Page 24 of Hot Ice, Tennessee

“I’ll be damned,” I said. “Well, two things: I hate your ex, first of all. And second, get your ass over here and meet my horses.”

I could hear Chomp from the moment we walked into the stables. I walked to each pen with the electric lantern, introducing Jesse to Chomp, Maisie, Pippa, and Hopper. I checked all of their water and refreshed Chomp’s grain, butother than that, the horses seemed to have done very well after the storm.

“They seem so happy,” Jesse said, stroking Maisie’s mane. “Is this girl a Morgan?”

“Chestnut Morgan, you got it,” I said.

“And I definitely saw a Clydesdale down there,” Jesse said, looking down a few pens.

“That’s Hopper. Gentle giant. A lot of people’s favorite to ride. Although Chomp, the one with the spots on his hind leg, is also a favorite. Pippa’s my quarter pony and she’s a diva, but carrots are the secret weapon that can endear her to anybody.”

“They’re all so sweet,” Jesse said, his expression more peaceful than I’d seen it all night.

Can always tell somebody’s a good egg if Maisie likes ‘em. That’s what my dad always used to say, when new people came around to meet the horses.

Well, right now it was abundantly clear that Maisie liked Jesse. She snorted gently, nuzzling against his arm, and he smiled, leaning up against her.

“You can come out to ride anytime you want,” I offered. “I’m told I’m a good teacher. Promise I won’t ever bitch you out again like I did in the car.”

“Is that right?”

“Scout’s honor.”

I caught a hint of a smile as he looked down at the ground. “If I can fit it in, that would be amazing. I’ve got summer league practices and games, and I’m back in summer classes starting next week. But I could find some time.”

“They love people. The more the merrier. My dad used to be around a lot, but even with Finn and my other ranch hand, it’s still a ton of work now that it’s mostly just me around here.”

No sob story. No Mopey Mason Minton.

Don’t make it sound like you’re a lonely ranch hand.

“Sweeter than fuckin’ hell,” he said, giving Maisie one last pat on her side. “Can we exchange numbers? I’ll text or call if I have a spare day to come ride.”

“They love people,” I said. “They’ll be happy any time you want to come around.”

He held out his phone and I entered my number. He gave me his, too, and then shook his head.

“Wow. You moved from yelling at me, to worrying I’m a murderer, to offering me riding lessons in one night?”

“Correction,” I said, “I tried to fuck you, then realized what a gigantic mistake that was the moment I found out who you were. Then I moved on to the yelling and the worrying.”

My words hung in the air, and Jesse’s eyes went wide, illuminated by the lantern. “That’s some honesty, right there.”

My heart was beating faster. “Little too much honesty, I think. But I didn’t want you going home thinking I… yelled at you like that for any other reason.”

“You were just trying to scare me off?” he asked. “Because deep down you want to fuck me?”

I rolled my eyes. “Wantedto. Past tense. Never going to happen now, obviously, and I know you wouldn’t have wanted it anyway.”

“I’m still flattered.”

“Well, quit it,” I said. “But I do like you, okay? Don’t make me regret saying so.”

He leaned against one of the wooden poles near Maisie’s stable, his biceps so chiseled it was almost painful for me to look at. The hint of a smile landed on his face, and I was pretty sure he’d noticed me checking him out. For the first time, I saw that he had the faintest dusting of freckles at the tops of his cheeks.

I turned away, still questioning whether or not I should have just let him keep thinking I was an uninterested, angry prick.

“Let’s head back in,” I said.

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