and disappeared in two seconds flat. He’d have
to laugh about it later, when the horses were dry.
The lone flashlight he’d
thought to bring didn’t do much in the way of lighting. Dale used
his own flashlight to light his workspace. With the rain and tilted
roof, it wasn’t a fun job, but they got it done.
“ Missy!” He had to bellow
her name out since she was still inside. She ran out and understood
he wanted her to hold the ladder. Once they were both on the ground
again, he said, “Let’s survey the damage.”
With only five boarder
horses, their total came to fifteen, and Missy had moved them so
every horse was in a dry stall.
“ I wonder why a little
water set them off.” Dale rubbed his beard.
Brent shrugged since there
wasn’t any way to tell, but he noticed Missy had gotten the horses
into dry blankets for the night.
“ We’ll take care of this,”
Brent told Dale. “You can head on home.”
Dale nodded to them on his
way out. Missy had been quiet and he turned to her now. “You have a
way with them, you know. They’re settled down like nothing bothered
them.”
She didn’t answer, and he
knew she was thinking over what had happened between them in his
house. The woman sure did like to think things over.
“ Warm enough?” His coat had
gotten soaked through while he hammered the tarp down.
“ I’m good. We’ll be done
soon anyway.” She started back to the wet stalls. “This isn’t so
bad. It’ll dry now that new water isn’t dripping in.”
“ Let’s head out, then.” He
waited for her to turn around and look at him, but she didn’t. She
started for the door.
Curious reaction. “Would
you like to come back to my place?”
Now she turned. “I . . .
I’m not sure.”
He didn’t plan to push
things, not when she looked worried about something. “Okay, I’ll
walk you home.”
At his words, her shoulders
relaxed and she tried to smile. His instinct had been on, but what
scared her? He put an arm around her on the way, and was grateful
she leaned into him, accepting his comfort.
They hurried through the
rain. Not that they could get any wetter.
At her door, he asked, “How
about you and I go out tomorrow night?”
She didn’t hesitate on that
one. “Sure.”
Maybe she just needed to
take it slow. Now under her porch roof, he rubbed her wet hair. He
pulled her chin up and sank his mouth onto hers, finding her lips
as cold as his own. He kept the kiss light and added another to her
forehead before sending her inside.
Once her door was shut, he
headed home, not caring about the cold drizzle coming down or the
stable roof.
* * * *
Missy stood facing her
bathroom mirror when she heard Brent’s truck. No time to change her
clothes again. Still nervous about taking this step, she didn’t
wait for him to knock, but grabbed her jacket and purse and walked
outside to meet him on the porch.
Memory flashes from the
night before hit her, once again sending desire through her. She’d
kissed him until she couldn’t think.
He stepped out of the
truck, looking dangerous in his tan cowboy hat, a crisp dress
shirt, and his long legs in new jeans. Dangerous to her hormones,
that was. He looked so good she ignored the flowers.
He checked her out, up and
down. Then again. “Guess you’re ready.”
He looked dumbfounded, but
she didn’t find it as funny. Another time, maybe, but now she just
liked knowing she did that to him.
She met his gaze. “I heard
you coming and didn’t want to wait inside.” She took the flowers he
handed her, brought the red roses to her nose, but she wasn’t
expecting them to smell so rich, deep, and somehow of love. “Come
in and I’ll put them in water.”
She turned and took them
with her, letting him follow. Like the
view from back there? He seemed so
entranced by her. She was aware she had some curves, but his
adoring eyes, and hands, took her unprepared.
She arranged them without
making a fuss so they could go. He’d stayed by
to laugh about it later, when the horses were dry.
The lone flashlight he’d
thought to bring didn’t do much in the way of lighting. Dale used
his own flashlight to light his workspace. With the rain and tilted
roof, it wasn’t a fun job, but they got it done.
“ Missy!” He had to bellow
her name out since she was still inside. She ran out and understood
he wanted her to hold the ladder. Once they were both on the ground
again, he said, “Let’s survey the damage.”
With only five boarder
horses, their total came to fifteen, and Missy had moved them so
every horse was in a dry stall.
“ I wonder why a little
water set them off.” Dale rubbed his beard.
Brent shrugged since there
wasn’t any way to tell, but he noticed Missy had gotten the horses
into dry blankets for the night.
“ We’ll take care of this,”
Brent told Dale. “You can head on home.”
Dale nodded to them on his
way out. Missy had been quiet and he turned to her now. “You have a
way with them, you know. They’re settled down like nothing bothered
them.”
She didn’t answer, and he
knew she was thinking over what had happened between them in his
house. The woman sure did like to think things over.
“ Warm enough?” His coat had
gotten soaked through while he hammered the tarp down.
“ I’m good. We’ll be done
soon anyway.” She started back to the wet stalls. “This isn’t so
bad. It’ll dry now that new water isn’t dripping in.”
“ Let’s head out, then.” He
waited for her to turn around and look at him, but she didn’t. She
started for the door.
Curious reaction. “Would
you like to come back to my place?”
Now she turned. “I . . .
I’m not sure.”
He didn’t plan to push
things, not when she looked worried about something. “Okay, I’ll
walk you home.”
At his words, her shoulders
relaxed and she tried to smile. His instinct had been on, but what
scared her? He put an arm around her on the way, and was grateful
she leaned into him, accepting his comfort.
They hurried through the
rain. Not that they could get any wetter.
At her door, he asked, “How
about you and I go out tomorrow night?”
She didn’t hesitate on that
one. “Sure.”
Maybe she just needed to
take it slow. Now under her porch roof, he rubbed her wet hair. He
pulled her chin up and sank his mouth onto hers, finding her lips
as cold as his own. He kept the kiss light and added another to her
forehead before sending her inside.
Once her door was shut, he
headed home, not caring about the cold drizzle coming down or the
stable roof.
* * * *
Missy stood facing her
bathroom mirror when she heard Brent’s truck. No time to change her
clothes again. Still nervous about taking this step, she didn’t
wait for him to knock, but grabbed her jacket and purse and walked
outside to meet him on the porch.
Memory flashes from the
night before hit her, once again sending desire through her. She’d
kissed him until she couldn’t think.
He stepped out of the
truck, looking dangerous in his tan cowboy hat, a crisp dress
shirt, and his long legs in new jeans. Dangerous to her hormones,
that was. He looked so good she ignored the flowers.
He checked her out, up and
down. Then again. “Guess you’re ready.”
He looked dumbfounded, but
she didn’t find it as funny. Another time, maybe, but now she just
liked knowing she did that to him.
She met his gaze. “I heard
you coming and didn’t want to wait inside.” She took the flowers he
handed her, brought the red roses to her nose, but she wasn’t
expecting them to smell so rich, deep, and somehow of love. “Come
in and I’ll put them in water.”
She turned and took them
with her, letting him follow. Like the
view from back there? He seemed so
entranced by her. She was aware she had some curves, but his
adoring eyes, and hands, took her unprepared.
She arranged them without
making a fuss so they could go. He’d stayed by
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