“Uh, hi,” I squeaked. “I’m Rey.”
He smiled, looking even better. “Nice to meet you!”
“You, too.” I frowned a little. “Is something wrong with the animals?”
“Oh no, not at all,” he said quickly. “I’m here to do a check up on the new ones they’re bringing from Indiana.”
“Makes sense.” I gestured behind me. “I was just doing dinner prep so we have something ready when they get here.”
“Do you mind if I hang out? I like the coffee maker.” He looked sheepish in an almost shy way, which I wouldn’t have expected of a man who looked like he did.
“Not at all. Help yourself.” I went back to my task.
“Thanks, I know how to use it. I was here for many a meeting with Ruth.”
“I’ve been reading a lot of her horse books,” I confessed. “I don’t really have much to do, haven’t had many interests until now.”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen. I hope I can get my GED next year.”
“Have you been to meet any of the horses yet?” Seb asked.
I winced, happy that he’d gone to sit at the tiny island and couldn’t see me. “I have, uh, I guess agoraphobia.”
“Oh. That’s not great.”
I chuckled. “No, definitely not.” I started on the potential pizza toppings while I oversaw the tomato sauce bubbling away on the stove. “But I did meet Hope a while back; Theo brought her to the back door. We might do that again at some point.”
“She’s an amazing horse.” He sounded fond. “They’re both gorgeous horses, but she’s kind of this example of how drafts should be.”
“Hey, have you ever seen or treated any Icelandic horses?” I asked as I continued the food prep.
“Yeah, actually. Not here, but I worked at a clinic in Minnesota after I graduated and there was a family who had a few of them.”
“I find them fascinating.”
“They’re awesome!” And that’s how we ended up talking about Icelandic horses until River came back inside.
I could tell he found Seb hot, too, but I don’t think there could’ve been anyone who was into men who wouldn’t see that.
* * * *
By the time Seb walked out to go greet Lake and Theo when they got back. I went upstairs to chill for a while, trying not to concentrate on how much I wanted to be outside with them.
I tried to nap for a while, just to give my brain some rest after meeting a whole new person.
I don’t know how long I stayed in that comfortable, half-asleep state, but when I heard the front door, I made my way back to the stairs.
“Hey, Seb, what’cha got there?” I heard River ask.
“Apparently this package is for your friend Rey,” Seb answered.
Frowning, I went down the stairs. “What’s for me?” I asked, then saw he had a carrier in his hands and froze. “Oh.”
“Kittens.” He beamed at me, and I felt it in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t need a crush on a full-grown adult man, thank you very much.
“We have stuff in the storage shed, if someone wants to go get it with me?” Theo said from the doorway.
