her warm. Right, buddy?"
"Dammit." Jeff tossed the pitchfork against the wall. "It’s not like that with us."
"Whoa." Bo held up his hands and took a step back. "I didn’t mean to hit a nerve."
Jeff took a breath and looked at his friend. "I’m sorry, Bo. I—"
"All good."
"She has a boyfriend." Jeff spoke the words simply, but there was nothing simple about it. He couldn’t get the kiss they’d shared out of his head. It was running on repeat, and every time he thought about it, the urge to re-live it was strong. But it kept coming back to the fact that she’d chosen another man. It didn’t matter what he wanted.
"What? I’m sure Andi and Colin didn’t say anything about Eva having a boyfriend."
Jeff’s heart lifted slightly, but then crashed down when he remembered reality. "It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not in a situation to start a relationship with anyone, even if I wanted to."
"And you want to?" Bo eyed him with a smirk on his face and Jeff could practically read his mind. Jeff had never wanted a relationship with anyone, ever. He’d always run screaming in the opposite direction, so the very fact he’d used the word probably had Bo’s head spinning.
"Like I said.” Jeff reached for the pitchfork again and busied himself cleaning out a vacant stall. "It doesn’t matter. I took the job." The silence in the stables was suffocating as what he’d just said sunk in.
"You did?" Bo said after a moment. "I think it’s great."
"You do?" Jeff turned to look at his friend.
"Well, yeah. I mean, you know I’m going to miss you, but the opportunity is amazing. You’d be crazy to turn it down. Besides that, there’s nothing for you here. Not really."
Jeff’s thoughts flew to Eva. But even if she had chosen him, she was just visiting. The Lodge wasn’t her home either. So why did it feel like he was saying goodbye to her just by taking the job?
"Smile," Bo said. He smacked him on the shoulder. "It’s a good thing. When do you leave?"
"Where are you going?"
Both men spun around and looked at Ella. Jeff had forgotten she was there, and had probably heard too much of what he didn’t want her to. He crouched down in front of her and took in her little quaking lip as she tried to hide her tears. She was a smart girl, and she’d had too many people leave her in her short life. She knew what was coming.
"Ella," Jeff spoke softly. "You know that you’re my special buddy and I’d never leave you, right?"
She nodded. "But you said—"
"I know." He reached up and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "But just because I’m going to be moving away from the Lodge doesn’t mean I’m going to be leaving you, okay?"
She nodded but more tears fell.
"It’s time for me to try something new, is all," Jeff said. His heart cracked a little watching her try so hard to hide her tears, but he knew he couldn’t change his mind. "And we’ll always be special buddies. No matter what. Promise?"
She nodded again.
"And you know what the really cool thing is?" Jeff asked with a smile. "I’m going to be working with actors and actresses. And celebrity horses."
"Celebrity horses?"
He knew that would pique her interest.
"You bet. They’re like super famous horses that have their own dressing rooms and everything."
"No they don’t." She swatted him and turned serious. "Do they?"
He nodded solemnly. "And they only drink bottled water and eat organic carrots."
"No they don’t," she said again, this time with a giggle.
"Sure they do." Jeff pushed to his feet and took Ella by the hand. "Come on," he said. "Let’s get some horses ready for your trail ride before your dad tries to do it himself."
Bo winked at him as they walked past and Jeff managed a smile. He’d miss it. But sometimes you had to move on.
CHAPTER TEN
Eva knocked twice on the door of Andi's suite and waited. She could hear movement inside but nobody answered the door. She tried again and
"Dammit." Jeff tossed the pitchfork against the wall. "It’s not like that with us."
"Whoa." Bo held up his hands and took a step back. "I didn’t mean to hit a nerve."
Jeff took a breath and looked at his friend. "I’m sorry, Bo. I—"
"All good."
"She has a boyfriend." Jeff spoke the words simply, but there was nothing simple about it. He couldn’t get the kiss they’d shared out of his head. It was running on repeat, and every time he thought about it, the urge to re-live it was strong. But it kept coming back to the fact that she’d chosen another man. It didn’t matter what he wanted.
"What? I’m sure Andi and Colin didn’t say anything about Eva having a boyfriend."
Jeff’s heart lifted slightly, but then crashed down when he remembered reality. "It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not in a situation to start a relationship with anyone, even if I wanted to."
"And you want to?" Bo eyed him with a smirk on his face and Jeff could practically read his mind. Jeff had never wanted a relationship with anyone, ever. He’d always run screaming in the opposite direction, so the very fact he’d used the word probably had Bo’s head spinning.
"Like I said.” Jeff reached for the pitchfork again and busied himself cleaning out a vacant stall. "It doesn’t matter. I took the job." The silence in the stables was suffocating as what he’d just said sunk in.
"You did?" Bo said after a moment. "I think it’s great."
"You do?" Jeff turned to look at his friend.
"Well, yeah. I mean, you know I’m going to miss you, but the opportunity is amazing. You’d be crazy to turn it down. Besides that, there’s nothing for you here. Not really."
Jeff’s thoughts flew to Eva. But even if she had chosen him, she was just visiting. The Lodge wasn’t her home either. So why did it feel like he was saying goodbye to her just by taking the job?
"Smile," Bo said. He smacked him on the shoulder. "It’s a good thing. When do you leave?"
"Where are you going?"
Both men spun around and looked at Ella. Jeff had forgotten she was there, and had probably heard too much of what he didn’t want her to. He crouched down in front of her and took in her little quaking lip as she tried to hide her tears. She was a smart girl, and she’d had too many people leave her in her short life. She knew what was coming.
"Ella," Jeff spoke softly. "You know that you’re my special buddy and I’d never leave you, right?"
She nodded. "But you said—"
"I know." He reached up and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "But just because I’m going to be moving away from the Lodge doesn’t mean I’m going to be leaving you, okay?"
She nodded but more tears fell.
"It’s time for me to try something new, is all," Jeff said. His heart cracked a little watching her try so hard to hide her tears, but he knew he couldn’t change his mind. "And we’ll always be special buddies. No matter what. Promise?"
She nodded again.
"And you know what the really cool thing is?" Jeff asked with a smile. "I’m going to be working with actors and actresses. And celebrity horses."
"Celebrity horses?"
He knew that would pique her interest.
"You bet. They’re like super famous horses that have their own dressing rooms and everything."
"No they don’t." She swatted him and turned serious. "Do they?"
He nodded solemnly. "And they only drink bottled water and eat organic carrots."
"No they don’t," she said again, this time with a giggle.
"Sure they do." Jeff pushed to his feet and took Ella by the hand. "Come on," he said. "Let’s get some horses ready for your trail ride before your dad tries to do it himself."
Bo winked at him as they walked past and Jeff managed a smile. He’d miss it. But sometimes you had to move on.
CHAPTER TEN
Eva knocked twice on the door of Andi's suite and waited. She could hear movement inside but nobody answered the door. She tried again and
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