Her chest turns pink, and the color moves up her neck. “I’ve never come with a man before.”
Knowing that there will be a lot of firsts with her, I slide the back of my finger across her cheek and smile. “I’ll be the only man making you come.”
Her shyness is taking over, and her eyes drop to my chin. I watch as a thought dampens her happiness. “What is it? Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She pauses, but finally looks at me. “Was I okay? I know I don’t have as much experience as you’re used…”
I stop her by laying my finger over her mouth. “Listen to me.” I make sure she’s looking at me, locking my eyes with hers. “My heart is so full of happiness right now. What I feel for you is more than I ever thought was possible for me. This is a first for me as well, I don’t have anything to compare it to. I want you and only you. You’re the only one who can make me feel this way.” I cock my brow. “Do you understand what I am saying?”
Those three words are on the tip of my tongue. If I knew she wouldn’t think it was too soon, I would tell her how much I love her, how I was lost to her eight months ago, but I hold back.
Her eyes become glassy as she nods her head, and I grasp her jaw and kiss her thoroughly.
Moving off her, I turn on my back and pull her with me. Her head settles on my chest and I tuck her into my side. She fits perfectly and I rest my hand on her round hip.
She lays her palm on my chest. “Will you stay with me?”
With a small chuckle, I kiss the top of her head. “I’ll never leave your side now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
MARLEY
“HOW MUCHlonger do I have before she goes?” Hallie asks as she nuzzles Maizie’s nose.
Leaning the broom against the wall so I can scoop stuff off the floor, I turn my head and say over my shoulder, “They are picking her up tomorrow morning.”
With so many people out of the house, Hallie doesn’t have as much to do and has been in the stable with me most of today. When I first started rehabbing horses, I would get attached to them and feel the same way that Hallie is feeling now, but over the years, I’ve learned to think of myself as a transition for them. I’m just a safe place for them to go before they go to their happy place.
I also like to call and check up on them after their time with me. My contact at the Keystone Lake Lodge, where I’m sending her, is a friend of mine, so I will call to see how she’s doing after about a week. I know Hallie will like that.
“How do you know she will be happythere?” Hallie asks, her back is to me still.
I straighten and put my hands on my hips as I swivel to face her. With a laugh, I say, “I’ve been doing this for a long time, give me a little credit.”
“I do. I know you are a pro at this, but how do you know for sure every time?”
“Because they tell me.” I say and go back to scooping stuff from the floor.
She finally turns in my direction. “How do they tell you?”
Dumping a dustpan full of dirt and hay into the trash barrel, I shrug my shoulders. “It’s a sixth sense. Take Maisey, for example, when we go out on the trails, she gets excited, she loves it. She also loves getting love and attention and is not too picky about from who. She’ll be perfect for people interaction and being out in nature.
“But take that gelding over there.” I point at the horse that does not like men. “He will be a good companion for a woman because he doesn’t like strangers, and he doesn’t like men. But he has done well with just me, after he got to know me. He wants to believe that people are good, I can tell by the way he is when it’s just me and him, he just needs the right owner to show him.”
“What about the ones that won’t play nice? They don’t get put down, do they?” Her face is scrunched with concern and anger.
I look at her like she’s lost her mind. “Of course not. I would never put a horse down unless they were seriously injured.” The mare Gray had to put down a few months ago when the stable caught fire comes to mind and my heart sinks. “I know someone who owns a horse refuge up north of us. They take the ones that are done giving us chances.”
“Can we go out for one more ride today? Before she has to leave?” Hallie asks, turning back to the horse.
“Sure, I’ll get Felix after I’m done here, and we can take onemore ride around the trails.”
After we get them saddled up and lead them out of the stable, I look around for Jax. He was here earlier but had to take a call with Mason and their boss and he’s still gone. Since Hallie is here with me, he told me to text him if I need anything while he’s in the house.
Just to make sure they don’t get mad, I send a text to him and Mason to let them know Hallie and I are going for a ride on the round trail to the west. It’s a short trail and shouldn’t take more than an hour. They send back a thumbs up and as I am about to put my phone back in my pocket, Jax sends me a personal text with a heart emoji and tells me to please be careful.
A smile splits my face, and happiness fills my chest as I send him a thumbs up and a kiss emoji.
