Page 149 of Make Me Trust Again
There is a beat of silence as we just stare at one another before he shakes his head.
“Fucking hell, woman,” Chase groans, running his hand over his face. “You’ll be the death of me.”
“Good.” The corner of my mouth tips upward as I open the fridge, only to be met with almost empty shelves. “You seriously need to go shopping.”
“There are some eggs.”
I put the carton on the counter, along with the milk, before turning around and jabbing him in the chest. “Your eating habits leave a lot to be desired. You cannot live on eggs and frozen meals.”
“There is usually bacon, too, but I guess I ran out.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, exasperated. “That’s not the point.”
Shaking my head, I pull out the pan and bowl. I’d gotten familiar with his kitchen yesterday, but I wish I had broughtmore stuff from the cottage. Still, I manage to make a decent breakfast for us and take it out on the porch.
The dogs join us, too. Shadow lays down on the floor, while Teddy chews on the toy we got him. We’re done with breakfast when Chase’s phone pings with a message. He opens it, and I catch a glimpse of a photo of a horse and Maisie’s name on the top.
“Dammit,” Chase curses softly.
“What’s wrong?”
When I look up, I find a hard expression on his face. “Mae is being Mae.”
I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean, but he doesn’t seem happy. “I thought the shelter was only for dogs. Is she getting horses?”
“No, apparently she’s gettingmehorses.”
My brows shoot up. “Do you want horses?”
I distantly remember Chase helping his father on the ranch when we were little. I was terrified of horses, not that I actually had much contact with the animals, but Chase was a natural around them.
“I thought about getting one. Although, it’s been a while since I rode. Hell, I don’t even know if I can get up on the horse. But apparently, she found somebody who’s rehabilitating damaged horses, and they’re looking for a new home to take in two geldings.”
“Are you going to do it?”
“I don’t know.” He lets out a sigh, dropping his hand into his lap. “Horses are a lot of work.”
“Maybe, but I know you’d be good with them, especially the ones that have been hurt.” I place my hand over his, intertwining our fingers together. “You have more patience and kindness than anybody I know, Chase.”
His expression turns distant. I watch that serious face, the hard line of his jaw. What is he thinking about? It’s so hard to tell most of the time. He’s so good at reading me, and I wish I can say the same. I understand the man who’s hiding behind the hard exterior; I trust that man, but I wish I could understand his line of thinking, too.
A crunch of the gravel snaps me out of my thoughts. From the corner of my eye, I can see both dogs perk up their ears, and I turn around just in time to see an unfamiliar red car driving closer.
Chase’s body tenses next to mine. “Expecting somebody?”
“John’s supposed to bring Kyle today bu—” The words die on my lips when the car pulls to a stop next to my truck, and I catch a glimpse of the person sitting in the driver’s seat.
“You’ve gotta be shitting me.”
I get to my feet just as the driver’s door opens, and none other than Lucy Donovan gets out. She’s perfectly put together, not a strand out of place as her eyes take me in, gaze narrowing just as I feel a warm body stand behind me. Not quite touching, but enough so I can feel his presence, his silent support. The corner of her mouth lifts in a smirk as her gaze darts over my shoulder before returning to me. “Well, well, well… Am I interrupting something?”
There is no missing the innuendo in her tone, or her judging gaze fixed on my body, that reminds me that I’m still clearly only dressed in just one of Chase’s shirts. Still, I grind my teeth and lift my chin higher. I will not let the woman, who slept with my husband when we were still very much married, shame me for being with somebody else. Somebody who treats me way better than John ever did. “What do you want, Lucy? Got lost on your way to town?”
Her eyes narrow at me. She’s clearly annoyed that I’m not taking her bait. Good. “No, I was?—”
Just then, the back door opens, and Kyle gets out of the car. My stomach turns with unease, fingers curling. “Why is Kyle with you?”
“Because John’s busy, so he asked me to drop him off.”
