“Hay?”
“How much and anything else?”
“I have no idea.”
“You should know about horses in case you have to deal with them during a wedding.”
Her chin jutted in the air. “Your point is valid. I’ll put researching how to feed and care for horses on my next week’s to-do list, or maybe I’ll call Cheyenne or Tyler. Now can I go to the office?”
“What about saddling a horse? Can you do that?” When McKenna dug the toe of her boot in the dirt, he said, “I’ll take that as a no. Better buckle up, Buttercup, because you’re about to learn.”
*
McKenna didn’t havetime for this or want to be alone with Zane right now. He looked too tempting. Instead, she wanted the safety of focusing on work. “In my defense, we have a stable hand who sees to the horses. Ginny doesn’t saddle the horses for weddings either.”
“But she knows how.”
McKenna stared at Zane. What was with him today? He seemed oddly subdued, instead of his wise-cracking self. Granted, he still drove her crazy, but now by almost being determined to show what she didn’t know.
Most people who incorporated riding into their wedding ceremony rode and preferred to saddle their horse. If not, Tyler, Lucky Stars’ stable hand, came in to see to the animals. Still, she should learn to saddle a horse in case Tyler was sick or someone needed assistance, but now? “I’ll ask Cheyenne or Tyler to teach me when I ask about horse care.”
“I’ll teach you.”
“Now?” He nodded, and McKenna resisted the urge to sigh. She hated unexpected surprises, especially when she had an event to manage today.
“I’m not opposed to learning, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not dressed for working in the barn.” She wouldn’t mention she kept jeans and a T-shirt in the office for cleaning days.
“You can wear those awful black pants if you’re worried about getting your new skirt dirty.”
“That’s not the only issue. I don’t have time. I have a rehearsal dinner tonight, or rather we do, and a wedding to coordinate tomorrow.” She ran through her to-do list timeline. “Not only that, but I haven’t checked my notes from yesterday as to what I need to see to first today.”
“It can’t be anything important or you’d remember.” When she opened her mouth to continue pressing her case, he raised a hand. “We’re not at an event. I’m in charge.”
Did he want to test how far he could push their truce? Did he wonder if she meant to honor their agreement? “You’re pulling rank?”
“Guess I am.”
Time for fancy footwork. She smiled, and plastered what she hoped passed for an agreeable, submissive look on her face. “Then I agree, but could we postpone this until Sunday? Then we could take whatever time we needed. Who knows how long it could take? I might be a slow learner.”
“I doubt that Miss Overachiever.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You would. Now quit trying to wiggle out of this and change before I reconsider leaving you in charge of events.”
“Oh, all right. I’ll be back.”
When she headed toward the office instead of her car to retrieve her old black slacks, he said, “You’re going the wrong way.”
“As it happens, I have jeans and a T-shirt in the office.”
*
While she changed,Zane gathered the gear, including treats for the horses. He’d moved the last of Chance’s to the breezeway and was about to get Misty’s when McKenna walked into the barn. His jaw nearly dropped open. Who would’ve suspected she not only owned jeans, but ones that molded to her slender curves like a denim skin?
Not in his wildest dreams would he have, and he’d had a few enthusiastic ones involving McKenna lately. Ones that left him shaking, and wide awake drenched in a cold sweat.
As she sashayed toward him, he noticed something written on her shirt across her chest. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the mild weather. When his brain cleared enough to focus on the writing rather than her enticing breasts, he chuckled.The Wedding Planner—to save time let’s assume I’m never wrong.
