Page 64 of The Rogue

He pushes off his chair and grabs a saddle off the wall. “Come on, let’s start with the horses.”

A strong scent of hay hits my senses when we step through the side door of his office and into the stables. Horses shift in their stalls as Levi lifts a tall rake.

“This here’s a pitchfork.” He gathers hay with ease, tossing it into the feeding troughs, his muscles working beneath his shirt. Hay rustles as he tosses stacks of it for each one.

I watch as one of the horses lowers its head, munching on fresh hay.

Barely winded after all that work, Levi moves beside me, taking a sip of my coffee, then handing it back. “They’ll be safer to pet after breakfast.” He grins, leading me out the gate. “In the meantime, we’ll feed the chickens.”

We walk a small distance in the dark, my hand in his. We reach the chicken coop and Levi hands me a basket. Warmth spreads through me as he praises them, lifting fresh eggs out of the coop. I bend my knees, holding the basket out for him.

He labels them and stores the basket away for pick up. I look around to see where he parked that tractor. “You plan to show me the rest on foot?”

“Course not.” He takes my hand and brings me back to the stables. “Now that they’re not hungry, you can pet one.”

Yesterday’s ride with Levi was one hell of a thrill—but it probably wasn’t the horse as much as it was the cowboy riding her.

I roam my eyes over each one. Curious about the one Jackson was telling me about. “Which one’s yours?”

He scoffs. “All of ‘em. You mean like the one I keep?”

“Like the one you love.”

His lips quirks like I’m being funny, but his eyes fall to the far left of the stables and he moves toward it. “We try not to fall in love with horses. But…” He strokes the chestnut mare with large brown eyes that we rode yesterday. “This is Willow. Been with us for a bit now. She’s young but fully trained. We use her for lessons and ranch work until she’s sold.”

The beautiful horse leans into his touch—as I imagine any female would want to. “Why would you sell her? Why not keep her for the ranch if she’s useful?”

“No such thing as ‘not for sale,’” he says like it’s a way of life. “If a guest or tourist takes her for a ride and makes an offer, we consider it.”

“What are the factors?”

“We screen every buyer to ensure our horses end up in good hands.” He strokes her nose again. “I’d need to know where she’s goin’, the buyer's experience and knowledge. And if our horse is suitable for whatever their plans.”

I reach out, mimicking Levi’s caress. He drops his hand when Willow’s nostrils flare slightly, her big eyes watching the newbie with curiosity.

“She’s taking in your scent.”

I stiffen. “Think she’ll like it?”

“Can’t imagine anyone not.”

I lock my eyes with his for a brief moment, offering a flirtatious smirk. As if on cue, Willow leans into my touch with a snort that makes me feel like my hands are welcome. With her permission, I trace the contours of her face and hair. “Sheisbeautiful,” I tell him.

I wrap the blanket around my shoulders and step back, not overstaying my welcome but keeping my eyes on the beauty.

“Want the rest of your tour on her saddle?”

“Oh no. I pet. I don’t ride.”

He smirks. “That’s too bad.”

He steps past me to open the stall.

“What? That I prefer to pet instead of ride?”

Levi cocks his head, prepping Willow’s saddle. “Where I’m from, we call that a tease.”

“Are we still talkin' about the horse?”

---