He was finally done.
His realization brought a touch of grief but also relief. He was so damn tired of chasing a horse, chasing a win, chasing a life. Maybe coming to the inn had been a good thing. Maybe he had finally achieved some clarity and could head to California and be open to different opportunities.
Sounds of activity rose from the barn. He wondered if Harper was up, starting her morning routine early to get ahead of the day. He wondered if she had trouble sleeping past 6:00 a.m. like he did, the call of a brand-new day too tempting to miss.
A flash caught his eye, and he turned his head toward the open pasture, where most of the workouts and training occurred.
Then caught his breath.
Horse and woman flew over the ground with such heart-stopping swiftness, he wondered if one of them had sprouted wings. Their silhouettes blended together as one, and the sound of hooves pounding rose in the air, along with a misty fog that made the entire scene feel like a dream.
Aidan stumbled to his feet. He squinted as more light funneled through and highlighted the rocketing forms. The horse took the turn with a combination of grace and strength, his legs stretching to cover more distance. The rider hung on, crouched in the saddle, leaning over the horse as if whispering encouragement in his ear. Unbelievably, the horse caught more speed, thundering forward. The horse’s mane and the woman’s hair flew behind them.
In that moment, everything inside him stilled.
Something is coming.
The echo of the mantra filled him with conviction. Quickly, he calculated the distance of the field and hit the stopwatch on his phone with a trembling finger. The horse reached the far post, and Aidan clicked the button, watching the seconds mount until the pair did the entire lap even faster than the first one.
Sweat dotted Aidan’s forehead. He was on the verge of shredded nerves and an excitement he hadn’t felt in five years, since that first time he’d laid eyes on Kincaid’s Crown and sensed the horse was meant to win under his hand.
When he looked at the stopwatch and saw the evidence before him, Aidan shut his eyes.
Dear God, it was impossible.
But it wasn’t.
This horse was going to be a champion.
This horse was going to change his life.
Harper eased back and began the cooldown lap. He imagined her throaty voice praising the horse on the run, practically felt her fingers stroking his neck in soothing approval.
The past and future melded together in an odd, fated melody. Minutes before, he’d been sure he was meant to move on and leave horse racing behind. He’d been making his peace with it. He’d been ready.
Now?
Everything had changed.
He fisted his hands and pressed them against his eyes. Did he really want to take on this horse right now? Was this a test and he was supposed to walk away? Or was this finally the opportunity and answer he’d been searching for?
Doubts and questions assaulted him. He faced the attack head-on, trying to find the quiet inside and connect with his intuition. He didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally knew. Slowly, he dropped his hands and opened his eyes.
The road had led him right here, to this farm, to this horse. He was meant to be here and train him. He was meant to make Phoenix a champion.
Aidan dragged in a breath, knowing he had only one job to do.
Convince Harper to let him stay.
Chapter Six
Harper slid off Phoenix, breathing hard with excitement. His workouts were getting stronger, but it was time she got serious. It was time to get him to a racetrack and test him out.
He ran like a champion at the farm, but he had a boatload of issues to work on. He hated traveling and usually balked near the trailers, so it was almost impossible to load him in. He also disliked most other animals, preferring his own isolated company. The horse went full-on crazy when Hei Hei wandered into the barn, and had gotten into an old-fashioned alpha fight with Maximus when Harper had once tried to put them in the same barn together. Harper had read a companion animal helped calm many horses, especially with travel and strange racetracks, but so far, Phoenix wasn’t having any of it.
She’d been studying horse training for weeks, trying to learn everything that could help. Yes, he did better with people now, but how would he react when he faced other horses on a track? Would he spook? Would all this work be for nothing?
Harper shook her head hard to dislodge the negative thoughts. No, Phoenix had the ability to run faster than any horse she’d ever seen and had the heart of a champion. She had to try. Not for herself.
For Phoenix.
Her gut whispered he was meant for this. Meant to run and be free. Meant for the glory of a win. Pure Thoroughbred fire ran through his veins, but it had been beaten out of him until he’d managed to either forget or repress his need to race. Her job was to get him there so he could make his own decision. Maybe his previous abuse had scarred him too deeply to race again, but she sensed he had survived for a reason. To thrive in the world he was meant for.
Time would tell.
If she could find enough of it.
She led Phoenix back to the barns while Baloo and Bagheera greeted her with barking enthusiasm. The dark-brown shepherd-hound mix and charcoal Standard Poodle had been with her for a few years, saved from a bad hoarding situation. They’d bonded and refused to leave each other, so Harper had ended up taking them both and never regretted it. Usually, she left them back at her place while she trained, but they’d seemed a bit anxious this morning watching her get ready to leave, so she’d brought them to the farm. They adored romping with Wheezy and Bolt but avoided Hei Hei, who scared them to death.
Phoenix gave the dogs a haughty glare, snorting with irritation as he stepped around them.
Baloo whined at the dismissal, shooting Harper a pathetic look. She laughed and patted his head, then got knocked over by Bagheera, who was jealous of the attention. In no time, she heard the echoes of more barks from Wheezy and Bolt, and then she was surrounded by four canines lashing her with tongues, completely thrilled by her very presence in the early morning solitude.
Phoenix pawed the ground and peeled back his lips with annoyance.
“Don’t be so grouchy,” she scolded him, trying to pet all four dogs at once. “They just want to be friends.”
“He’s a loner at heart.”
Gasping, she spun around. The dogs caught sight of the new visitor and charged full speed.
Aidan welcomed them with a grin and open arms. She watched him with the dogs and tried to ignore the squeeze of her heart. She’d always been a sucker for a man who loved animals.
He gave each one his full attention, then straightened. The dogs immediately settled at his feet, recognizing an alpha and natural leader, panting happily as they stared up with adoration.
Damn, that was hot.
“You’re up early,” she said.
“Sleeping past six a.m. is a waste.” He gestured to the dogs. “What are their names?”
She pointed them each out. “Wheezy, Bolt, Baloo, and Bagheera.”
A frown creased his brow. “Disney again, right? I know The Jungle Book. Baloo is the funny panther.”
“Bear. Baloo is the bear. Bagheera is the guardian panther.”
“Aren’t you going to run out of character names one day?” he asked curiously.
She grinned. “Doubt it.”