She didn’t realize she was crying until he cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. His eyes were so warm and bright, she fell into them, and oh, there was understanding and so much tenderness. No pity. No judgment. Nothing but the man’s heart shining just for her.
“Mo stór,” he whispered. “You humble me. Thank you for giving me the gift of your trust. Thank you for being brave enough to live.”
His lips brushed hers. Whisper soft, and as fleeting as a butterfly’s wings. And because there were no words worthy of a response, she reached for him, and he made love to her slowly, shattering the last defense of her heart and rebuilding it whole.
Chapter Eighteen
“Hey, Harper. Something’s wrong with Flower.” Owen stood in front of her, brows lowered in a frown.
She hung up the last stack of bridles on the hook and wiped her hands on her jeans. “What happened?”
“She’s acting funny. And there’s this gross stuff coming out of her nose. Looks like she has a cold.”
She motioned for him to follow and headed to the mare’s stall. Giving a quick whistle in greeting, she opened the gate and stepped in. Flower usually jumped to greet her, extremely affectionate and playful, but she just stared sleepily at Harper, as if unable to use up the last of her energy. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” she murmured, stroking her while she did a quick examination. Owen was right—there was mucus coming out of her nose, and she weakly swayed in her stall. Flower rarely liked to lie down, preferring to sleep standing up, but in a matter of minutes, the mare sank down in the hay in surrender.
Crap. She was really sick.
“Is she okay?” Owen asked, staring at the horse. “Why is she lying down?”
“We need to get the vet over here. Thanks for letting me know, Owen. Can you finish hanging up all the equipment for me? I don’t want to leave her.”
“Sure.” With one last worried glance, he trudged out of the barn.
Harper plucked her phone from her pocket and dialed her vet. Thankfully, Sara Beadle was able to get to her quickly, and within two hours, she’d given her diagnosis.
“It’s equine flu, I’m afraid,” she said, standing up and dusting off the hay from her knees. Sara always looked coldly professional, but she had strong hands, a gentle heart, and an iron will to do the best for her clients. She’d been working with Harper for years, and they’d become friends. “Caught it early, but there’s not much I can do. I’d advise quarantine, especially since Phoenix may have come in contact. Keep a close eye on the others.”
Harper rubbed her temples to ward off the impending headache. With the stress of the upcoming Champagne Stakes less than a month away, now she’d have to keep a careful eye on the poor mare and pray none of the other horses got sick. “Anything I can do to speed up her recovery?” she asked.
“The usual. Lots of fluids and rest. Keep a close watch for worsening conditions. The next few days are key to make sure there’s not another type of infection going on. Call me if there’s any concern.”
“Thanks, Sara. I appreciate you coming out here so fast.”
“Are you kidding? I owe you. You saved that poor baby goat. How is he doing?”
“Thriving. Loves farm life and found a best friend in Phoenix. He’s part of the family.”
“So nice to hear a happy ending for a change. I knew the moment I looked at Aidan he wouldn’t leave the goat behind. He’s so like you.”
Harper tried not to blush at the vet’s pointed gaze and led her out of the barn. After thanking her, she headed back to the sick mare and stroked her head. Those joyful brown eyes now filled with exhaustion. “My poor baby. We’ll take care of you.”
She sighed, making a mental list to rearrange tasks in order to be on call for Flower. She’d move her to Phoenix’s old stall, scrub this one down, then move Stitch, who’d just recovered from a bruised foot, in here. Aidan was gone for the next few hours doing errands, Ethan had trail rides booked all day, and Chloe had returned to the city to be with her father. Which left . . . her.
And Owen. But he’d be leaving shortly after she announced the big news.
After Chloe left, Harper had expected his work ethic to suffer again, figuring most of what he did around the farm was to impress his new crush. He’d gotten her number, and Harper was sure he texted her regularly. She’d caught him taking selfies next to Chloe’s Pride.
Maybe he wasn’t as clueless as she’d originally thought. The kid knew the way to a girl’s heart was through her animal companion.
The subject of her thoughts walked into the barn and stood by the stall. “What’d the vet say about Flower?”
Harper leaned an elbow against the scratched wood. “Equine flu.”
“Does she get medicine?”
She shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. She’s got to ride this out. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to get back to normal. It’s also contagious, so I have to move her into Phoenix’s old stall, sanitize everything, and watch her round the clock for the next few days.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” He walked in and stroked her mane. “What if she doesn’t get better?”
“She will. She’s strong, it just may take some time.” Harper tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear and smiled. “I do have some good news for you, though, Owen. I’m sorry I have to announce it when no one’s around, but you’re officially free.”
He blinked. “What do you mean? Free of what?”
A laugh escaped her lips. “Of us—the farm. You’ve done all your community service hours. I contacted your grandfather, and he signed off on the paperwork, so if you’re done sorting the equipment, you’re free to go.”
He was silent for a while, as if trying to process. “You mean I don’t have to come here anymore to work?”
“That’s right. I know you don’t have much time left before the fall semester is in session, but you can hang with your dudes for the few days and party.” She regarded him thoughtfully and was able to utter the truth. “You did well. Not at first, but you learned, and I’ve seen a huge progression these past few weeks. Thank you for all your work and kindness to the animals.”
Owen grinned, pride flushing his sunburned cheeks. A wave of affection washed through her at the sight of his bouncy surfer curls, blistered hands, and new air of confidence that surrounded him. As much as she bitched, watching the kids grow up and mature over a summer made the program worth it. “Welcome. And thanks for not getting too pissed off at me when I screwed up.”
She laughed and squeezed his shoulder. “I know Aidan and the crew will want to say a proper goodbye. Maybe you can swing by later in the week for dinner? Or at least a cake?”
He ducked his head. “Wow, cool. Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Good. Okay, I gotta get to work. Get the hell out of here and have some fun.”
She waited for him to grab his phone and text his buddies or sprint out of the barn with a celebratory shout. Instead, he stayed where he was, petting Flower, and regarded her a bit cautiously. “Umm, Harp. I got nothing really going on yet. Can I help you get Flower settled? She doesn’t look too good.”