CHAPTER 2

"This is the farm's office. Our daughter keeps all the papers related to the farm in those folders... bills, debts, bank reports... Everything is there."

After the talk in the kitchen, Mr Snyder had taken Andrew to the farm office. They passed by the main living room, cosy and also decorated with simplicity but with beauty, then followed a corridor with some wooden doors. The man opened one of them and motioned for Andrew to come inside.

The angel's eyes scanned the room and he was glad to see that it was neatly organised, with older folders stored in a shelf and the newer ones over the desk. There were some other papers on it too and Mr Snyder explained that his daughter kept the documents related to the horses in the drawers.

"Everything is perfect. I'll start working right now if it's alright with you." Andrew spoke, wishing nothing but to help that family.

"Oh, yes, of course, if you prefer. Later, I'll take you to see the rest of the house, its outside and the guest house where you and Monica will stay with the other employees. Mrs Davidson is our housekeeper and went downtown with Caroline, they should be here soon. You'll also meet Justin, our jockey, Rafael takes care of the stables and Ted is our gardener."

"Dad?"

A female voice suddenly interrupted their conversation and they looked at the office door to see a young woman, with shoulder length dark hair and green eyes and wearing blue jeans and boots combined with a plaid long sleeved shirt. The tone of her voice was serene but a more attentive look could realise the hint of worry in the depth of her eyes.

"Hey, Caroline! I'm glad you arrived. This is Andrew, our accountant!" The man introduced. "Andrew, this is my daughter Caroline."

"It's very nice to meet you, Andrew. I'm glad you replied to our ad because I was up to the point of selling the farm." She said, shaking hands with him.

"Nice to meet you, Ms Snyder. Your parents explained the situation and be sure we'll find a way to solve the crisis."

"Please call me Caroline. I hope so and soon. I don't think I'm ready to give everything up, especially our horses."

"Monica is taking care of them right now," Mr Snyder interrupted, "She's the new vet and answered the ad you put in the newspaper together with Andrew, they're friends."

"A vet too? I didn't think help would come that fast!"

"Your horses couldn't be in better hands, I can assure you." The blond angel spoke, imagining how entertained his dearest friend would be by that time, as he knew how much she loved being in contact with nature and animals – for her some of the most wonderful of God's creations.

As Mr Snyder said, later on both angels were introduced to the other members of the house. Mrs Davidson, the housekeeper, was in her sixties and had had been in the family since Caroline was a baby. She was a simple woman, with an honest look and a broad smile, who also seemed to be worried about the family's financial situation not because of her job itself, but because she liked the Snyder's as if they were her close relatives. Ted, the gardener, was a man of few words who liked to spend most time taking care of his flowers and other plants and it was easy to realise that they had been elected their best friends.

And they were also introduced to Ian and witnessed Caroline's apprehension when she received the news that Justin, the jockey, had just quit. Rafael, who greeted his angelic friends with a smile of complicity, had offered to take the other boy's place and train the horses and the Snyder's had no other option but to accept his proposal.

The first day in the farm passed by quickly, especially after lunchtime. Only when the sun started to set in the horizon did Andrew make a pause from his work –different papers and documents were now on the desk and he had been carefully studying one by one over the last hours.

But a certain absence caused him to leave his office and take a walk outside. The golden sunrays that shone over the green vegetation made the vast land look like a beautiful picture, bearing some resemblance to the scenario that the angel was accustomed to seeing in his Home.

He followed a trail that took him to the stables, and soon could hear the sounds made by their inhabitants. Despite the fact that it was still early spring, it had been a warm day and apart from the animals noises, the silence of the place made it a peaceful atmosphere. Andrew stopped walking when he spotted an open field with short green grass not far from the stables. There, another angel stood in front of a gorgeous mare, caressing its head, and after a few words of "encouragement" she took the animal's harness and guided her with slow steps and visible tenderness. It was amazing how the horse remained serene in her presence, instinctively putting its life in the hands of the heavenly creature and certain that she would take care of it.

Monica seemed to be in a trance as she gently conducted Amazing Grace along the field, and only the excited barks of a Border Collie who had been sitting on the ground attentively watching the angel took her out of her reverie. The dog soon came towards Andrew, determined to check on the stranger who dared to approach them. But he quickly sensed that he and Monica were made from the same essence.

"Hey, buddy! How are you doing, huh?" Andrew spoke, kneeling in front of the animal and greeting him by running a hand over his soft white fur. Brady acknowledged his presence by wagging his tail; his barking ceasing as he felt that the newcomer offered no harm.

Smiling, Monica watched as her dear friend walked in her direction now followed by her new guardian.

"So... this is Grace, the one you could not stop talking about during lunch!" he said, glad to see a joyful spark in her sweet doe-like eyes.

"Isn't she lovely, Andrew?" the Irish angel replied, gently caressing the flat spot beneath horse's brown eyes. Andrew reached out and touched the animal's soft brown fur; he too was enchanted by its beauty.

"She sure is, angel. A really beautiful mare. I hope her injuries aren't that bad."

"They are quite serious but I'm hoping to be able to treat them."

"Do you think she'll be able to run again?" he wanted to know, turning his eyes back at her.

"It's still too early to know. Let's see how she will respond to the treatment."

"How did she get hurt?" The blond angel was now observing the wound in Grace's back leg.

Monica knew exactly what had happened and who had been responsible for that. But she also knew how upset her dear friend would be if she told him everything about Ian and the way he mistreated the horses. And Andrew had already a lot to worry about with his assignment, it would not be fair to inflict more concern in his heart. "I believe during a training and probably a subsequent competition. It's hard to tell exactly because she had been like that for a while before I got the chance to examine her."

It was an honest answer.

Andrew nodded his head. "I understand. And I know you'll do everything you can to make her heal. Even if she cannot run in a competition again, at least to alleviate her suffering."

Monica let out a sigh. "I hope so... Grace and the other animals are... so special..."

The blond angel chuckled at hearing those words. She was getting attached. She always did, especially when it came about animals. "And I see you got yourself a boyfriend!" he joked, looking down at Brady, who was sitting on the grass and paying close attention to the angels' talk.

Giggling, she too looked at the dog, who immediately wagged his tail in response to her gaze. "I'm glad you and Brady got along quite well just from the start!"

"He was watching over you like a real protector, how could I not like him from the start? Besides, it looks like I won't have to worry about your outings in the farm since this buddy here seems to be following you anywhere you go!"

Hearing that, Monica gazed up at him and narrowed her eyes with a slightly shocked expression on her face. "Are you insinuating anything about my sense of direction?"

Making a huge effort not to laugh, the blond angel shook his head. "Oh, no, not at all, angel... What I mean is that you are a nature admirer and could easily get quite entertained by this obviously beautiful view so I'm happy that there'll be 'someone' to show you around as this is new territory for you..."

He hoped he had found the right words and in fact he did, as the charming smile that would always captivate him was back on her lips on the following instant. "You have a point there, Andrew. Having Brady to show me around this beautiful farm is a lovely thought!"

"It is. But now..." His soft green eyes turned up to the orange sky for a moment and then back to meet her brown ones. "I wonder if you would like to share this sunset with me?" He said, reaching out to take her hand.

She looked at their intertwined fingers and nodded with enthusiasm. "I would love to!"