Her bottom lip wobbles, “Okay, Daddy.”
“You’ve got to get some sleep now,” I glance at the clock. It’s already nearly midnight. My daughter had woken up crying, and Beth didn’t know what else to do but call me.
“Yeah,” Rosie whispers, still crying.
It breaks my damn heart.
Mentally, I go through my calendar, trying to figure out if I can spare a couple of hours to head back to the ranch to see my kids. They’re over an hour away and with their summer clubs and my schedule here, I won’t be able to do it during the week. Maybe I can head back early over the weekend for the day… I’ll figure it out though.
“Sleep tight, bug,” I swallow thickly. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” She hangs up the phone, and I stare at the blank screen for a moment before I drop it onto the table and scrub a hand down my face. I’m feeling entirely too tight, my gut churning with everything happening here. This contract is going to come to an end, but how am I meant to leave knowing what I know? That’s if he doesn’t fire me first,which is entirely possible with everything that occurred only a few hours ago.
I get little sleep, though I try, tossing and turning in the unfamiliar bed, listening to the sounds of crickets from beyond the window. Before the sun even breaks the horizon, I’m up and out of the cabin, too restless to try to lie there any longer.
No one is around this time of the morning, and my steps seem to echo across the ranch as I make my way to the stables. I don’t go straight for Dottie though; I check on every horse, running my eyes over their bodies, looking for anything that could be amiss. They seem healthy, looked after, but that doesn’t ease the concern I have for them.
Dottie is waiting for me when I finally stop at her stable door.
“Morning,” I say gruffly, voice full of gravel.
Her lips smack against my hand, ears twitching, her trust starting to build with me.
I lift my hand and run it softly down her nose, and when she doesn’t pull away, I reach for a peppermint I have in my pocket and give it to her.
When morning light filters into the stables, I take her out to the training ring, and instead of being on the outside of the fence, I go in with her. I don’t get into her space; I simply lean on the gate, letting her come to me if she wants to.
Behind me, I hear the door to the house open, and I turn my attention that way, finding Juni in her robe and a coffee in hand. She looks toward me but quickly turns away, giving me her back. My brow twitches in confusion, but when Cal steps out and leans down to kiss her, I realize why. His eyes meet mine above her head and a bitter grin lifts his mouth. He says something to her, and she disappears back into the house while he heads this way.
My fingers curl into my palms and, as if sensing the switch in me, Dottie trots toward me, her ears pinned back. For a minute, I think it’s me she’s gunning for, her tail swishing, but she bypasses me and shoves her body against the fence, huffing out warning grunts as her wide eyes pin Cal to the spot.
I’d laugh if I wasn’t so fucking angry.
She’s protecting me.
Cal shakes off his spook and continues toward me, but Dottie does it again, ramming herself into the fence hard enough that the sound of the metal vibrating echoes across the ranch.
“I’m starting to think she’s not fucking worth it,” he growls, his jaw ticking with his agitation as he glares toward the filly who gives just as good back. It’s better than the fear she was showing toward him, but really, she just needed something to give her that bite. If that’s me, then so be it.
“You don’t want her; I’ll buy her from you.”
“Give it the week,” he sighs. “If she’s still like this, she’s all yours.”
“Mmhm,” I grunt, turning my back on him.
“Listen,” he doesn’t attempt to come closer, not with Dottie watching his every move. “I wanted to talk about last night and apologize.”
Guiding Dottie back to the middle of the ring, I turn to him, “Is that right?”
“That was out of character for me.”
Bullshit.
“It just caught me off guard. We don’t entertain guests all that often and, well, my wife is a very beautiful woman. Any man would feel threatened if they saw another man getting that close.”
“She had a burn,” I grind out.
He rubs the back of his neck, and I have to admit, his acting is good; he actually looks guilty.
