Thebarn’sfanblasteddirectly onto my overheated face, cooling the sweat on my skin leftover from a long trail ride. Dust clung to my jeans and the edges of my boots, and my fingers were creaky from hours of holding on to my saddle.
The mare I’d ridden leaned into the brush I ran along her flank, one back hoof cocked, her eyelids half-closed like she might fall asleep standing up.
Behind me, Henrik made a dramatic groaning sound.
“Remind me why I signed up for this job.”
I didn’t turn around, smiling to myself. “You love it and can’t get enough.”
“These are lies. I’ve never loved anything about this job.” Something clattered loudly. Probably a brush hitting the floor. “These horses are getting heavier. I am sure of it.”
“That’s because you let yours eat half the trail.”
“That is a lie too,” he said indignantly. “Only the green parts.”
I switched hands to brush down my mare’s shoulder. “Have you heard back from the resort in Switzerland?”
There was a pause. “They offered me the job, but I am weighing my options.”
“Really?” I finally turned to look at him. “I thought you were dying to work there this winter.”
“Mmm. Maybe.” He shrugged, not meeting my gaze. “There might be something better.”
This was strange. My entire first month at the ranch, Henrik had been talking nonstop about his next guide job in Switzerland. He’d dreamed of working there and finally had a way in.
“What’s with the switch up?”
He waved me off. “I might be tired and need a rest. I’m thinking about it.”
“Okay. Keep your secrets.”
He hummed. “I will, thank you. And you, liebchen? How are your prospects? Will you soon be chained to a desk like a boring person?”
“Quite possibly. I have an interview next week.”
It wasn’t something I wanted to think about. Just what I needed to do. My mother had been right. The job sounded like something I could handle, but when it came down to it, anything would truly be better than working with Jackson and his brothers.
Scheduling that interview put me one step closer to leaving Sugar Brush, though. And Cormac. Which was why I wasn’t thinking about it.
Henrik stepped into the aisle beside me, his boots scuffing the concrete. “Next time we go on a shorter trail, okay?”
I huffed. “Next time you complain less.”
“Impossible.”
I laughed softly, giving my horse a firm pat. “You’reimpossible.”
“Impossibly lovable, right?”
Footsteps sounded at the far end of the barn, and Javier stepped into view. I straightened, brushing my hands against my thighs as I glanced down the aisle.
“Hey, Zara.” He nodded to Henrik. “Henrik.”
I waved, and Henrik ran a hand through his blond hair.
“Hello, Javier,” he crooned. “You’re looking well this afternoon.”
Javier stopped in his tracks, and it might’ve been a trick of the light, but I swore his cheeks flushed.
