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Sky lifted her chin. “I told you, this is more admirable than anything I’ve ever done. I’d be honored to be a part of it. Not just as a dessert chef, though.” To Sam, she said, “I’m good with horses. I can help around the stable too. I’ve got plenty of spare time on my hands these days. Be nice to keep busy.”
“I will gladly put you to work, darlin’.”
They shook hands again. She smiled. A radiant one that revealed deep dimples in her apple cheeks.
He bit back a groan. Lord have mercy, everything about the woman drove him wild and made his dick throb in wicked beats.
Thankfully, Reese provided ample distraction. “So we’re getting a two-fer here. This is our lucky day.”
Sky pulled her hand from Sam’s and turned to her friend. “What can I say? You talked me into it.”
“Never doubted for a second you’d come around,” Reese said with a feisty look. “Now let’s go take a peek at the kitchen budget, figure out what sort of inventory you’re gonna need and negotiate your salary.”
Sky hedged. “About that.” Her gaze swept over the stable and she added, “Whatever you’re proposing is fine by me. But I’d like to donate half of my paycheck back to the ranch.” Her eyes met Sam’s. “I’m sure you’ve got hefty operating expenses.”
“That’s a kind offer. But Caleb and I have trust funds to dip into.”
“You do take donations, right?”
He nodded.
“Then accept mine.”
Sam had liked her instantly, from the moment she’d entered the stable and had spoken so gently around Bells and Midnight and the other distressed horses. His appreciation for her continued to grow.
“All right,” he said. “With gratitude.”
“Good.” Looking back at Reese, she added, “Let’s do this.”
Sam watched them leave. He propped his shoulder against the molded frame at the stable’s opening and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. The haunting redhead tossed a look over her shoulder and grinned when she found his gaze on her. Then she put a little extra sway in her hips, doing him in.
He grunted, low and deep.
And knew he was headed for trouble of the sexy kind with the new dessert chef.
Later that evening, Sam joined Reese and Caleb at a table tucked into a corner of the back deck. Reese poured wine while Caleb served New York strips fresh off the grill and accompanied by mushroom demi-glace and whipped potatoes.
They talked about the cases they were currently tending to on the ranch, discussing which horses were ready for new owners and which ones needed additional rehab.
Reese told them, “I think Sky was serious about adopting Midnight.”
“He needs more time with us,” Sam said. “With Dalton, specifically. He’s still gun-shy when it comes to being around people. Hell, it’s a wonder he even let Caleb work on him.”
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“Didn’t have much choice when I shot him up with tranquilizers. I can’t imagine a worse case of road rash.”
“It’s a miracle his neck didn’t snap or his legs weren’t broken,” Sam said with disgust in his voice. “If that idiot had been driving any faster, that’s likely what would have happened.”
“Midnight responded to Sky, though,” Reese told Caleb. “He heard her laugh and poked his head out. We never see him unless we stick our own heads in his stall. But he seemed to like her from the get-go.” Her gaze slid to Sam. “And he wasn’t the only one.”
“Now, Reese,” Sam said with an exaggerated sigh. “Don’t go all cupid on me. I’ve got a shitload of work to do, movin’ on some of these horses, assisting with the recovery of the others and rounding up more in need of our help.”
Sadly, the list of horses to rescue was a long one. In the beginning, word of mouth had hooked them up with the mistreated equines, but Sam had taken it upon himself to actively seek out others, and he and Caleb had been able to arrange temporary solutions for some cases, until they could get the horses to the ranch.
The large-animal vet in Austin that Caleb deferred to for particularly difficult conditions now took in a few of those on Sam’s list, until Sam could make room at the ranch. He’d been able to double up the horses in the outdoor corrals, while still leaving them with plenty of breathing and roaming room. But the space inside for the severe cases was limited to twelve stalls.
Not giving up, Reese cut into his thoughts and said, “It was awfully nice of Sky to volunteer her time and donate half of her paycheck to the ranch.”
