But overlaying it all was the memory of Mac pinning her arms behind her back while Amie pawed at her clothes and exposed her naked body to Mac and his laughing, crowing mates.

The fear.

The humiliation.

The shame.

As she couldn’t express that without trampling on Grady’s enduring love for Mac and opening up floodgates she’d successfully barricaded shut for nearly two decades, it was a relief to spot Bertie Piercy abandoning his stool beside Gabe at the bar and making a beeline for them

‘Mind if I join you?’ he puffed through his white beard. He pulled up a chair and plonked himself and his foaming glass of beer down. ‘Gabe’s angry with me so I thought I’d give him a few minutes.’

Laurel was happy to abandon her negative emotions around Mac Cassidy and let sympathy for Bertie creep into her heart. Bertie looked so down in the mouth … though she couldn’t actually see much of his mouth with that beard.

‘What’s up?’ she asked.

‘Gabe can get angry?’ Grady marvelled, at the same time. ‘What have you done?’ He showed no sign of impatience with the old guy for sitting down uninvited.

Bertie swigged his beer and licked the froth from his moustache, which made Laurel feel vaguely ill. ‘He’s cross with me for buying Dave.’

Grady laughed. ‘Maybe if you gave the pony her more dignified name of “Daybreak” …?’

A smile stirred in the depths of the white forest that hid the lower half of Bertie’s face. ‘He doesn’t think that’s funny,’ he conceded. ‘I came clean and told him I’d bought Dave – Daybreak – for him, not to keep Snobby company. You see, I’m worried because Snobby won’t last much longer. My plan was that if Gabe had Dave, he’d be able to cope with losing Snobby better.’

‘Oh dear,’ Laurel said gently. ‘But Gabe’s right that Daybreak probably isn’t used to being driven and Gabe doesn’t ride. Does Gabe even want to drive a pony again? Isn’t he over seventy? The responsibility of a pony in all weathers – and the expense – might not be what he’s looking for.’

Bertie winced and stroked the side of his head theatrically. ‘That’s what the ear-bashing was about. And that he knows Snobby will go and doesn’t need me rubbing his nose in that.’

‘Maybe there’s someone in the village who’d love a free ride in exchange for looking after Daybreak,’ Grady offered sympathetically.

‘I said that.’ Bertie raised his beer as if making an exclamation mark. Then turned to appeal to Laurel. ‘Can’t you do it, dear? You looked wonderful on her the other day.’

‘Gabe’s already asked.’ She gave the wrinkled hand a pat. ‘Maybe on the odd occasion but she needs a proper home with a stable, a full-time rider and lots of love.’