Page 40 of Rainwater
She looked down at the canvas, and a slow-moving pain traveled into every part of her heart. Corey. It had to have been Corey. Why” Why would he take the time to paint something and then destroy it?
She let go of the cloth and went around to the barn. Just then, her neighbor, Stanley Martin, drove up and belatedly she remembered she had made an appointment to show him the new litter of pigs. He wanted one for his daughter Lilly.
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath as she looked at the barn. She was sure Corey was picking out a mount. She wanted to talk to him about the ruined canvas. She wanted to know what was going on in that gorgeous head of his.
She sighed and walked away from the barn, forcing a smile at Stan when he got out of his truck.
“I’ll take this one, Tex.”
Corey had been moving down the stalls looking at all the animals. Tex had been talking a blue streak about all their attributes, but Corey knew which horse he wanted. He’d been watching the big stallion since he’d first stepped into the barn.
He couldn’t concentrate on Tex’s words. All he could think about was how Jennifer had looked yesterday afternoon. How she had stood up to him and challenged him. The woman was on a mission. He could see that. He wasn’t blind. She thought she could save him. And she didn’t want to take no for an answer. Well, to keep his sanity, he could not touch her again.
He had to walk away. It was frightening knowing that even as he said it to himself, he still wanted her. Wanted her beneath him, moving with him. He wanted to wake to touch her fiery hair in the morning, more beautiful than the blazing glory of the rising sun. He wanted to see those sleepy green eyes open and feel those lips soften beneath his.
“Oh, no, you idiot, he’s a monster. You don’t want him.” Tex broke into Corey’s wicked thoughts and he snapped back to attention. He stepped closer and spoke the words that came from deep inside him, from the part that was Native American. It was a phenomenon he’d never questioned. The big gray lifted his head just as Corey knew he would. Large, liquid brown eyes watched him. The pointed ears flicked forward.
Although he was tired from the night before because he’d stayed up painting, using canvases and supplies he’d borrowed from Ellie, Corey didn’t worry about the animal biting him. He reached out his hand.
“No! He bites,” Tex said, the danger vibrating in his voice.
But it was too late. Corey reached out and felt the warm breath of the animal as it snuffled his hand. He stepped even closer, his voice lowering and softening even more. He touched the velvet nose and stroked the animal’s sleek neck.
“How many of these unruly animals does she own?”
“Five, not including him and the mare you’re training. She’s a mite softhearted when it comes to abused animals.”
Corey winced at that comment. “Tex, get me some tack.”
Tex stood still, his mouth gaping open in surprise. “But, son, he’s a monster. Jennifer won’t be happy to see you eating dirt or, God forbid, with broken bones. She’d skin me alive.”
“Jennifer doesn’t own me, Tex, she’s just hired me. I’m my own responsibility. Don’t worry. I’ll let her skin me.”
Tex hesitated then a grin flashed across his craggy face.
“Tex—” Corey pinned him, his gaze direct and focused “—just do it.”
“Yes, boss, you’re the crazy one.”
“Stan,I think this little one will do for Lilly. She’ll love him.” Jennifer kept her concentration on what she was doing. But she wanted to talk with Corey so badly it was like a pressure in her chest.
“Yeah, the child wants a pig in the worst way. I think the little sow will do fine,” Stan replied, holding the little black-and-white speckled pig gently.
Jennifer hadn’t planned on the breeding business, she’d just fallen into it after she got Two Tone for Ellie on her ninth birthday.
“Who’s the big Indian in the black Mexican hat? I haven’t seen him around here before.”
Jennifer closed the gate and dusted her hands on her jeans. “He’s my new foreman.”
“I thought you said that big gray stallion was too mean to train. I didn’t want to sell him to you, Jennifer.” Stan sounded miffed.
“He is. I tried to train him, I really did, but he tried to bite me a dozen times. I was thinking about selling him as stock. It’s such a shame, though, because he’s such an intelligent, beautiful animal.”
“Your new foreman seems to think so, too.”
Jennifer whirled, and her eyes went to the corral like radar. “Oh, hell, I don’t have the patience or the time to hire another foreman. He’s barely healed. That horse will kill him.”
She took off at a run, but it was too late. By the time she got to the corral gate, he was already astride the gray. The animal quivered and sidestepped. She watched as Corey jammed his hat tighter on his head and tightened the string.
