We quickly found out she wasn’t too fond of men. She’d only been with us a week and had bucked off three hands and bit at least twice as many who dared to get too near. Lennox, Cleo, and I had been taking turns caring for her. She still didn’t trust us, but at least she let us nearby.
But out here with Lincoln? There were no bared teeth in sight.
Duchess danced in one spot, nostrils flared as he stood before her with a saddle blanket. “Hey there, pretty girl,” he cooed, stepping closer. “You’re doing so well.”
I stopped, digging my feet into the dewy ground. Hearing him talk like that was not good for my heart. He’d ditched his hat on one of the posts, giving me a full view of his face.
It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, but the dark shadow didn’t look messy. It looked lived in. Rugged. I absentmindedly wondered what it would feel like…
“Why don’t you let me slide this over your back? I promise you’ll like it.”
Christ. Get a grip, Josie!
I inched closer, unable to help myself. I was drawn to him, watching in wonder as he slowly raised the blanket to her nose so she could examine the object. “See? Nothing to be afraid of. I wouldn’t hurt ya.”
The filly shifted on her feet but didn’t spook as Lincoln dragged the material along her back. Her ears twitched, eyes growing wide as she watched with careful curiosity. She wanted to hear him speak again and hear how he praised her.
I didn’t realize I’d reached the fencing until I ran into the post.
He ran his hand along her neck in gentle strokes. “Good girl,” he murmured. “You remind me of someone I know. Prettiest girl in the room, scared to let anyone in…” My heart kicked up as his words trailed off. I could see the ghost of a smile on his lips. “A terrible snoop.” Lincoln looked over his shoulder, zeroing in on me.
“I’m not a snoop,” I said, leaning forward on the railing. I held one of the coffees out for him to take. “I come bearing gifts.”
“Gifts, huh?” He scratched his stubble, looking over at Duchess. “What do you think, girl? Should we trust her?”
I reached into my jacket and pulled out the apple slices I’d snagged. “What about now?”
Lincoln smiled, and it took my breath away. “Well, now you’re talking.” He clicked his tongue, gently pulling on the lead rope. Duchess went with little fuss, though she glared at the blanket on her back.
I passed the coffee over to Lincoln, and he took a sip. He closed his eyes and hummed. “You remembered how I like my coffee.”
“When someone uses the amount of sugar you do, it’s hard to forget,” I mumbled, focusing on how Duchess munched happily on the apple slices.
“The right amount,” he said, correcting me. “I use the right amount. Otherwise, it just tastes like burnt water.”
“It does not. It tastes exactly like it smells, which is good.”
“I bet your little boyfriend loves to see you coming with a fresh cup of coffee in your hand. Does he like it black? He seems like the type.”
“How would you know his type?”
He leaned in, the corner of his lips lifting. “Bishop told me all about him. Says he’s a real straight-laced finance guy.”
Goddamn Bishop. I’d kill him.
I held up my hand to stop Lincoln from talking. There was no way I was going to dig myself deeper into a hole with Lincoln, especially considering I had absolutely no idea how Ellis took hiscoffee. “Okay, well, way to ruin a nice gesture. I just thought you might want some since you’re up early.”
He tapped his mug against mine, smiling brighter. “Thank you, darlin’. You didn’t have to do this. I could’ve gotten some before the first seminar.”
“Yeah, well, you’re welcome,” I said, turning back for the house. “And stop calling me that. It’s inappropriate!”
His chuckle was warm and smooth. “Whatever you say…darlin’.”
josie
. . .
BringingLincoln coffee had turned out to be a colossal mistake because now he had it in his head that he needed to bring me one every morning.
