She forced the subject from her mind. There was only one thing that she was sure of, and that was the fact that she had an overactive imagination.
In the weeks that followed, she was careful to restrict her forays to walks down the drive, but she was getting restless. The wild hills were calling, as they had in her youth. Giddon kept the lawn mown short to discourage snakes, but the rich green carpet wasn't nearly as enticing as the tangle of brush that threatened to invade the area around the house. Still, the draw of the mysterious path crept into her subconscious. Some nights, dreams took her on a stealthy walk down the path, taking advantage of every bush for cover. The path became more indistinct with each step, eventually coming to an end in dense underbrush.
By day, the mystery lurked in every look exchanged between Sarah and Giddon. It even found its way into her writing. The tablet that she tucked under her mattress at night contained all sorts of conclusions at the end of that trail.
One evening, close to suppertime, Lisa, Tammy and Sarah were lounging around the pool. Tammy jumped from her seat beside the pool and pointed a finger excitedly at a horse, which was grazing by the fence close to the house.
"Dabble!" She said.
The horse lifted its head and nickered in the direction of the path.
"Dabble?" Lisa asked, as she gazed at the beautiful buckskin gelding.
Sarah laughed. "Diablo. He's Yancey's method of relieving stress and getting away from us women once in a while."
Silently, Giddon emerged from the path, carrying a saddle and halter. Diablo trotted over to welcome his master, nuzzling and nickering. Giddon paid no attention to the three at the pool, patting Diablo's nose and talking softly to him as if no one was around. He dropped the saddle to the ground and slipped a halter over the horses' nose. Diablo stood hip-shod, his eyes half-closed as Giddon tossed a saddle blanket over his back and then swung up the saddle. He reached under the horse and tightened the cinch, which finally brought Diablo to attention. As Giddon grabbed the reins, Diablo turned his head to look at his master. Giddon mounted smoothly and turned Diablo toward the gate. He leaned over to unlatch the gate and then rode through, heading down the drive toward the road. Not once did he look in their direction.
Lisa rose from her chair and glanced down at Sarah. "It's getting close to supper, so I'd better go in. Do you want to watch Tammy?"