It nearly killed Dad and Mason that it changed her so much. Mason was protective of Marley before, when she was still confident and outgoing, but after she was attacked, hewas at her back at all times. He became a force to be reckoned with.
She went from being a fun-loving, high school barrel racer to a skittish, withdrawn woman who prefers spending time with horses more than people. It was during her time alone on this porch that she told dad she wanted to rehab abused horses to find them good homes. He had the stables and paddocks built for her within the year.
She’s been caring for horses that have been beat down at the hands of men, to make them whole again ever since. Her protective nature toward them is fierce as a bobcat, I think it’s partly how she helps herself feel whole.
I think Mason being forced to join the service made Marley feel like she was losing another part of herself, in addition to what she had lost because of the attack. It was the first time they had been separated.
It was also one of the worst times of our family. We all hated watching both of them go through that. After Mason left, Marley was worse for months. I tried my best to fill in for him how I could, but I knew it just wasn’t the same for her.
It changed all of us. I just wish Mason would have finished the fucker off instead of the near-death beat-down he gave him.
The sleet falling sounds like sizzling meat and I wish I would have finished my dinner, but I couldn’t sit at that table for another minute. It’s been a long time since anyone has managed to knock me off my mount quite like that woman has.
When I woke up this morning, aside from the bad weather, it was a normal day. But the next thing I know, a bloody, beautiful little woman is walking up my driveway. When she asked me to let her warm up before I made her leave, my heart hurt for her.
I’d have been more likely to give my left nut than make herleave when I heard the desperation in her voice and felt her small body against mine. Lord knows when I threatened to send her back to her car, I was full of shit.
When she stepped closer to me in the office and lifted her chin in defiance, the faint smell of peaches drifted up to my nose and I had to stop myself from leaning closer to take a deeper breath. Her fiery amber eyes and the way she squared her shoulders mixed with the sweet scent pushed all reason from my head and I was just… mean. It was the only way to quickly hide the stirring desire I was trying to shut down.
If she weren’t working on the other side of the fence, I would say that little vixen getting her back up at me was cute as fuck.
But sheisworking against us.
After that little dust-up, the air in the house was stifling, so I bundled up and strapped my shoe spikes on my boots to come out and check on things. The weather man predicted we’ll most likely lose power in rural areas, and we should prepare for it to be down for more than a day.
I’ve double-checked the generators to the two stables and made sure all the horses are covered, a couple of Marley’s rehab horses won’t let me near them, so I had to look in on them from the corridor to keep them calm.
Then I checked the generator that’s connected to the house, it won’t support all the electronics in the house, but the refrigerator, deep freeze, and a few other bigger items will be usable.
It’s only five degrees outside, but I’ve been stomping around in the ice, running on frustration since I walked out of the house, and my hat feels too hot for my head. Pushing the brim up with my gloved finger to let some of the heat out, I shake my head because I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next few days being so close to someone so beautiful and off-limits at the same time.
The creak of the screen door pulls me out of my thoughts and I hear my dad’s boots on the wood porch. I don’t look at him, I know what he wants.
“Was that really necessary?” His tone is sharp.
Looking out at the pond, I say, “She walked in on me, she asked for it.”
“You don’t think you asked for it with your little outburst during dinner?” His question bubbles out on a scoff.
Resisting the urge to duck my head in shame, I step away from the post and turn to him. “She’s not supposed to be here, Dad. Mason and I told her not to come back. Fucking forgive me if I’m not feeling all warm and fuzzy toward her.”
He takes a step toward me as he pulls the collar of his wool coat up to his ears and then shoves his hands in the pockets. “What’s really got you so riled, son?”
How do I tell him that just being in the same room with her pisses me off? That beautiful smile pulls me to her in a way I don’t fucking understand, because I know it’s all a facade, just a mask to get what she wants.
Just being close to her feels like I’m on a carnival ride that’s tilting me into her when I should be running away as fast as I can.
The last thing I need is to have Lainey Rai around any of her manipulative bullshit. She’s a corporate girl through and through, not someone I should give any of my energy to, much less let my daughter around.
Sucking a deep breath into my lungs, I look out over the yard before I answer, “I just don’t want Lainey Rai to worry.”
His eyes move over my face, knowing I’m not telling him everything. His poker face is securely in place to see if there’s anything else he might get out of me, but I learned the art of poker faces from the best. “I know you want to shield her from the hurts of the world, son, but she’s only going to learn how to cope and forge ahead by feeling those things you want toprotect her from. She’s a strong little girl, and she has all of us. She’ll be fine.”
Nodding my head, I grunt in agreement and start walking to the door. The last thing I want to do tonight is argue with him, because when it comes to my daughter, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she's safe and happy.
Taking my hat off, I hit it against my leg to dump the sleet that's accumulated on the brim and open the back door, Wilson is sitting next to it, waiting for me. He cocks his head to the side and looks at me with his one icy blue eye and one brown eye, he always looks like he’s smiling.
We found him and his two siblings when they were pups in a box at the end of the driveway by the front gate, they were so sick that one of them couldn’t even stand up. All three of them were blue merle with little stubby tails and marble eyes.
