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“So you know your way around horses then? They scare the bejesus outta me.”
“There used to be one horse on the farm that kept everyone away, including my father.”
“Why do I get the feeling you got up to no good?” she asked as she slid her fingers over the soft knit of the shirt. She loved touching him.
“You obviously know me well.”
“I know you like competition. You probably had to fight tooth and nail while growing up with all your brothers.”
“Maybe, but let me get back to my story.”
“Okay.” She smoothed her hand over his stomach and let it rest against his hip.
“So, this horse would watch everyone approach and knew we were either there to feed him or ride him. On this particular day there was a lot of distraction with a large delivery of hay, so I took the opportunity to sneak away. I must have been about ten at the time. Anyway, I approached the horse and was surprised when he didn’t flinch or start to react like he normally would. So that gave me courage to get closer, and closer still. Eventually, I was standing beside him stroking his neck, and rubbing his nose and head. He allowed me to hand feed him some apples.”
Sylvia stayed quiet and waited, wanting to know what happened to the horse he’d obviously made friends with.
“Unbeknown to me, my father had realized I was missing and knew exactly where I’d gone, and he watched me from behind a tree. After I’d given the horse another piece of apple he sensed my father, which is when I spotted him. The horse started to make a lot of noise and ran. For the next twelve years, I was the only one who could go near him, or ride him.”
She sensed Eric’s sadness now that he’d told her his childhood memory. Although if he was ten and he looked after the horse for twelve years, he’d have been a young man when it all ended. At least, she presumed it ended. “What happened to him?” She needed to know the full story.
“He got sick, and there was nothing the vet could do. He’d had a good life with me, and although it broke my heart to have him leave me, I knew he’d no longer suffer. He was old for a horse, thirty-one, and he’d lived a hard neglected life before my father brought him home. At least those last twelve years had been good ones.”
She smiled against his chest, fighting back tears. “What did you name him?”
“Devil,” he whispered.
They stayed quiet, both lost in thought for a few minutes, before Eric stated, “Way to kill the mood, huh?”
Sylvia sat up and cupped his face, letting him see the tears swimming in her eyes. “Oh no! Don’t say that. I’m touched that you told me about him. You obviously loved him very much. So, thank you.” She kissed him.
“I haven’t thought about him in a while. I will when I take you home with me, because there are pictures of him up all over the house.”
“So you haven’t been kicked out of your bedroom at your father’s house yet, huh? How old are you again?” she teased.
“Too old for you, but I don’t give a shit about that. You’ll just have to deal with it.”
“Age doesn’t bother me.”
“Mmm, and yes, I still have my own space at the farm. We all do. Lucia and my father had three extra bedrooms built onto their home many years ago now. They wanted room to entertain and for my father’s business associates to stay over, and neither of them would hear anything about using our rooms. I appreciate their sentiment, but don’t understand it really. Until I received my discharge from the Marines, I hadn’t been home for a few years.”
“I think it’s sweet that they want to keep your bedrooms there for you if you ever need them. It’s to let you know that there will always be a place for you whenever you need it.”
Eric looked thoughtful for a few minutes. “I haven’t looked at it like that before. But I haven’t really given it a lot of thought until now. “
Collecting her purse, Eric gave her a quizzical look. “You had enough talking.” He offered her a sexy, take-your-panties-off, grin.
“I think they’re wanting to close up for the night.”
She watched him glance around and enjoyed looking at him.
His strong jaw that gave her so much pleasure, his eyes that looked at her like no one else ever had, as though she was his world, and just the man himself. His rough and tumble voice gave her goose bumps and made her want a lot more than they currently had together.
Chapter Nineteen
Eric had been sad to say goodbye to his brother and sister, but he knew he’d be seeing them again soon. He’d started to look forward to going home more than he normally would have done because Sylvia had agreed to go with him.
His relationship with Sylvia had taken him by surprise, but he’d already decided to just go with it instead of running scared. He wanted to be caught, and it made all the difference to his outlook with her.
