“Ah, see? I thought that hoodie would work. I have a lightweight puffer that will be perfect over it. You’ll be warm and toasty outside.”
It hadn’t bothered me to let Molly help me dress. Stone was different. The exquisite care with which he undertook each act of kindness exposed my soft underbelly. I’d given up on finding a man who wanted to take care of me because that longing made me vulnerable to predators and fakes. But God almighty, the gentle, caring way Stone looked at me was a belly-dropping thrill, one of those carnival rides that spins you round and round until the bottom falls away underneath your feet.
Stone seemed so relaxed and happy at home. He’d obviously made some kind of peace with himself. He acted like he had all the time in the world for me—as if the only thing he wanted was someone like me to care about. I loved being the focus of his attention. I couldn’t take my eyes off him in return.
“Here.” He picked up a basket by the doorway. “I’ve got our breakfast. We can eat on the porch and then go explore.”
Outside, the cold punched my lungs. My breath misted the air.
“This is my favorite time of day,” Stone said as he laid out muffins, oatmeal, and coffee. “I love to eat out here, even in the winter. We even see a deer or two sometimes, and it’s magical.”
“Really?” I wanted to see one.
“All the canine scent-marking normally keeps them away, but every now and again one will wander by. I figure they got turned around somehow or something even worse than a canine chased them here. As soon as the dogs bark, they take off running. Then I have to check all the fences to see how it got in.”
“You sound like a cowboy.”
“Blame Taggart.” Stone handed me a much-needed travel mug of coffee, though the cold air helped clear away my painkiller sleep fog.
Was this why morning people got up so early?
Dawn had barely cracked the horizon in the east. Overhead, the sky had gone from inky black to violet. Stars twinkled faintly, holding onto the last measures of the night.
In that cold, blue ambient light, wind made music through the trees.
“I meant to ask if you have binoculars.” I accepted the muffin Stone gave me. “I’d love to get eyes on some of the birds I keep hearing.”
“I do.” He broke open a second muffin. I stared helplessly as he licked crumbs off his fingers. “Want me to get them now?”
“Uh…If it’s not too much trouble.” Those fingers were all I could think about. I wanted to suck their flavor onto my tongue too. Finally able to move my gaze to his eye, I found it twinkling with humor.
“Trouble is your middle name, isn’t it?” He leaned across the tiny table and kissed me thoroughly, only to leave me sitting dazed all by myself. A few minutes later he came back with a battered leather case.
“These binoculars used to belong to my grandfather.”
“I shouldn’t—”
“It’s all right. He’d want you to use them.”
“If you’re sure.” I ate my carrot muffin. Stone managed to feed me oatmeal, which I swallowed with a grimace. “I haven’t eaten oats once since I could hold a spoon.”
“You don’t like it?” He looked crestfallen. “I could get you something else. Cold cereal?”
“This is fine.” I pasted on a smile. “I’ll eat what you made for me.”
“Oatmeal is extremely good for you.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the inside of my wrist. “I want you healthy.”
“Okay.” Must have been the ambiance or the way his gaze held me spellbound, but I wanted to live up to my words that I’d eat whatever he cooked. So I ate the rest of the oatmeal and some moist, hot raisins—guh—without complaint.
Bonus points, I didn’t even gag.
Truth. I could learn to love oatmeal for Stone, but maybe I should set some culinary boundaries. Honesty was key after all, and I didn’t think he’d be happy giving me anything I actively disliked.
“Finished?” he asked, and I nodded with relief. “Let’s go.”
He whistled for Morrigan, who’d been wandering nearby. She ran to the porch, spun on her hind legs, and landed neatly next to Stone’s left foot. The happy way she wagged her tail told the whole story; this was probably her favorite part of the day.
“Good girl, Morrigan.” Stone gave her a treat from his belt pouch. “Good girl.”
As we walked, I tried to take in everything I saw. The dirt path was well worn. It led to the large arena where I’d watched Stone put the hybrids through agility training the day before. I heard excited yips and barking from that direction already, and the cacophony only grew as we approached.
Morrigan glanced up at Stone anxiously. “Go ahead,” he told her. Apparently, we were strolling, and she wanted to run. “Taggart must already be down there.”
“Does he help with the hybrids?”
“Not normally. Today he’s going to feed and run them around for me.” He put his hand at the small of my back to guide me. “I wanted at least a day to show you around.”
“Okay. Let’s go.” I was excited to see. “Where do the wolves live?”
“Other side of the property.” He pointed in the opposite direction.
“Near Taggart and Ariel’s house?”
“Beyond it.” He shoved a fallen branch aside as we walked past. “Wolves need a lot of room to roam, so we have fewer of them. There are eight right now.”
“I’d love to see them.”
“We can try looking, but you won’t spot them if they don’t want to be seen.”
“I have these.” I indicated the binoculars I’d hung over my neck. Unfortunately, they’d banged my sling with every step I took.
“I’ll carry those for you,” Stone offered. “If you want them, tell me.”
“Thank you.”
Before long, an industrial shed filled with individual kennels came into view. They were like the ones near the production company setup on the location shoot, but there were two rows of them with a walkway down the middle, just like a prison yard.
My feet seemed to stop working.
“What’s the matter?” Stone asked.
“Nothing. I’m fine.” What had I expected? Some canine Club Med?
Stone’s rescued hybrids were rehomed with people equipped to take them if possible, but if they were unplaceable, they lived out their lives right there. I’d looked forward to seeing them, but I never imagined it could be so bleak. I had a million questions.
“Taggart?” Stone called his brother’s name. The man appeared from behind a smaller outbuilding I assumed was a storage shed of some kind.
“Brother.” Taggart waggled his eyebrows at me. “Did you bring Sebastian to see your evil lair?”
“We’re going for a nature walk this morning.” Stone didn’t stop long enough to chat.
“The grove is nice this time of year,” Taggart called after we walked past.
“That’s why we’re headed there,” Stone answered.
“It must take an immense amount of labor to run this place,” I said. “How many people work here?”