Page 64 of Quiver

“A real savant, I’m sure.” She took Winston’s reins and led him away, but as she passed Ava, she tried again for a little smile. “I’m off to introduce children to Fletcher’s horse, because apparently Equine Goodwill Ambassador is the best use of my vast talents today.”

“Enjoy.” Ava sounded mildly amused. “I’m to set up plastic barrels in a long row. I guess that says something about my skill set as well?”

Kylie glanced pointedly over her shoulder at Fletcher. “Or maybe it says something about her.”

“I heard that,” Fletcher called.

“You were meant to.” She took off Winston’s saddle and bridle before checking to make sure he had plenty of water.

Then she moved over to greet Gabrielle, who welcomed her with a soft nicker. She patted the quarter horse’s flank. “Hi, beautiful. You ready to meet some new friends?”

Gabrielle nudged her arm, and she heeded the request to pet her muzzle. “You know, everyone will love you. You don’t have to be all skittish and snappy because your rider is antisocial.”

The horse snorted softly.

“I know, right?” Kylie pressed her forehead to Gabrielle’s. “You’re getting a lot of do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do from Fletcher, but she’s stubborn, and you’re super sweet. She used to be sweet, too. She always acted tough, but she was a big ole softie. I think I believed she still would be this time around. I knew the shell would be hard to crack, but I suspected there was still something gooey underneath. After last week, I’m starting to wonder if I’m the only one with a soft center. You got any inside info?”

Gabrielle leaned into her so hard she had to plant her feet to keep from being knocked over. The move reminded her of how she’d helped to sustain Fletcher’s weight last week as she’d called her name, the name she’d called out so many years ago. Her chest filled with something hot and expansive until pressure and pleasure mingled.

The door to the barn slid open, cold and light slapping her senses back into focus as Bob and Jenny stepped in, stomping snow off their boots before noticing her.

“Oh hi, Ms. Manchester,” Jenny said. “I didn’t know you were going to be here every week.”

“I’m not sure any of us planned on it,” she admitted, “but the class schedule has gotten conflated with my own, so I might as well make myself useful. Today that means playing social secretary for Gabrielle here.”

“Hi, Gabrielle.” Jenny patted the horse’s cheek.

“Let her get a good look at you and pick up your scent, so even if she can’t see you later, she’ll know she’s among friends and feel safe.”

Bob stepped forward and looked the horse in the eye, but spoke to Kylie with a lopsided grin. “I wish it worked the same way with humans. Like once they knew what you smelled like, they trusted you. Maybe sometimes it does. Aren’t there some smells that make you feel a certain way?”

The concept conjured the scent memory of leather, hay, sweat, and ice, all the things she associated with Fletcher. They summoned a slew of emotions, none of them comfortable, and yet nor were they unpleasant. “I guess recognizing is one thing and trusting is another.”

He blew out a breath as another family came in. “There’s a bigger conversation than a Saturday afternoon calls for.”

She didn’t disagree, but she didn’t know there was any time of day or week big enough to broach all the many topics she and Fletcher had avoided. She hadn’t come here expecting closure. Maybe such a thing wasn’t even possible for people like them, but the last week had left her wanting something more than she’d let herself imagine before.

She went through the routine of introducing Gabrielle to several more people as they entered, but even as she put on a happy face and used her best hostess voice, she couldn’t shake the unsettling sense something wasn’t right, and she couldn’t will it to be. She’d tried focusing on work, she’d tried sarcasm, she’d tried force, and sex, and in the last few days, she’d offered as much space and patience as she possessed. She didn’t even know what she wanted other than something more than she was getting.

Gabrielle nipped at her sleeve, and she turned to face her once more. “Sorry, did I stop paying attention to you for a second? A steady stream of admirers wasn’t enough for you? High-maintenance much?”

“Sounds like you two found something to bond over,” Fletcher said.

Kylie turned to see her leaning up against Winston’s stall, all long and relaxed in a gray button-down shirt and jeans, a quiver full of arrows strapped to her thigh. Her expression remained neutral, eyes dark but not glowering, just taking them both in.

“You heard that, huh?”

“What? I wasn’t meant to?”

She smiled. “I’m not sure it makes any difference. We all have each other’s personalities pegged by now.”

Fletcher paused before nodding toward Gabrielle. “Probably, but she’s got one thing over on both of us.”

“What?”

“She’s still learning.”

“Hey now.” Kylie led the horse out of the stall and handed over the reins. “I’m still learning, and I’ve got five more weeks to go. I might surprise you yet.”