Page 66 of Her Guarded Hero

“I like you Aladdin. You’re my kind of horse.”

Vertigo whinnied from the stall over. She looked at him and he snorted. “What, are you saying you would do what Dalton’s doing?” Vertigo stamped his foot.

“God save me from hard-headed males.”

She went down the row and gave pats and scratches. She should be monitoring to see if they were all in good health, but her mind was on what was possibly being said at the house.

“Bloody hell.” She pulled out her phone from her back pocket and checked the time. Fourteen minutes. She hustled and grabbed the blankets, so she could throw them in the wash, as she reached the barn door she paused.

“Really? You’re really going to rub Grandpa’s nose in it?” God she was an idiot. She was not going to bring the soiled blankets that smelled of sex into the house.

She rushed back to the tack room and shoved the blankets into the laundry bin, and then launched herself toward the house. When she noted that Gunnar’s car was missing from the drive she slowed down.

Was he that mad?

She tried to picture what had gone down between the two men and for the life of her she couldn’t. What could have made her grandfather leave? She took the porch steps two at a time and opened the screen door. She found Dalton sitting at the kitchen table.

“What happened?”

“Everything’s fine,” he assured her.

“It’s not fine if my Grandpa isn’t here.”

Dalton held out her hand and she grasped it. He tugged her onto his lap. “He left to give us some privacy.”

She sat down on one knee, she couldn’t bring herself to relax into his hold. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

He made a move toward her hair, as if to push it behind her ear, then pulled back. “Yes,” he agreed.

“Tonight.”

He nodded.

“Now,” she whispered.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Yes,” his voice was low.

She couldn’t stop the next words. She tried, but they spewed forth like a lava from a volcano. “Could I come with you?”

His eyes were indigo again. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

That was her answer. She tried to hold back the tears, and she did, barely.

His eyes turned heavenward, then he looked back at her. “Aurora-” he started

“It’s okay,” she interrupted. Then she swallowed and gave a wan smile. “Just remember, you always have a safe place to come back to, I need you to know that, okay?”

He gave her a half smile back, and she knew he never intended to return. He was so buried in grief he was never going to break free.

“I’m so sorry, Aurora. Please say I didn’t hurt you.”

She finally relaxed in his hold and cupped his cheek, then whispered a kiss over his sculpted lips. “I don’t regret one moment of our time together.” She was content, knowing that she had spoken the truth.

“You’re a special woman.”

“I hope you know that you’re special too.” God, how she wished she could tell him that she loved him, but she knew that would just be a burden.

“I’m glad you think that, Sunshine.”