Page 71 of Love Me Dangerous

Henry slings his arm over Barb’s shoulders, and they stroll back into the barn. I watch them go while their simple, unspoken welcome trickles down to my toes. Moments later, they’ve melted back inside, leaving me and Zach and the foal alone in the brisk wind.

When I turn away, Zach is standing close to the foal, stroking his neck.

“This is Galaxy?” I climb up the fence rails so I can sit on the top one. It’s a much better view. The cool afternoon breeze whisks past my hot cheeks.

“Barb named him.” Zach reaches up to scratch his cheek.

“He seems very sweet. Skinny, though. Is he a rescue?”

“Yeah. Barb said she couldn’t resist.” He ducks under Galaxy’s neck and gives his lead rope a gentle tug while clicking his tongue to get him moving. By the way Galaxy’s leg muscles quiver, he hasn’t been exercised in a while.

They walk the perimeter of the corral. Galaxy’s head bobs, his gait slow but steady. It’s going to take consistent care for Galaxy to get strong again, and maybe longer for him to learn to trust people. Though it looks like Zach is already making progress in that area.

“So besides having expert knowledge of falconry, you’re a horse whisperer, too?” I call out over the wind’s steady hum.

To my delight, Zach grins, making his blue eyes twinkle. “The only thing I know about horses is they poop a lot.”

“You seem to be doing okay with this one.”

The steady thump of the horse’s hooves on the soft dirt as they walk is proof enough.

“My dad was a vet. Sometimes, we took in horses to get them well.”

I don’t miss his use of the past tense. “Are you saying I should strike former cowboy off my list?”

He shoots me a playful glance. “What list is this one?”

“What you did in your past life. Before you came to Finn River.”

I lose sight of him on the other side of Galaxy’s neck as they pass me. Galaxy is breathing harder, his nostrils flaring, but he’s doing the work. That such a sweet animal would be neglected cracks something painful inside me, but I tell myself that with the Huttons and Zach, he’ll get strong again. He’s going to be okay.

“Not a lot of ranching where I come from,” Zach says as they continue around the corral. “No big need for cowboys.”

I file away hiswhere I come frombit for another time. “Bodyguard?”

He cracks another grin, which turns to laughter. He hisses in pain.

“Sorry,” I say, wincing.

He glances over, and I smile.

“Swimmer?” I remember the water squirting from his fist.

He shakes his head, but the thoughtful set to his jaw makes me think I’m getting warmer. “An athlete, though, right?”

“I played football and baseball. I like mountain biking too.”

The idea of him in athletic tights is almost too much for me. Trying to be discreet, I release a slow breath.

He passes by me again. Galaxy’s not breathing any harder, which is a good sign.

When Zach gets to the far side, he glances over. “Why psychology?”

“Because I like knowing the whole story.” He’s not the first person to ask me this.

Zach grunts, his eyes on his boots.

“it’s impossible to help a person otherwise.”

---