Page 24 of Home Hearts Hooves

“Have not,” I reply, my voice getting all pitchy. No way is he letting that go.

“Okay, spill,” he says, grabbing my arm and turning me to face him. “You only talk like a schoolboy just before his balls drop when you’re hiding something.”

“I’m not hiding anything,” I say, shrugging out of his grasp and picking up my pace toward cabin seven. It’s the smallest cabin we have built, but it is one of the best. Like the others, it sits on a trailer so it can be moved around the grounds if necessary or sold if we ever decide to stop renting them out. It has a cute little porch just big enough for a single rocker to the right of the door and like every other time Nial is near it, he jogs past me like we’re in some kind of race and drops his ass into it so hard the thing swings back, knocking against the wall before he crosses one leg over his other knee and starts rocking back and forth like an old man surveying the neighborhood.

“Now see here, sonny,” he says in anoldcrotchety voice as he waves a finger my way. “You tell me what you’re hiding, boy, or I’ll whip it out of you.”

My eyebrows pick upasdoes my smirk.

“I’d like to see you try,” I say, and he points at me.

“Ah ha! So there is something. Come on, tell me. I swear I’ll be the supporting brother.”

“Do you even know how?”

“Mean.”

“Sorry,” I say, taking off my hat and running my fingers through my hair. It’s damp with sweat, and as the cool air slips behind my fingers, it brings a familiar relief. “I…met someone, but now I think they aren’t interested.”

“You met a guy?”

“Yeah.”

“When?”

“Why does that matter?”

He leans back in the rocker and folds his arms over his chest.

“It doesn’t, but I’m trying to think of the last time you left this farm, and truth be telling, I can’t remember a single day in the last month, you don’t do apps, and your room is right near that floorboard that creaks so loud it sound like the house is falling apart, so you aren’t sneaking off late at night to go into town, unless it’s one of the team… oh shit, was it a guest? Was it that tall skinny guythat wouldonly wear suits, even when riding the horses?”

“Mr. Matheson was here on a team-building retreat with hisstaff,and his wife.”

Nial shrugs. “Wouldn’t be the first guy to ask what it’s like on the other side of the fence. Not me, but no judgment here, you know that. I’m thebestestgay brother or brother of the gays. Is that a thing? It should be a thing. I could get shirts made.

“Pretty sure it never needs to be a thing. Please don’t spend ranch money on shirts.”

“Fine. But seriously, this guy. Why don’t you think they’re interested?”

Other than the fact that Preston seems to be only coming to the ranch while I am too busy to see himandwhen I have texted, his messages back are different now. Not rude. But not friendly either.

“His last few texts have all just been one-word replies.”

“That’s it?”

“Well… yeah, I guess.”

“He could just be busy.”

“He does have a pretty full-on job.” Preston handles all the farm animals in Bellerelleplusthe domestics in town. Nial climbs out of the rocker.

“See, it’s probably nothing to worry about.Hey, the spring fair is coming up,we’vegot our cuddle corner all teed up, invite the guy along.You can snuggle together with Seefer and Emfer.”

“Conner is never going to let you name any of the cows ever again, you know?” I laugh, but he shrugs.

“I already used up the two best names. Come on, they’re perfect for the miracle twins. C for cow and M for moo, Seefer and Emfer.”

“You’re an idiot.”

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