A Forever Kind of Love (Kinds of Love 1)

“It tickles,” Grayson said with a giggle.

Carter gave the boy a gentle squeeze before letting him go to stand up. “Now she knows that you're her friend and that you give apples. She'll always be nice to you.”

Grayson reached out a tentative hand to pet the horse's strong neck. Heartbreaker simply chewed on her apple slice. Grayson grinned and gained confidence, petting her more enthusiastically each time.

“She's not so scary now,” he said.

Carter chuckled and put his hands on Grayson's shoulders. It was such a pretty picture that Mia wished she had a camera. It could have been staged for a publicity shoot to improve Carter's image for how perfect it was. It made her heart happy because it was real.

Grayson let out a huge yawn that cracked his jaws and made Mia check her watch.

“It's time to go,” she said, hating that she was the one ending the day.

A chorus of disappointed childrens' grumbles followed her announcement.

“We'll be back tomorrow,” Mia promised. “But we have to get you home for dinner.”

>

The older children put away the grooming supplies without too much more whining. Mia helped, but she watched Carter and Grayson from the corner of her eye as she stacked brushes and cloths.

“You did well with the horse today.” Carter knelt before Grayson with a hand on his shoulder. “No more scaring Mia and I'll teach you how to ride a horse. Deal?”

Grayson's face split into a giant grin as he looked up at the horse and then back to Carter. “Deal!”

Mia smiled, her heart suddenly lighter than she remembered it ever being. His biography said he didn't want children, but he sure was a natural with them.

“Come on, guys,” Mia called, leaving the barn and heading to the car. Three kids and Carter followed reluctantly. “Make sure to buckle up.”

Lily helped Grayson with his booster seat buckle since it seemed to always stick while Alexander got himself settled.

“Thank you, Carter,” Mia said, coming around to the side of the car next to him. The words didn't seem like enough.

“Anytime,” he replied, watching the kids in the car.

Mia paused for a moment, but then hugged him. He froze at her sudden gesture, but then wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. His arms felt safe and strong wrapped around her. It wasn't the same as the almost kiss in the garage, but there was definitely something between them. It was a short embrace, with Mia pulling back before she could embarrass herself. He smelled so good, like hay and sunshine, that there was a very real risk of her not ever letting go.

Chapter 8

Carter

Fire engulfed the parking garage, a demon of red and orange that relentlessly pursued him. The heat of the flames licked at his skin and singed his eyebrows. His lungs struggled for oxygen as the fire stole it with every desperate inhale.

Carter coughed and tried to run from the fire, but his feet were stuck to the ground. He forced his legs to move, but every step was like through quicksand. His eyes watered with the acrid smoke of burning plastic and metal. Sweat drenched his body as he struggled to get away.

Somehow the flames grew. Carter panicked, his feet turning to stone as the flames consumed him.

And then he woke up.

Carter sat straight up in bed, gasping for air and clawing at his bed-sheets. It was just a nightmare. It was the nightmare he'd had every night since the incident.

He sucked in the clean mountain air, trying to convince his lungs that he wasn't still trapped in the smoke and fire of the dream. His heart rate was through the roof, and he was going to need to change the sheets on the bed. They were soaked with sweat.

He heaved himself out of the covers and out of bed, reveling in the feel of the cold tile on his feet as he made his way to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. The man in the mirror looked haggard and exhausted, but not burned. His eyebrows were intact, and there wasn't soot in his hair.

It helped convince him it had been just a dream.

Still, there was no way Carter was going back to sleep after that. When he closed his eyes, the flames came back, though less vibrant with every minute he was awake. Regardless, he wasn't about to risk falling into the dream again. He'd rather go to the garage and work than risk the dream again.