A crazy flare of heat shot through her, and she deliberately turned her back on the lovefest to get the other horses ready.
She was losing her mind.
A few minutes later, Owen came into the barn, sniffling dramatically. “Harper, I think I am sick for real, and it has nothing to do with dollar shots tonight. I did one stall, but then Little Foot kept butting me, and when I didn’t give her attention, she crapped all over and I almost threw up. Oh, someone also called and left a message about canceling a horse ride.”
She clawed for patience. “The Graysons? For today?”
He snapped his fingers. Blond curls bounced around his face as he nodded. “Yeah! Those people. Can I go home?”
“Did you clean up the crap?”
His face fell. “Can’t Ethan do it?”
“No, and we’re short-staffed today. Just do that first, and then you can go.”
“Deal.” Owen skidded out.
“Please tell me that wasn’t one of your top workers,” Aidan said, staring after his retreating figure. “He seems to do a lot of whingeing.”
She enjoyed the way the unusual word rolled over his tongue, and a laugh escaped her lips. “God, no. We take on volunteers and the occasional community-service project. This one’s the latter. I promised his grandfather a favor, and I’m sorely regretting it.”
“If some horse crap scares him, he’s not likely to flourish here.”
“I should’ve sent him to Ophelia. She would have gotten him in shape fast.”
He cocked his head, studying her with those jeweled eyes. “Something tells me you’re just as hard-assed. Bet it runs in the family.”
She shot him a grin. “Maybe. Need any help?”
“No.”
“Then let’s go.”
She saddled up smoothly, guiding Uncle Scar out toward the pasture. He was a spirited horse that liked to test limits, but she was in the mood for a bit of spunk today.
She checked quickly on Aidan, but he seemed comfortable and at ease. “Maximus is a bit dominant and likes to steal control. He tends to snack on the trail, and usually tries to open up when we get to the fields.”
“Does he like long walks in the moonlight, too?” Aidan teased.
“Only with Flower. They’re currently in a relationship. I can’t take them out too much together because they get distracted making moony eyes at each other.”
“It’s a genuine Match.com here, huh? How many horses do you have?”
“About twenty,” she said, leaning back as they climbed down a steep hill.
“Nice. Are all of them rescues?”
“Mostly, but we also board and offer lessons. I use the majority for trail rides, but I’m always looking to place them with permanent homes. The more I place, the more I can take in.”
“How big is the farm?”
“Thirty acres of property and about a dozen working trails.”
He whistled. “Big place. How long have you been doing the rescue portion?”
She glanced behind to check on him. Pride etched her voice when she spoke. “My mother taught me you can’t ride until you can take care of your horse, so I was helping in the barns daily as a six-year-old. Took over the farm full time after my mom passed.”
“Most don’t have the stomach to do rescue work long term. No money. Lots of heartbreak. Little reward.”
“Funny, I disagree. I’m pretty damn fulfilled. And if I save one, that’s all the reward I need.”
He was silent, but she got the sense he was examining her words. It had taken her a long time not to worry and analyze everything she said, which was another reason she’d gotten into a habit of speaking less. A shudder racked her body at the memories. In school, if she’d uttered the wrong thing, her peers had delighted in viciously teasing her until even answering a question from the teacher had made her nauseous, her head spinning with all the possibilities to keep herself under the radar. Returning home to her beloved horses was the only thing that had eased her. Animals needed only love, and there was never any judgment from them. Or cruelty.
The only sounds were the gentle creaking of leather and the wind in the trees. Her muscles adapted to the sway of the horse, legs tight, heels down, her body a natural extension of the saddle and the magnificent creature who allowed her to ride him. She soaked in the beauty of the mountains before her, then led them into the crooked paths deep into the woods. Inside, the tension dissipated, and her mind grew quiet again. The woods were her own personal church and heaven, reminding her there was something much bigger and more important working constantly; reminding her she didn’t have the control she always furiously sought; reminding her it was okay to just be and accept what was.
“Ophelia said your mother came from Kildare.” Aidan’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“Yes, both our parents did. They settled here and built the inn first. The horse rescue came later. We lost our father early on, though. Heart attack. It was more of a working farm then, but our mother decided to concentrate mostly on the bed-and-breakfast portion for financial purposes. We lost her a few years ago.”
“Ophelia mentioned that. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. I feel like she’s here, though. Each time I watch a new horse blossom or see the guests happy at the inn, I know we made her happy.”
He came up closer behind her. Twigs snapped. She felt his gaze burning into her back and shifted in her seat. She’d never felt as if a man was listening so intently to her when she couldn’t even see his face.
She tried to redirect his attention. “What brought you to the States? Just a vacation?”
“Yes. I needed a change. I don’t like to stay in one place for too long.”
Was that a thread of tension in his voice or just her imagination? “A wanderer’s soul, huh? My brother was like that for a long time. Traveled for years in the military. Now he’s practically a homebody and happy.”
“A woman, I’d guess?”
She turned and shot him a grin. “You guess right. He’s getting married next year.”
“What about you? Are you married?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nope. You?”
“Nope. Too many places to see and horses to ride.”
She rolled her eyes. “Spoken like a true man.”
“No, I really meant horses. That wasn’t some sexual innuendo.”
That made her laugh. Who would’ve thought after her initial annoyance he could be fun to converse with? “Do you own your own horses back in Ireland?”
He didn’t answer right away, and this time, she definitely sensed reluctance, as if he wasn’t ready to let her know the full truth. He took his time, guiding Maximus to walk beside her. “No, I actually train horses. Work with them to coax out their full potential for racing.”
Startled, she studied him, but his gaze was stuck on the path ahead. Maximus bent his head to snatch a treat, but without pause, Aidan firmly tugged the rein and the horse settled right back into his walk.
He was a real trainer? Holy crap, she might be able to grill him for information to help with Phoenix.
She opened her mouth to pepper him with questions, then shut it. No. He didn’t seem to want to talk about that part of his life right now, and she respected a person’s secrets. Being pushed by strangers to share personal things always pissed her off. “Sounds cool. Ready to gallop?”