resist caressing her stomach, thinking about more. Her
body lifted into his touch.
A loud knock sounded at the door, causing him to pause.
She clung to him, shaking her head. “Don’t answer it.”
What could be so important? He hadn’t felt an earthquake. He
didn’t smell smoke.
For the life of him, he couldn’t pull away from her. The
knock got louder, then Dale called his name.
“Damn it all!” Brent jumped up to answer the door, saying
over his shoulder, “He’ll walk right in here if we don’t answer.”
He threw open the door to scowl at Dale. “Is something on
fire?”
Dale looked baffled. “You better get out here, the stable
roof’s leaking bad and pouring water all over everything. We’ve got a muddy
mess in there and some unhappy horses.”
Dale left before Brent could grab his coat. Missy rushed to
come with him.
“Listen, you don’t need to be out in the cold and wet.” He
didn’t think she’d know how to help anyway.
Her dark gaze held his, looking determined as heck to go
with him.
“Fine, come on, I don’t have time to argue.” He turned
toward the door, and she followed him into the dark night. The rain fell slow
enough to look like snow, but it wasn’t cold enough for that.
After several steps, he thought about how he’d spoken to
her. Looking over, however, she didn’t look angry. “Listen, getting interrupted
like that . . . it, uh, it doesn’t feel so great. Sorry I snapped at you.”
The corners of her mouth rounded in a smile. “Forgiven. I’m
not too thrilled, either. That’s why I didn’t want to sit there by myself.”
Really? He wanted to tease her, but they were close to the
stables. One reason Brent liked having Dale around was he kept everything in
top shape. Right now, however, he wasn’t happy with having to fix something the
minute it needed fixing.
Dale placed a ladder against the side, with the tools close
by.
“I’ll hold, you go up first,” Brent directed Dale. Missy
stepped back as Dale climbed. Brent turned to her when Dale reached the roof.
Her head went back to look up, and she looked scared.
He chucked the rolled-up tarp up and made sure Dale caught
it, then he picked up the toolbox to take up with him.
“Hold the ladder for me?” Judging from the look on her face,
she didn’t like heights. He wasn’t about to ask her to come up.
“Okay, go.”
He didn’t rush since the ladder was wet, and he had to perch
the box on a rung, take a step, and then move the toolbox. He reached the roof
and looked down through the darkness to call out, “You can go in the stables
and I’ll call when we’re coming down.”
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. He was
beginning to regret coming out to fix it tonight; it really could have waited.
“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. “Horses usually like to stand in the rain.”
Brent shrugged since there wasn’t any way to tell, but it
might have been that Dale was worried and decided the horses were too. Dale
thought of this place like his own, and Brent couldn’t fault him for being so
diligent in his job. 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,
body lifted into his touch.
A loud knock sounded at the door, causing him to pause.
She clung to him, shaking her head. “Don’t answer it.”
What could be so important? He hadn’t felt an earthquake. He
didn’t smell smoke.
For the life of him, he couldn’t pull away from her. The
knock got louder, then Dale called his name.
“Damn it all!” Brent jumped up to answer the door, saying
over his shoulder, “He’ll walk right in here if we don’t answer.”
He threw open the door to scowl at Dale. “Is something on
fire?”
Dale looked baffled. “You better get out here, the stable
roof’s leaking bad and pouring water all over everything. We’ve got a muddy
mess in there and some unhappy horses.”
Dale left before Brent could grab his coat. Missy rushed to
come with him.
“Listen, you don’t need to be out in the cold and wet.” He
didn’t think she’d know how to help anyway.
Her dark gaze held his, looking determined as heck to go
with him.
“Fine, come on, I don’t have time to argue.” He turned
toward the door, and she followed him into the dark night. The rain fell slow
enough to look like snow, but it wasn’t cold enough for that.
After several steps, he thought about how he’d spoken to
her. Looking over, however, she didn’t look angry. “Listen, getting interrupted
like that . . . it, uh, it doesn’t feel so great. Sorry I snapped at you.”
The corners of her mouth rounded in a smile. “Forgiven. I’m
not too thrilled, either. That’s why I didn’t want to sit there by myself.”
Really? He wanted to tease her, but they were close to the
stables. One reason Brent liked having Dale around was he kept everything in
top shape. Right now, however, he wasn’t happy with having to fix something the
minute it needed fixing.
Dale placed a ladder against the side, with the tools close
by.
“I’ll hold, you go up first,” Brent directed Dale. Missy
stepped back as Dale climbed. Brent turned to her when Dale reached the roof.
Her head went back to look up, and she looked scared.
He chucked the rolled-up tarp up and made sure Dale caught
it, then he picked up the toolbox to take up with him.
“Hold the ladder for me?” Judging from the look on her face,
she didn’t like heights. He wasn’t about to ask her to come up.
“Okay, go.”
He didn’t rush since the ladder was wet, and he had to perch
the box on a rung, take a step, and then move the toolbox. He reached the roof
and looked down through the darkness to call out, “You can go in the stables
and I’ll call when we’re coming down.”
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. He was
beginning to regret coming out to fix it tonight; it really could have waited.
“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. “Horses usually like to stand in the rain.”
Brent shrugged since there wasn’t any way to tell, but it
might have been that Dale was worried and decided the horses were too. Dale
thought of this place like his own, and Brent couldn’t fault him for being so
diligent in his job. 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,
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