Page 11 of Love, Hate, Love

I shrugged. “Maybe I did. Either way, I’m glad she’s not causing you problems at the moment.”

Leah glanced across the field, and our eyes locked for a second. She looked away first, and I forced myself to turn to Chuck.

He threw up a hand. “See? You just did it again. You make it sound like there are going to be problems.”

“It’s not a figment of my imagination. I do remember telling you why she’s here. My concerns are not unfounded,” I said.

“And I’m an old man who’s seen a few things in his time. I can tell a good apple from a rotten one. I don’t know why she did what she did, but that girl there is not rotten.” He pointed in her direction, as if I needed the reminder she was right across the field, or in the cabin only a few minutes’ walk away last night. I might as well have a tracking device on her with how aware I was of her movements, whether I wanted to be or not.

As long as I kept my distance, maybe this wouldn’t be the five-alarm fire I feared. Standing here talking about her wasn’t helping, though. I was already thinking about her every minute of the day.

“I’m not here to debate her situation. I’ve got to call Marvin,” I said.

“Do you think you can get him down on the insemination doses? That stallion? He’s got some good bloodlines, but Marvin is pricing his semen like he is shootin’ golden bullets.”

“I’m trying to negotiate.” I tilted my head to where Leah was. “Just keep her busy and not too close to the house if you can help it.”

Chuck laughed. “Go hide in your office. I’ll try to keep the scary little girl away from you.”

Sometimes I loved that old guy and sometimes I wanted to strangle him.

I might’ve argued, but shedidscare me, to my absolute core. How was I going to make it a year like this? I’d have to take some trips, break it up. I’d basically have to figure out a way to escape my own ranch on a regular basis.

I leanedback in the office chair, having just hung up with the last call I’d had to make. The sun had just set and I’d barely been outside all day, let alone checked on my pregnant mare, which was my habit. I grabbed my jacket and headed out to the stables.

The horses were all bedded down for the night, and the lights off. I didn’t need them on, though. I’d been out here every single day when this place was getting built. The only thing that threw me was hearing a soft voice as I walked the length of the stable.

The door was cracked open when I got to the mare’s stall and slowed my step.

“It’s all right. You’re all right,” Leah was saying softly.

I crept up slowly, staying in the shadows as she came into view. She was running a hand over my horse’s neck, whispering softly to her as the horse nuzzled her shoulder.

Leah stopped speaking, spotting me out of the corner of her eye.

“I’m surprised you’re still up,” I said when she didn’t appear inclined to speak.

She didn’t turn fully toward me, even now, as if she were trying to avoid my presence as much as I was hers.

“She was restless earlier today. I wanted to check on her before I called it a day.”

“She looks calm enough now,” I said, not sure why I couldn’t stop myself from talking to her. Even as I told myself to leave, I was walking closer instead.

“Princess?” she asked, raising a brow at the mare’s name that was clearly written beside her stall.

“Chuck’s granddaughter picked it,” I said.

Chuck didn’t have a granddaughter, but she didn’t need to know that. I’d already made enough of a mistake by bringing her here. I wasn’t doubling down by giving her the impression that there were any feelings between us. The only thing going on was a leftover physical attraction, a crushing need to kiss her that was nearly all consuming, and that was only because she was beautiful. I wouldn’t be a straight man if I didn’t want to kiss her.

If she was disappointed, it didn’t show.

The time stretched out silently, my urge to touch her growing to an alarming level, and I forced myself to take a step back out of the stall before I stepped all the way forward.

“Don’t stay up too late. We rise early here.”

She glanced over, her face a mask, any glimpse of what she was thinking securely locked away from me.

I backed out of the stall wondering why I had to constantly take a jab. Why I had to poke at her, trying to dig for that girl I knew, see what was really still there when it didn’t matter.

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