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“Colin’s home,” she called out excitedly as she spotted his truck. She nudged Sunshine into a faster trot and raced towards the stables. “Last one home is a rotten egg!”
“Lila, slow down,” Gavin roared, but she ignored him, jumping a small hedge instead of moving through the gap as she normally would have.
Colin walked into the yard and she steered Sunshine towards him. Pulling her horse up next to him, she held herself back from throwing herself into his arms. As a child, she wouldn’t have hesitated, but now she wasn’t so sure he would catch her.
But then he held his arms out and she threw herself off into his arms. She cuddled him tight, arms around his neck, her legs firmly clinging to his waist.
“Colin, I’m so glad you’re home.”
“Ahh, baby, you feel so good in my arms, I’m so sorry I stormed off like that,” he murmured. “So sorry I hurt you.”
“I’m just glad you’ve come back. We can work things through as long as you stay and talk to me.”
“I will, no more running off,” Colin vowed. “I know that you’re nothing like Sara, and I’m sorry for reacting the way I did. It was unfair to you.”
“It’s okay, I understand,” she said, holding him tight.
“Hmm, from the way Gavin and Trace are glaring at you I’m thinking you’ve got some explaining to do.”
She looked over her shoulder to find both men dismounting, looks of displeasure on their faces.
“Uh oh,” she muttered.
“Oh, I think that’s an understatement,” he agreed.
Gavin stood there, hands on his hips. “Lila, what were you thinking? You know better than to race around the house. What if someone had walked out in front of you? And jumping that hedge?” He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
“Unacceptable,” Trace told her before grabbing her horse and leading it and his own into the stables.
Gavin scowled. “You could have hurt yourself. What if Sunshine hadn’t taken that jump?”
“It was hardly much of a jump. I’ve jumped much higher than that before,” she told him before swallowing heavily. Gavin’s face went white then red. Then with a pointed look at Colin, he turned away, muttering to himself.
Lila sighed. Damn they could be a bunch of worriers. “I was just excited to see you.”
“I appreciate that. But riding that way especially around the house is dangerous.” With a smile he set her down and turned her towards the house. Keeping hold of her arm, he gave her ten quick, sharp pops on the seat of her pants.
“Ow, ow, ow, Colin!” she protested loudly.
“That’s for putting yourself at risk. Safety first, Lila. Go on inside now and I’ll be in soon.” With a final smack that had her scowling and rubbing her buttocks, he sent her off.
“And no rubbing, squirt!” he called out.
With a loud sigh of displeasure, which had Colin smiling, she stomped off. Colin shook his head. Damn, she was something else. They were going to have their hands full, that’s for sure. With a low whistle, he headed off to the stables to help his brothers.
“Everything all right?” Gavin asked as he entered and started taking care of Sunshine.
“Yeah,” Colin said. “I was just thinking that I’m glad there are three of us to look after her, she can be a handful.”
“Actually, I meant is everything all right with you?” Gavin asked. “Lila is happier than I have seen her in a long time. She’s more settled, more open, but you upset her today.”
“I know and I’m sorry for acting like an asshole and storming out. It won’t happen again.”
Gav
in fixed him with a hard stared. “See that it doesn’t.”
Lila heard the phone ringing as she poured herself a glass of juice. She ran over, snapping it up.
