“Doc won’t stitch that,” Darren said. “It’s right on the distal ligament.” He stepped back again. “You should let me bandage it, and we’ll check it every morning and evening.”
“And he can’t be ridden.”
“He can graze,” Darren said. “There’s still plenty of summer left for grazing.”
Missy nodded, her eyes tight. “Thank you, Darren.”
Cody glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll help ‘im, boss. Then I’m fixin’ to get into town. Is that okay?”
Missy nodded again, her attention and focus still on her beloved horse. Darren understood how she felt. He didn’t knowwhat he’d do if something happened to Paintbrush. “Did you get the lesson done?” he asked.
“Oh.” She startled. “Cody, I need a replacement horse. Can you saddle Strawberry or Licorice for me and bring them out?” She tucked her hair, gave Diamond King one last pat, and headed back out of the barn in favor of the pastures beyond the barn, where the riding lessons took place.
“I’ve got Diamond,” Darren said when Cody looked at him. His gaze moved to the door once more as someone else entered. Darren expected it to be Missy again, still fretting about her horse, but it was a different woman.
Cody’s face turned the color of a boiled lobster, and he ducked his chin to his chest and practically sprinted away from Shiloh Davenport, the newest addition to the Steeple Ridge Farm family.
Darren watched him go, watched Shiloh stare at his retreating back, and then he met Shiloh’s eye too. The leggy brunette had only been at Steeple Ridge for four days, and already there was some drama going on. He’d been so wrapped up in Farrah that he’d barely noticed the new cowgirl moving in, but Cody obviously had.
“Missy sent me to help,” Shiloh said as she approached.
“Can you stay with Diamond?” Darren asked. “I need to go grab some supplies.”
“Sure thing.” Shiloh came to them from the largest working boarding stable in Tennessee—her father’s farm—and she could ride, rope, and do any horse husbandry as well as anyone Darren knew. He gave her a friendly nod before moving back toward the tack room.
He returned a few minutes later and together, he and Shiloh got Diamond’s leg wrapped. She led him into his stall and Darren fed him fresh hay and a bag of oats, just to spoil him alittle. Shiloh tracked every move Cody made, only relaxing when he finally left the barn with Strawberry in tow.
“Did you see what happened?” Darren asked.
“Snakes,” Shiloh said, turning away from the now-closed door. “Diamond got startled and backed into the troughs.”
“Barbed wire there,” Darren said.
“Yeah.” She ran her hands up her arms as if she were cold.
“You okay?” Darren asked as he gathered the medical supplies he hadn’t used.
“Yeah, fine. Why?” She peered up at him with hazel eyes that held more brown than green.
“Somethin’ goin’ on with you and Cody?” He tucked the excess bandages back into their box and waited.
Those eyes narrowed. “Did he say something to you?”
“Not at all.”
“Then there’s about as much goin’ on with us as there is with you and Farrah Irvine.” She cocked her left eyebrow as if to say,Stay out of my business, Darren, turned, and left the barn.
Darren couldn’t help the chuckle that came out of his mouth. Shiloh was definitely a firecracker, and Cody was definitely going to get burned. Maybe he already had.
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket as he went to put away the supplies he’d used.You like mint chocolate chip ice cream, right?
Farrah. His smile widened, and Darren thought for the first time in a long time that he could actually smile and be happy doing it.Right.
An hour later, he pulled into her driveway. The scent of coffee met him on the porch, and when she pulled open the front door, he whistled appreciatively. “Don’t you look nice?” He wanted to sweep her into his arms, but he rocked back on his heels instead.
Farrah wore a pair of cutoff shorts that showed so much leg Darren started to fantasize about kissing her again. She’d pairedthat with an off-the-shoulder blouse the same color as the sky, with white flowers stitched into the collar. He wanted to taste her skin right there, right above that neckline, and everything inside him turned to lava.
“The yard looks fantastic too,” he said, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. “I don’t know how you have time to do all that.”
