outside? It's beautiful out."
"Yes, it is a beautiful morning." Edward said as he came up behind Debra. "Not as beautiful as you, though." He said then kissed her neck.
Debra leaned against him slightly. "You keep up that sweet talking, neither one of us will get any work done."
Edward smiled then stepped back slightly. "Let's get her outside to the corral." He said as he pulled her lead off the hook. He handed it to Debra then opened the stall door.
"Chicken." Debra said then stepped inside. She hooked the lead on the bridle, and they led her out of her stall. They walked through the barn and out to the corral. Debra led her inside and unhooked her lead. Misty trotted off. Debra backed out of the corral. Edward closed the gate.
"I think we might start her training tomorrow. She seems to have settled down a bit. I want to start on the new arrivals."
"You will be careful, right?"
"Of course."
"I guess I will start back on the flowers. I put some cookies in the office for you and the guys."
"Ok. I will let them know."
"I'll see you later." Debra said. She turned, grabbed his butt, squeezed, released, then hurried away.
"You don't play fair." Edward called after her.
"All is fair in love and war." Debra called back.
Debra worked on the flower bed until lunch time. She went inside and washed up before she went into the kitchen for lunch. "Hi, Mrs. Gardner. Is lunch ready?"
"Yes, I just put it in the dining room."
"Thank you. Is Edward coming in?"
"I don't think so. Joe came and got sandwiches for them. They will eat when they take a break."
"They need one. I kept hearing them yelling."
"They do that a lot, actually."
"Will you sit with me and keep me company while I eat?"
"Sure. I'll grab something and join you in a minute."
"Ok." Debra said then went into the dining room. She sat down and started eating. Mrs. Gardner came in a few minutes later and sat down. "Do you worry about Edward?"
"No. He knows what he is doing. He is very good at what he does, and he doesn't get hurt that much. I can see the worry in your face, but there isn't a reason."
"I can't help it. I love him so much and when I hear yelling and other noises, it drives me crazy."
"I can understand that. But if you two want to make it work, you need to learn how to trust one another."
"He has a wonderful family here. You learned how to trust one another and work together. I never had a family like that. My parents were never around much and when they were, we didn't have much fun. It was all about work for them."
"How long has it been since you had contact with them?"
"It’s been over ten years. I haven't seen them since the day I went off to college. I received some letters during college, but nothing personal. I tried to find them when I got settled in New York but didn't find them."
"That must have been hard."
"It was, but I got over it. I just wish I knew why they took off. Why they taught me what they did when I was growing up. I just want to know why."
"We are your family now. Family isn't always blood, you know."
"I know. I feel like an outsider because I don't know much about this life. This is so new to me. I never felt like I belonged anywhere before."
"You belong here. You and Edward are good for each other. He loves you more than anything." Mrs. Gardner said. "Was growing up that bad?"
"I always felt like a burden to them. As soon as I got settled, we moved. I always felt like extra baggage to them." Debra said. "Sort of like I feel around here. I feel like a burden because I don't know what goes on here and can't do anything to help."
"You shouldn't feel like that. You aren't a burden. We all love you." Mrs. Gardner said. They ate the rest of their lunch quietly. "Well, I am going to get back to work. Don't work too hard outside. Edward was worried about you yesterday."
"I know. I think I am going to finish up the flower beds then relax for a while. I am almost done until I need help."
"All right." Mrs. Gardner got up and took Debra’s plate out to the kitchen as she left.
Debra sat on the front porch later that afternoon listening to music and reading when Edward came up onto the porch. "What are you listening to?" He asked, but Debra didn't hear him. He touched her arm. Debra looked at him and pulled her headphones off. "What are you listening to?"
"Just some music."
"I guess you were enjoying it. You didn't hear me the first time."
"It is kind of loud so I wouldn't hear you down at the barn."
"I'm sorry. We do get a little loud at times." He walked over and sat down in the other chair. "The flowers look nice."
"Thanks. I need someone to empty the wheelbarrow when they get time."
"You aren't over doing yourself, are you?"
"No. I am resting now, aren't I?"
"Yes, Darling. Were you able to eat lunch?"
"Yes. I ate. Mrs. Gardner took a break and ate with me. We talked for a while. It felt good to talk to another woman."
"I guess you miss being around more women."
"No, not really. I didn't talk to too many people in New York."
"Why not?"
"I didn't feel comfortable around them enough to talk."
"I'm glad you feel comfortable here to talk to Mrs. Gardner." Edward said. "I'm going to go in and get some of your delicious cookies to hold me over until dinner. Do you want anything?"
"No, I'm fine. I just had some a while ago."
"Ok. I'll be back." Edward said then got up and walked into the house. Debra went back to reading.
Edward came back a while later with a handful of cookies and a cup of coffee. He sat sown on the top steps of the porch and looked out around the porch. "I think when you get all the flowers planted, it will look really nice around here."
"I suppose." Debra said.