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Biting back a smile, Faye faced forward. “No comment.”
Blaze shuffled restlessly beneath them. He might be a better-trained horse, but he still didn’t like the storm. She should have gone home sooner just for him, but she’d been enjoying herself with Adam too much.
Faye leaned forward, patting his neck. “Okay, buddy, get us home nice and safe and I’ll make sure you get extra sweets tonight.”
He tossed his head as if he understood every single word she’d said to him. She grinned before glancing back at Adam. “I mean it. Hold onto me. He’s gonna go fast.”
Adam grasped her waist limply, and she rolled her eyes. He’d learn the second Blaze took off. Faye dug her heels inward and Blaze shot forward. Adam’s hands tightened immediately, and she nearly lost her own balance to even out the weight distribution they had in the saddle.
Dirt flew up around them as Blaze’s hooves thundered against the wet ground. They darted along the trail, heading back the way they’d come. Slowly, Adam’s stiff form relaxed, but she couldn’t tell if it was because he was comfortable now or if it was for self-preservation. The warmth of his body against her broke through their wet clothes and flooded her with a strange sensation. Electrified flutters ripped along every nerve ending. She nearly jerked away from him, but that would have been problematic seeing as they were still running along the trails to head home.
Instead, she forced herself to focus on the path before them. Don’t fall from the horse. Don’t let Adam fall from the horse. Just get back in one piece.
And whatever she did, she needed to avoid thinking of the way it felt being held by him. Going down that rabbit hole wouldn’t do either of them any good. He already had his sights set on someone else. And that wasn’t her.
The more those thoughts cycled through her mind, the more her mood worsened. She’d never been the kind of person who pitied herself. There was never a reason to feel that way. Even now, she battled with that idea. What did she have to feel bad about? She hadn’t gone into this arrangement to find love. She wanted her mother’s truck fixed. She was getting exactly what she wanted.
When her family home and barn came into view, she pushed Blaze a little harder. The sooner she could get out of this saddle and put some distance between herself and Adam, the better.
Faye pulled up hard on the reins, harder than she’d meant to, causing Blaze to do what he was known to do. He pulled up on his hind legs. It wasn’t as high as it had been when Adam had experienced it last time and neither one of them fell from the saddle, but it did cause Adam to cling to her harder.
She scrambled from the saddle abruptly and immediately pulled the reins around to lead Blaze to shelter. Adam didn’t have a chance to climb down until they were out of the rain. Not surprising, their other horse had returned and was standing aimlessly in the middle of the barn, still saddled. It didn’t look like anyone had taken notice of her arrival, which was just as well because Faye needed an excuse to stay busy.
Their ride was over, she’d humiliated herself, and now she was having these feelings that wouldn’t go away despite the logic she threw at them.
Adam dismounted and hovered as she set to work. If he’d said anything, she hadn’t paid attention. She removed the saddles and dried off both horses after putting them in their stalls. Then she placed a cooling rug on them to help wick away the moisture. This was all done as if she were on autopilot, and she nearly forgot that Adam was there.
Until he tapped her on the shoulder.
Faye nearly screamed as she spun around and stumbled back against the stall wall. She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a strangled laugh. “I’m sorry.”
He tilted his head, his gaze drilling into her. “What for? I should be the one to apologize. You’ve done all the work and I’ve just sat back and let you.”
She glanced from him to the horses. “Honestly? Sometimes I just get in the zone and do all the work without thinking. Besides, this part isn’t really something you’d need to learn.”
Adam was only a few inches from her, and with the wood to her back, she suddenly felt cornered. But she refused to move or give any indication that something was amiss. He pointed to Blaze, who was in the stall behind her. “Why did you put that on him?”
Faye glanced back once more. “That’s a cooling rug. Depending on the workout or the conditions of the workout, you pick one of a certain weight or material. It helps him regulate his body temperature.”
“Oh.” He didn’t move. His gaze seemed to be searching hers. Even though they weren’t touching, she could feel the heat radiating from him. Or maybe that was in her imagination. Of course, it could just be due to her own chilled body temperature since being out in the rain.
She swallowed hard, her hands pressing against the wall at her back. “I guess we’re done today unless you have any other questions…”
“Areyoudone?”
“No.”
Surprise flitted across his face, but she didn’t know why. “Don’t tell me you’re going to go riding again today?”
A smile broke across her face, and she shook her head. “I’ve got to take care of the tack. Leather and water don’t do well together. But you’re free to leave—”
“I think I’ll stay if that’s okay.”
10
Adam
Adam probably shouldn’t have said that. He should just go like she asked.
