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“Help yourself to the toast,” he declared, placing the breakfast in front of her.
“This looks perfect, thank you.”
As he sat down opposite her and picked up his fork, he saw Sherlock park himself next to her and stare up expectantly.
“Don’t let him fool you. He’s already had his breakfast.”
“I’ll try to pretend he’s not there, but it won’t be easy. He’s so adorable,” she said, glancing down at him as she started to eat.
“If you think he’s adorable, wait ’til I show you the foals…assumin’ you want to see them,” he added quickly.
“Foals? You have foals?” she exclaimed, jerking her head up.
He grinned.
“Sure. This is a breedin’ facility, and I’m a programmer.”
“What do computers have to do with foals?”
“Nothin’,” he said with a chuckle. “I teach the babies not to be afraid of humans and the crazy things we do. It’s called programmin’.”
“So—you work here for the barn during the day, and you’re a bartender at night?”
“Uh, no, this place is mine. I just help Alan when he finds himself short-staffed. It gives me a break.”
“Oh, I see.”
“And you, Ellie? I take it you don’t have a job. You wouldn’t be sitting here havin’ breakfast with me if you did.”
“Not a regular job. I’m an artist, mostly animals. I’d love to paint Sherlock if you’d let me.”
“Absolutely,” he said eagerly, thinking it would be the ideal way to see her again. “Would I have to bring him to you? I assume you have a studio.“
“I do,” she replied, then suddenly frowned. “But I’d start by sketching him in his every day surroundings—like he is right now,” she said quickly, then still looking upset, she turned her attention back to her breakfast.
He was about to ask what had caused her abrupt change of mood when his phone announced a text. Lifting it from his pocket and checking the screen, he discovered it was his hay supplier confirming a delivery for later that day.
“Have you been breeding horses for very long?” she asked as he set it on the table.
“Since I was a kid. My father’s a breeder in Montana. I only recently bought this property. I’ve been leasin, but when this place became available I jumped at it. Did you hear about the big scandal at the horse show a few months ago?”
“That biker and his gang who were arrested for all kinds of things? Of course. It was big news around here. Clint Kincaid, and Devlin Pike were heroes.”
“And Matt Thompson. He was involved as well.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. How could I forget? He’s a local legend.”
“Anyway, Clint was the one who told me about this property. It was bein’ leased by a trainer named Paul Darrow who was involved with the gang. He’d already lost most of his clients and was goin’ belly up. When he was arrested the owner couldn’t wait to sell. The location is ideal. Close to town, and near the interstate for my clients.”
As he told the story, she’d finished her breakfast and the last of her coffee.
“Would you like more?”
“No, but thanks, it was delicious. If you ever decide to give up horses you could become a chef.”
“Bacon and eggs isn’t that difficult,” he replied with a grin, relieved she no longer seemed agitated.
“So, do people bring their mares to you? How does it work?”
