“A lot of times people are afraid of things they don’t understand,” I offered.
Aiden didn’t say anything, just kept his eyes on the road and his hands on the wheel. Though the tension was so thick I could feel it pressing down on me, we drove in silence with only the sound of the windshield wipers swishing back and forth for several miles.
Then he turned off the road onto a snow-covered trail. “Shane said they’re around here somewhere. You want to wait in the truck, or…”
I was already stepping down into the snow, my gaze focused on a dark form a few hundred yards up the trail. “Does that look like Shadow to you?”
Aiden stepped next to me, a couple of leads in his hand. “Be careful not to spook him.”
“I know how to handle a horse,” I mumbled.
Shadow stood stock still while we approached. He’d been the first to come around when I started working with the trio of rescued horses. The other two couldn’t be very far away. I spotted Cinnamon standing behind a cluster of trees, her dark coloring standing out against the white. Flurry was a little harder to find since she blended in, but within half an hour, we had all the horses secured in the trailer.
Aiden called Shane to let him know we’d found them and were on our way back. By the time we got them unloaded and settled back in the barn, the remaining mud had dried, making it difficult to speak, much less crack a smile. I couldn’t wait to get back to the bunkhouse to rinse it off and hoped I wouldn’t need to resort to a chisel.
“I checked the latch,” Aiden said as he met me by the door. “Are you sure it was secure when you left earlier?”
I wasn’t in the mood to defend myself, but there was no way I’d left the door open. Even if I had, how could all three horses have gotten out of their stalls?
“I’m sure.” I patted Cinnamon on her velvety nose, hoping he’d leave it at that.
“That’s what I figured.” He didn’t look as guarded as he usually did, like his protective armor had thinned a little.
“About earlier…” I started, hoping I had the nerve to admit I’d seen his sketches before he discovered the stain on his notebook.
His eyes narrowed and the barest ghost of a smile played across his lips as he tapped a finger on the hardened mud on my cheek. “What the hell’s on your face, Paisley?”
I sucked in a breath at the contact. Even though I couldn’t feel his touch, he’d still caught me off guard. “It’s a mud mask.”
“You intentionally spread mud on your face? Can I ask why?”
“It’s supposed to make my skin softer.” In reality, it had done the exact opposite. My cheeks were harder than the rocks thatlined the drive up to the cabin. I felt like an idiot for even saying it out loud.
Then he cradled my cheek with the palm of his hand. Attraction sparked along my jaw and set off a series of fireworks down my spine. “Did you mean what you said to that guy at the Merc? That everyone deserves a second chance?”
My knees practically knocked together as I lifted my chin and searched his face for a clue as to how he might be feeling. Heat simmered in the depths of his dark blue eyes. My “yes” came out on a breathy exhale.
He held my gaze as he leaned close and brushed his lips against mine.
CHAPTER 5
AIDEN
Even with mudcaked on her face, she was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen. I’d been fighting my attraction since the first day she bumped into me at the café. Tonight, watching her coax the horses back to the safety of the trailer, it was too much. I wanted to touch her, to taste her soft, full lips, to let myself think I might someday be worthy of a woman like her.
Her arms snaked up to wrap around my neck. I took the kiss deeper, pressing her back against Cinnamon’s stall. The mare snickered and nudged us with her nose.
“Looks like someone’s jealous,” Paisley said as she pulled back.
My pulse hammered, sending blood racing through my veins as I realized what I’d done. Shit. I shoved my fingers into my hair, dislodging the baseball cap and sending it tumbling over the railing into Cinnamon’s stall.
“Dammit.”
“It’s not a big deal. I’ll get it for you.” Paisley unlatched the gate, prepared to slip inside and retrieve my hat.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it later.” I needed space. The scent of horses and hay mixed with Paisley’s shampoo. Suffocating me. Making it impossible to take in enough air. Iheaded toward the door of the barn, desperate to get away from her.
“Aiden, wait.” She called after me, but I didn’t stop.
