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“But you might enjoy it if only you got back in the saddle.”
The man was as stubborn as he was persuasive, and Hadley wasn’t sure how to discourage him without being rude. “I assure you I wouldn’t. I was pretty crazy about horses when I was young, but it no longer interests me.”
“That’s a shame. You were a really talented rider.”
Her heart gave a little jump. “I really loved it.”
“And it showed. Shannon used to complain about you all the time.” Liam’s intent gaze intensified his allure. “That’s when I started watching you ride, and I figured out why all the other girls lost to you.”
“Lolita.”
“She was a big part of it, but you rode the hell out of her.”
Hadley shook her head. “You said it yourself. Shannon won a lot on Lolita.”
“Yeah, but her times never matched yours.”
The temptation to bask in Liam’s warm regard almost derailed Hadley’s professionalism. The man had such a knack for making a woman feel attractive and desirable. But was he sincere? She’d labeled him a player, but maybe she’d done that to keep from being sucked in by his charm. The way he cared about Maggie made Hadley want to give him the benefit of the doubt. And yet he hadn’t known he’d gotten her mother pregnant. That didn’t exactly illustrate his accountability.
“Does Shannon still own her?” Parting with the mare had been one of the hardest things Hadley had ever done.
“No. She sold her after a couple years.”
“How did you end up with one of her foals?”
“A client of mine in California had him.”
“And Lolita?” For someone who claimed she was no longer interested in anything horse-related, Hadley was asking a lot of questions. But Lolita had b
een special, and she wanted to hear that the mare had ended up in a good home.
“I don’t know.” Her disappointment must have shown because Liam offered, “I can find out.”
Hadley waved off his concern. “Oh, please don’t bother. I was just...curious.”
“It’s no problem. Jack is a good friend.”
“Really, don’t trouble yourself. I’m sure she’s doing great.” A wave of nostalgia swept over Hadley. She wished she could say she hadn’t thought about Lolita for years, but that wasn’t at all the case.
Hadley didn’t realize she was still holding Liam’s phone until it began to ring. The image of a stunning brunette appeared on the screen. The name attached to the beautiful face: Andi. She handed Liam back his phone and rose.
“I’ll take Maggie upstairs.”
Andi looked like the sort of woman he’d want privacy to talk to. Hadley was halfway up the back stairs before she heard him say hello. She didn’t notice the disappointment dampening her mood until she reached the nursery and settled into the rocking chair that overlooked the enormous backyard. What did she have to be down about? Of course Liam had a girlfriend. He’d always had a girlfriend, or probably several girls that he kept on ice for when he found himself with a free night.
And yet he hadn’t gone out once since she’d moved into the house. He spent his evenings watching sports in the large den, laptop open, pedigrees scattered on the sofa beside him. Back when she’d been a teenager, she’d spent a fair amount of time poring over horse magazines and evaluating one stallion over another. Although it was a hobby, she liked to think her hours of study had been instrumental in how well she’d done in selecting Lolita.
Until coming to Wade Ranch, Hadley hadn’t realized how much she missed everything having to do with horses. The familiar scents of the barn that clung to the jacket that Liam hung up in the entry roused emotions she’d suppressed for a long time. She missed riding. Barrel racing was in turns exhilarating and terrifying. Competing in a Western pleasure class might not be an adrenaline rush, but it presented different challenges. And no matter the outcome, a clean ride was its own reward.
Tomorrow when she took Maggie to the barn to visit Liam, she needed to keep a handle on her emotions. Liam was a persuasive salesman. He would have her butt in a saddle before she knew what was happening. Hadley shook her head, bemused and unable to comprehend why he was so determined to revive her interest in horses.
Could it be that his own passion was so strong that he wanted everyone to share in what he enjoyed? Hadley made a mental note to feel Candace out on the subject tomorrow. That settled, she picked up the book she’d been reading and settled back into the story.
A half hour later, Liam appeared in the doorway. He’d donned a warm jacket and was holding his hat.
“I have to head back to the barn. One of the yearlings got cut up in the paddock today and I need to go check on him.” Liam’s bright green gaze swept over her before settling on Maggie snuggled in her arms. “You two going to be okay in the house by yourselves?”
Hadley had to smile at his earnest concern. “I think we’ll be fine.”
