Page 65 of Ethan

Ethan entered the barn and headed toward the arena where he knew Naomi was training.

He heard her before he saw her.

Her voice, low and steady, talking the horse through something. He came to the arena doorway and stopped.

She had Vader moving through the pattern at a good clip, faster than last week, the gelding’s turns tightening up with every run. She sat him beautifully, balanced, and quiet, her hands light on the reins. The horse was starting to trust her. Ethan could see it by the way he moved, less tension in his neck, his ears relaxed and forward.

Ethan folded his arms on the top rail and watched.

He’d been doing a lot of that lately. Watching her. He wasn’t sure when it had stopped being about assessing her work and started being about something else entirely.

She brought Vader around and spotted him at the rail. She didn’t smile, just held his gaze for a second with those blue eyes, and something passed between them that he felt all the way down to his soul.

Then she set Vader up for another run and looked away.

He stayed at the rail. Watching. He had work to do, but he’d get to it in a minute.

As he stood there, he heard the door open and looked over to see Cole enter. He groaned. Great.

“Hey,” Cole said.

“Hey. What are you doing here?”

“Heading into town for a burger. Want to come?”

Ethan checked his watch. “Can’t. Client coming soon.”

Cole stepped up to the rail beside him and looked out at Naomi.

“She’s good.”

“Yeah, she is.” Ethan kept his eyes on her.

She spotted Cole, waved, then rode Vader over to the rail.

“Hi, Cole. Good to see you again.”

“You too, Naomi.” Cole smiled. “Hey, why don’t you bring her to Sunday dinner?”

Ethan looked at his brother like he’d grown a third eye.

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude on a family dinner,” Naomi said.

“You wouldn’t be intruding. Our parents would love to have you.” Cole looked at Ethan. “You can ask them, can’t you?”

“Sure,” Ethan said flatly.

“Well, if it’s alright with them I’d love to.” Vader shifted beneath her and she gathered her reins. “I’d better get this guy back to work before the boss gets mad.”

Ethan smirked. Cole laughed.

She rode back toward the center of the arena and Ethan turned to find his brother smiling at him.

“You’re a pain in my ass,” Ethan said.

Cole laughed. “If we waited for you to ask her she’d never get there.”

“Fuck you.”