by Elena Aitken
No.
There was no way she could do any of that. Ever.
It would just have to be her shameful secret because carrying that around with her would be easier than admitting to her friends what she’d done. They’d never look at her the same way again.
Once Christy got the baby calmed down and the conversation shifted safely away from her, she was finally able to take a breath.
Christy and Cam were chatting away about Cam taking baby pictures for little Mya, and Drew had drifted back into her own world where Amber saw her go time and time again. She’d get quiet, and stare out into nothingness. It was heartbreaking to watch her friend go through the grieving process, but Amber wasn’t going to push her too hard. Coming out to the park with the ladies on a Saturday was a good first step.
“Drew?” Her friend blinked and looked up to her. “Are you okay to take Austin home? I need to go check on something.”
“For sure.” Drew nodded and rubbed her hands together. “I was going to stop by my parents’ place anyway. Mom said she made some pies or something. Where are you going?”
Amber shrugged. Ever since hearing that her dad was spending time at a ranch with horses doing some kind of therapy, alarm bells had been going off in her head. The run-in with Logan Myers in the grocery store certainly hadn’t helped either. He’d been so rude to her and then he’d stormed off before she even had a chance to challenge him on it.
Even so, she wasn’t going to worry about Logan. Not when she had other things to take care of. Like her father. Maybe there was nothing sketchy going on with the ranch, but she’d seen similar situations in San Francisco and sadly, it was all too common for people to take advantage of the elderly. She was definitely not going to let that happen to her dad.
“I was just going to take a drive out to Blackstar,” she finally answered.
“The ranch?” Christy turned, suddenly paying attention. “Looking for your very own cowboy?” She wiggled her eyebrows and to her horror, Amber blushed, which was something she never did. “You are looking for a cowboy?”
It was no secret that some of Amber’s favorite tropes in her romance novels that she loved to devour were cowboys and firefighters, but she’d never actually dated one. She’d never actually dated anyone, unless you counted the occasional, super-brief relationships she’d had.
“I’m not looking for a cowboy.”
“Then why did you blush?” Drew winked.
The truth was, she’d blushed because the instant Christy teased her, Amber’s thoughts had gone to Logan and the way he’d made her feel in only a few short minutes in the grocery store. Of course, that was after he’d seen her almost have a full-fledged panic attack and before he’d become a total asshole defending the horse thing. But still, even if it was only for a few minutes, Amber had actually thought he was flirting with her. And more than that, she’d liked it.
“I don’t know,” she lied. “And I’m going to the ranch to check out something that my dad said he’s been doing. I want to make sure it’s not all bullshit and they’re not trying to con him out of all his money. I’m sure it’s nothing, but I can’t help but check it out.” She dusted her hands together and stuck them on her hips. “So I’ll talk to you all later, okay?”
“Sounds good,” Cam said. “And hey, I was hoping we could get a group together and go listen to Christy sing next weekend at the Log and Jam. I’ll text you the details, okay?”
Amber nodded. She’d love to hear Christy sing. She didn’t know how the woman still found the time to be in a band while taking care of a newborn, but she couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Perfect,” she said as she started to walk away. “I’ll see you at home, Drew.”
A few minutes later, she was in her car, driving through town to the highway that would lead out to Blackstar Ranch. Even as she drove, she couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling that had crept over her. Usually being with her friends grounded her, calmed her. Being home in Timber Creek had always been a way for her to relax and center herself.
But it hadn’t worked this time. At least not yet. Maybe she needed to settle in a bit more. Or maybe it was time for a new approach at life. After all, she’d always said, if you’re not getting the results you want in life, try something new. The only problem was, Amber still didn’t know what results she was looking for.
Chapter Five
By the time Logan had finished touring the ranch and the handful of horses he was using for therapy with Brent Baker, the psychologist from town he’d finally been able to convince to come out and see what he could offer, he was bursting with excitement. To his surprise, Brent had done his research before their meeting and asked all the right questions. He’d spent some time with Chester, Logan’s other horse, in the ring and Logan was so confident that it was going well, he’d left Brent and Chester alone to talk.
He was dying to ask Brent what he thought about forming a partnership, but Logan forced himself to play it cool. Instead, when they arrived back to the parking lot, and Brent's SUV, he shook the man’s hand. “Do you have any other questions I can answer for you before you leave? Or is there anything else you need to see?” The unasked question hung between them: Do you think it will be a good addition to your practice?
“I’m very impressed, Logan.” Brent smiled and looked around again. “I’ve been out to Blackstar Ranch a time or two over the years, mostly on school trips if I’m being honest with you, but you’ve really done something here with these horses and Taking the Reins.”
Logan straightened back his shoulders with pride. He’d worked hard to create a space that would be perfect for therapy of all kinds. “Thank you, Brent. I really believe in what we can do out here. Horses are powerful creatures and I’m sure you have some patients who could really benefit from this type of work.”
Brent nodded thoughtfully. “I think you might be right.”
Logan had to work hard to maintain a professional demeanor when all he really wanted to do was let out a whoop.
“I’ve really looked into it, and there definitely are some naysayers out there,” Brent said. “And I’m sure in a town like Timber Creek, we’ll have our fair share.”
Logan’s thoughts flashed to the run-in he’d had earlier in the week with Amber Monroe. She was certainly a naysayer and that was putting it mildly. It was too bad, too, because despite all the reasons he shouldn’t have been, he’d been attracted to her striking good looks and cool confidence. But it had been the moment he’d found her vulnerable in the grocery store that really had attracted him to her. As confident and in control as she was, something lurked under the surface that softened her somehow.
It was too bad she turned out to be so damn annoying and confrontational. And that’s probably the reason Logan couldn’t seem to get her out of his head.
He shook his head and refocused because Brent was still talking and he could not afford to get distracted. Particularly by a woman who was clearly so against what he was trying to do.
“Let me go back to the office,” Brent was saying. “I have a few patients I think could really benefit from this type of therapy. I’ll reach out to them, and then touch base with you. They’ll have to be okay with you acting as a facilitator…”
“Sure. But it’s really the horse doing the work. I’d just be there on the sidelines.”
Brent nodded and offered him another smile. “I think we might just—”
His voice was lost by the roaring of a vehicle coming up the road and sliding into the parking lot in a whirl of dust and gravel.
“What the—”
Logan turned to glare at the driver of the shiny black SUV who displayed such poor manners driving into the yard so rudely. But before he could say anything, the dust settled and he got a clear look at the driver.
Amber Monroe.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.
“Pardon?”
Logan shook his head and turned quickly back to Brent. “It’
s nothing.” He started to walk toward the door of Brent’s vehicle and hoped he wasn’t coming off as rude. But he needed to get the man out of there before he met one of Timber Creeks’ biggest naysayers of equine therapy. Because he had no doubt that if Amber started spouting off the way she had the other day, it would not be a good thing for their tentative partnership. “How about you give me a call later once you have some potential clients lined up and we’ll work out a schedule?”
If Brent thought he was being rushed out of there, he didn’t show it. He shook Logan’s hand once more, got into his vehicle and drove out of the yard.
Logan didn’t even wait for Amber to get out of the car before he turned and walked back toward the barn in an effort to ignore her. He didn’t know why she was there, but it couldn’t be good. And if she was looking for a confrontation, he sure as hell wasn’t going to have it right there in the parking lot.
“Hey!” He heard her voice behind her and kept walking. He’d almost reached the fence where Peanut and Chester were grazing on the other side, when he heard her voice again. “Hey! I’m talking to you.”
There wasn’t much help for it. With a sigh, he turned around, leaned his arms back against the fence, and faced Amber Monroe.
Amber had used the short drive to Blackstar Ranch to get herself fired up once again at the idea that her dad was being swindled out of his retirement funds. Her resolve to confront the person in charge of the operation fluttered momentarily when she’d seen the back side of a cowboy walking away and toward the barn. She hated to admit it, but she’d always had a soft spot for cowboys. At least the romance novel, fantasy version of them.
When she lost herself between the pages of her beloved books, her heroes of choice were either cowboys or firefighters, because it just didn’t get sexier than that. Of course, it had always been fantasy, but there was nothing wrong with that. Not really.
She was sure the man had seen her pull into the parking lot. How could he not have? But he’d turned and walked away before she could even get her car into park and open the door. Irritation flared through her. If this was indicative of everything else at Blackstar Ranch, her instincts had been spot-on.
“Hey!” she called out to the cowboy, but if he heard her, he didn’t even slow down.
With a groan in frustration, Amber gritted her teeth and started off after him. It was a good thing it was Saturday and she’d opted for jeans, a blouse, and boots instead of her usual attire because even though her clothes were far from ideal for a ranch setting, at least she wouldn’t sprain her ankle trying to get some answers.
“Hey!” she called again. “I’m talking to you.”
This time she saw him pause; his broad back stiffened at the sound of her voice. Amber tried desperately not to notice the way the man’s jeans hugged him, or the way his plaid shirt strained across his defined shoulders. She shook her head in an effort to clear it. What was wrong with her? She’d never before allowed herself to be distracted when she was on a case. And that’s how she needed to look at this situation. Just another case she needed to win.
But when the man finally turned around, that thought went right out the window as her breath caught in her throat.
“Logan?”
Annoyingly, Amber was aware that her voice had squeaked and his name had sounded strangled and twisted.
She cleared her throat and tried again. “Logan Myers?”
He nodded and tipped his hat. “Afternoon, Amber.”
Dammit if she didn’t want to swoon, just a little bit. How had she not known Logan was a cowboy?
No. He wasn’t a cowboy. He was arrogant, and rude Little Logan Myers who had confronted her in the grocery store earlier that week. There was no way she should be feeling anything except annoyance.
Period.
And she wasn’t.
“What are you doing here?”
He winked and tipped his cowboy hat. “I run this hocus-pocus operation.”
“What…you…you what?” Amber tripped over her words and was instantly annoyed with herself for it. It was so much harder to concentrate than it used to be. She squeezed her eyes and gave herself a moment before looking at him and trying again. “You run this? The ranch?”
“No.” He shook his head. “The equine therapy program, Taking the Reins, that your father is volunteering and participating with. I lease the space from Ruby. At least for now.”
Amber worked quickly to process what she was hearing. The last thing she’d expected was to see Logan there. Naturally, she hadn’t known what to expect. But it most definitely was not Logan dressed like a cowboy who could have come straight off the cover of the novel she currently had stuffed under her pillow.
“Is there something I can help you with?”
Amber realized Logan had already asked her a question and instead of paying attention, she’d been standing there, letting herself think about him in a completely inappropriate way. She cleared her voice and tried to appear way more in control than she felt. “Yes. I came to see exactly what is going on here.” She straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. “I want to make sure my father isn’t being taken advantage of.”
Logan shook his head and didn’t bother to hide the grin as he did so. “I’d be happy to show you anything you’d like to see.”
Was he trying to flirt with her in an effort to distract her? She wouldn’t rise to the bait.
“Good.” She pressed her lips into a line and waited for him to say more. What was it about this man that threw her off-balance? He stared at her for a long moment, his lips twitching into a smile. But still he didn’t say anything. “Is now a good time?” she finally asked.
“Oh.” He pretended to be surprised and Amber’s annoyance grew stronger. “You wanted to check things out now?”
She tilted her head and glared at him.
“Okay, okay.” He laughed and waved his hand in a gesture for her to follow. “Let’s start in the barn.”
Logan couldn’t help it. Amber was way too easy to get worked up. She’d struck him as being the completely-in-control type and as much as she’d irritated him the other day with her judgments and assumptions, he couldn’t help but enjoy watching her get flustered.
Besides, she was cute when she was frustrated.
Not that he was paying attention to that.
She was also a giant pain in the ass who could make way too much trouble for him and his horses if she wanted to. And there was no way he was going to let that happen. Which was why he’d decided to play nice.
It might not have been the only reason, but it was the only one he’d admit to.
“Let’s start in the barn.”
“The barn?”
“It is a ranch, after all.” He nodded and once again had to stifle a smile. “We do keep the horses in the barns.”
He started walking in the direction of the open barn doors, knowing she’d follow. Sure enough, a moment later, she was next to him.
“I understand that horses are kept in barns, but that’s not what I want to see. I want to see this—”
“Hocus-pocus?” Logan stopped walking and stared at her. “That is what you called it, isn’t it?”
She had the decency to look embarrassed, but only for a minute. “Look.” She crossed her arms again. “I’m not going to apologize for the other day in the grocery store.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“Good.”
“But I am going to ask you to keep an open mind now that you’re here. You’re welcome to form all the opinions you want after I’ve shown you what I’m trying to do here. Deal?”
For a second, Logan thought she was going to argue again.
Instead, she nodded. “Deal.”
“Good. Now,” he said again. “Let’s start in the barns.”
He gave her an abbreviated version of the tour he’d just given Brent Baker, and just like before, Logan wound up leaning on the fence rails of the ring where Peanut and Chester were w
aiting. “These are the two horses I’m using right now,” he told Amber, who, had much to his surprise, listened with what seemed like an open mind throughout the tour. “I have a few more, but I don’t need them quite yet.”
“Okay.” She stared out over to the animals for a moment. “I still don’t understand. What do they do? I mean, what do you do with them?”
Logan beamed. “That’s the beauty of the entire program. The horses just are.”
“They are?”
He nodded. “You see, horses are incredibly in-tune animals and they can pick up on the feelings and emotions of humans. Even when the person themselves may not understand what they’re feeling. The horse picks up on it and reacts.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does.” He smiled. “For example, let’s say someone is struggling with anger about something they’ve gone through or are going through. The horse will sense that anger and might become difficult themselves, or obstinate. Through dealing with the animal, the client can recognize what’s going on within themselves. Their self-awareness actually grows and soon, they’re able to find strategies to communicate more effectively. When the animal responds the way they want it to, they know they’re on the right track.”
“That sounds…”
Logan held a hand up. “I know…it sounds kind of crazy at first. But it really is one of those things. You need to experience it to really believe it.”
Amber turned away from the horses and looked at him. “Did you experience it?”
The question was so blunt and straightforward, it took him off guard. “Excuse me?”
“Did you experience it? This magic with the horses? Is that how you got involved with it?”
He could have lied. He could have said that he’d read about it, or heard about it from a friend who’d tried it. But the question was so honest and nonjudgmental that he decided to answer it honestly. “I did.” He nodded slowly. “A few years ago, I was in a very different place and I don’t think it’s too much to say that the horses saved my life.”