“How did I do?” Clara turned to Roman.
“I’d say you’re a natural when it comes to people,” he replied. “Although I am curious how you might do with horses.”
“Horses love me,” she said confidently. He believed her, especially considering how well she’d gotten on with Tartan yesterday. But he couldn’t let the moment pass without a challenge.
He eyed her dress, a clean, pretty thing that wasn’t as fancy as the blue one she’d worn yesterday, but was still hardly the stuff of a stablehand.
“I’m not afraid of a little dirt, if that has you concerned,” she said, her hands on her hips and her chin lifted.
“All right, then. Follow me.” He led her past the stalls to one of the rooms in the rear, where he grabbed a curry comb and a brush, before taking her outside to the corral. “Wait here,” he instructed before handing her the tools.
She stood by the corral fence, under the gray clouds that moved quietly across the sky. Roman entered the corral, selected a gelding that belonged to Jeremiah, attached a halter and lead rope, and led the animal to a small enclosure just outside the corral. After securing the horse, he opened a gate to the enclosure and gestured at Clara to join him.
“This is Robin Hood,” he said, stroking the bay’s neck.
Clara smiled at the animal. “Steals from the rich to give to the poor?”
“Mostly just eats more than any other horse in the place. He’s Jeremiah’s.” Roman tried not to grin too much when Clara lifted a hand and petted Robin Hood on the nose. Before she’d arrived, he’d feared she might be afraid of the horses. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, she didn’t even complain about the smell of the livery, which caused most ladies to wrinkle their noses upon entering.
“Does he need a brushing?” Clara asked, holding up the brush and curry comb he’d given her earlier.
Roman scrutinized the horse’s coat. He was dusty, as usual, but Jeremiah hadn’t had a moment to groom him yet this morning. “This fellow loves a roll in the dirt, so he needs grooming more often than most. Want me to show you?”
She nodded and held out the brush and curry comb. He took the curry comb and began to work the dirt out of Robin Hood’s coat in strong but gentle circles. Fine bits of dust flew off the horse’s coat as he worked. Roman handed the comb back to Clara, who had removed her gloves.
She lifted it as he had and began to move it over the horse, very gently.
“You have to put more into it. Like this.” Roman reached around her and laid his hand on top of hers. The warmth of her small hand under his instantly made it hard for him to remember what he was doing. His thoughts churned like wagon wheels through mud, and he had to force himself to think through the simple act of currying a horse.
“Like so,” he said, his voice a shade lower than normal.
“I see,” Clara said after a second.
He lifted the comb again and led her hand farther down the horse. Robin Hood stood patiently, which was why Roman had chosen him. As much as the gelding enjoyed getting dirty, he also took pleasure in getting cleaned up.
Clara shifted slightly in front of Roman, and he stepped forward to compensate for the movement. It brought him even closer to her, and he curled away as best he could even though every fiber in his body wanted to wrap itself around her and protect her from all the terrible things in the world.
Too late, he realized that he’d stopped moving the curry comb. Clara turned in front of him, her green-gray eyes catching his, and her hand still trapped beneath his own.
“Thank you for showing me,” she said, her voice a whisper. She swallowed visibly.
The moment was too much, too soon. Roman forced himself to remove his hand from hers and step back.
Cool morning air flooded his lungs, and the sounds and scents of the corral and the town around them suddenly came back to life. What had just happened? It wasn’t as if he’d never been close to a woman before, but he’d never felt anything quite like that. He needed to be alone, to think, to remember who and where he was.
He forced himself to breathe and then to smile. “I think you’ve got it. I’ll be back in a moment.”
With that, he escaped from the enclosure, and took a few steps toward the stable, before stopping and turning back. “Perhaps you’d like to have dinner tonight? With me?” he added, barely conscious of the words coming from his mouth.
She smiled at him, parting the clouds with her cheerful disposition. “I’d love to.”
Roman nodded and walked into the stable, wondering just what exactly he’d gotten himself into.
