“She didn’t get hit by a truck, sugar.” The endearment scorched my tongue the second I carelessly said it. Delilah’s head jerked back, and for one raw, painful second, neither of us breathed. “Delilah,” I snapped, the correction hard and ugly, like shoving her name between us like a wall.
She cleared her throat. “You don’t know that,” she said quietly, not bringing more attention to my slip-up. The kindness was uncommon for her. She loved to torment. But her gaze was distraught, that brilliant hazel dull with concern, and I hated it. I wanted to fix it. “She’s my favorite horse, Em,” she whispered.
Out of all the names she’d hurled at me over the years, Em hadn’t been one of them. Even so, I’d never reacted to it likethis—with a heart pounding, breath catching, kind of longing to hear it again.
Facing her, I glanced to make sure no one was around and grabbed her hand. She was shaking. “I know. I’m gonna find her, okay? I’ll take care of it.”
Delilah nodded, eyes focused on me. “Okay.”
“You help Claire with the other six, alright?” My voice came out soft, far softer than it should’ve. My mind was slipping the longer we stood like this. Drifting back to that place I went to last night, the one where I wanted to take care of her, shield her, worship her…shatter her just to put her back together.
“I’m gonna go to the south pasture,” Claire said, walking a saddled Duke past us. Delilah yanked her hand from mine, and I stumbled back so fast I nearly crashed into Birch. My fingers fumbled with his stirrups, pretending to check them like they hadn’t already been perfect.
Claire hadn’t even looked in our direction, but if she had, we would’ve been screwed. And that was exactly why I needed to stay far,faraway from Delilah. At least until I got my head on straight when it involved her.
“I’m coming too,” Delilah replied, her voice too high as she ran out of Birch’s stall without a second glance.
I hopped on Birch and rode in the opposite direction, determined not to come back without Willow.
I looked everywhere for that damn horse. All over the property, along the highway a mile in either direction, everywhere I could think of, and she was nowhere to be found. Birch was exhausted, and my mind was fried, so I took him to the creek to take a break—we both needed it.
Dropping Birch’s saddle on a log, I sat down and racked my brain. How could a horse just vanish?
This was exactly why I hadn’t been with anyone in so long. Because finding Willow suddenly mattered more. Far more than it would have if this had happened two days ago. Of course, I’d still be looking, but I wouldn’t feel personally responsible. I wouldn’t keep thinking about Delilah’s panic. And I wouldn’t be consumed with the fear of failing her. Because what if something awfulhadhappened to Willow? How would I break the news to Delilah?
“Fuck,” I sighed, readjusting my hat. Birch hovered by the woods, not going to the water like I thought he would. He let out a low snort, shifting his weight. “Go drink some water,” I told him, but he ignored me. He stomped a hoof and whinnied. I got up and went over to him, running a hand along his spine. “What is it?”
I froze beside him at the sound of a quiet whinny. The only thing in that direction was thick brush and woods. But then it came again, louder this time. I entered the brush, shoving branches out of the way and stepping over logs, careful not to snag my clothes.
A heavy rush of air flew past my lips when I spotted a dark mane. “For fuck’s sake, Willow,” I groaned, finding her stuck between two trees. She must’ve wedged herself between them when she realized she couldn’t get out, probably scared. She squirmed as I made my way to her, tail flicking wildly. Small sticks and leaves were tangled in her mane and tail. “You know you’ve got a girl worried sick about you back home.”
I slipped the bridle over her head, not needing her to run off again once I got her free. Gritting my teeth, I tugged on the tree trunk until she could work herself loose. Her skin was a little raw where she was stuck, but nothing a little ointment wouldn’t take care of. She let out a weary huff. “Let’s get you home.”
I carried Birch’s saddle propped on my shoulder in one hand and Willow by a lead in the other. We were slow-moving as wecrossed Golden Circle back to the stables. She was tired, and probably hungry and thirsty. Birch was glued to her side the whole time, nuzzling her neck and head.
Delilah came flying across the field, her shout breaking the air. “You found her!”
She threw herself at me, knocking the air right out of my lungs. Birch’s saddle fell to the ground with a thud, but I barely noticed. All I felt was Delilah. Her arms tight around my neck, her legs around my hips, her heart pounding against my chest. Willow’s lead slipped from my hand, and I wrapped my other arm around her waist, holding her tight.
“I told you I would.”
Holding her felt natural. Unexpectedly right. I buried my face in her hair, breathing her in before I thought better of it. All the tension I didn’t know I was carrying evaporated. She smelled wild and sweet. Like she was mine.
No. Not mine. She was Savannah’s best friend. Off-limits. Never to be touched by me again, no matter how much my body screamed at me to take her inside and never let her go.
She went rigid in my arms, and I suddenly realized where we were and why I couldn’t becradlingher out in the fucking open for the whole ranch to see. I let her go, and she slid down my body torturously slow. She looked anywhere but at me, tucking her hair behind her ears while creating a few steps’ worth of distance between us.
“Where was she?” Her words came out breathy.
I cleared my throat. “By the creek. Got stuck between two trees. Had to pry them apart to get her out.” I scratched the back of my head. “Birch found her, actually.”
The corner of her mouth curved with a thankful smile. She ran a hand along his neck, giving him gentle scratches behind his ear. “You’re a good boy, Birch.”
I planted my hands on my hips and looked skyward, taking a deep breath. It was either that or drag her to the stables and earn the title of good boy for myself with my head between her legs.
Turned out Ididhave regrets about last night—not making her scream with my mouth.
“I gotta go,” I blurted, grabbing the saddle off the ground and Birch’s lead, and walked past her before she could say anything.
