Page 27 of Tin

Sid sucks in a loud breath. She’s counting on me. Nox is counting on me. My fucking grandfather is counting on me.Fuck me.

“Listen to me, Sid. You need to call Kirsten Bernheimer. Tell her to bring her sister down. Nox likes her. I don’t know why, but he does.” And right now she’s the only chance he’s got.

“Quinn? The cranky one who never smiles? When has she ever been around him?” I understand why she’s skeptical. Nox matters to her as well, but that’s precisely why she shouldn’t be wasting more time than necessary.

“Yeah. The cranky one. Just fucking call her. I’m telling you, she’ll be able to help him. At least until I get there.” This time, I hang up before she can argue with me anymore. I start the truck up again and back out of the driveway, still searching my phone for her name. She’s the last one in my contact list.

“I’m sorry, I don’t do barn calls. I’ll be over when you’re home. And showered.” Outside of her voice, there isn’t a single other sound on the line, and it occurs to me that I have no idea what she does all day.

“I’m calling about Nox.” I pause to merge into traffic. “He got tangled up in some barbed wire and won’t let anyone near him.”

“Shit.” I hear the squeak of an office chair.

“Look, I’m sure this is going to sound crazy, but I think you might be the only one who can help him. He doesn’t like people. He barely even tolerates me, but I’m three hours away. And he needs help now. And that day of Sophie’s party...he likes you. He’ll let you get close enough to help him.”

She’s quiet on the other end. Then there’s the sound of a door opening, and I hear her sister’s voice. “Quinn. Sidney called. They have a horse in trouble and for some reason they think you might be able to help?”

“I’m going to need to borrow the Beemer.” She gets back on the line with me. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. And I won’t even tell Sidney you called.”

“Thank you.” The line goes dead, and I throw the phone back onto my dash. Where I’ll probably find it again sometime tomorrow morning.

QUINN

“That was...amazing. It really was. I don’t even know how to thank you, Quinn.” But Sidney tries anyway by throwing her arms around my shoulders and drawing me in for an awkward hug. It’s only awkward because I’m not hugging her back. I should. I just suck at this stuff. By the time I manage to return the gesture, it only gets more awkward because she’s already letting me go.

“It was nothing. I mean, it’s just a fluke he happens to like me. I’m just glad he’s going to be alright.” By some miracle, Nox walked away from the incident with all of his bones still intact. His legs are cut up pretty bad, and there’ll be scarring, but the vet seems to think that’s the worst of it. Of course, he won’t know for sure until all the swelling goes down. There’s still a chance he has a sprain or damaged tendon; however, at this point, everything is treatable.

“Yeah. A fluke.” Sidney shakes her head like she’s still trying to make sense out of everything. “You know, once upon a time, he was a completely different horse. Then Old Willie died, and he was never the same. Only lets Riker handle him now.” She chuckles quietly. “And Riker hates him, so I guess Nox really does pick and choose the people he accepts randomly.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad he chose me.” I smile. Once upon a time, my Jazz had chosen me too.

Sidney’s still standing a bit closer than necessary after our little hug, when something catches her eye and she sidesteps me on her way to something, or someone else.

When I turn around, I find her holding tight to Riker, and he’s returning the hug. And it’s not at all awkward. Although, I suddenly really wish it was.

“He’s going to be alright,” she tells him, moving out of his embrace only to land at his side still holding onto him. She wipes her eyes, leaving dirt smears across her cheek from the sand and dust on her face and hands.

“I told you she’d be able to help him.” His eyes cut straight to mine. And that thing happens. That thing where two people can suddenly have entire conversations by exchanging a mere glance. And it freaks me the fuck out. Because those word-filled glances don’t happen to just anyone. They happen between people who know each other. Intimately. And not physically. Emotionally.

“Um, I’m going to go ahead and take off.” I start walking toward the large barn doors. It’s suddenly really crowded in here.

“Thanks again, Quinn.” Sidney reaches out and squeezes my arm as I go by. She’s really touchy feely, that one. I’m kind of surprised Riker doesn’t seem to mind it.

I’m all the way to the parking lot when I hear footsteps running up behind me. “Hey. Wait a sec.”

I turn around and lean back against the Beemer. “What’s up, Cowboy?”

He smirks as his eyes narrow briefly. “You tell me, Boots.”

“Just trying to get out of your way so you and Sidney can handle your business.” I mean for it to sound casual. It doesn’t. It sounds like I’m jealous. And catty.

He takes a step closer and rests his hands loosely on my hips. He’s dressed unusually nicely today. No suit or tie or anything, but these jeans don’t have any dirt stains on them, and the fitted shirt he’s wearing is tucked in. With buttons. And it’s not made out of flannel. And now that he’s standing so annoyingly close, I can smell him. It’s not the usual straight from the shower soap scent. He’s wearing cologne. AndOh my GOD! He smells good enough to eat.

“What’s going on in that twisted brain of yours now? Huh?” He tugs at my belt loops, bringing my hips in to meet his. Like I really need to get any closer to him right now.

“I don’t know. It seems like things are...overlapping. And I don’t like it.” I turn my head to keep from having to maintain eye contact. I’ll be completely at his mercy if I let those teal-blue eyes of his bore into me a second longer. I’m already not doing so hot in that department as it is.

He takes advantage of my face being turned away and moves in close beside my ear to whisper, “Getting confused, are we? Having...feelings?”

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