Was his exhaustion due to nightmares or his late nights with a girlfriend? Riley couldn't deny the little surge of jealousy and disappointment that weighed heavy in her stomach last night when he drove up the lane after eleven, like he did last Friday night and again on Monday.
Riley turned to Daniel after loading her dirty dishes into the dishwasher. "What's on the agenda for the afternoon?"
"Cleaning and repairing tack."
"Ahhh." She sighed. "At least we can sit while doing that."
"Thank goodness. I don't know about you, but my back is killing me."
"Same." Riley rubbed at the sore muscles in her lower back as she crossed the yard to the tack room located at the side of the stables.
The overpowering scent of leather and dust hit Riley as she entered the tack room. This room smelled like it could use a good cleaning too. There was always so much work to do on a ranch that chores like cleaning and repairs were often put on the back burner until they became a necessity.
When Daniel didn't follow her into the tack room, she walked out to find him staring at the back deck of the main house. Her gaze followed his to where Emily sat in a chaise lounge reading a book.
Adam must be down for a nap.
"Is something wrong?"
Daniel jumped. "No, everything's fine. Um...are you okay cleaning the tack by yourself for a few minutes?"
"Sure."
"Thanks. I need to talk to Emily for a minute." He started walking away then looked back over his shoulder. "I'll try not to take too long."
Riley watched him go, wondering what he needed to talk to Emily about. She pondered his words from last night about secrets eating at her and causing more damage and realized Daniel was right. She'd kept what happened to her quiet because she didn't want to relive it and didn’t want people to criticize her for not being able to stop Collin’s attack. But her attempt to bury it hadn't made it affect her any less. She still had nightmares. She still got angry and irritated. She still tensed any time Daniel got close. She was just getting better at hiding it.
But I shouldn’t have to hide it.
They often took the tack outside to clean it because of the strong smell of saddle soap. Riley appreciated that habit today as she carried a wooden chair and two bridles outside. Hopefully, her actions didn't look too calculated.
From her vantage point, Riley couldn't hear what Daniel said but she could see both him and Emily.
Riley's brow lifted in surprise when Emily got up and walked away from Daniel, leaving him alone on the back deck. Daniel didn't act upset, however. He simply sat on the side of the other chaise lounge and waited, elbows on his knees.
A few minutes later, Emily walked out the back door carrying a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses.
Apparently, asking Emily for a glass of lemonade wasn't just a euphemism.
Riley tried not to appear too nosy as she discreetly watched Daniel talk to his therapist. Early in their conversation, Emily leaned forward and clapped Daniel on the shoulder, a smile on her face. But after a while, Daniel hung his head much like he did inchurch on Sundays as though shame, grief, or guilt weighed him down.
At one point Riley looked up to find both Daniel and Emily watching her. She quickly looked away but couldn't keep her gaze from darting back to them. They still stared at her.
Are they talking about me?
Heat filled her chest, and she ground her teeth together. Recalling how Jake called her difficult and fragile this morning only amplified the anger building in her. But then she remembered what Daniel said at the calving sheds a few nights ago.
"When you turn us into your punching bag, you make our garbage harder to deal with."
Then Jake's words to Daniel this morning echoed in her head: "You let me know if working with her becomes a problem for you."
Riley hung her own head. She had no idea what Daniel was going through, yet she’d made it harder for him by repeatedly taking her frustrations out on him.
She'd just carried out a sawhorse in preparation to clean the saddles when Daniel returned.
He stared at her for a long moment before opening his mouth, but no words came out.
"Is everything okay?" Riley asked cautiously.
