Page 91 of Spencer and the Younger Girl
He blew out a breath and averted his eyes. “Yeah, all good.”
Hadley pursed her lips and turned to distract herself by petting Harbinger. Spencer was hiding something, something big. She didn’t expect him to spill his guts to a girl he only made out with in empty offices and under remote trees. She wasn’t delusional. As much as he’d weaseled his way under her skin in such a short time, she knew they had an expiration date.
And boy, was it going to hurt when he left.
A breeze lifted the dark hair from his forehead, and he finally settled his attention on Harbinger. “Hey, buddy. If we hose you down, are you going to stay in one place?”
Harbinger snorted as if to say, “You’ll find out.”
Hadley rubbed a hand over his nose and into his matted mane. “We’re going to get you all pretty, Harbi.”
“Harbinger isn’t pretty,” Spencer grumbled. “He’s ruggedly handsome.”
She folded her lips to keep from laughing. “Very manly.” Leaning into Harbinger, she dropped her voice to a whisper. “And pretty.”
Spencer handed her the hose. “Use the light spray setting. Start at his legs and work your way up. I forgot the horse shampoo. I’ll be right back.” He ran toward the fence, climbed it easily, and continued on into the barn.
Hadley worked the water into Harbinger’s hair. “You’re a good boy, you know that, Harbi? Standing there all still. I’ll bet every other horse here would need to be tied up for this.” Harbinger may have had a temper, but in just the last few days he’d calmed down. Damien told her it was Spencer’s influence, that he’d always spoken to Harbinger on a different level than the rest of them.
They were meant to be together.
She rubbed water up his neck. “When he leaves again, I’ll come visit you. I promise. Neither of us will have to hurt alone.”
Spencer appeared carrying a big white bottle. “Got it!” He jogged back over, entering through the gate this time.
Shifting the hose to her other hand, Hadley lifted it, aiming before Spencer could see what she was doing. A stream of water struck him in the middle of the chest, drenching his shirt. He lifted his gaze slowly, his mouth dropping open.
Hadley held the hose behind her back as if it wasn’t there at all.
He dropped the bottle of soap on the ground and jumped toward her, trying to wrestle the hose away.
She shrieked as he got it from her and soaked her from head to toe. Water dripped into her eyes as she ran for him.
Harbinger retreated to the other side of the pen and promptly rolled on the ground.
Hadley only stopped for a moment to laugh at the horse before running after Spencer again. She jumped, and he caught her around the waist, driving them both into the dirt grappling for the hose.
Hadley came away with it, straddling Spencer to keep him from getting up. She aimed the hose like it was her greatest weapon. “One wrong move, and I won’t hesitate to use it.”
“Truce,” he wheezed.
“And what will you give me for this truce?” She leaned down, her face hovering over his.
“Anything.” His eyes darkened. “Everything.”
“I want you to…” She paused. “Say ‘Hadley is awesomesauce’.”
He laughed. “Is that it?”
“No. Tell me how much you wish I didn’t have to go back to school.” She only had a couple more days at the ranch before her real life intruded on their happy bubble. “And… that goats make awesome pets.”
“I’m not saying the last part.”
She raised the hose.
“Fine. Hadley is awesomesauce, and I wish the both of us could stay here forever.” He reached up to brush a wet strand of hair off her cheek. “I wish we could be these people, that this was our place.” His voice dropped. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to let you go.”
She’d leaned down closer until her lips were only a breath away from his. His words were perfect. She wished for those things too. So much. She didn’t want to go back to being the sarcastic girl people at school were intimidated by. Seeing herself through Spencer’s eyes was so much better.
