Courting Chloe (Hudson Valley Heroes Book 1) by Victoria Lynne Page A
Authors: Victoria Lynne
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Zen about everything. He reminds me a little bit of Beastie here. He looks like a bad ass, but underneath it he’s a total softie.”
Ian swung his gaze back to the training ring. He’d meant to check on Preston, but his attention was arrested instead by Chloe. She was leaning against the rail, laughing at something Luke said. Her head was tilted back, exposing the long column of her throat. The slanting sunlight added a rich coppery sheen to her hair. She’d been working hard all day, and her exertion showed—her skin fairly glowed.
Ian felt his breath catch. Mine. That single word reverberated through him. Once again, he battled a desperate urge to touch her in some way. Nothing too obvious. Just the briefest of contact—the brush of his shoulder against hers, the touch of his hand on top of her arm. Something.
Luke caught his glance. He held Ian’s gaze for a second, and then, with a look that could only be described as satisfied smirk, shifted forward and snaked his arm around Chloe to whisper something in her ear.
Ian shifted. His hands fisted, but he caught the motion and forced himself to relax. Unclench. Absolutely not. He would not engage in any macho bullshit. He’d spent too many years working bars to allow himself to be baited into a testosterone-fueled game of Let’s Piss Off The Bouncer . That said, he did enjoy watching as Chloe pulled back and gave Luke a friendly, but advance-deflecting smile.
Matt cracked his knuckles. “You should kick his ass.”
“What?”
“You should totally get in there and kick his ass.” He sized up Ian, and then gave a curt nod. “You could do it, too.”
Ian didn’t miss the wistfulness in Matt’s gaze, the boy’s fleeting acknowledgement of what he might have been if not for the accident that put him in his wheelchair. A better man would have addressed that. But since Ian wasn’t a better man, and God knew he was hardly in a position to give life lessons (just look at the train wreck he’d made of his own life) he took the easy way out. He leaned his shoulder against the poplar’s smooth trunk and folded his arms across his chest, regarding Matt steadily.
“Now why would I want to do that?”
“C’mon, man,” the teen scoffed, “I’ve seen you two together. It’s pretty obvious that—” He broke off abruptly and glanced to his left. “Oh, shit. Here come my parents. I gotta hide. See ya.”
Ian watched Matt wheel his chair away, Beastie trotting companionably by his side. It’s pretty obvious that what? he wondered. He didn’t have time to pursue the train of thought, which was probably just as well. Better to forgo the adolescent fantasies. Matt might still be in high school, but he definitely wasn’t.
Chloe, Preston, and Prince left the training ring and walked toward him. Actually, Preston and Prince bounded toward him, radiating happy energy, while Chloe followed a step or two behind them. That was new, too, Ian thought. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Preston so relaxed—acting like a normal, healthy, seven-year-old boy.
“Guess what, Uncle Ian? Chloe says that Prince can come home with us and even sleep in my room tonight!”
“Is that right?” his gaze flicked to Chloe.
“Yep.” She smiled. “It’s a pretty big step, but I think we’re good to go. Preston and Prince. Sounds like a good team, doesn’t it?”
“Hear that? We get to keep him!” Preston stood with his arms wrapped around Prince’s neck, his excitement palpable. Adoration for the dog shone in his eyes.
Ian absorbed the news, even enjoyed it for a second or two, before doubt and tension, his ever-faithful companions, settled on his shoulders like fifty pound weights. Uneasiness swirled through his gut. His mistake, unforeseen until that instant, was suddenly glaringly obvious. He’d come here expecting to find a service animal and take it home. In his mind, that dog would be nothing more than a medical tool, a useful extension of
Ian swung his gaze back to the training ring. He’d meant to check on Preston, but his attention was arrested instead by Chloe. She was leaning against the rail, laughing at something Luke said. Her head was tilted back, exposing the long column of her throat. The slanting sunlight added a rich coppery sheen to her hair. She’d been working hard all day, and her exertion showed—her skin fairly glowed.
Ian felt his breath catch. Mine. That single word reverberated through him. Once again, he battled a desperate urge to touch her in some way. Nothing too obvious. Just the briefest of contact—the brush of his shoulder against hers, the touch of his hand on top of her arm. Something.
Luke caught his glance. He held Ian’s gaze for a second, and then, with a look that could only be described as satisfied smirk, shifted forward and snaked his arm around Chloe to whisper something in her ear.
Ian shifted. His hands fisted, but he caught the motion and forced himself to relax. Unclench. Absolutely not. He would not engage in any macho bullshit. He’d spent too many years working bars to allow himself to be baited into a testosterone-fueled game of Let’s Piss Off The Bouncer . That said, he did enjoy watching as Chloe pulled back and gave Luke a friendly, but advance-deflecting smile.
Matt cracked his knuckles. “You should kick his ass.”
“What?”
“You should totally get in there and kick his ass.” He sized up Ian, and then gave a curt nod. “You could do it, too.”
Ian didn’t miss the wistfulness in Matt’s gaze, the boy’s fleeting acknowledgement of what he might have been if not for the accident that put him in his wheelchair. A better man would have addressed that. But since Ian wasn’t a better man, and God knew he was hardly in a position to give life lessons (just look at the train wreck he’d made of his own life) he took the easy way out. He leaned his shoulder against the poplar’s smooth trunk and folded his arms across his chest, regarding Matt steadily.
“Now why would I want to do that?”
“C’mon, man,” the teen scoffed, “I’ve seen you two together. It’s pretty obvious that—” He broke off abruptly and glanced to his left. “Oh, shit. Here come my parents. I gotta hide. See ya.”
Ian watched Matt wheel his chair away, Beastie trotting companionably by his side. It’s pretty obvious that what? he wondered. He didn’t have time to pursue the train of thought, which was probably just as well. Better to forgo the adolescent fantasies. Matt might still be in high school, but he definitely wasn’t.
Chloe, Preston, and Prince left the training ring and walked toward him. Actually, Preston and Prince bounded toward him, radiating happy energy, while Chloe followed a step or two behind them. That was new, too, Ian thought. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Preston so relaxed—acting like a normal, healthy, seven-year-old boy.
“Guess what, Uncle Ian? Chloe says that Prince can come home with us and even sleep in my room tonight!”
“Is that right?” his gaze flicked to Chloe.
“Yep.” She smiled. “It’s a pretty big step, but I think we’re good to go. Preston and Prince. Sounds like a good team, doesn’t it?”
“Hear that? We get to keep him!” Preston stood with his arms wrapped around Prince’s neck, his excitement palpable. Adoration for the dog shone in his eyes.
Ian absorbed the news, even enjoyed it for a second or two, before doubt and tension, his ever-faithful companions, settled on his shoulders like fifty pound weights. Uneasiness swirled through his gut. His mistake, unforeseen until that instant, was suddenly glaringly obvious. He’d come here expecting to find a service animal and take it home. In his mind, that dog would be nothing more than a medical tool, a useful extension of
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