Mystery at Brightfields

Chapter 18.

Laycee was awake and ready to eat when Pin and Zoe made it over to her stall. She gulped down the bottle and started to hop around again. Pin left to grab Bob, they were going to turn them out together in one of the smaller paddocks on grass to start getting Laycee more acclimated to her new home. Bob, who was always happy to get extra turn out time, walked excitedly to the smaller grass pasture and Laycee trailed behind in his shadow.
After letting them go, Laycee tried put her new legs and cantered around the paddock. Bob was happily munching and Laycee stood by, looking around.

"So, tomorrow? Do you know the procedure of introducing a nurse mare to a foal that isn't hers?" Zoe asked Pin.
"I would assume he owner would bring some towels or blankets for Laycee to be rubbed down on to get her to smell more like the mares previous baby. All we can do is cross our fingers, but Vet Baker said she had been an emergency nurse mare before and had no issues. That's good news." Pin replied. "Laycee doesn't seem to have a problem making friends." He pointed to Major and Firefly sniffing her over the fence.

"I just wish she could have met her mom...and you. Layla was special too. We found each other. Just like Raven and I did." Said Zoe, sadly.

Pin pulled Zoe to his side and wrapped his arms around her waist. Kissing her temple.

"You saved them. The vet said that the labor was intensive. Neither would have made it. As sad as it is that you lost Layla, she still lives on through Laycee."

Zoe smiled and watched the foal trot back to Bob. She reached her head down awkwardly in between her too-long front legs and nibbled at the grass like Bob. Laycee was going to be just fine.

"Oy! See! Bob is a hero once more. Being the best baby foal sitter there ever was!" Said Becky, coming up beside them.

"Get some rest after last night? You guys were pretty out of it once I got here this morning."  Laughed Zoe.

"Jade insisted she'd do the last two feedings early this morning and she let me sleep. Pretty sure she is still conked out at home. I have had the soul to wake her up. She was so happy last night. Say. You guys want to hit a trail? We can come back here and grab some dinner, I bet Jade would be around by then. I wanted to scope some of Holloway's dressage training/see Alex. He swears that he's training 2nd level but I don't believe him"

Zoe looked at Pin and they nodded.
"Let's give the foal 10 more minutes of horse time and we can gather our stuff up" says Pin.

The three of them head back into the stable yard, letting Laycee and Bob munch in peace for a few minutes and grab their tack.
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"Seeeeeee I told you! That was no way a second level test. You guys are proof. I can't wait to tell Jade and just slip it into random conversation with Alex. I think he saw us too. Even better!" Rambled Becky.

Pin and Zoe exchanged smiles. Typical Becky.

They let Becky and Bob lead the way back to Brightfields. Zoe and Pin followed behind enjoying the company of Raven and Elvis. They brought the horses to a hand gallop and let them stretch for the last part of the ride before being turned out overnight.

Jade had grabbed chinese take away and was waiting for them at the barn in the tack room. After untacking, Pin took Raven and Elvis out to the pasture for turnout while the girls went to check on Laycee.

Pin and the girls ate their dinner catching up and telling each other about their last month of summer before school starts. Zoe told them about her trip back to the States that was coming up in the next 48 hours and they planned out the next day with the nurse mare schedule.

Jade and Becky headed home, leaving Pin and Zoe alone with a personless empty barn.

Zoe pulled the blankets put from her locker from the previous night of foal watch and Pin grabbed an extra from the tack room. They laid one out over the straw in the corner and threw one over Laycee while she was napping.

Zoe tucked the foal in and Pin closed the top section of the stall to keep the heat in. Afterwards he wraped the blanket around himself and pulled Zoe back into him.

"Tell me everything. All of it. I got the mini story from everything you tell everyone, bit I want the details. Did you find what you wanted? See everything you wanted?" Zoe asked. Looking up at him.

"I finally wasn't an island boy. I started in France, then to Italy, went to Budapest and them flew to Washington DC. I got to see things, people, places, eat food and experience life off the island. It was amazing and eye opening. The world is big and living here in a box was all I knew. But now I feel safe to go, safe to travel and experience things without feeling bad for leaving dad with all the work because he wants me out there too. To have money  and not worry about all of the bills. I've never  had that. Never had the opportunity to be this person. You wondered why it took me so long to come home, well mostly, because of you. I was worried that we weren't going to be the same, or feel the same way. You've been places and have flown across the world and my whole life was here. I didn't know if you still wanted to be with me. Now with the whole Duke curveball, I didn't want you to think lower of me."

"Pin. Will you be my boyfriend? Can we please be official? I'm tired of wondering and feeling insecure. I want to be with you. I need it." Zoe replies, turning to face him.

"Are you sure? I don't know what's ahead for me. I don't know what I'm going to be this time next year. Don't get me wrong. I want to be with you more than anything. I just don't want to drag you into this life that we don't even know it's going to be like." Says Pin.

"You're such a guy." Laughs Zoe, reaching up to grab his face. Pulling him towards her more. "Just say yes and kiss me."

Pin smiles and leans in until their lips meet. 

"Okay."

"Okay".