Brushing down my favorite horse, I find myself whistling a little while I work. The morning milking and clean-up is complete. The kids have all been assigned chores. Mrs. Johnson is working in the office. And I’m pretty sure Brittany has a nice little spread for lunch ready to go. It’s a good day.
“Why are you still smiling?” Pedro asks, finishing up his own chores in the barn.
I glower at him. “Am I not allowed to smile?”
“You are. But you’ve been smiling nonstop for the last couple of days. Is this about your date?”
I refuse to answer him, instead continuing with my task. Even though he’s right. My smile has everything to do with Greer.
I had a great time with her. We danced. We talked and laughed. We drank. It felt really low-key and easy. But something about it was just… right. I haven’t had that much fun in years. Didn’t even realize I was missing it in my life. And honestly, I can’t wait to see her again.
We’ve texted a bit back and forth over the last couple days, but we’re both busy. Still, there doesn’t seem to be any pressure on her part to move faster and I like that. I like that she has her own life and her own goals. I like that she’s not out searching to find some magical true love. She’s making her own way. It’s admirable.
“Maybe it is,” I finally answer. “What of it?”
“Whew!” he shouts. “You got it bad. Was she a good kisser?”
I turn and glare at him. “Why would you ask me a question like that when you’re a happily married man?”
He holds his hands up defensively. “Don’t act like I’m stepping out of line. I don’t need many details. I’m trying to figure out why you’re happy these days, and nothing makes me happier than kissing my woman, ergo, I’m trying to figure you out.”
I roll my eyes because he can defend himself all he wants. “You are the biggest gossip on this farm. I know it, and you know it. And I’m not ready for all my employees to know my business. Ergo,” he chortles at my dig, “I’m happy because I had a good time. And no, I didn’t kiss her.”
“Well, why not? If you like her that much, you should have gone for it.”
I snort a laugh. “Because unlike some of us in this room”—I look around even though we both know we’re the only ones here—“I’m a gentleman. I like to take things slow and wait for the right moment. That’s not on a first date.”
“I did more than kiss Brittany on our first date,” he grumbles.
“I know. You told me. Way too many times and in way too much detail.” It still makes me cringe that he made her call him Daddy. There are some things a man doesn’t need to know about his best friend. “I get it. You ended up marrying the girl because you fell hard for her. But that doesn’t mean I’m you. I like to take things slower. Her life is busy. My life is busy. This isn’t going to be love at first sight where we end up walking down the aisle in a Vegas quickie wedding.”
“You loved that I had a quickie Vegas wedding,” he retorts.
“Only because we got to play real poker for your bachelor party, and I didn’t get dragged to the Felicia Does Flinton strip club down the way,” I retort, making him laugh.
“I’m saving that for the next bachelor party I’m in charge of coordinating. I’m hoping it’s yours. I know how much you loved getting a lap dance from Marsha Harris last time.”
I groan. “I still don’t know how the most popular girl in high school ended up there. I’m truly wounded that all my high school fantasies were obliterated that night, and I blame you for it.”
He belly-laughs at the memory of my grimace when she stumbled over to me, after clearly one too many shots, and trying very hard to give me a sexy dance, probably hoping for a big tip. But the fantasy wasn’t working, what with lipstick smudged on her teeth, hair that may not have been brushed in a few days, and her husband standing off to the side making sure I didn’t touch. It was possibly the weirdest moment of my life.
“Enough of those traumatic memories.” He tosses his supplies to the side and leans against the stall. “Are you going to take her out again or what?”
Slapping my horse on the hind quarters, I walk back to the supply table, putting everything away. I can hear all the farmhands hooting and hollering as they make their way from the milking parlor to the main house. That must mean Brittany is making an appearance with the promise of food.
“I hope so,” I say honestly. “I know it’s hard for her to find a babysitter for Oli so we’re just taking it one day at a time.”
“Well, don’t take it too slow. It’s long past time for you to get back in that proverbial saddle again, if you know what I mean.” He makes a lewd gesture with his hips, and I have half a mind to punch him in the junk.
“I really hope you are eluding to things that are none of your business.”
“Of course, I am. It’s been a while. You need to get laid.”
I turn to gape at him, crossing my arms. “How do you know when I got laid last?”
“Easy. It’s the last time you whistled while you worked. That was what, five years ago?”
Rubbing my hand down my face, I question, not for the first time, how this obnoxious man became my best friend. “You can leave well enough alone there. Do you know how creepy it is that you’re keeping tabs on my sex life?”
“It’s not creepy. It’s me looking out for you—”
Before he can finish his sentence, we hear a weird sound coming from one of the pens and both stop what we’re doing. It sounds like one of our animals is either freaking out or in pain.
“What the…?” Pedro quickly heads for the door. When he makes it outside before me, he starts running. That’s when I know something is terribly wrong, so I pick up my pace.
“What the hell?” As soon as I hit the door and see all the commotion, I take off running. Oli, despite repeated warnings and thinking I finally got through to him, broke into one of the pens. And not one with any of our mild-mannered animals. Oh no. He broke into the pen holding that damn wild mare Pedro’s been trying to break.
Clearly, he’s too close because she’s freaking out and Oli obviously doesn’t know what to do nor does he recognize how much danger he’s in.
“Oliver! Get away from that horse!” Pedro screams and jumps the fence faster than I’ve ever seen before. He immediately goes after the horse to try and calm her, and I’m right behind him, grabbing Oli and shoving him out of the way.
“Get out of the way, Oliver! Go!”
“I just wanted to pet her,” Oli says defiantly.
“I don’t care! Get out of here!”
Several of the guys recognize the predicament we’re in and run up, climbing through to help Pedro which only spooks the mare more.
“Everybody get back!” he yells, trying to approach her slowly to calm her so we can get everyone to safety. But she’s not having any of it. She’s bucking and stomping, shaking her head back and forth in agitation. He’s taking it slowly.
But in an instant, the entire scene changes. Something blows by her feet and, as if in slow motion, I watch in horror as she rears up and kicks him right in the chest. It happens so fast, he doesn’t have time to react. He goes flying and lands on his back with a thud.
“Pedro!”
I vaguely register Brittany screaming in the background, too busy scrambling to get to my friend and help him. I can’t lose him. He’s been part of my life for too long. Brittany can’t lose him. His unborn baby can’t lose him.
Trying not to panic, I shout, “Call 911!” Then, I turn back to him, looking for any trace of blood. “It’s okay, buddy. You’re gonna be fine. We called an ambulance. Someone get this horse outta here!” I yell, hoping we’re not still in harm’s way.
As I continue to talk quietly to Pedro, one of the other guys holds Brittany back from her husband before it’s safe. Someone else grabs Oli and manhandles him out the gate.
Finally… finally after kicking down part of the fence, the mare takes off running to the grazing field, but I don’t care. We can get her back later. Right now, my only priority is making sure Pedro is okay.