Stud in Texas (Rugged and Risque 4)

“Sure.” Though tears stung her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Caleb.” She turned and followed Reese out. Her chest pulled tight and her insides knotted again. Abuse of any form was wrong on so many levels.

“I should have warned you,” Reese said.

“No, it’s all right. I just don’t like to see hurt animals. Especially when they’ve been mistreated by someone who’s supposed to care for them.”

“I know. I had a really hard time with this at first. I wanted to help Caleb and Sam, but I couldn’t stomach the sight of the horses. Took a while for me to be able to pitch in when it comes to this part of the ranch. Once I saw the good they were doing, and we had some successful recoveries underway, I realized how important this sort of work is and now I can’t stop myself from lending a hand wherever it’s needed.”

“That is so admirable, Reese.” She drew up short and turned to her friend. Emotion welled within her. “I really and truly mean that. You always go on and on about the stuff I’ve done, and though I appreciate that you’re my biggest fan, I haven’t accomplished anything on par with what’s going on at this ranch. You’ve really got to stop thinking I’ve done something great. I’ve never saved a soul, Reese.”

“Sky.” Reese clasped her hands. “You don’t have to save horses to be worthy of admiration. I’ve always envied your talent and I’m just so thrilled that you put your mind to something and achieve it. All I’ve ever done is open a B&B.”

“Hey, that’s pretty awesome, Reese. You ran your own business. And now you have this inn to manage. To top it all off,” she said, borrowing Reese’s own words, “you’re the absolute best friend a girl could have and you’re going to make a sensational wife and mother.”

Reese smiled. “Caleb wants three kids.”

“Well, hell,” Sky said in a sassy tone to break the somber mood. “You’d better get on it. The cougar isn’t getting any younger.”

“Bitch,” Reese said with a playful laugh.

“You know I’m just teasing you.”

“I know.” She linked arms with Sky once more. “Let’s check out the stable.”

Chapter Two

“Lookin’ good, girl,” Sam said to the skittish mare he gently brushed. “Now that you’ll let me near you.” He kept his tone low and his strokes slow to soothe the animal.

“A Morgan?” asked a female voice in the same quiet tone.

Sam’s gaze slid from the horse’s flank to the woman who’d just entered the stable with Reese. “You know your breeds.”

“I’m from Texas,” she said with a soft somewhat flirty smile. “Though… I’ve never actually seen an American Morgan. Last I read, there were less than two hundred thousand of them worldwide.”

He nodded.

She moved a little closer, though maintained a respectful distance from the horse. Her body appeared relaxed, her stance unassuming to help calm the mare. “A bay silver. Not common, but a very pretty color.”

The mare’s body was reddish with silver points. Her flaxen mane and tail were tinged with silver.

Sam said, “Her name’s Anabelle. I call her Bells. She was a show horse when she was younger. I looked her up and she was very regal and had the perfect American Morgan stance back in her heyday. But with a change of ownership, she was turned into a workhorse—or at least, the new owner attempted to transition her. By whipping her. The cuts and bruises have healed, but she’s still a bundle of nerves.”

“Who can blame her?” Empathy, mixed with something haunting and indefinable, flickered in the deepest blue eyes Sam had ever stared into.

Reese had told him she intended to bring her best friend by. She had not, however, mentioned the friend was Sky Travis, whose CD he’d all but worn out over the years. Nor had Reese prepared him for her secret guest being such a stunner. Mesmerizing, in fact, with high cheekbones and full, glossy lips. Her brows arched slightly and long lashes framed her cerulean eyes.

She had dark-auburn hair—a rich coppery color, the likes of which he’d never seen. The silky-looking strands were styled in plump curls, gathered at the side and pulled over one shoulder, loosely bound by a thin, brown leather strip she’d tied in a bow.

She easily took his breath away.

Of the horse, she said, “Poor thing. But Anabelle’s lucky you all found her.”

“Unfortunately,” Sam explained, reluctantly forcing his gaze from Sky’s artistically sculpted face, “there are many more like her that we can’t immediately accommodate.”

He returned the brush to its proper place and carefully led the mare to her stall and slid the latch into place. Then he washed up and returned to where the two women stood. He held his hand out to the striking newcomer. “Sam Bennett.”

“Sky Travis.” She gazed up at him, a solemn look in her soul-stirring eyes as she slid her palm against his. “You, Caleb and Reese are doing something very amazing here.”

“It was my baby brother’s idea. He gets the credit.”