“I see it as one of the perks of the job.”
He smiled again. “A job I’m sensing you love.”
Emotion stirred within her. “I do love it,” she said quietly, holding his gaze. “I love it a lot.”
“I love when people love what they do. Not everyone is so fortunate.”
Maybe it was because they were together in the sleigh, maybe it was because of the low glow cast by the barn’s lights, but she found herself getting drawn in by his dark brown eyes. She’d thought of them as intense, but that really didn’t capture what was going on in them. They were intense, yes, but they were intensely radiatingsincerity. He was enjoying being here with her in this horse-drawn sleigh, trotting between rows of apple trees, talking about poetry and fiction.
With a jolt, she realized he was waiting for her to say something. Fortunately, Bessie chose that moment to snort and remind her where she was.
“Now this gal,” Penny said, gesturing to their equine companion, grateful to have a safe topic, “is clearly someone who loves what she does. How much do you know about horses?”
“Not much,” he said. “My ex-wife knows a lot —her family has a horse farm —but we didn’t spend much time there.”
Penny kept her expression neutral. Without prompting, Daniel had just mentioned his former wife. The way he’d done it seemed straightforward, free of anxiety, free of rancor, free of longing or regret —suggesting he was comfortable thinking about her as his ex. But was that right? Was she reading too much into what he’d said and how he’d said it? She felt an impulse to probe —he’d given her an opening, after all —but instead said, “You’re a New York City kid, right?”
He nodded. “Born and raised. The only horses I saw growing up were the ones in Central Park pulling tourist carriages.”
“New York has police horses, too.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right —I forgot about them. Have you spent time in New York?”
“Not a lot. I’ve visited a number of times.”
Up ahead, the path was approaching the turnaround —the ride was flying by.
Daniel followed her gaze. “Okay,” he said as they reached the turn, “let’s see how Bessie does this.”
Penny held her breath as the horse pushed her shoulder against the sleigh, crossed her front legs, and pressed down, sending the sleigh spinning behind her over the hard-packed snow.
“Wow,” Daniel murmured, impressed.
“Bessie for the win!” Penny said with a laugh.
With a confident snort, Bessie finished the turn and aimed them back toward the barn.
And that’s when Penny became aware that, as the sleigh had spun around the turn, she’d slid across the bench toward Daniel. Her shoulder was now pressed against his upper arm.
For several long seconds, she remained still, exquisitely aware of the steady rhythm of Bessie’s measured trots and Daniel’s strong, solid presence. He didn’t move, perhaps just as aware of their situation as she was. If anything, he seemed to be subtly leaning into her, as if welcoming her closeness.
Ahead of them, silhouetted by the barn lights, she could make out Eva and Jeremiah awaiting their return.
Daniel said, “I had an answer ready for Eva, by the way.”
Penny’s brow furrowed, unsure what he was referring to. “An answer?”
“To the question she asked.”
Penny went still. Was he saying he had an answer to whether he found herpretty? She felt her face go pink. “Is that so?”
He turned to face her directly. “The answer I would have given her is that I think you’re smart, accomplished, thoughtful, and kind.”
She stared at him, speechless, surprised again by his directness. “Um….”
His dark brown eyes held hers. “I’ve been told by the people in my life that I need to be more open about what’s going on in this head of mine. Apparently, like certain books, I can be hard to read.”
She held her breath, waiting for him to continue.
