Something in my chest tightened.
She pushed off the truck and started toward me.Gravel crunched under her boots, and her stride ate up the distance between us.She walked like she knew where she was going, even if she didn’t.
By the time she stopped a few feet from me, I’d forgotten my own damn name.
“Dawson Griffith?”she asked.Her voice had a warmth to it that didn’t match the cold air.Easy.Smooth.Like she was used to being listened to.
“That’s me,” I said, stopping myself before I thanked her for reminding me.
She smiled then, and her whole face lit up, including dark brown eyes that were almost hidden underneath her cowboy hat.“Good.I was hoping I had the right place.”
I wiped my hands on my jeans again even though they were already clean.“You need something?”
“Depends,” she said, tipping her head slightly.“Are you the one training broncs for the Mustang Mountain rodeo?”
“I’m working on it.”
“Perfect.I’m Lilah Martinez, and Ruby sent me over.She said you’d be able to help me with some stock.”
“What kind of stock?”I asked.
She hooked her thumbs into the front pockets of her jeans.“The kind that can keep up with a trick rider who doesn’t like being told no.”
“You ride?”I asked.
Her smile turned wicked.“I fly.”
Something in my gut shifted.Because if Lilah Martinez was about to become part of my life, the quiet, controlled world I’d built for myself was about to get a whole lot louder.
CHAPTER2
LILAH
Dawson let out a rough laugh,then looked surprised at his own reaction."Sorry, I don't have any horses with wings."
"That's okay.I've got my own wings.Now I just need a horse to practice with."God, it felt good to stand outside in the cold, fresh air and flirt with a gruff, good-looking cowboy.It had been a while since I'd felt the urge to smile.
"I'm assuming you had a horse at one point?"He glanced past me to the trailer I still hauled behind my truck.
"I did."My cheeks heated under his steady gaze."Up until about a month ago, I had a horse, room and board, and a contract with an outfit out of Wyoming."
"Want to tell me what happened?"He cocked his head and his brow furrowed like he was bracing himself for a sob story.
"Not really."I didn't make a habit out of sharing my past mistakes with people, especially when I should have seen the red flags from miles away.
Dawson shook his head."Sorry, Ms.Martinez, but I’m not sure this will be a good fit."
"Why?Because I don’t want to tell you how I lost my horse?Look, I'm not asking for charity."I crossed my arms and met his gaze head-on."I'm asking for arena access and temporary stock.I'll pay for both.I'll work around your schedule.I won't interfere with your training or your rodeo prep."
"That's not?—"
"And I don't need your pity."My pulse kicked up, but I kept my voice level."Ruby vouched for me.If you don't trust her judgment, that's between you two."
Dawson's jaw tightened.He looked back toward the round pen behind him where a big bay mare had settled near the fence, her ears pricked toward us.
"Ruby's not the one who has to manage stock rotation or explain why one of my horses got injured practicing stunts."
"That’s fair."I shifted my weight and gestured toward the barn."How about this?Give me fifteen minutes with one of your finished horses.Let me show you what I can do, and if you think I'm reckless or incompetent, I'll leave."
