palms on her jeans.
The couple had kept their distance from her and Bryce once they’d realized Dani knew what she was doing. She appreciated the vote of confidence. “Caitlin will be able to do whatever she wants with this handsome fellow.”
“Good to hear.” Bryce moved with the grace and agility of an athlete. Dani would love to see him ride. “The vet’s already done an examination. He looks like a winner. I’m going to tell Caitlin to buy him.”
The horse snorted.
Dani didn’t blame him one bit. She wrinkled her nose. “Is that really your job?”
“Who else’s job would it be?”
“Caitlin’s.”
His grin crinkled the corner of his eyes. “That’s one of the things I admire about you, Dani. You say exactly what’s on your mind.”
“If I didn’t, you wouldn’t know what I was thinking.”
“It works both ways,” Bryce said. “So you know, I’m not trying to make Caitlin’s decision for her. She asked me to come out here and give my opinion. That’s all. There’s also something you don’t know about my sister. Something you should know.”
His eyes darkened.
“What?”
Bryce paused. His lips thinned into a narrow line.
His serious expression worried Dani. “What is it?”
He took a deep breath. “Caitlin fell in love with a man who wasn’t what he claimed to be. He stole her money and broke her heart. I don’t want her to be hurt like that again so I look out for her, whether it’s with love or horses.”
Dani respected how he looked after his sister, yet…“That’s admirable, but what about your father? Isn’t he the one who’s supposed to do that?”
“My father’s into his own thing. He was never around much when he and my mother were married and it’s gotten worse over the years.” Bryce’s jaw thrust forward. “He spends his time seeking young wives.”
“How young?”
Bryce grimaced. “His current girlfriend is the same age as Caitlin. He’s not exactly big on being a parent these days.”
He acted nonchalant about the whole thing, but an edge of bitterness in Bryce’s voice made her want to reach out to him.
The horse butted her with his nose.
Okay, she could take a hint.
Dani touched Bryce’s arm. His muscles rippled under her hand.
“At least your dad’s still around. That counts for a lot. He could have just…”
Bryce’s brows slanted. “What?”
She pulled her arm away from him. “Left.”
As she led the horse toward the gate, Bryce followed.
“My dad took off when I was six,” she explained. “My youngest sister was only a couple of months old. He said he loved us and would be back, but we never heard from or saw him again.”
Bryce’s eyes clouded with sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
She didn’t want his pity. “Thanks, but my mom said hewasn’t cut out to be a husband and father and we’re better off without him.”
“You must miss him.”
Dani shrugged. “I don’t remember him. I have some of his DNA and his last name. That’s all I ever want from him. I think what I miss is the idea of having a dad, but my sisters and I have done great, thanks to my mom.”
Bryce shook his head. “I don’t see how a man could desert his family like that.”
Neither did she. Especially since her father had left them with nothing. But Dani wasn’t about to let his selfish actions years ago ruin this beautiful day. She looked up at Bryce, the sun warming her already heated face. “Not all men are like you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” A welcome breeze blew through her sweaty hair. “I can tell when you get married you’ll be a great husband and father because of the things you do for your sister.”
“I can’t help being protective over the things I care about.”
Would he ever care about her? Dani wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.
As she led the horse out of the ring, his hooves kicked up dirt.
“Being protective is an honorable trait, but not many guys would spend a weekend afternoon driving to the
The couple had kept their distance from her and Bryce once they’d realized Dani knew what she was doing. She appreciated the vote of confidence. “Caitlin will be able to do whatever she wants with this handsome fellow.”
“Good to hear.” Bryce moved with the grace and agility of an athlete. Dani would love to see him ride. “The vet’s already done an examination. He looks like a winner. I’m going to tell Caitlin to buy him.”
The horse snorted.
Dani didn’t blame him one bit. She wrinkled her nose. “Is that really your job?”
“Who else’s job would it be?”
“Caitlin’s.”
His grin crinkled the corner of his eyes. “That’s one of the things I admire about you, Dani. You say exactly what’s on your mind.”
“If I didn’t, you wouldn’t know what I was thinking.”
“It works both ways,” Bryce said. “So you know, I’m not trying to make Caitlin’s decision for her. She asked me to come out here and give my opinion. That’s all. There’s also something you don’t know about my sister. Something you should know.”
His eyes darkened.
“What?”
Bryce paused. His lips thinned into a narrow line.
His serious expression worried Dani. “What is it?”
He took a deep breath. “Caitlin fell in love with a man who wasn’t what he claimed to be. He stole her money and broke her heart. I don’t want her to be hurt like that again so I look out for her, whether it’s with love or horses.”
Dani respected how he looked after his sister, yet…“That’s admirable, but what about your father? Isn’t he the one who’s supposed to do that?”
“My father’s into his own thing. He was never around much when he and my mother were married and it’s gotten worse over the years.” Bryce’s jaw thrust forward. “He spends his time seeking young wives.”
“How young?”
Bryce grimaced. “His current girlfriend is the same age as Caitlin. He’s not exactly big on being a parent these days.”
He acted nonchalant about the whole thing, but an edge of bitterness in Bryce’s voice made her want to reach out to him.
The horse butted her with his nose.
Okay, she could take a hint.
Dani touched Bryce’s arm. His muscles rippled under her hand.
“At least your dad’s still around. That counts for a lot. He could have just…”
Bryce’s brows slanted. “What?”
She pulled her arm away from him. “Left.”
As she led the horse toward the gate, Bryce followed.
“My dad took off when I was six,” she explained. “My youngest sister was only a couple of months old. He said he loved us and would be back, but we never heard from or saw him again.”
Bryce’s eyes clouded with sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
She didn’t want his pity. “Thanks, but my mom said hewasn’t cut out to be a husband and father and we’re better off without him.”
“You must miss him.”
Dani shrugged. “I don’t remember him. I have some of his DNA and his last name. That’s all I ever want from him. I think what I miss is the idea of having a dad, but my sisters and I have done great, thanks to my mom.”
Bryce shook his head. “I don’t see how a man could desert his family like that.”
Neither did she. Especially since her father had left them with nothing. But Dani wasn’t about to let his selfish actions years ago ruin this beautiful day. She looked up at Bryce, the sun warming her already heated face. “Not all men are like you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” A welcome breeze blew through her sweaty hair. “I can tell when you get married you’ll be a great husband and father because of the things you do for your sister.”
“I can’t help being protective over the things I care about.”
Would he ever care about her? Dani wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.
As she led the horse out of the ring, his hooves kicked up dirt.
“Being protective is an honorable trait, but not many guys would spend a weekend afternoon driving to the
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