Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
I wasn’t sure how I had just done that.
“Hallie?” I quickly wiped my eyes and moved around Huxley to see Jasper approaching the arena.
I sniffed and cleared my throat. “Is everything okay?” I asked, worried, and Jasper’s shoulders sagged.
“Thanks to you,” he said, and it took me a few moments to realize his words were kind and not filled with censure or bad news. Jasper shook his head while my chest lifted from some unknown weight. “I . . . I don’t know how to thank you,” he added. Jasper’s voice was rough, hoarse. He sounded so tired. He had dark circles under his eyes, and in this moment looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“It was nothing,” I said, stroking down Huxley’s neck, only to stop when I saw that my hands were covered in blood. I needed to wash it off.
“It was everything,” Jasper said, cutting through my thoughts and causing me to snap my head up to face him. His gaze was boring into mine. “It was everything,” he said again, and I felt every word sink into my soul. “Because of you, Dahlia is going to be okay.”
Unable to find words again, I nodded. Putting Huxley’s halter on, I headed for the gate. Jasper opened it for me. “I’ll take him out into the field,” I said, then added, “I’m glad Dahlia is good. For Genny.”
Jasper watched me closely, and unable to take the heaviness of his stare, I put my head down to walk past him, only for his hand to wrap around mine, causing me to stop dead. I looked down at his hand, at his fingers threading through mine, then up at Jasper’s face. He was staring at our hands intensely too, and goose bumps broke out all over my body. When his gaze lifted to meet mine, he swallowed, then gently freed his hand from mine.
He nodded in goodbye and headed back toward Dahlia’s barn. I watched him walk away, back stiff and shoulders tense. And as I guided Huxley along the path and to his field in the next section of the property, I could still feel Jasper’s fingers entwined with mine.
I could still feel his warmth.
I stared at the clock on the wall. It was 3:00 a.m. I had showered and watched numbly as Dahlia’s blood had circled the drain at my feet. Two brandies and a bar of chocolate came next. But none had allowed me to rid myself of the image of Dahlia on the ground, her frightened eyes begging me to help her but being so afraid to let me.
I blew out a frustrated breath and kicked off my quilt. I rubbed my hands over my face and looked out the window. The moon was high in the sky, and the night was crystal clear, making the stars look like scattered glitter particles resting on a black velvet cloth.
I leaned out my window to see the light in Sage’s cottage was off. Of course it was, she didn’t suffer from insomnia like I did. My chest swelled when I thought of how she had come barreling into my living room earlier. Word had spread quickly of the incident. When she’d finished her training session, the grooms had been telling her how I helped Dahlia. Sage came straight to find me.
“You’re a living legend here at Golden Oaks now,” she’d said, nudging me, only to read the anxiousness that was still on my face and wrap me in a hug.
“I was so scared,” I said into her hair.
“You saved that mare today.” Sage kissed my cheek. “Everyone said how calm and strong you were. Canyon would be proud of you.”
“He was,” I said.
I’d spoken to Canyon afterward. I’d needed to know why I felt so shaken. He told me that he often did too. Helping a living being in distress was always tough on the soul. Sage told me that they had sedated Dahlia for her safety and taken her to the veterinarian barn on site. It was open twenty-four hours, with a resident team of equine veterinarians who only tended to Golden Oaks horses.
Knowing I wouldn’t get any more sleep right now, I dressed in my jeans, sweater, and jacket. I threw on my cowboy boots and stepped into the night. I had only made it a few steps when a flashlight shone before me. I jumped in surprise.
“Sorry, Miss,” the man holding the flashlight said. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” I placed my hand over my heart and calmed down when I saw it was one of the new security guards. He was in an ATV and must have stopped his patrol when he saw me.
“You okay?” he said. “It’s pretty late to be out.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Couldn’t sleep. I’m going to the veterinarian barn to check on a horse.”