Thor shifts, and every muscle in my body pays attention.
I’m not afraid of the horse.
But I’m also not an idiot.
A creature this large doesn’t need malice to cause damage. Only fear. Only surprise. Only one wrong movement from a man who has no idea what he’s doing.
Rory seems to understand that because his amusement fades into focus.
“We’ll go slow,” he says. “You listen to me. You listen to him. And if I tell you to step back, you step back.”
I nod once.
“That, I can do.”
Thor watches me as if he’s deciding whether I’m worth the trouble.
Fair enough.
I’m wondering the same thing about him.
“Um, Mr. Moretti, you don’t have to help Rory,” Amelia says as she steps into the barn. “I can do it.”
I turn at the sound of her voice.
She’s looking at me, but her attention keeps flicking toward Thor. Not in fear. Not exactly. More like she’s already calculating every possible way this could go wrong and deciding how best to prevent all of them.
“Thor’s not mean,” she continues. “Most of the time. But he is wary. One wrong move, and he’ll kick. And trust me, Mr. Moretti, you donotwant to be kicked by a horse. Especially a male Clydesdale.”
“Maverick,” I correct gently.
She blinks. “What?”
“My name. Call me Maverick.”
Her cheeks darken slightly, and I find myself far too pleased by it.
“Maverick,” she repeats, softer this time.
A simple name.
My name.
Yet hearing it from her mouth does something unexpected in my chest.
“I appreciate your concern,bella,” I say. “But Rory has already explained the risks.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” she mutters.
“Mama, he said he’d listen.”
Amelia looks down at her daughter. “Did he?”
“Yes. And I’m grading him.”
“Of course you are.”
“I have a system.”
