“I’m sure you’d have figured it out, but it’s for the best that they have someone with experience to look after them.”
She glanced at him. “Definitely for the best.”
They stared at each other for a moment, during which he became hyperaware of the way the sleeve of her jacket brushed his, her cinnamon eyes reflecting the sky and pasture beyond, her skin flushed from the crisp mountain air so that it seemed to gleam. His gaze dropped to her mouth. Her pink lips were pressed together, pursed slightly as if she were contemplating something. They glistened from whatever gloss she’d applied, and he wanted to taste it, taste her. He wanted to press his lips against hers and kiss her until the aching, empty void inside him had been filled with her warm welcome presence.
“The humane society will be glad to hear they’re doing so well,” she said, snapping him back to reality before he did something completely ridiculous, like kiss her right here beside the pasture. “Do you have their number?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I’ll text it to you,” she said.
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Okay, well, I’ll let you get back to work, but you might see me down here again later.”
“Stop by whenever you’d like,” he said, returning his gaze to the horses grazing peacefully before them. “Bring a couple of apples, and I bet you’ll be best friends in no time.”
“Good to know. Bye, Jake.”
“Goodbye.” He resisted the urge to watch her walk away, instead striding back toward the barn to get on with his day.
* * *
Megan left the castle mid-afternoon,camera in hand and a smile on her face that the day had warmed up enough to allow her to venture outside without a jacket. It was a gorgeous March afternoon, rich with the promise of spring. Birds sang, and buds covered the trees along the walkway, promising an explosion of greenery to come.
She couldn’t wait to photograph the gardens with her new camera once everything had bloomed. Already, she could see fresh green sprouts dotting the flower beds. Sucking in a deep breath of fresh mountain air, she made her way down the path toward the barn. Dusty Star and Bug weren’t much to look at yet, but they were perfect candidates for a series of “before and after” photos to document their progress. Hopefully, they were still outside.
Megan hummed to herself as she walked. Her gaze roamed the pastures beyond, spotting the rescue horses near the barn, heads down as they munched on their hay. She turned her head to see Jake’s horse galloping toward her across the field to her left. His coat gleamed a brilliant red beneath the sun, sleek and shiny. He slowed to a walk as he approached the fence, hanging his head over with a snort that clearly said, “get over here and pet me.”
She was only too happy to comply. Twister nudged her arm, eyeing the bag of apples and carrots she carried. “Not exactly shy, are you?” she asked as she rubbed her free hand over the white blaze on his face. In response, Twister stomped a hoof and nibbled at the bag.
“For the record, I was planning to give you one anyway,” she said as she pulled an apple out of the bag. Twister grabbed at it with his mouth, and she snatched her hand away, imagining her fingers getting caught between his alarmingly large teeth and the fruit. The apple dropped to the ground, and Twister gave her a reproachful look. “Sorry, big guy. I’m new at this. Don’t bite me, okay?”
She picked up the apple, this time holding carefully to one side of it while the horse took a bite. He crunched happily, head bobbing up and down as Megan held onto a slobbery half of an apple. She offered it to him gingerly, jerking her fingers out of reach as soon as Twister had taken hold of it.
“Flat palm,” Jake said from behind her.
She spun, heart racing at the sight of him. “What?”
“Twister’s gentle, but if you’re worried about getting bitten, it’s easiest to feed them by holding the treat on a flat palm. Makes it easier for them to grab the food and not you.”
“Good to know.”
“You going to take some pictures?” he asked, gesturing to the camera slung over her shoulder.
She nodded. “I thought it would be a good idea to take some ‘before and after’ pictures of the rescue horses for the website. We’ve done that with a few of the dogs, and it’s been really popular with our guests.”
He fell into step beside her as she walked toward the rescue horses. “That sounds like a good idea.”
They arrived at the riding arena, and Jake helped her improve her technique as she fed apples to Bug and Dusty. Both horses hung out near the fence after she’d fed them, waiting to see if she had more. Using their interest as ammunition, she snapped several closeups of each horse as well as full body shots to show their poor condition. “Dusty is going to be a stunner when she fattens up,” she murmured as she worked.
The horse was a rich tan color with a black mane and tail. She had a small star-shaped white mark on her forehead that had no doubt inspired her name.
“That’s for sure,” Jake agreed. “I don’t know if either of them have had any training, but if they can be ridden, they ought to find homes pretty quickly.”
“That’s a pretty big deal, isn’t it?” she asked. “Whether or not they can be ridden?”
“Definitely. There are people out there looking for a companion animal to keep another horse company in the pasture, but there are alotmore people looking for a horse they can ride.”
