“Right,” she said after a moment. “Do you have any of the special food you mentioned to Ryker? I want to make sure the feed bucket is ready for the horse when it arrives.”
Alex started, blinking heavily. “Uh, yeah, somewhere around here.” He wandered in the direction of a row of cabinets but stopped halfway there, turning around to look at her again. “That’s it?”
She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “You rejected me. Understood. You’ll forgive me if I don’t lick my wounds in front of you.”
Alex opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again. He made it two more steps forward before turning around again. “And you’re not going to—”
“It’s over, Alex. I get it. But if you think I’m quitting this job, you’re wrong. My brothers might have forced you to hire me, but I’m not going to quit in some kind of kneejerk reaction to foil their plans. When I commit to something, I stick it out.”
“Okay, Miss MacAllen,” he said slowly. He turned back and finished his march to the cabinets, retrieving a bag of food and hauling it to the stall. She took it from him, tearing it open, then filling the feed bucket that hung in the stall. Brenne filled the water container beside the bucket after, making sure everything would be ready for the horse’s arrival.
Not long after, Alex’s phone rang. It was Ryker, and he was headed down the driveway toward the clinic. They went outside, Brenne taking the lead on drawing the horse out of the trailer and into the stall they’d prepared. When she closed the stall door, she met Ryker’s grateful gaze.
“Can’t thank you enough for your help, Miss Brenne,” he said, tipping his cap at her.
“This is nothing. It’s what you do every day that deserves the gratitude,” she replied. “I know how hard the work must be, physically and emotionally.”
“Well, now, it’s all for the love of the horses. I know you know what I mean. I could see your heart when you were holding out that sugar cube. You know—”
“Right, and the useless old veterinarian here, he’s just along for the ride,” Alex interrupted without warning, making them both turn to look at him. A tight smile appeared on his face, and he put a hand on both their backs. “Job well done all around. Now, I’ve got appointments this afternoon, so I’d like to get things squared away so I can make my house calls.”
“No problem. I’ll stick around here with the horse,” Brenne said. “You can make your rounds and I’ll get him settled in.”
“Thanks for taking over, Doc,” Ryker said, hitting Alex on the back a couple of times. “And you, Miss Brenne. There’s always a place for you at the farm if you want it.”
She waved as Ryker left, his empty trailer bouncing behind him. Without sparing a glance, she went back inside. Alex followed, a few footsteps behind. “Where do you keep your grooming supplies?” she asked without turning around.
“That cupboard,” he said, pointing in the direction of the cabinets.
She opened it, pulling out supplies. “Is it okay to groom him?”
Alex nodded. “You should wear gloves and avoid contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth. And you should avoid any areas that look infected or irritated.”
“Got it,” she said, gathering her things and heading toward the stall. She saw Alex standing there, watching her. “You can go.” She jerked her head in the direction of the door.
Alex stared at her, then moved toward the table that held his supply bag. She ignored him, turning her attention to the horse. Grooming was not only a necessary activity to keep a horse healthy and well cared for, but it was also a soothing activity that helped the horse feel calm. Maybe it works the same on me, she thought as she started to work.
Her mind drifted as she brushed the horse. At first, she tried to avoid the bad feelings that were swirling just under the surface, but before long they pulled her under, weighing her down with heaviness.
He never liked me, not like I liked him. All he wanted was a good time.
It was hard to accept it, but it was the truth. Alex had made that pretty clear. I was a fool to think he’d hired me to keep me close, to try and get me back. I was just a distraction for him.
Brenne thought about Alex, about the women he’d dated, unable to stop herself from making comparisons. Now that I think about it, I’ve only seen him with the shy, feminine types. Ones who wouldn’t say boo to a ghost. Women like Emma. Sure, they were smart and attractive, but they weren’t the type to challenge their clever, handsome boyfriend.
That’s not me. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe they weren’t cut out for each other. She thought about the expression on his father’s face when he’d caught them together in the barn. The way he’d looked at her, distrustful and unamused.
Would he have looked at Emma that way? Brenne’s face screwed up as she realized it would have been unlikely. His father isn’t a fan of Brenne MacAllen. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.
Then it dawned on her. Alex doesn’t think I’m good enough for him.
That realization hurt. Brenne realized how deep-seated her affection for Alex was. It felt like someone reached deep inside her and pulled the joy out of her like ripping up a tree by the roots.
She could feel the horse calming down, but it was hard to reach a place of calm herself. Brenne felt ashamed of herself. She’d let her crush get out of control, and now she was dealing with the effects of a broken heart. Still in shock, she knew the hurt would get even worse when she was lying in bed that night, staring at the ceiling and chasing sleep.
When she was finished, she put the grooming tools in the sink to be sterilized. Brenne looked around the clinic, but there was nothing for her to do. She had no idea when Alex would be returning either. “Hell, I’ve walked home from here before,” she told herself. “No reason to stick around when I’m not needed.”
She stopped at the desk, sitting behind it and pulling out the drawers until she could find a paper and pen. Texting her message would have been easier, but Brenne wanted to avoid even that level of interaction. “I’ll leave him a note, and he’ll either find it in this mess or he won’t.”
Dear Doc Parsons,
The horse is groomed and settling in nicely. I’ve named him Ghost because I can’t just keep calling him ‘horse.’ I will be back to keep an eye on Ghost, but I won’t be returning to your Lubbock clinic and I won’t be making house calls with you. I’m strictly horse rehab now. That should make things easier for both of us. Make sure you set out the medication he needs. Oh, and I need a key to the country clinic.
-B
She pulled her coat tight around her as the wind hit her while walking across the fields. It was a more direct route than heading to the MacAllen ranch via the road. Still, she was regretting not bringing her hat and gloves today. Texas temperatures rarely got too cold, but at times, the winds could make things feel colder than they were. Brenne hurried toward the patch of trees near the fence that ran the boundary of the Parsons’s land.
Taking her coat off at the fence, she laid it over the line of rusty barbed wire that ran along the top of the fence. She climbed up and swung her leg over, careful to avoid touching the barbed wire. As quickly as she could when she was over, she pulled her coat down. It got stuck along the way, and when she pulled harder, she heard it tear.