“Hi,” I said, the word soft and cautious.
Nash groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. “Hey, Tally.” He nodded toward Dream Maker. “How’s he doing?”
“Okay. A bit jumpy the last couple of days.”
“He was making great progress.” He looked at Wilder. “Didn’t you ride him a few weeks back?”
“Couple of months,” Wilder said, without looking at me.
His gaze eventually drifted to mine. I offered a smile. He gave nothing back. Just fists pressed to his hips and a look that didn’t reach me.
“Want me to send Bertie over?” He looked toward the paddock.
“Where’re you going?” Gunner asked, coming toward us.
“Got some stuff to do in the office.”
Gunner and Nash exchanged a look. Wilder didn’t do office work. That was Nash’s corner of the world.
“I’ll call Lily, get her to send her over.” Nash pulled out his phone and wandered off to make the call.
Gunner stepped forward and took Dreamy’s reins, the horse nuzzling into his chest with a low huff.
“I’ll take him into the paddock.”
When I didn’t let go of the reins, he raised a brow.
“Tally, he’ll be fine.” He chuckled. “Anyone would think he was your kid on his first day of school.”
“Give her a break,” Wilder said, his voice low and unexpected. “She’s right to feel nervous.”
The sound of his defense hit me square in the chest. My breath caught, and my heart betrayed me with a hopeful skip.
Pathetic.
When had I gotten so damn needy?
“Tally’s great at her job,” Gunner added, leading Dreamy into the paddock. “She’s got nothing to be nervous about.”
We stood in silence, watching them go. My fingers ached to reach for Wilder, to smooth the deep lines between his brows, to quiet the war I could see brewing behind his eyes.
So, I spoke instead.
“Mikey said the guy who started the fire is in court today.”
“Yeah. Bastard.” He jammed his hands in his pockets and scuffed at the dirt with his boot, eyes fixed on the ground.
“Are you okay? Not seen you for a couple of days,” I added with a dry laugh. “Nights, I should say.”
A breeze stirred the air, carrying the sharp scent of damp earth and the faintest tinge of wood smoke.
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. I haven’t seen you for two nights. Not since you went to see?—”
“I’m aware where I went, Tally.”
Tally. Not Brownie.
