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He stands right behind me and reaches beside my head to grip the steel handle. With a white-knuckled hold on it, he pulls it open with little effort, the bicep at my ear flexing in the most delicious way.
I push down the burst of arousal and spin, turning into his chest. My palms meet his chest as I create the slightest bit of distance and tip my head back to stare into his eyes. They’re already on me, the weight of them like a soft blanket, warm and reassuring.
“If you don’t want me in here, please just say so,” I tell him, wetting my dry lips. “I don’t want to overstep.”
The brim of his hat falls to cover his brows, and I don’t think twice before reaching up and pushing it out of the way, admiring the velvet feel of it between my fingertips. His breath catches, and a breath later, he grabs my waist, simply holding me there. I stay still, not wanting to spook him again.
His fingers flex a second before I’m tugged a bit closer, our bodies nearly flush. “Meetin’ the horses will make you happy, right?”
“Yes,” I whisper, the moment too delicate for anything louder.
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
Appreciation fills me. It’s like this man wants nothing more than to see me smile. How was I ever supposed to keep him at a distance? It almost feels like a trick question.
“Lead the way, Cowboy.”
24
BRODY
A long,needy whinny cuts through the air, and I slowly release Anna’s waist before stepping back and looking at the second pen on my right. A familiar set of brown eyes dredges up a decade of memories I’ve long since hidden away.
I haven’t been in the stable since the last time I was home months ago, but it’s been much, much longer since I’ve spent any real time in it. Panic claws at my throat as I hold Sky’s stare and consider shackling myself to the wall to keep from going over to her like I ache to do. The recognition in her eyes is a sledgehammer to my gut.
She waves her head side to side, whinnying again, louder this time. Her golden mane flies with the movement, and my fingers begin to shake, the only physical sign that I’m struggling to restrain myself. Grief hits me in a wave that dares to sweep my feet out from beneath me.
“Oh, you’re so pretty,” Anna coos, stepping up to Sky’s gate and resting her hands on top of it. “Can I pet her?”
“Yeah.” The word is sticky. I clear my throat and bring back up the wall I’ve let down. “Her name’s Sky.”
Anna focuses all her attention on my horse but doesn’t make a move toward her. It strikes me then that she’s waiting for proper instructions.This is a first for her, idiot.
“Extend your arm to her and let her smell the back of your hand,” I say.
She does, and it takes Sky less than a breath to decide Anna’s a worthy friend. Sky presses her white-striped nose into Anna’s palm, and her following laugh is nothing short of giddy. Something tugs at my chest as I witness the automatic ease between the two of them, but I continue to keep my distance.
“Hi, Sky. You’re a sweetie, aren’t you? Yes, you are,” Anna murmurs to the horse, continuing to let Sky rub her muzzle into her hand.
I drift toward to her, unable to ignore the comfort that appears when she’s close. “You can scratch her neck.”
“Will you show me where?” she asks.
It isn’t a completely innocent question. Anna’s too observant to have missed the way I haven’t gotten as close to Sky as she has or why I haven’t made a move to touch her when clearly, she wants me to.
I can’t speak past the rock in my throat. Instead, I lean into Anna’s body and lift my arm alongside hers, watching as Sky steps as close to the gate as she can and greedily shoves her face toward us. Anna giggles at the touch, and then I’m taking her hand and resting it on Sky’s neck, just below her bright blond mane. My hand is so much bigger than hers, and as I press it against the thick muscle, my fingers reach further, brushing soft, short hair.
Dropping my chin to rest on the crown of Anna’s head, I inhale deeply, shutting my eyes. I guide Anna’s hand down Sky’s tan-coloured neck, repeating the motion over and over until it stops feeling so foreign to the both of us. When I feel the thin,silky hairs of her mane tickle the top of my hand, I open my eyes to see that Sky’s turned her head to give us more access.
She’s always been greedy for affection, but after months without seeing me, I can only imagine that need has multiplied.
“She’s yours, isn’t she?” Anna asks softly.
A curt nod. “Since I was fourteen.”
“I wanted a horse when I was little, but it wasn’t exactly possible in the city.”
I’m grateful for the small change in topic. “Your parents never put you in lessons or anythin’? I’m sure there were a few places you could have gone around Vancouver.”
