"I’m just making sure you're not a serial killer."
"And?"
"The jury's still out."
His mouth twitched, earning me an almost-smile."The guest room is the first door on the right."
I shouldered my duffel and opened the door he'd indicated.The room was smaller than his but not by much.A faded quilt covered the double bed, and a large window overlooked the pasture.It was clean and impersonal, like a hotel room someone forgot to decorate.But it was also safe and warm and the perfect place to land for a little while.
"This works."
"Good."Dawson lingered in the doorway."Breakfast is at five if you want it.Otherwise, see you at six."
"Can't wait."
He turned and walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the uncomfortable realization that I was already looking forward to six a.m.
CHAPTER3
DAWSON
I'd been watchingLilah train in the indoor arena for almost a week, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.
Not because she was reckless.She moved like someone who'd spent years learning exactly how much risk her body could handle and how far she could push that line.But watching her work put a knot in my chest that hadn't been there before.
I stood at the arena rail, one boot propped on the lowest rung, my arms folded across the top.Rio circled beneath her at a controlled lope, his stride even and unbothered by the woman crouched along his spine.Lilah's hands gripped his mane, her legs locked in position, and her face set in concentration.
She shifted her weight and rose into a standing position, her riding boots planted firm on his back.Rio's ears flicked back but his pace never changed.
"Good boy," she murmured, her voice low and steady.
I watched her drop into a crouch again, then swing one leg over Rio's neck in a move that looked effortless but required muscle control most people didn't have.She hung there for three strides before pulling herself back up.
My jaw tightened.
She was good.Better than good.She had the kind of talent that came from repetition and grit and refusing to quit even when every muscle screamed.I respected that.Hell, I admired it.But admiration didn't stop my heart from jumping every time she shifted her balance.
Lilah guided Rio into a tighter circle, her posture loose and confident.Then she leaned forward, preparing for another transition.
Her foot slipped.
It was just a fraction, but it was enough to throw everything off.Rio stumbled half a step and Lilah pitched sideways.She twisted mid-fall, trying to catch herself, but gravity won.She hit the ground hard on her right side, the impact loud enough to echo off the arena walls.
I vaulted the rail and crossed the distance in seconds while my pulse thundered in my ears.Rio had stopped a few feet away, his sides heaving, his reins dragging in the dirt.
"Lilah.Are you okay?”
She pushed herself up onto one elbow.Her breath came in short bursts.Dirt streaked her jacket and clung to her jeans.She’d lost her hat in the fall, and it sat upside down a few feet away.
"I'm fine."Her voice came out tight.
"Like hell you are."I crouched next to her and reached for her shoulder with a shaky hand.Hell, I’d seen men get thrown from broncs, then stomped into the dirt, and it didn’t hit me as hard as watching her fall.
She flinched and pulled back."I said I'm fine."
"Let me see."I kept my voice level, but my hands stayed where they were."You landed on your side.You might have broken a rib or two."
"It's not my ribs."
