Page 16 of Make Me Whole
Hailey glared at me; her lips pulled into a thin line. I got the feeling she had a hard time keeping whatever insult she wanted to spew at me to herself.
"You have to be firm yet gentle." I strode to where she was standing. "Like this." Our fingers brushed when I took the fork from her hand. Again, electricity zipped through me at the speed of light. Doing my best to ignore it, I demonstrated the correct way to muck.
I took extra care not to touch her when I held out the handle for her to take. Her brows furrowed in what seemed to be deep concentration as she tried to repeat what I'd shown her.
She made an even bigger mess.
At this rate it was going to take the entire day just to do Max's stall. Time I didn't have since I had a riding lesson to give not too long from now. Without really thinking it through, I positioned myself behind her. I reached around and covered her hands with mine, essentially trapping her inside my arms.
Her breath hitched at the same time I realized how close we were. That subtle scent of hers wreaking havoc inside me. Definitely not one of my best ideas. But I couldn't back away now; it would look weird. I had to see this through, no matter how difficult it was going to be.
"All right." There was no way she didn't catch the strain in my voice. Swallowing hard, I moved our hands into the correct position. "We're gonna have to bend to scoop up the—"
"Okay," it was barely a whisper.
I didn't allow myself to think about what that could possibly mean. I couldn't. Focusing all my attention on the task at hand, Hailey and I moved together as I walked her through the task of mucking.
The instant we straightened; I took two giant steps backward. My entire body was on fire, burning with need for this woman. When she turned to face me, I shoved my hands into my pockets to keep myself from grabbing her.
My gaze snapped to her hand as she reached behind her to toy with her dark ponytail. Inside my pockets, I balled my fists. What would it feel like to run my fingers through those tresses?
Shit, shit, and shit.
I needed to get the hell away from this woman and I needed to do it now. "Now that I've shown you the right way, you should be good to do it on your own." I stepped backward.
"You're leaving?"
"Well, yes." Another step back. "There's a lot that needs doing. I can't be wasting precious light by holding your hand all damn day."
"Wow. Okay. Yeah." I wasn't certain, but I could've sworn I saw hurt flashing in her eyes. "I'll find Sawyer if I need help."
Immediately, my brain conjured up an image of my friend touching Hailey. Of them laughing and having fun together while cleaning the stalls. I almost choked on the anger that wanted to bubble to the surface.
This was so unlike me; it wasn't even funny.
I didn't care if Sawyer picked up a girl I'd been with or even if he flirted with women I was mildly attracted to. I just didn't. But the thought of Hailey merely smiling at him, had my blood boiling.
It was a very unwelcome feeling.
My jaw clenched in irritation. "You do that."
She stood a little taller, her chin tilted in that defiant manner again. "I will."
"Fine."
"Fine."
The hell was wrong with me? I wanted to pull my hair in frustration but opted to pivot and stomp out of the barn. Once outside, I continued to walk until I reached the pen. Hoping beyond hopes the horses would calm me.
No such luck.
My blood still boiled with a mixture of anger and need. I wanted to stomp back into the barn, push my fingers into Hailey's hair and kiss her until the only name on her lips was mine.
"Fu—"
"Careful, you can't say that in front of the little people."
My brows furrowed as I spun around only to find Sawyer standing there, a look of amusement on his face. Two young boys with equally wide grins, flanking him.
My gaze went from boy to boy before settling on my friend. "Today's students?" When he nodded, I added, "Great."
Sawyer placed a hand on each of the boys' shoulder. Speaking softly, he said, "Why don't you guys go over there—" he pointed toward the farthest side of the fence "—and pick out a horse you like best. Just remember to stay on this side of the fence, okay?" The kids didn't have to be asked twice. Their excited ramblings filled the air as they rushed off.
"You're in a mood," Sawyer stated, his voice low so only I could here. "Let me take today's lessons."
"I'm always in a mood according to you."
"True." He nodded. "Today's one seems different."
With a pinch to the bridge of my nose, I blew out a heavy sigh. "I'm fine, Sawyer. I can do the lessons." My eyes darted to the barn. I had no other choice than to do it because there was no way in hell I could walk back into that barn and not act on everything I was feeling.
