Page 6 of Austin's Answer
After eight years, I should have been over him. It wasn’t like I hadn’t dated while away at school, but no one ever made me feel anything like Austin did. It wasn’t just the butterflies in the stomach. He listened to me. It had been tough growing up with just my dad and Vince. Neither of them were great communicators. But Austin let me share everything and never made me think he was bored.
He also helped me relax. I’d always been dedicated to becoming a large animal vet, and it would have been easy to lose myself in studying. He hadn’t let that happen. He’d made sure I enjoyed life, and I’d taken that balance with me to college. Many of my classmates had ended up so stressed about exams they would lose sleep, or they would overcorrect and spend all their time partying. But I already knew how to find joy in a moment and how to let that moment sustain me when things got tough.
After a brief stop at the clinic, I drove home, mind still churning over Austin’s offer. If I stayed at Shifter Ranch, I would be close enough to visit Dad every day. It definitely made more sense to only make the drive once, versus the multiple trips it would take if I stayed at home.
I peeked into Dad’s bedroom when I got back, but he was sleeping. The nurse said he probably wouldn’t wake for a few hours. I made a mental note to talk to Dad’s doctor soon about why his recovery was so slow and what he expected the timeline to look like.
Then I packed a small bag from the suitcases I had yet to unpack, and prayed I wasn’t making a mistake.
THREE
Austin
Emily jotted notes down on clipboards she’d secured to each stall as she moved between the horses. She insisted on checking them again as soon as she’d dropped her bag off at the house. Whatever she felt toward me, it was obvious she’d never take it out on the horses.
“I want to examine them every couple of hours until they show signs of improvement.” She crossed over to the sink in the corner and washed her hands. “Do you have a safe food supply for them?”
“Declan’s running into town to get some senior feed. He should be back before we’re ready to try feeding them.” I handed her a towel. “The others are covering for me with the dude ranch duties so I can help you.”
Her lips tightened. “I wish I could say that wasn’t necessary.”
I leaned against the wall near her, shoving my hands in my pockets. “We really need to talk, Em.” Her brown eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “Not now. You’re not ready. But at the very least, there are things you deserve to know.”
“Just leave it in the past. That’s where it belongs.” She hung the towel up and turned away from me. Her steps were angry as she crossed over to her bag and began shoving her equipment inside.
“Fate brought us back together for a reason.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You believe in fate?”
“Absolutely.”
Her brow wrinkled at my quiet certainty. “Since when?”
“Since always.” I blew out a breath. “It’s a shifter thing. And you’re not ready to hear about it. So, let’s leave it alone for now. We have a couple hours before we need to check on the horses again. Why don’t we use that time to welcome you home properly? How long has it been since you’ve been on horseback?”
A flash of longing crossed her face before she steeled her expression. “I’m not here to ride horses. I’ll go back to the house and get unpacked.”
“Come on, Em. I’ve got the perfect mare for you. Ginger needs the exercise. It’s been a while since she’s had an experienced rider on her back. She’s wasted on the dude ranch guests.”
I watched as she wavered. She bit her lower lip and played with the strap on her bag. “A short ride would be okay. But only to get Ginger her exercise.”
I hid my grin. Em would do anything for horses. “Let’s go saddle them up.”
I didn’t give her a chance to change her mind and headed straight for the main barn. As we walked by the gallery, she asked, “You explained the dude ranch, but what’s with the art gallery?”
“Turns out Gabriel’s an artist. His artwork helped to save the ranch.”
“A lot of changes around here.”
“It took some adjusting, but we were all determined not to lose our parents’ legacy.” I opened the barn door for Emily. She slipped past me and made a beeline for my horse’s stall.
“Hey, there, Lightning.”
The roan’s ears perked forward at hearing his name. He rushed to the stall door and hung his head over to receive the attention Emily lavished on him. “You’re looking good.”
“He’s doing good.” I walked over to Ginger’s stall and opened the door, sliding her halter on. Lightning let out a whinny as I led the mare closer to him. “Ginger is his crush.”
The two horses greeted each other as I handed the reins to Emily. “I’ll leave you to get acquainted while I grab the tack.”
