Forty and Free: A Sweet Romance Series Bundle - Books 5 - 8

by Blake, Lillianna

  “Hello, this is Hope.”

  “Good morning, Hope, my name is Adrienne. I’m just calling to confirm that you will be available for Chase to bring Toby to you this morning.”

  “Yes, I’m here whenever he’s ready.”

  “Great. He should be on his way to you in the next few minutes.”

  “Thanks.” She hung up the phone and tried to calm the racing of her heart.

  That was really all it might be for Chase—an opportunity for a horse, nothing more.

  Still, she rushed inside to straighten her ponytail and ensure that the collar of her shirt covered her scar. Although she wasn’t exactly ashamed of it, it was something she usually tried to keep covered until she was totally comfortable with a person.

  She picked up a tube of lipstick to give her lips a little more color, then changed her mind. What would he think of her if she wore make-up on a ranch? It might look a little silly. She put the lipstick back, smoothed her ponytail and then headed out the door.

  As she stepped outside, the horse trailer pulled up. She hooked her thumbs into her pockets and waited as he parked. The moment he stepped out onto the driveway, she walked toward the back of the trailer.

  “Morning, Chase.” She smiled at him as she walked past him. “How’s our boy doing?”

  “Not too bad.” He followed her and opened the doors on the trailer. “It’s going to be awhile until he’s steady on his feet. If he gets a little exercise every day that should help.”

  “I can make sure he gets that.” She smiled as Chase led the horse out of the trailer. “Hi there, Toby.”

  “I’ll go over some of the exercises with you. I also brought what I need to fix the stable up.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “You’re doing me a huge favor by taking on Toby. It’s the least I can do.” He met her eyes across the mane of the horse.

  Her smile widened the moment they made eye contact. “I’m happy to do it.”

  He nodded and they walked with the horse to the stable. Toby moved quite slowly and still favored his injured leg.

  “He’s in a bit of pain so we don’t want to push him too hard.”

  “Do you think it will heal completely?”

  “I think it could.” He crouched down and took a look at the bandage. She noticed that it was fresh and well placed. Still, he double-checked it and smoothed it down.

  “You’re so gentle with him.”

  “They feel pain just like we do. No need to make an injury worse by being rough. I’ll be by once a day to change out the dressing for the next three days, then I should be able to space out the visits so that I won’t be such a bother.”

  “It wouldn’t be any bother.” She ran her hand along the slope of Toby’s neck. “It’s not as if I’ll be entertaining many guests. I don’t know anyone around here.”

  “Oh?” He peered at the hole in the wall that he intended to repair. “No one at all?”

  “No. Well, I met a handyman at the general store, but that’s it.”

  “Hm. Maybe I can fix that.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she turned to look at him. “That sounds interesting.”

  “Good, I’ll let Adrienne know. She runs a social group that gets together on Saturday nights. I’m sure she’d love to have you. I’ll just get my tools from the trailer.”

  As he walked past her toward the trailer she glanced away in an attempt to hide her disappointment. For a moment she’d been sure he was going to ask her out on a date. Instead, it didn’t even sound like he would be there.

  “Oh, thanks.” She managed to mutter. Now she would have to face an entire group of strangers who she might or might not have anything in common with. She sighed and looked into Toby’s eyes. “I’m making a fool out of myself, aren’t I?”

  The horse snorted at her. She laughed.

  “You two are getting along well.” Chase chuckled as he returned with his tools and a bag of supplies for Toby. “I brought him a brush. If you want to give it a try, you can. He doesn’t stay still for me.”

  “Sure.” She grabbed the brush and began to run it across Toby’s coat. His muscles rippled but he didn’t try to evade the brush.

  “Amazing.” Chase shook his head, then he turned his attention to the hole in the wall.

  Hope spoke in a whisper to the horse as she moved the brush in a steady rhythm. “In no time at all, you’re going to be galloping again, Toby. You’ll feel the wind through your mane and see the wide-open field. You’ll know what it’s like to have your strong legs propel you. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve believed that could happen again, but it can. You’re not alone any more.”

  “I think he believes you.”

  His voice startled her out of the meditative place she’d slipped into. She looked up, surprised to see that he was right beside her and wondered how much he’d heard.

  “I guess it’s silly to talk to a horse.”

  “Not silly at all.” He looked into her eyes and rested his hand lightly over hers to stop the brush from moving. “Everyone—horse and man alike—needs to know that they’re not alone. What you described was so beautiful. You even made me believe it.”

  She drew her hand out from under his and smiled. “Well, that’s what really matters. No matter what the wound may tell you, it’ll be Toby’s fighting spirit that will have the final say.”

  Chapter 6

  Chase noticed the way that Hope drew back and was tempted to reach out to grasp her hand again. But he resisted. It was a reminder that he needed to be careful about his actions. The last thing he wanted to do was give her the wrong impression and end up with hurt feelings between them.

  “Yes, he will have the final say. But I can’t tell you how comforting it is to see how he is with you. That alone is enough to make me believe that you have a special gift.”

  “I don’t know if I’d call it a gift.” She kicked the toe of her shoe against the dirt floor. “It’s more of an understanding. I imagine that we have a lot in common.”

  “Oh? Like what?” He walked around the horse to her side. “Do you have vet experience?”

  “No.” She grinned. “I meant Toby and I have a lot in common. I know what it’s like to have your body turn against you.”

  “You do?” He tried to meet her eyes, but the moment he looked into them, she glanced away.

  “So about those exercises?”

  “Sure, I’ll go over them with you.”

  As she left the stable, he followed behind her. More than ever he was curious, but he sensed that she didn’t want to be pushed.

  “You won’t have to worry too much about Toby taking off on you as he isn’t going anywhere fast. It’ll be more important to force him to keep his pace even. Any erratic movement could cause the wound to reopen.”

  “Oh no, I hope that doesn’t happen.”

  “Even if it does, it will be fine. Just give me a call and I’ll come right over. Alright?”

  “Yes.” She leaned against the fence and glanced at the horizon in the distance.

  The way the sky framed her drew his attention so intensely that he had to take a deep breath to steady his senses.

  “Hope.”

  “Hm?” She smiled a little as she looked at him.

  “You’ll call?”

  “Yes. I’ll take good care of him, you don’t have to worry.”

  “I’m not worried.” He leaned against the fence beside her. “For some reason, I’m certain that you care for Toby just as much as I do.”

  “I do. And I appreciate how much effort you’re going to—to save him. Not everyone would.”

  “I know.” He looked back toward the stable. “Some people look at him and see an old injured horse that will never be the young stallion he once was. But when I look at him, I see a strong warrior who’s managed to survive even the most dire circumstances. To me, that means that he deserves even more of a chance. He deserves to have someone fight for
him.” When he looked back at Hope he caught her wiping a tear away from the corner of her eye. “Oh, no—I’ve said something to upset you?” He reached up and touched the hand that wiped away the tear.

  “No, I just think that you have a beautiful perspective.”

  His eyes locked to hers and he leaned a little closer. “I think there is so much that I’d like to learn about you, Hope.”

  “Really?” Her eyes widened a little. “Why is that?”

  “You just strike me as a very interesting person who maybe has lived more life than most.”

  “Maybe.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Trust me, I’m not a mystery.”

  “Maybe not, but you’ve inspired my curiosity. I hope you don’t mind that.”

  “I don’t.” She took a deep breath and then cleared her throat. “Are you going to be at that get-together you mentioned?”

  He hesitated. He normally wouldn’t be, or at least he hadn’t been going too much since things had ended with Karen. It was difficult to face people that knew them as a couple, and he preferred to avoid any questions that he didn’t particularly want to answer. As much as his mind warned him that he was in danger of losing himself a bit when it came to Hope, his heart soared at the thought of spending more time with her.

  “I can be. If you’d like.” His lips barely parted as he studied her and anticipated her answer. There was the pink in her cheeks again.

  “I might feel a little more comfortable if I knew at least one person there.” She dug the toe of her shoe into the dirt. “I can be a little shy in social settings.”

  “I understand. I have a hard time with small talk myself. I’ll be there.”

  “Wonderful.” She broke into a wide smile. “At least we’ll have Toby to talk about.”

  “Oh, I have a feeling we’d have a lot more than that to talk about.” He brushed his hand lightly along the curve of her shoulder. “Remember, call me if there are any problems.”

  “I will.” She nodded and glanced at his hand on her shoulder.

  He drew it away and rested it against the thigh of his jeans.

  “Okay then, I should be going.” He backed a few steps away from her and forced himself to turn away. If he continued to stare at her, one of two things was going to happen. Either she was going to decide he was a creep or he was going to find it impossible to leave.

  By the time he’d reached the trailer, he wished he hadn’t turned away. He had nowhere to be, and he could have spent more time with Hope if he’d wanted to. But the thought of getting any more wrapped up in the way he felt around her was enough to push him into the driver’s seat.

  He had to get a grip before he stumbled into something he wasn’t quite ready for.

  Chapter 7

  The trailer left a cloud of dust behind as Chase drove down the driveway. Hope held her breath until the dust settled. It wasn’t out of fear that she would breathe it in; it was out of fear that she might chase after the vehicle. As ridiculous as the notion was, her muscles were tensed and ready to spring forward at the first opportunity.

  “Chase.” She closed her eyes and let the name ripple through her senses. If only he knew the impact on her, he might find her the most foolish woman on earth, not someone to be curious about.

  After all her trial-and-error dates, to think that a man could pop up out of the blue and take her breath away was just fantasy. But what else could it be? He was handsome without a doubt, but was that enough to enrapture someone? It never had been in the past.

  She’d remained single as she’d plowed through all the obstacles of her career, but not because she didn’t have offers. In fact, she’d turned down some very influential men that her girlfriends would have killed for. At the time, all that mattered to Hope was that corporate ladder. It wasn’t until that ladder was pulled out from under her that she realized how pointless it had all been.

  She turned back toward the stable and heard Toby give a soft whinny. When she stepped inside he lifted his weary head to look in her direction.

  “I’m living proof, my friend. It can get easier.” She rested her cheek against his and took in a deep breath of the horse’s scent. Maybe there were many differences between humans and horses, but she didn’t think those differences mattered between her and Toby. Life was life, and fighting for it was the common thread that connected humans and animals alike. “Just keep fighting, Toby. I’m here with you. You don’t have to do it on your own. We can get through this together. Every day you will begin to feel just a little bit stronger, until one day you’ll be racing across those fields with me.”

  The horse gave a heavy sigh. She smiled and stroked his mane. “I know. You think I can’t possibly understand how hard it is. But I do. I won’t let you go through this alone.”

  Her heart ached with her words. After she’d received her diagnosis there’d been a rallying of support around her. Her friends, co-workers, and some distant family members—they’d all reached out to offer their support.

  But when she didn’t get better, and instead kept getting worse, the calls stopped coming in. No one checked in on her. There were no casseroles sitting by her front door when she got home. She became very aware that she was alone. There wasn’t a single person on earth that would bend over backwards to ensure that she was cared for.

  Of all the horrifying things that she’d experienced during her treatments, the recognition that she had no one to turn to was the most potent. It still haunted her. Perhaps that was why she felt so wrapped up in Chase. She was so desperate for some companionship that she wanted to believe he cared for her as much as she cared for him.

  She spent the rest of the day in the stable with Toby, and that night she pulled a blanket and pillow out to the stable to sleep under the same roof as him. Though she was fully exposed in a new place in the middle of the country where anything could happen, she had no problem sleeping beside Toby.

  When she woke the next morning, she squinted against the sun that filtered through the planks of wood in the roof. Her body shuddered as she recognized a shadow not far from her. She bolted out from under the blanket that had tangled around her.

  “Hope, it’s okay. It’s just me.” Chase pulled off his hat and peered down at her. “You scared me.”

  “I scared you?” She stared up at him.

  “You didn’t answer your phone, you weren’t in the house, and then I came in here to check on Toby and here you are.” He studied her. “Did you sleep out here?”

  “Did I?” She glanced around, a little confused about where she was. “I guess so.” She yawned and started to stand up.

  He offered her his hand and she took it. As he pulled her up to her feet, she was tempted to lean right into his chest, but she resisted. He hadn’t invited her to do anything of the sort, and she didn’t want to push things with Chase.

  “I’m sure Toby appreciated the company.”

  “I didn’t want him to be alone.” She stroked the horse’s neck.

  “That’s very kind of you.” He reached out and ran his fingertips through a few strands of her hair.

  She smiled at the gentle touch.

  He held up a piece of hay that was tangled in her hair. “I have to say that I didn’t expect you to be quite this dedicated.”

  “It was his first night in a new place and I wanted to be sure that he’d be okay.”

  “You did great.” Chase crouched down beside the horse and took a look at the wound. “I’m going to change out his dressing.”

  “I’ll keep him distracted.” She stroked the horse’s long nose and his mane as Chase changed the dressing.

  When he finished, Chase stood up and turned toward her. “I could get used to this kind of assistance. Have you ever thought about working with animals?”

  “Not really. I hadn’t ever thought I’d actually move to a ranch until just a few months ago.”

  “Really? So something big must have changed your perspective.”

  “Is that yo
ur curiosity again?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid it is.” He smiled and pulled off his gloves. As he tossed them into the trash she stepped closer to him.

  “I’m curious too, you know.”

  “Oh?” He turned, and she realized that she’d gotten a little too close when they nearly collided. He didn’t step back. Instead, he met her eyes and lingered in the same position. “Ask me anything.”

  “Anything?” She tilted her head just enough so that she could hold his gaze comfortably.

  “Sure. I don’t have anything to hide. Isn’t that what you told me? Trust me. I’m no mystery.”

  “Oh, I think you might be. It’s a very big mystery to me how you don’t have a ring on your finger. Do you take it off while you work?”

  “A ring?” He blinked and glanced down at his hand. After a moment, his eyes widened. “Oh. No. I’m not married.” He chuckled.

  “See, that is a mystery. Because as compassionate, talented, handsome, and intelligent as you are, I can’t fathom how you’d be single.” The moment the words escaped her lips, her heart stopped.

  She believed life was for the living, and that fear had no place in it. But had she been too bold?

  Chapter 8

  When Chase walked into the stable and found Hope sprawled across the hay strewn on the floor, his breath caught in his throat. The sun filtered across her as if it was expressing its affection for her existence. Her hair splayed in loose tendrils across her delicate features. If it had been a painting, he would have hung it on his wall. It was pure beauty to him—to see a woman with her heart and soul invested in the well-being of an animal.

  He didn’t want to wake her. He stood silently for some time watching her. His heart fluttered when he wondered if she would be angry if she knew that he stared at her while she slept.

  Desire crept up within him. He closed his eyes.

  When she woke, he did his best to act as if he’d just walked in. When she’d mentioned his lack of a ring, he was reminded of how close he’d come to proposing to Karen. He’d had the ring.