AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The more time that passed,the worse she felt. The sun continued to rise and set each day, and every so often she’d see Kenneth lurking in the shadows of a shop in town or at the country club. It was getting to the point where she was seeing things. At one point she could have sworn she saw Kenneth hiding in one of the stalls.
Her nerves were frayed and no amount of spending time with Dax could ease the stress she currently experienced. Just like she’d predicted, Dax refused to leave her side. They worked together, they spent their free time together, and they ran errands together. The only thing she did on her own was sleep—but Brielle was there. She hadn’t had a single opportunity for alone time.
Sarah stood in the corral with her yearling. The animal was nearly ready to be transferred over to Shane. And while she’d never admit it to anyone, she’d secretly named the spunky horse.
She rubbed Cricket’s nose, then leaned into the animal. The only sanctuary Sarah had found was with the animal. She could feel the love the horse had for her simply in the way the horse immediately perked up when Sarah arrived. The yearling had matured from a scrawny baby into a strong, majestic white beast with a beautiful spotted coat.
Sarah ran her hand along Cricket’s back, murmuring, “I’m going to leave soon.”
Cricket tossed her head and pawed at the ground.
“I know. I’m going to miss you too.” She never thought she’d miss an animal so much. It was funny how things had changed since her arrival. She used to shy away from the animals, and all she could think about was going home. But now that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sarah wanted to stay more than she could ever admit to anyone.
The only chore she wouldn’t miss was collecting the eggs from the chickens.
“Are you ready to ride her?” Dax’s voice drifted toward her, and Sarah turned. He stood at the edge of the corral, his eyes shaded by his cowboy hat and a toothpick between his lips.
Her pulse accelerated as it usually did when he was around. Sarah coiled the lead rope around her hand and moved toward him. “I didn’t think we’d be doing that. Isn’t that going to be Sean’s job?”
Dax’s lips quirked into an easy smile. “It’s the next step. She’s gotten used to the saddle. Now we can put someone in it.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “What if she—you know—throws me off?”
“This one knows you. She trusts you more than anyone else. Take it slow, show her she can trust you, and you do the same.” He nodded toward the barn where one of the ranch hands hefted a saddle in his arms and was headed toward them. “What do you say?”
The ranch hand slung the saddle onto the rail and Dax retrieved it. Sarah’s focus followed him as he secured it on Cricket’s back. The horse shifted but didn’t dart away like she had the first time. Sarah smiled, pride mingling with the butterflies she still felt with Dax being so close.
He straightened after securing the strap, then held out his hand. “Ready?”
26
Dax
The pressure of Sarah’s hand always seemed to ground Dax. Their relationship wasn’t fixed by any means, but he no longer felt like he was hanging off the edge of a cliff whenever she was around.
Sarah rode the horse around the corral, a calm smile on her face. That was one thing he had noticed lately. She seemed more in her element when she was around that horse. It wasn’t all horses, just this particular yearling. It was as if together they had grown and matured, finding themselves with one another’s help.
“Push her into a canter,” he called toward her.
She bounced in the saddle as the horse trotted and found a more even gait. She beamed at him; excitement radiated all around her. Sarah was a natural. She belonged in the saddle. She belonged with him.
Except there was one glaring issue.
He still hadn’t told her about his secret. Yes, she had some things of her own she hadn’t told him, but deep down, he knew his were worse. He was no better than the guy who’d killed her older brother. There was little chance she’d be able to look past it.
All these heart-wrenching thoughts had been the only thing holding him back from revisiting their conversation about her leaving. There had to be a way to get her to stay.
And if there wasn’t?
Would it be worth following her? Could he pick up his life to be with her? At this point he couldn’t say. She still hadn’t told him if she had developed those kinds of feelings for him.
One thing was clear. As he watched her continue exercising the horse, he knew he needed to have another talk with her. Time was quickly running out. He couldn’t avoid the conversation much longer.
Sarah slowed the horse to a walk and stopped beside him. She practically glowed. “Did you see that? She’s doing so well!”
He cocked his head, holding his hand out to her, and she took it without question. “She’s got a good trainer.”
