“Let’s get you to the house.” Carter pecked my lips and let go of me, and I could see the reluctance in his gaze.
I felt the same, I would’ve gladly just walked up the stairs and fallen asleep in his arms on my couch instead.
“Yeah, okay,” I repeated, then took his hand and let him lead me to his truck.
We didn’t kiss when he dropped me off at the house, mostly because someone would’ve seen for sure.
He squeezed my hand, though.
“Goodnight, Hawk. Get some rest.”
I smiled. “See you tomorrow. Goodnight.”
When I told Mom and Dad that Carter’s assistant/friend and her wife were going to be in Colorado for a couple of weeks, they both insisted on having them over for dinner. I was sure they’d both tell Carter the same thing, so I didn’t feel the need to forward the invitation.
Somehow, Carter had become everyone’s favorite new person, which I understood.
Just like Mal had from the start, Carter fit with us, too.
The next day, I was switching horses at the barn and found Mal and Carter talking as they cleaned stalls together.
Mal was telling him how he’d had to take Jaina to Charlie’s Chance, and I could see how affected by the story Carter was.
“Do you think that’s something people have to do a lot?” he asked.
I was saddling Snoopy for some riding training on the agility course—he needed more experience on the seesaw and the wobbly bridge—so I listened in on their conversation.
“In this economy?” Mal snorted softly.
Yeah, he wasn’t wrong.
“Do you think the rescue would like a fund for that sort of thing? Like to help out owners who aim to get their animals back when they’re back on their feet?”
I cleared my throat. “I feel like that’d be an excellent idea.”
“Yeah,” Mal agreed. “I think they don’t ask money when people can come get their horses, because let’s face it, the lack of funds is why people bring them in. So, asking them to pay anything wouldn’t be setting them up for success, right?”
“It can be a strain for a rescue to take in new animals in general. I know they have some funding, but like Mal said, the economy is what it is, and a lot of people struggle right now,” I concluded.
“I’ll make contact with them when Marielle and I get to work.”
He’d explained that it was a working vacation, basically, and I could understand that. If Marielle’s wife was at all horsey or interested in the ranch in any capacity, someone would no doubt ask if she wanted to hang out here while Carter and Marielle worked.
I got Snoopy ready and grabbed a radio.
“We’ll be at the agility course, but I’ll take him for a ride after.”
Mal nodded as he stepped out of the stall he’d been cleaning. “Okay! We’ll finish here, and then I’ll give Carter his riding lesson. On Ruger, per Demi’s instructions.”
Carter winked at me, and I blushed lightly.
It turned out that being able to give in to those fluttery feelings was, in fact, really fucking nice.
Chapter 16
Carter
Ionly had to wait two days for Hawk to have an opening in his schedule. Which worked out perfectly because I had time to run to Colorado Springs to grocery shop, and I’d have him alone in my house before Marielle and Elisa showed up the next day.
