Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Sam ruffled JT’s dark hair. “You sure know your critters, buddy. I’m not so sure what the difference is between a vole and a mole other than they’re both little animals that like to burrow in the ground. A foal is a baby horse.”
JT whipped off his safety glasses. “You have a baby horse?” he shouted, excited and in awe. In all the places we’d moved to, he’d never had access to them before.
“Spirit belongs to the ranch where I work. Thought maybe you and your momma would want to come and meet him.”
JT looked at me with wide, eager eyes and jumped up and down. “Can we? Can we?”
Aw. Who could turn down a baby horse? I couldn’t help but smile at JT’s enthusiasm. Sam grinned, too.
Still, this was the kind of complication I was trying to avoid. I didn’t want my kid getting attached to Sam when he wasn’t a permanent thing.
I realized JT–and Sam–were waiting for my answer. I nodded. “Yes. Definitely, but there’s school tomorrow, so we can’t stay long.”
JT pumped his little arm in a way he’d seen Ernie do. “Yesssss!”
“We have ten minutes left before the shop closes. Then we can go. Why don’t you put your tools away and wash up?”
He didn’t have to be told twice. He was off like a flash. A little too fast, but Sam’s gaze was on me.
“I thought we had a deal,” I said to Sam, going over to the workbench and grabbing a cloth to wipe my hands.
“We do,” he replied, following. “This doesn’t have anything to do with that.”
I huffed. “Obviously.”
JT was setting his small-sized tools in the little toolbox and not paying us any attention.
Sam stepped close but didn’t touch me. “Just thought you two might want to see the foal, that’s all.”
I eyed him and lowered my voice, hoping JT wouldn’t hear because he seemed to hear everything. “There was a reason I wanted a no-strings arrangement.”
Sam was unruffled, as always. “He doesn’t have to know there’s anything going on between the two of us. I’m just a friendly customer taking you two to see a baby horse.”
God, that perfect smile.
I ignored the flutters it produced. The way my body primed in his presence, the oxytocin and dopamine already flooding in anticipation of me getting laid. Plus there were my panties. Totally flooded, too.
I folded my arms across my stiffening nipples. “Fine. But no touching in front of him.”
He crossed his heart. “Scout’s honor.”
I laughed. “You weren’t a scout.” I held up my three middle fingers. “This is Scout’s Honor.”
Sam’s wide shoulders lifted in a graceful shrug. “Maybe not. But I do have honor. And I’m gonna be touching the hell out of you later tonight. That’s a promise.”
I rolled my eyes, but my body had already responded to his promise, heat flooding southward, nerve endings coming alive.
14
SAM
* * *
“Climb down. Let Spirit come to you,” I coached JT after he launched himself at the stall and climbed to the top of the fence for a better view. “We don’t want to make her or her momma nervous.”
JT instantly dropped down and went still. He was a good listener. His nostrils flared as he took in the scents of the barn.
“She was born just over a week ago, so she’s still nursing all the time,” I explained.
“Ohhhh,” Clio crooned softly beside me. “She’s so beautiful.”
It killed me and my wolf not to be able to put my arm around Clio, but she made the rules. I would follow them–whatever it took to gain her trust. Having a sandwich picnic by the creek didn’t hurt. She hadn’t had to cook, and there’d been no dishes to clean. JT grumbled when he’d seen the “green stuff” on his sandwich but had tried it and liked it.
I’d call that a win. And so was having them here with seeing the new foal.
I crouched beside her pup and called softly to Spirit. “Come here, girl. Wanna come and say hi to JT?” I held out my hand.
Curious, Spirit stepped forward and nuzzled my hand through the slat.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” I murmured to Spirit as I reached out and gently scratched her neck.
“Foals love being scratched,” I murmured, keeping my voice soft. “Use your fingers like this to scratch her. It’s excellent for bonding and gets her used to being handled.”
JT scratched Spirit’s belly and neck, mimicking the same low, soothing voice as he said, “You’re a baby horse, aren’t you? Do you like to horse around, baby horse?”
Clio and I chuckled, watching them.
I heard the sound of running feet, and Remy’s little voice. “Sam is back! Sam is back! Sam! Did you bring JT?” She skidded around the corner in her fire engine red cowgirl boots and a yellow jumpsuit. It was quite the combination, and she’d clearly dressed herself.