had kept her silent and fettered.
She thought she was over Berlin. She thought she was over her ex. But seeing him again had brought it all back to the surface. Suddenly, wounds that she had convinced herself had healed were, once more, bleeding and raw. Feelings that she thought she had long ago buried had come clawing their way back to the surface.
And when Enzo had asked her point-blank if she still had feelings for Jake…she had realized that she truly didn’t know. Because if she was really over him, why had she felt such a punch to the gut when she had seen him at the gallery? If she was past what had happened to her in Berlin, why did she end up sobbing in a bathtub while Enzo had to practically knock down the door?
Perhaps this was all temporary. Perhaps it would pass. In the meantime, it wasn’t fair to Enzo or herself to stay so close. She needed to sort out just how deep this really ran.
She probed at the pony’s hoof, expertly prying off his old shoe and digging out the dirt and trimming down the overgrown frog. Once she had exposed a nice, clean sole, she pulled out her clippers and tackled the outer wall of the hoof, trimming off anything that looked too long. She used her rasp to even the whole thing out, eyeing it carefully to make sure it was level. After that, she went to work on the inner hoof and then placed the pony’s foot back on the floor, looking at it from every angle until she was satisfied that the hoof lay totally flat.
She ducked under the pony’s neck, careful to stay well away from his teeth, and headed back to her truck where she kept her portable forge so she could heat up and shape the pony plate and hammer it to just the right size.
On the way, she was startled to see what looked like Pilar in an empty stall. Her back was to Noni, and she was, Noni realized, talking to someone.
Judging from the low murmur of Pilar’s voice and her soft, throaty laugh, Noni didn’t think it was either of her sons.
She paused for a moment, wondering if she should make her presence known, but before she could say anything, Pilar swung around so that she was in profile to Noni, and the other person in the stall came into view—Sir Henderson, one hand on Pilar’s waist, the other stroking her hair as he bent his mouth hungrily to hers.
Neither of them noticed her as Antonia stole away, feeling like a child who had left her bed for a drink of water and then accidentally walked in on her parents making out in the kitchen.
She had known they were something of an item. Their behavior at the party had made that fairly clear. But she had been truly surprised by the tender and passionate look on Pilar’s face as she had gazed up at Hendy, the heat that was so obvious between them as he kissed her.
This was not just a comfortable alliance between two old friends. This looked like something much more.
Noni smiled to herself. As difficult as she found Pilar, she couldn’t help but cheer her on. Having known the Del Campos as long as she had, Antonia was no longer under the illusion that she had been the only one who had felt hurt and rejected by Carlos’s lack of attention. If Pilar had managed to find something sweet, and maybe even a little hot, in her golden years, well, good for her. The tough old bird had probably more than earned it.
She turned the corner and saw Enzo striding outside, heading for the paddocks, and she opened her mouth to call out to him, catch up, and tell him what she had just seen. She imagined the way he would laugh and tease her about the awkwardness of the moment.
But before she could utter a word, he seemed to sense that she was there. He glanced over his shoulder and met her eyes, and the look he gave her was made of ice and stone. The smile faded from her lips and his name shriveled in her mouth. They simply gazed at each other for a moment, the hurt between them hanging almost palpable in the air, and then, with a slight shrug, he turned back around and kept
She thought she was over Berlin. She thought she was over her ex. But seeing him again had brought it all back to the surface. Suddenly, wounds that she had convinced herself had healed were, once more, bleeding and raw. Feelings that she thought she had long ago buried had come clawing their way back to the surface.
And when Enzo had asked her point-blank if she still had feelings for Jake…she had realized that she truly didn’t know. Because if she was really over him, why had she felt such a punch to the gut when she had seen him at the gallery? If she was past what had happened to her in Berlin, why did she end up sobbing in a bathtub while Enzo had to practically knock down the door?
Perhaps this was all temporary. Perhaps it would pass. In the meantime, it wasn’t fair to Enzo or herself to stay so close. She needed to sort out just how deep this really ran.
She probed at the pony’s hoof, expertly prying off his old shoe and digging out the dirt and trimming down the overgrown frog. Once she had exposed a nice, clean sole, she pulled out her clippers and tackled the outer wall of the hoof, trimming off anything that looked too long. She used her rasp to even the whole thing out, eyeing it carefully to make sure it was level. After that, she went to work on the inner hoof and then placed the pony’s foot back on the floor, looking at it from every angle until she was satisfied that the hoof lay totally flat.
She ducked under the pony’s neck, careful to stay well away from his teeth, and headed back to her truck where she kept her portable forge so she could heat up and shape the pony plate and hammer it to just the right size.
On the way, she was startled to see what looked like Pilar in an empty stall. Her back was to Noni, and she was, Noni realized, talking to someone.
Judging from the low murmur of Pilar’s voice and her soft, throaty laugh, Noni didn’t think it was either of her sons.
She paused for a moment, wondering if she should make her presence known, but before she could say anything, Pilar swung around so that she was in profile to Noni, and the other person in the stall came into view—Sir Henderson, one hand on Pilar’s waist, the other stroking her hair as he bent his mouth hungrily to hers.
Neither of them noticed her as Antonia stole away, feeling like a child who had left her bed for a drink of water and then accidentally walked in on her parents making out in the kitchen.
She had known they were something of an item. Their behavior at the party had made that fairly clear. But she had been truly surprised by the tender and passionate look on Pilar’s face as she had gazed up at Hendy, the heat that was so obvious between them as he kissed her.
This was not just a comfortable alliance between two old friends. This looked like something much more.
Noni smiled to herself. As difficult as she found Pilar, she couldn’t help but cheer her on. Having known the Del Campos as long as she had, Antonia was no longer under the illusion that she had been the only one who had felt hurt and rejected by Carlos’s lack of attention. If Pilar had managed to find something sweet, and maybe even a little hot, in her golden years, well, good for her. The tough old bird had probably more than earned it.
She turned the corner and saw Enzo striding outside, heading for the paddocks, and she opened her mouth to call out to him, catch up, and tell him what she had just seen. She imagined the way he would laugh and tease her about the awkwardness of the moment.
But before she could utter a word, he seemed to sense that she was there. He glanced over his shoulder and met her eyes, and the look he gave her was made of ice and stone. The smile faded from her lips and his name shriveled in her mouth. They simply gazed at each other for a moment, the hurt between them hanging almost palpable in the air, and then, with a slight shrug, he turned back around and kept
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