Morgan plucked the tester from her pocket and stuck the ground line into the earth before checking the strands. All lit up. She paced the remainder of the pasture just in case, but by the time she returned to Stevie she’d established a solid perimeter.

“We good?” Stevie asked.

“We’re good.”

Stevie beamed. Morgan still didn’t know how she felt about Stevie’s impromptu decision to adopt Olive. Sure, the horse was sweet, and yes she had survived her bout of colic, but horses were expensive. She had no idea how Stevie was planning to pay off Olive’s bills, let alone the cost of upkeep on her technician’s salary. Not that it was her business.

“Want to go get her?”

“Hell fucking yeah. Let me get Ange.”

Stevie sprinted across the field while Morgan followed at a walk. Lillian was still at work or else she would no doubt have wanted to come too, but Morgan was relieved she could put off talking to Lillian for one more day. Broaching the subject of Ivy Holden was the last thing she wanted to do. It was hard enough keeping her foul mood under wraps so as not to ruin Stevie’s happiness.

Angie and Stevie chattered the whole drive to Morgan’s parents. Morgan even managed to crack a real smile as Stevie expressed her concern that Olive wouldn’t like her new home.

“She’s going to love it,” she said.

“What if she’s lonely?”

“Ooh, we can get a goat,” said Angie.

Morgan groaned. “This is how it begins; you know that, right?”

They pulled into her parents’ drive, and she backed up to the trailer. Stevie jumped out and began the process of hitching, calling out directions to Morgan.

“Love the way you back it up,” said Angie with a wink at Morgan.

Morgan snorted.

They loaded Olive without incident. She boarded willingly and with her usual tranquil curiosity, coaxed along by a few treats. Shannon hopped into the passenger seat when they’d finished shutting Olive in.

“Coming along for the ride?” Morgan asked.

“I’ve gotten attached to her.”

Morgan was willing to bet that was only half of what was driving her mother. The other half, she suspected, would become clear soon enough.

“Oh no,” said Angie when they were almost home.

“What?” Morgan asked, afraid something had fallen off the trailer.

Angie, however, was staring at her phone. “It’s Lil.”

“Is she okay?” Or had she found out about Ivy?

“Brian just dumped her.”

“No.” Stevie and Morgan broke into simultaneous outrage. While this wasn’t exactly a surprise, Morgan had been harboring a secret hope that Lillian would break things off before Brian could hurt her further. She hadn’t believed Brian capable of decisive action.

“Poor Lil,” said Angie.

“Although now you won’t be alone,” Stevie said to Morgan. “You two can be grumpy together.”

“Why are you grumpy?” asked Shannon.