It didn’t smell like a barn, not yet. The acrid tang of fresh concrete and treated lumber hung in the air, and there was no fresh hay to bring its perfume, no horses to bring their scents to the mix. But there would be soon.

At least, Ivy hoped so. Seasoned competition horses were easy to move; they already had their passports, their papers in order. But the horses she had chosen to fill this barn were young and had never left Denmark. They were still waiting for the bureaucracy to grind to a slow conclusion.

Ivy ran her hand across the mesh stall front. It was a powder-coated navy, with brass caps. Other than the bedding guard at the bottom, the whole stall was mesh and grill, the front and the partitions both. The fronts were low, with a swinging door, allowing the horses to hang their heads over the whole length, and the aisle was plenty wide to avoid bites and other harassment. The automatic waterers hadn’t been turned on yet, the feed pans waiting to be filled, clipped to the outside of the stalls for easy access. The stalls were laid bare, the dull black of the stall mattresses reflecting a little of the sunlight from the translucent panels in the roof. Ivy hoped that it wouldn’t get too hot in the summer. If it did, she’d have to re-roof this barn. But the natural light was welcome.

And the floor was fabulous. Made of recycled rubber brick, the textured surface helped prevent slips, and the herringbone pattern was pleasing. Certainly easier on the hooves, and feet, for that matter. She’d be standing on these floors for more hours than the horses ever would. She went around the perimeter, swinging open the Dutch doors to let the wintry air dissipate the construction stink. The rolling doors at either end were already open, a stiff, cold breeze beginning to blow through.

Shivering a bit, Ivy pulled her hoodie closed and zipped it. The barn was ready. Everything had been carefully chosen here. Drainage was good, airflow was good, there had been no foundation to repair, no aging walls to shore up and bring back to plumb. It was incredibly satisfying to build a stable from the ground up. She felt something welling up, more than simple satisfaction, and she took a moment to examine the unfamiliar feeling. After a moment, she started to chuckle, then laugh unrestrained. After a whole lifetime of living in everyone else’s world, she was home.