Hale carefully pulls the lower wire down then delicately guides her head back through. She releases a little breathy noise, kicking her hooves in the dirt before she comes loose. I jump at her loud baa of victory, losing my footing in the mud. With nothing I can do to catch myself, I lunge for the fence post, which only propels me backward, falling on my ass with a slap.
I’m too stunned to speak, sitting in the mud, watching Flossie look back over her shoulder. I swear I see her smirk before she scampers away into a nearby cluster of trees to rejoin her flock.
Hale towers over me, the sun shining around his hulking silhouette after he jumps over the fence.
“Kady!” Worry takes over his features. “Are you okay?”
“I think my coat is ruined.”
I’m probably sitting in a load of animal shit, but I find myself laughing, a deep belly laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. I’m someone who spends their days in the library, not rescuing random sheep with sexy small-town alphas.
Hale begins laughing too, his head tossed back, revealing the corded muscles in his neck
“Here.” He holds out his hand. “Let me help you up.”
“Thanks.” I clasp onto it, but when I’m halfway up, Hale loosens his grip, causing me to drop down again. This time, I land with an even louder plop.
“So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?”
“You wanted fun.” Hale’s smile is dazzling, infectious. “I’ve given you fun.”
“I didn’t expect mud wrestling to be on today’s agenda.”
He bends down, fingering some mud—or sheep shit—from my chin. “Who said anything about mud wrestling?”
I grab a handful of whatever I’m sitting in, letting it ooze between my fingers before I throw it at his face. A brown mess lands with a slap on his shoulder.
“Oh no, you didn’t!” He swipes the mud off.
I scramble onto my feet, struggling to get my balance before preparing to run off when he grabs me from behind, pulling me into a tight bear hug. I squeal as he drags his muddy fingers across my cheek, wriggling to free myself.
I manage to break free, but he follows, running after me. As he does, he trips and tumbles. He manages to break his fall with his hands, stopping himself from landing flat on his face, making me laugh so hard that I think I’ll pee.
Mid-laugh, I snort. I put my hand up to cover my mouth, horrified. Since when do I snort when I laugh? I look down at my flawless French manicure, splattered in dirt. What am I doing?
Hale just grins up at me. “You’re so cute when you laugh like that.”
“And you don’t look too bad covered in mud,” I tease back as he stands up. “You can blame Flossie.”
“We can head to the cottage to clean up?” Being that we’re both completely filthy now, it’s a good idea.
“Your parents’ house?”
“No, we have a vacation cottage that we rent out. No one will be staying there at this time of year. We only lease it out during the summer.”
Relief spreads through me as we trudge over the rolling hills, playfully nudging each other as we go, trying to get each other to slip again. Thankfully, neither of us do.
“You were great with Flossie back there,” I tell him. “You never did say why you left veterinary school. You seem to really love working with animals.”
“It’s a long story,” Hale release is a long puff of air, his sandalwood scent turning bitter. “Some things were more important.”
“But it was your dream, right?” I glance over, trying to read him.
“It still is.” The playful demeanor he displayed three seconds ago is gone. “But right now, I have responsibilities. My dreams are on hold for now.” Hale grabs me before I twist my ankle on a small ditch, then he points in the distance to a cute stone cottage up ahead that looks like it belongs in a storybook. “Race you!”
“Hey!” I object as he takes off, igniting my competitive drive. “No fair!”
The wind rushes through my hair as I chase after him. Being with Hale brings out a new energy in me, allowing me to forget about all of my worries and stress.
