I couldn’t fucking believe that her father would do this.
Sure, he could be an arrogant prick sometimes, but this was next level.
“Is she still competing?” Emilia asked, breaking the awkward silence.
I rubbed my face and blew out a breath. “No idea, but not sure how you train when you don’t have a horse. And I’m fairly certain she was forced to take a break after her accident.”
But I didn’t have a fucking clue what was going on with Wren Waterstone outside of what I’d read in the press.
Because it wasn’t my business anymore.
Shewasn’t my business anymore.
So why the fuck did I care so much?
I’d tossed and turned all night, thinking about Wrax being gone and wondering why Wren had really come home. I downed a second cup of coffee and threw on my cowboy hat as I headed outside. The only good thing about not sleeping was that I could get an early start to work.
I made my way across the drive to head to the warehouse. My gaze moved to the Bronco parked off to the side, and I wondered why she’d be here this early in the morning. She didn’t have a key to the warehouse, and there was no sign of her outside.
I heard voices coming from the barn and figured it was probably Butch, my ranch hand, since he was the only one who was usually up at this time of day. He tended to the horses and the chickens, making sure everyone was fed first thing in the morning. He cleaned the stalls and managed the property for me.
He walked out carrying a large bucket as he headed for the hose.
“Morning, Axel,” Butch said. “I think the horses prefer a pretty lady over a grumpy old man.”
“I’m guessing you’re right.” I clapped him on the shoulder as I made my way into the barn.
The barn had twelve stalls, and at the moment, I had six horses. My property had somehow become a sanctuary for sick animals or those without a home. I had the space for it, so we’d had our maximum of twelve horses not that long ago, until we’d found the right homes for them.
“I’ve missed you, Honey,” Wren said, her voice smooth as silk. I paused outside the stall and watched as she stroked my girl. She was a gorgeous American Quarter Horse, and I’d had her for a long time.
I cleared my throat to let her know I was standing here, but she didn’t turn around.
“I got here early and didn’t want to wake you. I hope it’s okay I came out here,” she said, somehow just knowing it was me standing behind her.
“Of course it’s okay.” I took a moment to appreciate the view. She wore a pair of black shorts, showing off her long, golden legs, complemented by a denim vest and a pair of cowboy boots. She’d always been a quirky dresser, and her mom used to give her a hard time, but she’d always been so comfortable in her own skin. She didn’t give a shit what anyone thought. We’d always had that in common. Her long blonde waves ran down her back, and she slowly turned to face me.
There was a sadness in her dark brown eyes, and that wasn’t the norm for her. At least it hadn’t been in the past. I was used to seeing fire there. Determination. Confidence.
But right now, I didn’t see any of those things when I looked at her.
“Honey looks good,” she said, walking toward me. “If you need any help out here, just let me know. I know you’ve got Butch, but I’d be happy to brush them or clean them up.”
I wasn’t going to sit here making small talk after learning what had happened to Wrax.
“I saw ‘The Taylor Tea.’” My gaze locked with hers.
“You and everyone else.” She shrugged as she started to walk past me.
“Wren.”
She turned around, blinking a few times, which caught me off guard. Wren didn’t break down. It wasn’t her thing. But she looked like she was fighting back tears.
“Yeah?”
“Did you know he was going to sell Wrax?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course not.”
