AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The vet will take care of him.”
She shook her head and toyed with the buttons on his shirt. “How about a rain check?”
One side of Denver’s mouth lifted engagingly. “You’ve got it. How about tomorrow night?”
“You’re willing to drive all the way to Helena again?”
His blue eyes twinkled. “For a night alone with you? You bet.”
“We’re alone here at night.”
“It’s not the same. Any minute I expect your dad or brother or Milly to show up and interrupt us.” His lips pressed against her forehead. “I’d like to be alone with you where no one could find us for days.”
A shiver of anticipation swept up her spine. “Sounds wonderful,” she whispered. Denver lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips. Responding, Tessa wound her arms around his neck just as Brigadier stuck his head over the stall gate and shoved her.
She lost her footing and fell heavily against Denver, who laughed in surprise.
“Someone’s jealous,” Denver observed. “Be careful, my friend,” he said to the stallion, “this one’s mine.”
Brigadier tossed his great head, and Tessa felt a lump fill her throat. She rubbed the stallion’s nose fondly. “I’m going to miss you,” she said, her voice low.
“Then the sale is final?”
She nodded. “Nate plans to pick up Brigadier and the mares tomorrow.”
As if understanding the conversation, Brigadier whinnied plaintively.
Denver’s arms tightened around Tessa’s waist. “You don’t have to sell him, you know.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She tried to extract herself, but Denver wouldn’t let go.
“I know how fond you are of your horses.”
“They’re like family,” she admitted.
“That’s why you should keep them.”
“Is this a way of getting out of selling the ranch to me?”
“I didn’t say that. But maybe we could come up with some other way of financing the sale.”
“I don’t see how.”
“I could waive the down payment—in effect loan the money to you without interest.”
“And how would Colton feel about that?”
Denver’s jaw hardened. “I’ll deal with Colton, if I ever see him again.”
Tessa considered her alternatives. Leaning against the power of Denver’s chest, hearing the steady beat of his heart, feeling his breath stir her hair, she was just about willing to do anything he suggested. Except become beholden to him. “I don’t think I should borrow money from you,” she said softly. “People might get the wrong idea.”
She felt him stiffen, saw a flash of anger in his eyes. “You mean the way some people might have gotten the wrong idea about you and John.”
Her emotions, already strung tight, snapped. Tessa scrambled out of his arms. “That was different and you know it!”
“How?”
“I wasn’t sleeping with John!” Bristling with injustice, she gave her hot temper free rein. “I thought we settled this.”
