Page 57 of Rival
My smile falls and I try to get closer, holding my hand out to him. “Come on, baby boy. It’s alright. Why don’t you show me how smart you are and pick up the ball?”
He inches forward and blows air from his nostrils over the toy, then picks it up again. Tossing it with his mouth, he jerks his head up and down, making it swing around, and I can’t stop the giggle from escaping when he seems to enjoy it.
Folding my arms across the top of the gate, I watch him play for a bit as he gets more and more into it, his tail whipping around as he shifts around in his stall. He drops it a few more times, but he doesn’t shy away from it now. He quickly picksit up and tosses it around again, and I feel as if I’ve done something wonderful.
Sighing in pleasure, I stretch my arm out again and graze my fingers over his fur I can just barely reach. “I need to go feed the babies now, but you enjoy this. I’ll be back to play with you later.” Hoping down from the ledge I was standing on, I pause and turn back to him, then add, “Don’t tell Mason. I’m not sure he’ll love that I brought you something, but I think you deserve some happiness.”
Scurrying out of the barn, I leave Austin behind as he continues to play with his toy and find my kittens. Dropping to my knees, I cuddle Bonnie into my chest and rub my cheek against her face as she purrs and kneads her paws against me while Buck flies everywhere, chasing a piece of straw.
I hope Mason will let them stay when I eventually have to stop working here. I’m sure that this won’t last forever, but they’ve just begun their lives and they deserve to be well loved.
Everyone does.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mason
“Good morning, Austin. You’re a good boy today, aren’t you?”
The sound of her voice surprises me and I jerk my head up to listen more closely. I got here early to saddle my horse up for a ride into the field this morning, but I wasn’t expecting to find Edith.
“Listen, I might have a friend who’s got these amazing horse toys, and he gave me one just for you. Would you like to see?”
I frown.Who the fuck is this friend she’s talking about?Obviously, she has no idea I’m here, so I keep my steps silent as I head toward Austin’s stall and find her standing on the wood frame of his gate, reaching into his stall.
She’s holding herself stiffly, moving slowly as if she’s sore after a long workout. Maybe she’s one of those people who needs to move for a bit in the morning before they’re feeling more like themselves, but I narrow my eyes to watch her, anyway. I’ve been working her hard since she started here. Combine that with the extra job of building the barn? I imagine she’s exhausting herself.
Even I would find that kind of schedule difficult to maintain. I don’t see a lunch bag anywhere, only a ball with a rope attached to it, and I frown in displeasure that she didn’t plan appropriately for lunch once again.
Now that she’s in my line of vision, I’m able to hear her more clearly.
“If you let me pet you, I promise I’ll show you what I’ve got. It’s a real great toy. I’ve heard all the horses love it. Do you believe me?”
I have to bite my cheek to stop from laughing. She’s talking to him as if he’s a real person, which is ridiculous. Austin is a good horse, but he’s a grumpy bastard. I’m surprised he’s even giving her the time of day right now.
Edith steps down from the gate and picks up the ball at her feet, then holds it out to him. I’ve seen something like it before, but it never crossed my mind to grab it from the store before. Or make him one. He’s never been an animal interested in that kind of shit and frankly, I’ve never been bothered to play with him. He’s a working horse, for fuck’s sake.
It pisses me off that I find it sexy as hell when she bends over to grab the toy and I notice the curve of her ass. I shouldn’t be getting hard over Clayborn’s daughter, but here I am wanting to keep her just like that and yank her pants down to explore what’s hidden.
Her next words bring me up short and I scowl at the insinuation she has to ask permission to bring him something. She lifts the toy over the gate and holds it out to him as she murmurs sweet words to my fucking horse.
“If Mason will let me, next time I come, I’ll bring you a treat. But are you ready to see what I’ve brought you?”
As she leans over the gate, I’m fucking shocked when Austin takes the toy from her and starts playing with it. Thismotherfucker is acting like a foal, swinging this thing around like it’s God’s gift to mankind.
Her laughter warms me, forcing me to step away because I feel myself getting more and more intrigued by her. I bump into a pile of equipment, knocking it over, then wince when I see her looking around to see where the noise came from.
I freeze, hoping she doesn’t see me. Eventually, Edith drags her eyes away and keeps up her montage of sweet and cajoling murmurs to my boy. Instead of staying around, I force myself to leave and head over to the storage barn where her cats are staying.
As soon as I walk in, they’re both meowing at my feet for attention, and I do my best to ignore them. The male, the first one she brought and named Buck, is easy to ignore. He’s hopping around and racing in front of me to get into everything under the sun. But it’s the little lady I’ll admit has my heart.
The purrs coming from her tiny body have me melting and bending over to pick her up. “Hey there, Bonnie,” I whisper, running a finger over the bridge of her nose. I’ll never admit that I’ve snuck out here a few times to tuck her into my chest while I get things sorted, but she really is a sweet little kitten.
I hear the door open to the barn and know Edith has arrived. Setting Bonnie down, I let her and her brother scamper off to find their momma while I finish with my tasks.
Austin should have already been saddled and prepared to go out, but I just didn’t have the heart to interrupt the two of them.
I can hear her murmuring to the kittens while filling their food and water bowls. I’d love to give them more time, but we’ve got shit to get done today.
