“Not willin’ to share him now, though. Not with the real live Jerry Taylor,” Rick says, addressing the horse as he goes back into the barn and starts cleaning the stall. “But I can’t hate him. No matter what happens now.”
Shadow looks up as Rick continues.
“Jerry loved Ed and weren’t his fault things didn’t work out.” He throws this last outburst over his shoulder to Shadow, who is finishing his breakfast. Shadow doesn’t offer any comment.
Rick returns to the house for his own breakfast, but once he arrives in the kitchen, he has no appetite. Instead he goes back into the living room, retrieves the glass from the night before, and pours himself a double from the bottle still on the table. He sits in the overstuffed chair and regards his liquid breakfast.
“I ‘member some pretty nice br
