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"Looks like he made his choice," Adleman said dryly.
Tor nodded as Jake wandered through the barn, close enough to listen and take part in the conver-
sation. "He's talked about only him," Tor said. "Don't think we could change his mind if we tried."
"So don't try," Adleman said with a laugh. "Think it's the other that'll need talking around, any-
way."
Jake rolled his eyes. "Don't fret, I'll get it sorted," he said, looking back at them.
They both grinned at him and then Adleman went to where Jacob was loving on the six-year-old
gelding. "Want to take him around the ring?" he asked, pointing to the saddle over a stall wall.
Jacob nodded almost frantically and Jake watched as Tor helped him saddle up the horse, everyone
smiling. In a few moments, Jacob was leading his horse out of the barn and Tor was talking price
with Adleman as they followed him out.
Jake spent about twenty minutes looking at the horses in the stable, his choice already narrowed
down to two before they'd even arrived. One was a four-year-old mare with white markings, the
other a gelding who was a bit bigger, though not as big as River. They were both a rich brown
color, darker than the one Jacob had picked, but while they were perfectly fine horses from good
blood, Jake couldn't make up his mind. Finally, he decided it didn't really matter and went out to
watch Jacob ride, putting off the choice for a while longer.
He found Tor by himself, leaning on the fence and watching Jacob ride in the large, fenced-off
ring. "Where's Adleman?" he asked, leaning on the fence close enough to brush shoulders with Tor.
"Went in the house to find the horse's file. Be back soon." Tor leaned a bit and nudged him. "You
pick?"
"Nah, not yet," Jake said, his eyes on Jacob. "I will."
Tor nodded and they stood there for a few minutes, just watching. Jacob was riding at an easy
walk, his face split by a huge grin. He stepped up the pace a bit as he came around the near corner
and more or less pranced past them, showing off and grinning even more, making them both laugh
back at him.
"Kid needs a proper cowboy hat," Tor said as Jacob slowed again as he cross to the far end of the
ring. "But he looks damn good in the saddle. Took to it easy, didn't he?"
Jake nodded, eyes on Jacob. "He did," he said softly. "Took to it all pretty smooth." He swallowed
and sighed. "Wish his mother could see this. He looks so fucking happy."
Tor's arm slid around his shoulders for a moment. "She'd be proud of him," he agreed. "I think
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she'd be pretty pleased with you, too."
Jake shrugged. "It's hard," he said softly. "Being happy for something that came out of hell. I miss
her. He does, too. He hardly talks about her anymore, you know? But he still feels it."
"Of course he does," Tor said. "You both will--we all will--for a long time. But you're both doing
it, don't lose that. You're doing better than surviving. Look at him, Jake. He's happy. He's healthy.
He's a good kid."
Jake nodded and sighed. "I know. And he's our family and I would only trade that to get 'Lissa
back."
Behind him, he could hear footsteps, so he cleared his throat and turned his head, nodding as
Adleman came up to them. "Looks like we're buying a horse," he said with a smile and a nod at Ja-
cob, who was passing them by again.
"Good thing," Adleman said. "Think I'd have that boy here every day after school if you weren't."
They filled out the sale form as Jacob rode once more around the ring and finally dismounted
alongside them, grinning. "He's mine?" he asked, one hand patting the horse on the neck.
"Oh, yeah," Tor said with a grin. "You can relax now."
Jacob beamed and turned to the horse. "Hear that, Cobi? You're moving to our place."
Tor and Jake exchanged a look. "Cobi?" Jake asked carefully.
Jacob flashed him a grin before turning back to the horse. "Uh-huh. For Cobi Jones."
Tor cleared his throat. "Who is& ?"
"Soccer player. Jeeze, you don't know who Cobi Jones is?"
Tor snorted at him. "I do now. All right, Cobi it is, and he's coming home, so you might want to
take him to his stall and get his tack off."
Jacob nodded and petted the horse again, then started to lead him away. "Which one are you buy-
ing, Uncle Jake?" he asked, making an obvious effort to get out of his own preoccupation.
Jake shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I'll get that settled, don't worry."
Jacob and Tor both rolled their eyes, but Adleman grinned at him. "I've got one more you might
want to see," he said, eyes crinkling. "Just got here last weekend, thought you might be interested."
Jake tilted his head. "Didn't see one in the barn that wasn't there last time," he said, wondering why
Adleman was being coy.
In response, Adleman merely pointed behind them, across the lane between the ring and another,
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smaller corral. Jake turned and Tor huffed a laugh, muttering something to Adleman that might
have been "sold".
Jake looked at the lone horse standing near the fence and started walking slowly toward her, moved
like he was tied to a lead himself. "How old is she?" he heard himself ask, though his thoughts were
all on how much she looked like River. Maybe a hand or two shorter, but big and strong, and damn,
the markings were even close to being the same.
"Three. Barely broke, lots of spirit, but healthy and good natured. She likes people, likes being rid-
den; just got a lot of energy."
Jake nodded and climbed the fence, standing still as the filly eyed him and stepped forward. "Hey,
darlin'," he crooned as the horse came near. "What's your name?"
Adleman cleared his throat. "I didn't name her, so you can't blame me, all right?"
Jake glanced back at him. "Okay," he said slowly. "That sounds& frightening." He turned back to
the horse and reached out to her, patting her nose gently and letting her snuffle the cuff of his shirt.
"Well, you gotta know that the guy who named her never met River."
Tor snorted and Jake looked back again to see him reading a second file. "Tell me," he demanded,
moving around the filly carefully, soothing her with his hands.
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