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“Is he following you?” Emma asks.
I turn to look over my shoulder. “He’s thinking about it. Where do I feed him?”
“Just on the ground is fine. There’s a bare spot next to the water trough. You see it?”
“Yes.”
“That’s where we usually feed him.”
I dump the scoop of feed onto the ground and hear galloping feet. I turn in time to see Buckwheat come to a halt and begin to eat. “He’s in,” I tell Emma.
“Oh, good.” I can hear the relief in her voice. “Now, some hay.”
“Right.” I make sure the gate is secure, and head back to the barn to return the scoop and make sure the lid is sealed tight on the drum. “The bale of hay lying beside the feed?” I check.
“Yeah, just a chunk.”
“How big is a chunk?”
“I don’t know, about a four-inch piece. He gets grass, but we still like to give him hay because that’s what he’s used to.”
“Okay. And where do I toss this?”
“Next to his food.”
“Easy enough.” I toss the hay over, but Buckwheat doesn’t seem to notice as he’s still hoovering the feed that’s spread out on the ground. I don’t have to ask where the water is as there is a spout that hangs over the trough. I pull the handle and lean against the fence as it fills. “How’s the ankle?” I ask.
“It hurts, but I’ll be fine. I’ll go home and rest it up tonight, and she’ll be good as new.”
“It’s your right foot.”
“Yeah.”
“You can’t drive.”
“Aubrey will come and get me.”
“Or I could take you home. Maybe we can grab some dinner on the way there.”
“Landon, we’ve talked about this.”
“No, you said no to dinner, not a ride home.”
“No.” She says the words, but it’s not with the same conviction as before.
“Come on, Em. You know who I am. It’s not like I’m some mass murderer.”
“That’s comforting,” she says dryly.
“Let me finish up whatever you need doing here. We’ll hit a drive-thru or order pizza, and I’ll take you home. Easy.”
“I’ll need my car.”
“Who says you can drive tomorrow? I have to be at the field at nine. I can swing by and pick you up.” Or I could stay, I think, but keep that thought to myself.
“Aubrey can pick me up.”
I want to argue, but even I know when to stop. Besides, what’s she going to do when I show up at her place in the morning? “What else needs to be done?”
“Just the night check. I need to make sure all the animals have water, and that the cages are secure. Everything else that I had on my list today can wait. The animals are what’s important.”
“You sure?” I ask as I shut off the water, and head back toward the building.
“Yes. If you don’t mind?”
“I told you I didn’t. I’m on my way back inside now.” As bad as I hate to end the call, I lock the screen instead of snooping to get to know her better. Working for her attention has merit, and that smile she gave me earlier… I’m definitely going to work for more of those. I’m not sure what that means, or if I want it to mean anything. For the time being, I’m just going to go with what feels right, and we can figure out the rest as we go.
Chapter 5
Emma 5
Landon ends the call, and I look down at his phone in my hands. He said I could delete the number. My fingers hover over my number, but I can’t do it. I’m curious if he’ll check and if he does, if he’ll use it. I’m not sure that he will. Not after him telling me to remove it, that he wanted me to be the one to give him my number. In a way, me not deleting the call is me giving him my number, right?
“You need anything?” Landon asks from the doorway.
I place his phone on my desk and shake my head. “Thank you for your help, Landon.”
“You’re welcome.” He flashes me his dimples. Surely, he knows the power of those things.
“So, point me where to go next.”
“Down the hall, there are two rooms. We just have cats and dogs, and Buckwheat right now. There’s a utility sink and next to it is a hose that’s hooked up to the water. Just make sure each bowl is full. You shouldn’t have to open the cages.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“No.”
“I’ll be quick.” He winks and disappears down the hall.
Tilting my head back against the seat, I close my eyes. I can’t believe this is happening. That I fell, and he was the one there to pick up the pieces for me. Why did it have to be him? I know I’m crazy. Any woman would be thrilled to have Landon Barker be at their beck and call, but he’s… too much. Too sexy, too confident, too… everything.
