remember that.”
“Don't judge me by what someone else did to you.” He looked wounded.
“I'm not judging you.” I wished there were some way to make this whole mess just go away. Why hadn't this piece of me just stayed turned off? “I really want you to respect me on this.”
“Hailey….”
“I understand if you don't want us to come to dinner tomorrow. We can eat here.”
“That's not fair to Aaron,” he snapped and I couldn't help flinching a little. His words felt like a slap. He must have noticed my reaction because he immediately softened. “And I want you there. My folks want to meet you.”
“Your folks…” I blanched a little. I'd forgotten about them coming.
“Hailey…”
“Yes?” I looked up, his gaze held mine for a breath.
“Aw hell.” He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me to him for one more fierce kiss. “I'll give you your space, but I don't like it.”
“Thank you.” I rested my head on his chest a moment more before stepping back. It was almost physically painful. Springsteen was saying we had one last chance to make it real. I was thinking maybe I was pushing my last chance away.
When the door closed behind him, I stood staring at it for a good long while. Then I just crumbled to the ground and cried. No, sobbed was more like it. I hadn't wanted this. I was here to work – to build cattle shoots and research bull DNA and negotiate contracts with Hollywood horse trainers. I was supposed to be losing weight and finding my inner Juanita, and the one thing I knew for sure was that I had not come here to fall in love. Eventually I pulled myself up and stumbled to the couch, where I lay staring at the dying embers in the fireplace until sleep finally claimed me.
The next morning dawned with an almost cruel beauty that beckoned me to shake off my self-pity to embrace it. By the time Aaron bounded out of his room, I was showered and dressed and ready to get a bit of work in before we had to go to the main house for dinner. Aaron and I had a bowl of cereal together and then parted ways. He was off to clean the stalls and work with Tumbleweed in the indoor arena. I wanted to get my morning ride in so I had time to finish up the budget projections.
Of course Ethan was already in the stable shining tack when I got there. I stopped short and opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. My heart hurt – physically hurt – at the sight of him. I'd expected him to be a little standoffish, but he surprised me with a warm hello. I stammered something unintelligible, grabbed my saddle, and took off like a mountain lion was after me.
I might never be a true Ozarkian in that I just couldn't get used to the Fox Trotter gait, but I was happy that it no longer caused pain. Infact, it was kind of fun. I tried to alternate my rides. Mornings were spent with Lady, evenings with Jezebel. That seemed fitting. Then, lunch time was spent with Tumbleweed. Between the attention he got from Aaron, me, and Ethan, that was one well-loved little colt.
“Hey Hailey, you done yet?” Ethan called from the door.
“Did you need the arena? I'm sorry,” I clucked Lady into a trot and quickly met him at the door. She tossed her head merrily as I wheeled her to a stop.
“No, I don't need the room. I just figured you had some work you wanted to get done.”
“I have time.” I scowled at him. He wasn't usually a taskmaster. It didn't seem like him to take last night out on me by pulling the boss card.
“I just thought you might want to finish up here in time to get dressed up a little. Maybe put some makeup on.” He fidgeted uneasily.
“Since when are you concerned about properly applied mascara?”
“Never mind.” He threw his hands up in defeat. “Show up fresh from shoveling horse manure for all I care.”
“Maybe I will.” I waited until his back was turned to stick my tongue out.
“I saw that,” he called without missing a step.
I rolled my eyes. I wasn't in the mood to
“Don't judge me by what someone else did to you.” He looked wounded.
“I'm not judging you.” I wished there were some way to make this whole mess just go away. Why hadn't this piece of me just stayed turned off? “I really want you to respect me on this.”
“Hailey….”
“I understand if you don't want us to come to dinner tomorrow. We can eat here.”
“That's not fair to Aaron,” he snapped and I couldn't help flinching a little. His words felt like a slap. He must have noticed my reaction because he immediately softened. “And I want you there. My folks want to meet you.”
“Your folks…” I blanched a little. I'd forgotten about them coming.
“Hailey…”
“Yes?” I looked up, his gaze held mine for a breath.
“Aw hell.” He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me to him for one more fierce kiss. “I'll give you your space, but I don't like it.”
“Thank you.” I rested my head on his chest a moment more before stepping back. It was almost physically painful. Springsteen was saying we had one last chance to make it real. I was thinking maybe I was pushing my last chance away.
When the door closed behind him, I stood staring at it for a good long while. Then I just crumbled to the ground and cried. No, sobbed was more like it. I hadn't wanted this. I was here to work – to build cattle shoots and research bull DNA and negotiate contracts with Hollywood horse trainers. I was supposed to be losing weight and finding my inner Juanita, and the one thing I knew for sure was that I had not come here to fall in love. Eventually I pulled myself up and stumbled to the couch, where I lay staring at the dying embers in the fireplace until sleep finally claimed me.
The next morning dawned with an almost cruel beauty that beckoned me to shake off my self-pity to embrace it. By the time Aaron bounded out of his room, I was showered and dressed and ready to get a bit of work in before we had to go to the main house for dinner. Aaron and I had a bowl of cereal together and then parted ways. He was off to clean the stalls and work with Tumbleweed in the indoor arena. I wanted to get my morning ride in so I had time to finish up the budget projections.
Of course Ethan was already in the stable shining tack when I got there. I stopped short and opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. My heart hurt – physically hurt – at the sight of him. I'd expected him to be a little standoffish, but he surprised me with a warm hello. I stammered something unintelligible, grabbed my saddle, and took off like a mountain lion was after me.
I might never be a true Ozarkian in that I just couldn't get used to the Fox Trotter gait, but I was happy that it no longer caused pain. Infact, it was kind of fun. I tried to alternate my rides. Mornings were spent with Lady, evenings with Jezebel. That seemed fitting. Then, lunch time was spent with Tumbleweed. Between the attention he got from Aaron, me, and Ethan, that was one well-loved little colt.
“Hey Hailey, you done yet?” Ethan called from the door.
“Did you need the arena? I'm sorry,” I clucked Lady into a trot and quickly met him at the door. She tossed her head merrily as I wheeled her to a stop.
“No, I don't need the room. I just figured you had some work you wanted to get done.”
“I have time.” I scowled at him. He wasn't usually a taskmaster. It didn't seem like him to take last night out on me by pulling the boss card.
“I just thought you might want to finish up here in time to get dressed up a little. Maybe put some makeup on.” He fidgeted uneasily.
“Since when are you concerned about properly applied mascara?”
“Never mind.” He threw his hands up in defeat. “Show up fresh from shoveling horse manure for all I care.”
“Maybe I will.” I waited until his back was turned to stick my tongue out.
“I saw that,” he called without missing a step.
I rolled my eyes. I wasn't in the mood to
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