“I didn’t do much. Phillip was ready to do those things. You’ve taken excellent care of him, Ewan.”
“He hasn’t said a word for months. Not until you began meeting with him.”
“Do you want to know the truth?” Thea asked
“By all means.”
“I don’t think Phillip’s injury was physical as much as mental,” Thea replied.
Ewan frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“I’ve spoken to Mr. Forrester. If Phillip’s brain had been damaged, he may not have been able to speak when he chose. I think he was merely waiting for the right time. My presence has provided that.”
“What do you mean?”
“When my mother was sick, I could tell shewantedto talk, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t form the words. Phillip’s problem wasn’t like that. Hecouldtalk. He was just choosing not to. I think he was coping with the things he’d seen at war. I’ve asked him about those things.”
Ewan sucked in his breath. “He told you?”
“A little. Some of it. It seems quite painful for him to remember it.”
They both looked back over to where Phillip was quietly speaking to Alabaster. Then Ewan returned his gaze to Thea. Tears shone in her eyes. “You’re crying,” he said softly.
“Yes.” She wiped the tears away with the backs of her gloved hands. “But not for the reason you think.”
He smiled at that. “What do you think I think?”
“That I’m crying because I can’t have Alabaster.”
“I don’t think that, Thea. But whyareyou crying?”
“I’m crying because they obviously love each other. If I had known that you had purchased Alabaster for Phillip, I wouldn’t have been so hellbent on getting him back for myself.”
Ewan shook his head. “You couldn’t have known that Thea. Besides, you had Alabaster when he was a foal.”
She nodded. “Phillip explained to me how closely they bonded during the war. He and Alabaster were partners.”
“I knew he meant a great deal to him,” Ewan breathed. “That’s why money was not an object when I bid for him.”
“And my brother ramped up the bidding,” Thea said, shaking her head.
“Ballard had no way to know why I wanted to win the horse so badly. Just as I had no way of knowing how badly you wanted him.”
Thea expelled her breath. “Well, even if I could, I wouldn’t take Alabaster away from Phillip now. He needs him. He needs him more than I do.”
Ewan took a deep breath. “That’s really quite generous of you.” If there was any lingering doubt, Ewan was now convinced. Hehadcompletely misjudged Thea. She was nothing like he’d assumed at first.
She waved away both the tears and his praise. “It’s the least I could do after coming here and making such a cake of myself by sneaking around and breaking my leg.”
Ewan chuckled and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Think of it this way, if you hadn’t sneaked around and broken your leg, Phillip might not be speaking now.”
Thea smiled and nodded. “That is a nice way to think of it. Thank you. I shall never regret having broken my leg then.” She glanced over to where Phillip was standing, still speaking softly to the horse.
Thea sighed and rested her arms atop the stall door in front of her. She balanced herself and braced her wrapped leg against the ground. It felt good to stand, even if her leg hurt a bit.
Ewan took a step closer to her. He was less than a pace away from her. He towered above her. She turned to face him and had to tilt her head back to look up into his face. Oh, why did the man have to be so handsomeandsmell so good?
“In addition to Phillip’s identity, I’m going to need you to keep one more secret, Thea,” Ewan said softly.
