Page 17 of Summer Redemption

I might have been an idiot kid years ago who wasn’t able to deal with my own crush, nor did I want to, but I’m not the same kid anymore. I’m going to make this right and then I’m going to show Sunshine I’m worthy of her feelings and her trust.

Then I’m never letting her go.

CHAPTER 7

SUNSHINE

As much as I’m dreading it, I’m back at Limitless two days after I ran from the barn like it was on fire. Or maybe more like my ass was on fire. It couldn’t be helped, though. The last thing I expected to admit was how I used to have a crush on Huxley.

Can my embarrassment get any worse?

I hope not because that was a low point in my life. I desperately hope I can keep my foot out of my mouth today. I’m not going to hold my breath for it, but I can hope all the same.

I’ve been steeling myself all morning to come back and finish checking all the pregnant mares. It wasn’t until I was almost home that I realized I hadn’t finished. I could have kicked myself, honestly, and it had very little to do with the fact that I had spilled the beans about my little crush.

Since I pride myself on being professional, not finishing the job has been plaguing me since the moment I realized I hadn’t.Not only did my pride take a hit, but it felt like I let down the horses who needed me to do my job and do it well.

Even though the horses I saw were healthy and doing well, what if there was something to find in one of the horses I didn’t get to? Whose fault would it be?

I could blame it on Huxley, but I’m the one who couldn’t keep my mouth shut and shared something that should have been kept a secret. If only I could blame the whole thing on someone else, but this is one of those times when the only thing to do is admit it’s a problem I created and now need to fix.

Knowing it doesn’t make stepping back into the barn of loose lips any easier. I stare at the door like it’s about to bite me. Having no idea what, or who, I’m going to find when I cross the threshold isn’t helping.

I’m not sure if I’m relieved or a little pissed when I enter the barn and find Noel there brushing down Thunder. When he looks over at me, his eyebrows raise in surprise.

I clear my throat and stand a little taller, which doesn’t mean much considering he’s much taller than me, just like his brothers. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I didn’t get the chance to finish examining all the pregnant mares the other day. My schedule is clear this afternoon and thought it might be a suitable time to get it done?”

No, I don’t mean to pose it like a question, but it’s out there now and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

Noel crosses his arms across his chest as his dark eyes, which are so much like Huxley’s, assess me critically. I almost want to squirm with the way he’s studying me, but I hold myself still. It’s not an easy feat, but I manage.

“What did he do?” Noel’s deep question comes with a scowl on the side.

With a dismissive wave of my hand, I promise, “He didn’t do anything.”

He didn’t. Not really. It was me. I’m the one who totally lost my brain-to-mouth filter and couldn’t keep something inside when it desperately needed to stay that way.

Noel doesn’t look convinced, but I’m not budging on this. I might have been a nerd who allowed Huxley and his ilk to make fun of me when I was just a kid, but I’m also stubborn as hell. It has served me well over the years because it kept me moving instead of buckling under pressure by sheer force of will alone. There wasn’t another option and there isn’t one now.

There is no way in hell I’ll ever talk about my silly little girl crush I had. Even if I were going to mention it again, the last person I would talk to about it is Noel Burns.

Sure, tell the brother of the man who changed the course of your high school years that you used to have a crush on him. I just don’t think so.

“Okay,” Noel sounds like he’s agreeing with my assertion, but the look on his face tells a different story. I’ll take what I can get. “Huxley is somewhere around here.” He looks around like he’s expecting his younger brother to pop out of the woodwork.

I bite my lip and try not to sound like the thought of Huxley not being around is a relief, “It’s not a problem. I just have a few horses to examine. It shouldn’t take long.”

Noel nods his head toward the stalls. “I guess this makes me your assistant for the time being.”

With a soft chuckle, I nod and start to head toward where I left off in the barn. “I doubt I’ll find anything that needs attention. It’s clear these horses are well taken care of, and you all know how to deal with foaling.”

“Huxley might be a lot of things, including an idiot,” the look he shoots me is weighted in a way which makes me want to shift from foot to foot, “but he does love these horses and is damn good at his job.”

He’s not wrong, but I’m not willing to say it. At least not right at this moment.

The silence that descends between us isn’t uncomfortable. Noel is intense, but there’s something warm about his presence. I’ve never had a brother, or a sister for that matter, but he has a very big brotherly feel about him.

It’s nice and isn’t so obtrusive as I focus on finishing up the job that I should never have left undone. I could kick myself for even engaging in conversation with Huxley the other day before I was done with the job. It’s not like I can even blame him since I was the one who asked what was wrong with him and opened the door to a conversation we shouldn’t have had.

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