Page 14 of Nixon’s Promise

They walked into the paddock. Nix had the pony by her nylon halter within minutes and he was leading her into the barn.

“I don’t know how you caught her so quickly,” McKenna noted as she closed the stall door.

“I told you. Just like any female, she needs a gentle hand.”

“I know what you said, I just didn’t believe you.”

Nix was thinking about all the ways he’d like to prove his theory right. In his vast experience, women preferred a man who was confident enough to know what she needed but gentle in the execution. Until they hit the sheets—then there was a whole new set of rules. His. Confidence still played a part, along with a healthy dose of control, which always led to an explosion and ended with gentle concern. Same principle, different order of operation.

He was close enough that when McKenna turned, his large frame blocked her path. With a tsking sound Nix stepped even closer. Her fresh scent assaulted his senses. He was ridiculously pleased when she glanced down at his mouth before meeting his gaze. “So, you doubted my skills, huh?”

“As a horseman, I may’ve.” Oh, yeah, she was cute as hell when she trying to gauge just how far to push his insinuation. She was skirting the line and Nix reckoned he’d take it a step further.

“We’ll have to rectify that.”

“We just did. I saw how quick you caught her.”

“I wasn’t talkin’ about the pony, babe.”

Her cheeks pinkened and the crotch of his pants was getting a little tighter.

“Oh… Um…”

Nix was thinking how much he liked the shy tongue-tied side of McKenna, when the side door creaked open.

“That was fast.” Zack came jogging into the barn. “I turned on the grill.”

Cockblocked by a fifteen-year-old.

“Great. We should get the chicken on before it gets dark.”

McKenna practically ran out of the barn, leaving Nix with Zack to watch her hasty retreat.

“Jeez, I guess she’s hungry,” Zack said.

“Yeah, bud, she must be.”

The two of them walked out of the barn and across the yard to the house. Nix did it thinking he couldn’t wait to get McKenna alone and find out if her hunger matched his own.

7

It had been a few days since I’d seen Nixon. Though I’d heard about him every night Zack got back from his house, and I did see the lights of his Kubota pull into the yard last night when he was dropping Zack off.

He didn’t come in.

I’d tried not to be disappointed but failed, miserably. The night he’d been over for dinner I found I enjoyed his company. He was gentle with Mandy even though she was still having a teenage girl snit and he seemed to be totally interested in everything Zack had to tell him. And surprisingly, Zack had talked a lot. More than he had during any dinner the last nine months he’d lived with me.

The knowledge that my brother was craving male interaction made my heart bleed. Even though I’d said yes to Zack working with Nixon, I’d still had my reservations. I didn’t want Zack pestering our neighbor, but during dinner I realized Zack needed it. Not only was it good for him to put in a hard day’s worth of work—which would keep his texting to a minimum and him out of trouble—but he probably could use some time away from me and his sister.

It was a Saturday and coming up on lunch time. Zack had gotten up on his own and was out the door by eight. This was after he let Sally out and made sure her and the goat had food. I even watched him pull on the gate twice to make sure it was locked, then he was off and disappeared into the woods.

I’d been pacing the kitchen, staring at the sandwiches I’d made for the last twenty minutes, vacillating whether or not to take them over to the Swagger Farm and surprise the guys. On one hand I was sure they’d appreciate the food but on the other, I didn’t want to bother them.

Who the hell was I kidding?

I wanted to see Nixon but I was worried he didn’t want to see me. I couldn’t get a read on him to save my life. Sometimes like when we were in the barn alone together, he looked at me and I could feel his stare like a physical touch. He’d been semi-flirtatious, if I was reading that right, but then he’d turned it off and he was pleasant if not a little standoffish.

Mandy was still sleeping and would do so all day if I didn’t go bang on her door. She’d pushed her midnight curfew to twelve AM on the dot, then stayed up another two hours watching TV downstairs. I knew because the stairs creaked and she wasn’t the slightest bit quiet in her efforts to climb them.