And she was right.
His friend was more than capable of doing everything he needed. And she was doing it with that infuriatingly beautiful smile on her face.
Jacob moved to the only window that oversaw that part of the property and peered out to see if he could get a glimpse of the woman who was quickly getting under his skin. She wasn’t at the barn as he’d expected. But she was with his horse. Zeus grazed in the small pasture, his sleek black coat shimmering like it had just been brushed. But he wasn’t what drew Jacob’s attention.
It was the woman who was with him.
Hallie had her camera in hand—a camera he’d nearly forgotten she’d had with her when he’d found her in that pasture withthe bull. Come to think of it, he’d never seen her with a camera before and now he’d caught her with it twice.
How many years had they been friends? He’d never heard her talk about photography before. He’d never seen evidence that she enjoyed taking pictures. In fact, he’d thought he’d known everything there was to know about this girl. And yet he’d been proven wrong.
A breeze ruffled her hair, tugging the strands away from her face but also moving Zeus’s mane and tail. The sun was setting, casting the whole property in orange and golden hues. He could already imagine the majestic pictures Hallie might have captured in these moments and his desire to ask her about them grew.
But then a thought stopped him.
Hallie had kept this interest from him. Whether she did it on purpose or not didn’t matter. The years of friendship they shared should have unearthed this secret passion by now. Chances were high she didn’t want anyone to know.
Why?
Why didn’t Hallie want to share something like that with him?
The question nagged at him as he continued to watch her move around Zeus. The camera looked almost old fashioned. He doubted it had digital capabilities. Where had she gotten it? So many questions about this strange new side of her that she’d kept secret.
By the time she returned inside, the camera was out of sight. He didn’t know where she’d stashed it but based on the startledsurprise written all over her face when she entered the cabin, she hadn’t expected him to be up and about.
Her hand flew to her chest and she sucked in a sharp breath. “You’re up.”
Jacob gave her a wry smile. “Can’t sleep my life away.”
“No,” she agreed, “but rest allows your body to heal.”
“I’m not stupid, Hallie.” He grimaced at his choice of words. “Sorry. What I mean to say is that I’m not expecting to get better faster just because I take vitamin D supplements or get extra sleep. And honestly, I’ve already accepted that I might not be able to get back in that arena. I’m better off trying to figure out something else to do with my life.”
Shock rippled through her expression and she took a step toward him, shaking her head vehemently. “Jacob, no. You can’t think like that?—”
He held up a hand. “It’s fine. I’m… fine.”
Lies.
Lies to her.
Lies to himself.
He looked away from her so she wouldn’t be able to read the truth in his gaze. “What’s for dinner? Anything I can help with?”
The silence that grew between them only made him more agitated. He didn’t like discussing his future. That was a hard limit as far as he was concerned. While there was no way for him to know for sure how everything would turn out, he’d never been the optimistic type. He’d chased down dreams that wereattainable. He’d gone into this career knowing the risks, but he hadn’t expected to be ripped out of it like this.
“Jacob—” she tried again.
He glanced at her this time, forcing a smile he knew didn’t reach his eyes. “Please, Hallie. Let’s just… not. Okay? Dinner? Maybe I can stand at the stove and stir the pasta or something?” He didn’t add that it was the most mundane thing he could possibly do to help and probably the only thing he was good at.
Any disparaging thoughts he might have had would only push Hallie to continue the conversation and he refused to let this go a second further.
Apparently, she saw the pleading in his eyes because she didn’t fight him on it. She simply nodded and moved into the kitchen. “I wasn’t going to make pasta tonight, but if you need something to keep yourself busy, then you can help prepare the salad.”
Once again, their evening was spent in a strange, uncomfortable silence. Avoidance of topics he refused to discuss and the temptation to ask her something he didn’t feel he deserved to know. He nearly asked her about the camera three separate times but was able to refrain.
After dinner, they moved to the living room where they settled on the couch to watch television. He had the remote in hand and as he flipped through the channels, he didn’t even allow himself to linger on the one he knew would be broadcasting the bigger rodeo events.
