Page 63 of Something Unavoidable

Izzy shut his eyes and tried to keep breathing. Riley licked his hand, then jumped up and put her feet on his chest, her tongue licking the air since she couldn’t reach his face. It never failed to make him laugh, and he used his free hand to stroke her head.

“She’s beautiful,” Emma told him. “And it looks like she’s good at her job.”

Izzy’s cheeks warmed. “She is.” He turned his head to look for Keegan and found him standing over by the trailer, running a professional hand over Blackbird’s flank while the driver held her head.

“There’s another beautiful girl over there who’s going to be happy to see you,” Emma said, her voice kind.

Izzy took a breath that shook. “How did you find her?”

Emma gave him a curious look. “I didn’t.” She tilted her head. “Izzy, I’m the one who bought her. She’s your soul-horse. I couldn’t let her go to a stranger.”

Izzy stared at her. Blackbird had been sold at auction. He’d never asked who the purchaser was. He’d assumed he wouldn’t know them. “I… I don’t know what to say,” he admitted. This was all too much.

“Say thank you, and then go hug your horse.”

Izzy froze again. “My horse?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, yes. Your horse. She was always yours. Your man over there wanted to pay me, but I wouldn’t let him. I don’t need the money, and besides, Blackbird gave me two beautiful foals. That’s more than enough to make us even.” She gave Izzy a little shove. “Go.”

Izzy felt like his feet were made of lead as he crossed the barnyard. It had been so long. Would she even remember him?

He was still a few yards away when she lifted her head from where she’d been searching for grass in the frozen gravel and looked at him. Her nostrils flared and her ears flicked, and then she let out a soft wicker.

“Hey, baby girl,” Izzy breathed, his eyes welling with tears yet again.

Birdie was one big blur when he reached her and held out a hand for her to sniff. A moment later, she pressed her big head flat against his chest and leaned into him. Izzy wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes, the deep ache that had been with him since the day he’d let her go melting away.

They stayed like that for a long time. Finally, Birdie tossed her head, knocking him back a step and making him laugh, before starting to search his pockets for treats.

Izzy wiped at his eyes, clutching the long strands of her mane with his free hand. It was going to be a while before he could let go. “Sorry, baby girl. I’m all out. No one warned me you were coming.” He looked past her to where Keegan was leaning against the trailer, watching and waiting. “You’re lucky I love you,” he said.

Keegan grinned. “I know I am.” He pushed away from the side of the trailer and walked to Izzy. “I thought the waiting might be worse than just springing it on you.”

Izzy huffed. He wasn’t wrong. Izzy didn’t do well with anticipation. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Maybe it’s time for me to get some therapy.”

The relief was plain on Keegan’s face, but he didn’t make a big deal about it. “I may have a list of names on my computer.”

Izzy kissed him, melting when Keegan stepped closer, kissing him back. “Thank you,” Izzy said when the kiss ended. “Thank you for bringing her back to me. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for loving me.”

Keegan cupped his face with warm hands and stroked his thumbs under Izzy’s eyes. “You don’t need to thank me, Isaac. Knowing you love me. Knowing you trust me. That’s all I need.”

“Oh my god, Ihate you so much,” Izzy grumbled as he walked backward up the stairs, trying not to trip over his own feet and end up crushed under Alice’s solid, wooden monster of a dresser. He didn’t know why she insisted on bringing it when there was already one in the loft. Hers was clearly old—the top was covered in faded stickers and the paint was worn off the drawer fronts. But who was he to judge? He’d brought some weird stuff along when he’d moved in with Keegan last week. And no, he wasn’t talking about the stuff in his toy box, although he got a lot of joy from pulling out items that made Keegan’s eye twitch. He just happened to have a fork and a coffee mug he liked.

“No, you don’t,” Keegan shot back, his voice strained as he fought to balance the other end of the dresser. They were doing this backward. Izzy shouldnotbe the one on the higher step. “You just don’t want to admit that I have a point.”

Izzy gritted his teeth. Fucker. “It has nothing to do with right or wrong, Henry. It’s the principle.”

Keegan chuckled breathlessly as they hoisted the dresser up the last few steps, then put it down with a thud. “I’m sure that’s all it is.” He grabbed the hem of his tee to wipe the sweat off his face, revealing his toned abs and fuzzy happy trail. Izzy—who often struggled to differentiate between angry and horny when it came to Keegan—wanted to lick him.

“Are you two still fighting with each other?” Alice asked without looking up from sorting through her boxes. “I thought that would stop once you fell in love.”

Keegan coughed around a laugh, and Izzy scowled, reeling in the inappropriate thoughts. “It would have, if this asshole weren’t so goddamn stubborn all the time.”

Keegan’s eyebrows went up. “I’m the stubborn one?”

“What are you even arguing about?” Alice asked, eyeing them dubiously.

Izzy’s skin, already warm from the summer sun, heated further. He kept his eyes on the dresser as he shoved it into place next to the old one. He didn’t want to go there.

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