“You gonna help me next?” he teased.
“Maybe,” I said, mimicking Luke’s tone, and handed one of the brushes to Zane. His fingers grazed mine as he took it and,just like that, the tiniest touch sent a jolt of warmth spiraling up my arm and straight through my chest.
Trying to focus, I asked, “So what were you guys practicing for?”
“Team roping,” Luke answered. “Zane and I compete together.”
Team roping? I didn’t know what that was, either, but I wasn’t about to admit it. “Sounds…exciting.”
Zane gave me a sideways look like he could tell I had no clue what it meant, but thankfully, he didn’t press.
Luke leaned casually against a stall and looked at me. “You ever competed in a rodeo?”
I blinked at him. “Uh…no. Can’t say I have.”
“You should try it sometime,” he said. “Bet you’d kill it in barrel racing.”
I laughed, though it came out more nervous than I intended. “I don’t know about all that, considering I’ve never even ridden a horse.”
The silence that followed was immediate andsuperuncomfortable. I glanced around and—yep—every one of them was staring at me.
“What?” I asked, frowning.
“You’ve seriously never been on a horse?” Norah’s brows shot up.
“Seriously,” I said, a little defensively. “Is that really hard to believe or something?”
Norah shook her head, still looking surprised. “It’s just rare around here, that’s all.”
Luke opened his mouth like he was about to tease me further, but Zane cut in smoothly before he got the chance. “If you ever wanted to learn,” he said, locking eyes with me over his horse’s back, “I’d be happy to teach you.”
Luke froze, which caught me off guard because he was usually the first to crack a joke or toss out an easy response. But now his expression shifted, like Zane’s offer had thrown him for a loop. Not in a jealous way, but more like he’d just realized his brother had swooped in first. He didn’t say anything, just stood there with an almost amused look. I glanced at him, then back at Zane, unsure of what had just passed between them.
Something about the way Zane was looking at me—quiet, steady, patient—made it hard to breathe for a second. “I think I’d like that,” I said softly, unable to keep the smile from tugging at the corner of my lips.
He smiled back. And just like that, the dream I’d had last night came rushing back—the way he’d stood between me and Heath, the comfort of his arms…
We looked away at the same time.
Norah, always good at reading a room, gave Cheyenne a quick pat. “I’m gonna turn her out,” she said, heading for the pasture gate without waiting for a reply.
That left the three of us. Well, two of us, really.
Luke lingered, tugging the saddle from his horse, but his usual swagger had taken on a quieter edge. He wasn’t smiling exactly, but there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth, like he was biting back a reaction. Something about the way he watched Zane made me think he was piecing something together—and finding it pretty entertaining. He caught my eye for half a second, then gave a small, knowing shake of his head. And, without a word, he turned and disappeared into the supply room, the door swinging shut behind him with a thump.
Zane and I went back to brushing his horse in silence—the kind of silence that hummed just beneath the surface. Something had shifted; I could feel it. And if the look on everyone’s faces meant what I thought it did…I wasn’t theonly onewho noticed.
Chapter Nineteen
Zane
“You ready?”I asked, handing Andi the lead rope.
She hesitated for a beat before reaching for it. Her grip was tight, knuckles white, and she swallowed hard as she started leading the buckskin mare from the pasture toward the barn.
“You doin’ okay, princess?” I asked, eyeing the stiffness in her shoulders. “You kind of look like you’re gonna throw up.”
“I’m fine,” she lied. Anyone with eyes could see she was nervous as hell. But I didn’t push. She was already being brave just standing here.
