Page 19 of Worth the Trouble

Her eyes flitted up to meet his. “That’s right. You have siblings. Remind me how many?”

“A brother and three sisters.”

“Wow,” she murmured. “That’s a big family.”

“Is it?”

“Seeing as I’m an only child, I’d say so.” Her amusement drew him in, tugged at the least familiar part of him. Everything about being around her was new and exciting. “Please tell me these other beauties don’t bite.” She leaned against the stall to face him and the way she looked up at him from beneath her lashes was intoxicating.

He rested his forearm against the post to her back and smiled down at her. The air between them was electrifying. It was far too easy to forget what she’d been saying. They might have only spent a little time in each other’s company, but he knew her better than most of the people in town. He lowered his face closer to her, his eyes fixated on her mouth when she curved it into a delicious-looking smile.

All thoughts of holding back fell by the wayside as he drew closer to her. Cece’s lashes fluttered closed. She exhaled and her warm breath fanned his face. He wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them fully.

Then Sage’s head poked out of the stall directly to Cece’s right. She gasped and scrambled away from the excited horse who attempted to nudge her even as she escaped. Jason chuckled and rubbed Sage’s nose, but Cece’s arms had wrapped around his middle while she peered out at the angelic creature who had interrupted their moment.

She must have caught on at the same time because she immediately extricated herself from his body and released a nervous chuckle. “And who is this?” It came out wavering, but she stepped forward to pet the horse anyway.

He gently wrapped his hand around her wrist and brought her closer. Jason only released her when her palm landed against Sage’s neck. Cece relaxed and a soft smile pulled at her lips. Her eyes snagged on Jason and her smile widened. “She’s amazing,” Cece whispered.

The woman he was fascinated with was finding a connection similar to his own. He moved to her side and opened the stall door so he could enter. She followed him, hanging back as he reached for a brush and ran it along Sage’s back. “This is Sage,” he finally answered. “She’s mine. And she’s the gentlest horse there is. I could put a child in this saddle and I’d feel more confident they’d be just as safe as they are with their parents.”

Cece smiled and nodded. “How long have you had her?”

“Since I was a teenager. I got her when she was a filly and I trained her myself.”

That had Cece showing more surprise than she’d demonstrated since they’d met. “You’re kidding.” She turned her focus on the horse again, probably taking in Sage’s chestnut coat and her darker mane. She was perfectly still, not showing any signs of distress. A stray cat could pounce on her, and she wouldn’t react. “Jason, that’s really impressive. Right?”

He chuckled. “I suppose so.”

“You suppose so? Training animals isn’t easy. Otherwise, everyone would do it. You said you train riders, but I didn’t realize you train animals, too.”

Jason shook his head and his hand stalled mid-brush. “I don’t, actually. But I can’t say I haven’t thought about it.” Then he told her what he’d only ever said to one other person, and even then, only barely. “I think I could be really good at it. Horse whispering.” He didn’t dare look at her. The thought of pulling back from his family’s business made him wary. He didn’t want to leave his brother in the lurch without him. Not even after they’d taken Brent on to help with the influx of clients.

“I think that’s an amazing idea,” she whispered.

His head snapped up and he met her eyes. He didn’t have to ask her if she believed what she was saying because he could read it in her face.

“And I think you should go for it.”

That was the jolt of lightning that changed everything. She barely knew him and yet she believed in him. He might not have dated a lot, but he did know a good thing when he saw it.

And Cece was proving to be just that.

CHAPTER NINE

“Look at you!”

Cecelia laughed at Wendy’s exclamation as she entered the antique shop. “Hey, you.”

Today, there was another woman behind the counter. She smiled warmly at Wendy, and she looked familiar, but Cecelia couldn’t place her. Wendy must have caught her curious glance because she gestured toward the woman. “This is Serenity. She’s married to my husband’s cousin.”

Cecelia placed her. “You’re part of the family at Sagebrush, right?”

“Yep,” Wendy offered. “It’s a whole thing. You should really see it though.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh yeah, I’ve been trying to get Sagebrush to host something.” She turned to Serenity. “You said your hubby was on board, right?”

Serenity nodded. She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear, her blue eyes practically sparkling. “Yeah, he’s totally game.”

“Tripp said the same,” Wendy assured them both. “And since Jacob is in town, it’d be perfect to get the whole family together.” She grinned as if she had a secret to share. “Don’t worry, there’s a lot of them, but they’re all harmless.”