Page 21 of Sweet Devotion

She didn’t have to be a mind reader to see the interest blooming in Aiden’s eyes. Taking pains, literally, to hide his discomfort, he exited the ranch vehicle and together they walked the few yards down to the canyon bed and found a spot near the banks that gave them a safe and clear view.

Colleen spread the blanket, then set one of the cushions down for him. “There. Fancy seating.”

With nothing more than a nod, he lowered himself carefully onto the seat. She noticed the faint tightening around his mouth and the quick breath he drew through his nose, but once he was settled, his expression eased again.

“Hungry?”

“Always,” he chuckled. “Most military men are a bit like dogs. Put food in front of us and we’ll eat it. Gladly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Smiling, Colleen pulled out wrapped chicken pieces, potato salad, biscuits, and before she could pull out the tea, she spotted the foal and pointed. “Look.”

A small band of mustangs moved along the opposite bank, one mare stopped and lifted her head. Behind her, close enough to brush her flank, a foal stood in plain view.

“Oh,” Aiden muttered very quietly.

Colleen smiled without looking away from the little family. “That’s what I thought.”

The foal was all legs and curiosity, dark-coated with a faint star on its forehead. It took a few uneven steps, then stopped to stare straight ahead as if trying to figure out why the world was so large. The mare nudged it gently, and the baby moved again, staying tucked close.

Aiden had gone still beside her. Not tense. Just…quiet in a different way. She sneaked a glance at him and saw the softness on his face, the kind she’d only caught in flashes before. With Romeo. With Boots. Never for very long.

“They’re beautiful,” he said.

“They are.”

He watched the foal stumble and recover. “Looks like he’s figuring out how legs work.”

“That’s generous. I’m not sure he knows he owns all four yet.”

That earned a brief smile from him, but his gaze stayed fixed on the horses. Colleen took a bite of her chicken and leaned back on one hand, content to let the silence settle. After a minute or two, she heard a slow sweet sound. Aiden was humming. She didn’t recognize the tune, but the timbre of his voice was enthralling. Made her want to hear more. “What’s that?”

The humming stopped. “What’s what?”

“That song.”

A little color rose along his neck. “It’s Puccini.”

Her brows lifted. “Puccini?”

“Opera.”

That’s what she was thinking. Talk about not judging a book by its cover. A military man from the Bronx who knew opera. Would this man ever stop surprising her?

Chapter Nine

“Oh, wow.”

The look of sheer amazement couched with delight had Aiden’s chest puffing out like a proud peacock, and all he’d done was put a few drawers in the pantry.

“This is fantastic.” One hand gently, almost reverently, passed over a new drawer. The other hand pulled out and closed a drawer before doing the same with another. “I can’t believe you did all this in just a morning.”

“It was actually much easier than fixing the paddock gate.”

“You didn’t have to do that either.” Alice’s fingers traced the edge of the drawer again and a smile teased at the corners of her mouth. “How did you know?”

“I noticed you grumbling the other night when you couldn’t find the can of beets you wanted. And then the next night you were muttering something about you should have had Charlie upgrade to drawers. So,” he shrugged, “I caught a ride with Clint yesterday into town and stopped at the hardware store for the brackets. They’re full extension.”

“They’re perfect.” The matriarch turned around and threw her arms around him. “I love it. Thank you.”