“Wait!” she cried. “This is just a pause, Ash. You know that, right?”
He nodded and gave her a weary smile. “I know,” he replied softly.
Without another thought, she kissed him, a soft brush of her lips against his, and Ash let out a shaky breath.
“Let’s steer the ship, okay?” he whispered, thenlowered her hands as he climbed out of the bed. “It’s a little past noon,” he added. “I’m going to head over to the clinic to check in with Eli and see how the dapples are doing. When you’re officially up and ready, why don’t you pop out to the barn and meet the new residents? Then we can get to work.”
Willow sat up in bed and pulled her knees to her chest. “You’re really okay with all of this?”
He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. His bare chest that—pause or no pause—made Willow’s mouth water. “I’m okay with whatever you need to be sure I’m not going to mess up this time.” He nodded toward her with a soft smile. “Go back to bed, Wills. There’s no rush, okay?”
He pivoted away from her and out into the main area of the house, pulling the door closed behind him.
Willow closed her eyes and counted to ten, letting out a long, steady breath as she reminded herself that despite the ticking clock, he was right. They could take their time and do everything right this go-around.
Chapter 19
“Jack and Rose?” Willow asked as she stood cross-armed outside the new mare’s stall. “Seriously?”
Ash gave her a patented Ash Murphy wink. “Since Eli and Boone were dicks the whole trip, making me sit in the back of the cab and torturing me by giving zero control over the music selection, I called dibs on naming the dapples.”
“Dibs?” she let out an incredulous laugh. “Are you eleven?”
He shrugged. “Boone got dibs on shotgun. I got dibs on the names. That’s how it works.”
She shook her head. “Men are forever boys, aren’t they?” She sighed. “But Jack and Rose?”
“It’s on brand, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Theyhitthe iceberg!” Willow replied, throwing her hands in the air. “Jackdiesright before the rescue boats arrive,” she added with a hitch in her breath.
“Wait…” Ash said. “He does?”
“Have you even seen the movie?”
He answered her with a wince.
Willow gasped and then backhanded him on the shoulder. “You named these beautiful horses afterfated lovers wholoseeach other after just falling in love! I don’t know if I’ve ever cried so hard watching a movie before.”
Ash bit back a laugh but not soon enough because Willow was staring daggers at him, and if he didn’t know better, he’d have said Rose was side-eyeing him through her gate. “Wait…” he began, opting for defense. “You saw a movie about a real-life ship that sank, and you’re getting choked up just talking about someone in the movie dying when over a thousand people died in the actual incident?”
Rose snorted and stomped a hoof on the bedding of her stall.
“See?” Willow continued. “Even Rose objects. Don’t you, girl?” But Willow’s cooing tone caused Rose to poke her nose over the gate and whinny for a pat. “Or maybe she just likes me so much that she’s setting aside her feelings about her tragic name.” Willow sighed. “Sheispretty, isn’t she? I’ve never seen a… What did you call her?”
“A dapple,” Ash told her. “She’s a quarter horse by breed, but the coloring—the gray with the sort of white snowflake pattern—it’s called dappling.” He gave the mare an affectionate scratch between the eyes. “It’s the reason the owners were trying so hard to breed them. Probably thought they’d make some easy money, but malnourished and neglected horses don’t always behave the way you want them to. And if they knew anything about horses at all,they’d know there’s no way to guarantee a dapple anyway.” He felt his teeth clench as he spoke. He had to remind himself that Jack and Rose were going to be okay because of Eli’s skills and reputation as a vet and because he’d rehabbed the family ranch and turned it into a rescue.
“Where’s Jack?” she asked, and he could hear the hesitation in her voice. “I wouldn’t have teased you about the names if—”
“No!” Ash interrupted with a firm shake of his head. “Jack’s fine. Eli…uh…fixedhim before we left Tahoe. Geldings bounce right back after surgery, but just to be safe, Eli’s keeping him in the grazing field over by his place for the rest of the day and night.”
Willow nuzzled Rose’s nose. “She’s too thin,” she said softly. “I can’t believe they were withholding food from her.”
“Wanna feed her?” Ash asked with a hopeful smile. He patted the pocket of his jeans to indicate where the treats were hidden. “I’ve got a few carrot slices in here,” he whispered, just in case Rose understood the word.
“Like…right now?” Willow asked.
He shook his head. “I was going to walk her a couple of laps around the arena. If she cooperates, she gets a treat.” He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered in Willow’s ear. “And even if she doesn’t, I’ll probably still give her the treat just because she’s pretty.”
