“Yeah, I hurt her.” Hayes sighed dramatically, adjusting his designer watch. “I hated doing that to her, but I’m a professional so I won’t do anything to disrupt my job. I think you’ll have to keep more of an eye on her. I know she’s still upset over the break-up.” Seth stared at him, taking in the smug smile and practiced concern. What an egotistical prick.
“You’ll have to come back Monday for questions. It’s too late today,” Seth said flatly. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to take care of my horse.” Zephyr pawed at the ground impatiently, as if sharing his irritation.
“Uh, yeah, sure. Any particular time?” Sean checked his watch again, unnecessarily.
“Monday through Friday, eight or eight thirty. I’m here, unless I have a meeting with a client. Wear proper clothes, jeans, boots, T-shirt, along with a light jacket or flannel shirt and a hat. I don’t know how much snow we’re expecting, so be prepared,” Seth’s tone made it clear the conversation was over.
“Alright. I’ll see you Monday. Enjoy the rest of your day.” Hayes nodded with a practiced smile, then Seth guided Zephyr into the cool darkness of the barn and dismounted.
He spotted Ryan walking toward him as she cooled down her horse, her boots leaving distinct prints in the dusty aisle. She stopped beside him, the scent of leather and horses surrounding them both.
“So,” she asked, blowing a stray strand of hair from her flushed face, “what lies did he tell you about me and him?”
“He told me he broke up with you,” Seth said, fighting the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
“Oooh! He didnotbreak up with me.” Ryan’s cheeks flushed crimson as she dropped the reins, the worn straps slapping against the dusty barn floor. She stormed toward the double doors, sunlight streaming through the windows in the roof.
Seth abandoned his horse’s reins and hurried after her, boots crunching on scattered hay. His fingers caught her arm, but she wrenched away, her hair whipping across her shoulder as she continued her determined march. Seth exhaled heavily, his breath stirring the dancing dust motes in the golden afternoon light, then sprinted after her again. This time, he encircled her waist with his arm, the fabric of her shirt soft against his skin as he pivoted her around and guided her back to Pearl.
Ryan halted, her blue eyes flashing as they locked with his.
“He’s lying,” she said, her voice quivering slightly despite her attempt to sound steady.
“I know he is. He’s a first-class jerk.” Seth’s jaw tightened, and he could feel a muscle flexing along his cheek.
“He thinks his blond hair and blue eyes are what every woman wants.” Ryan’s fingers twisted nervously in Pearl’s silky mane. “He’s completely delusional.”
“You’re not telling me anything I hadn’t already figured out in mere seconds of meeting the man.” Seth leaned against the rough-hewn stall door, the wood creaking under his weight.
“It makes me so angry that he said that.” Her knuckles whitened around the reins. “He probably tells everyone that same story.”
“If people know him, they’ll know he’s lying. It doesn’t take long to figure him out.”
Ryan inhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling beneath her dirt-smudged shirt, and Seth deliberately fixed his gaze on the cobwebbed rafters overhead.
“Yes, you’re probably right,” she conceded, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
“Probably? Woman, I’m dead sure.” He smiled when she laughed, the sound echoing in the barn. “Men like him are a dime a dozen and you were smart enough to drop him.”
“I’ll take a lot of things, but I will not take a cheater back. Been there, done that.” She straightened her spine, determination hardening her delicate features.
“I feel the same way.” He nodded toward Pearl, whose coat glistened with sweat in the light. “Once you get Pearl cooled down, you can head out if you want. Not much more we can do today. We’ll be planting the corn Monday when the morning dew burns off.”
“Alright. Thanks.” She massaged her temple with slender fingers. “I need to take a long soak. I am so tense now that he’s here.” She looked out the doors. “I can’t believe the snow.”
“I’m hoping it won’t amount to much,” Seth agreed, his eyes lingering on her retreating form as she led Pearl to her stall. “Hey, it looks like you got down from the horse alright.” He raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, Cull helped me,” she said as she closed the stall gate, then walked out of the barn.
“Cull helped her? Shit, it shouldn’t matter, Harrison.”
After he finished cooling Zephyr and giving him oats and fresh water, he walked from the barn to head inside to grab a shower.
****
Ryan pulled up to the cabin, her tires crunching on the gravel driveway. She sat there staring through the dusty windshield, her eyes unfocused, mind replaying the day’s frustrations. The sky was dark and gray, as she glanced over at Alyssa’s cabin, noting the empty parking spot where Alyssa’s rental should have been.
With a deep sigh that seemed to come from her very core, she pushed open the door, her boots hitting the packed earth with a thud. Her shoulders slumped as she trudged up the wooden steps, fumbling with her keychain until she found the key. The door swung open, revealing the cozy interior scented with pine.
