“Yes, sir,” the boy said solemnly. The two siblings looked at each other, and Summer gave a short, sharp nod, which Laurence returned. Then she resolutely turned her face forward, holding on to the saddlehorn.
Squeezing her hand only briefly, he murmured lowly to Buttons before setting off, trotting near silently through the forests as they headed towards the Hale lands. After quite some time, he sighed despondently and brought the horse to a stop, needing to stretch his legs. “Do you hate me, Miss Summer?”
She reached out and put her hands on his shoulders, sliding down from the horse. Standing there, that close to him, she couldn’t hate him. “No,” she said softly. “No, I do not hate you.” Her legs trembled, and she sank to the ground. “I’m not sure how I feel.”