Page 41 of Art of Love

Outside, the salty breeze hit him like a balm. He tugged on his boots and made the short walk to the barn. The moment he slid the doors open, he felt his tension ease.

The barn smelled of hay, saddle oil, and horse. Comforting, grounding, unlike the artificial tones and scripted nonsense from his call. Blaze poked his head over the stall gate and let out a soft whinny.

“Hey, boy.” He reached out, scratching behind the gelding’s ear as Blaze nuzzled into his palm, searching for a treat.

“Sorry, bud. Fresh out.” He smiled faintly and patted the horse’s neck. “Next time, I swear.”

He moved through the barn, checking water levels and tossing extra hay into the stalls. Each familiar motion pulled him further away from the call, from James and Tony and the weight of their expectations.

He loved his music, loved writing it, playing it, performing it and, of course, the money that flooded in because of it. What he hated was the industry behind it. The fake smiles and people who wanted things from him and were always poking their noses into his personal life. Not that there had been much of that after Kara. Still, for the past few years, the media had tried to tie him to many women.

Some had been just friends. There were others he’d tried to get close to until they’d tried to use him to boost their own budding acting or modeling careers. He was tired of being used.

Then he thought of Dylan. Technically, she hadn’t used him. Sure, she had played it cool to get close to him. For a reason. Not a selfish one, but… business? Looking into her eyes, he could tell she wanted answers about Kara’s death as much as he did.

Since their cause was the same, he was willing to overlook her omissions the first few times they’d met. She was being honest with him now, that much was true. After all, everyone in town knew everything about her.

He’d overheard a story about her first date and how she’d been tricked into going out with a boy who had ditched her at the dance. Her entire class had been in on it. Even Lucy.

He thought about the conversation she’d had with him in the barn. The pain in her voice had been real when she’d spoken about her friend’s betrayal. He didn’t know what he’d do if any of his close friends ever turned on him like that.

As he stepped outside, the wind tugged at his shirt, stronger than it had since he’d been there. Like a storm was coming. He could almost smell it in the air coming off the Pacific.

He followed the narrow trail behind the stables, the well-worn path curving between the dune grass. When he reached the top of the ridge, he paused, the roar of the ocean filling his ears like a low, endless song. Closing his eyes for a moment, he just listened to it.

When he opened his eyes, he spotted a lone figure moving along the shore below, jogging at the edge of the foam. Tall. Athletic. Comfortable in his skin in the way Abe sometimes forgot how to be.

Nate Elliott. The man Abe had seen chatting with Dylan in the bookstore. The man who had been too friendly. Dylan had assured him there was nothing between them. But would Nate agree?

His jaw tightened slightly before he could stop it.

Nate’s pace slowed as he approached the stairs. He looked up and spotted Abe at the top and raised a hand with an easy, genuine smile.

“Hey!” Nate called, jogging the last few steps to the base of the stairs. “Didn’t think I’d run into you out here today.”

Abe nodded and descended a few steps to meet him halfway. “Nice day for a run.”

“It’s not the best time of day, honestly. Mornings are more my game. Unfortunately, this morning I was working.” Nate lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe his forehead. His abs flashed in the sunlight, and Abe instantly hated himself for noticing. “But at least it’s nice and quiet, if not a little too hot.”

Abe leaned against the wooden railing, forcing himself to relax. “You work at the Brew-Ha-Ha?”

“My family owns it. I’ve been working there for as long as I can remember. Now that Juliette is too busy and my folks have decided they want to travel more, I’ve stepped up to take over.” Nate laughed. “Honestly, I never pictured myself wanting to return home. But Pride has a way of pulling you back in.”

Abe let out a low chuckle despite himself. “Yeah, I’ve heard that more than once since I’ve been here.”

“It’s really a great place. Wonderful people.” Nate stretched a calf muscle against the step, then he looked up again. “How are things up there?” He motioned to the buildings behind him.

“Good. Max and your sister’s new horses, Stormy and Blaze, are getting settled in.”

“Good. I still can’t believe my sister has horses again.” He shook his head. “Dylan mentioned the other day that you were breaking them in?”

There it was again. That uncomfortable twist low in his gut. A spark of something he didn’t want to name, because he knew what it was. Jealousy. Ugly and sharp.

“Yes,” Abe replied, schooling his voice into neutrality. “I have had horses myself for a long time. Broke in more than I can count.”

“Nice. We had some growing up. Always well trained by the time we got them. Still, it’s been a while.” He glanced up at the barn. “Dylan used to have a pony and a donkey, I think.”

He nodded, not sure what to say. Was the guy mentioning Dylan to try and warn him off or to see if he was interested in his friend? “She’s enjoyed hanging out with Stormy and Blaze.” He didn’t mention how he’d enjoyed spending time with her too, how his every nerve lit up when she smiled, or how he couldn’t stop thinking about the way she looked when she bit her lip in thought. Or about the fire in her voice when she talked about uncovering the truth. She burned too bright to ignore.