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Maverick laughed, and I couldn’t help but notice how the sound sent a little shiver over my body. I quickly ignored it andfocused on Ben. He leaned on the top railing of the pen. I was still a bit pissed at him after our last conversation, and I could hear it in the cold tone of my voice. “I’m almost done cooling him down.”
With a smile, Ben said, “No worries.”
After finishing the cooldown, I led Juniper to the gate Ben had opened for us.
“What a beautiful bay,” he remarked as Juniper headed over to the water. I slid off and started to untack him.
“Dad has been training him on barrels. He’s really good. We just finished in the enclosed barn before you pulled up.”
“I haven’t seen you run barrels in a long time.”
Glancing up, I shrugged. “Well, I don’t see you that much anymore.”
I couldn’t read his expression, but he ignored the dig. “How have things been?”
“Good. Busy, but that’s always a good thing.”
He handed me a sponge and I started to wipe off Juniper’s sweat. Once I had as much sweat off him as I could get, I rubbed him with a towel.
“You didn’t call me about helping with that class like you said you would,” Ben said as he handed me the reins.
I turned to face him, frowning. “Um, yes, I did. I left a message on your cell about it being moved to next week.”
“You did?” he asked, looking confused.
“I did.”
Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t see any voicemail from you.”
It took everything I had not to tell him that he most likely never saw it because of Abby. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d had no clue that I’d called. I suspected Abby had erased more than one message or text from me.
I decided to let it go and shrugged. Strangely enough, it didn’t bother me.
Leading Juniper into his stall, I gave him a bit of hay and fresh water. I’d let him out to pasture in a bit with Tesoro, after he ate and drank more water.
Maverick walked up and opened the stall next to Juniper’s. He smiled at me, and I returned it. He glanced at Ben and nodded. “Ben, how’s it going?”
Ben grunted a hello.
Okay, I needed to talk to Ben about his attitude toward Maverick. There was no reason for it. “Mav, something’s come up. Will you turn Juniper out with Tesoro in about thirty minutes or so?”
“Will do,” he replied, tipping his cowboy hat toward me, then Ben. “Good seeing you, Ben.”
“Yeah, you too.”
I watched as Ben shot Maverick a dirty look before he turned and faced me.
Moving away from the stalls and out of earshot from Maverick, I said, “Seriously, what’s with all the attitude toward Maverick?”
Ben shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just not myself today.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
He looked everywhere but at me.
“Ben?” I asked, worry evident in my voice. “What’s wrong?”
He cleared his throat and looked down at the barn floor. “I need to tell you something, Lily.”
