by Holly Rayner
“Maybe it’s time we went to bed. We’ve likely been up too long as it is, what with the early mornings you’ve told me of.”
“Yes,” Anne-Marie said, though she tried her best not to sound reluctant.
They stood, and Kaled collected their glasses, taking them to the kitchen sink to be washed in the morning. Then he walked with her to their rooms and stopped at his door.
“Thank you for sharing that with me tonight. It explains a lot,” he said.
“Thank you for listening. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone to really talk to, other than my cat and the horses.”
“I’m happy to listen to anything you have to say while I’m here,” he said, his tone hushed.
A heavy pause followed his words, and Anne-Marie wondered once again if he was thinking as much about kissing her as she was him. When he made no move to that effect, she took a step toward her own room.
“Well, good night. I hope you sleep well.”
“And you. And thank you for the room.”
Anne-Marie was struck by how gracious he was, knowing the conditions she could provide were far beneath anything the man was used to.
“You’re welcome,” she said, finally walking the few steps to her own room and closing the door.
After she stepped inside, she heard Kaled close his own door and wondered if he had been watching her as she’d walked away. She considered heading back out, knocking on his door and just kissing him silly. When was the last time she had been kissed?
She supposed it had been earlier that morning, only it just so happened to have been bestowed by a horse.
In the darkness of her own room, a wave of exhaustion washed over her as the events of the day and the effects of the whiskey finally took hold. She pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a light T-shirt before brushing her teeth and falling face forward into her bed, not bothering with a blanket.
As she lay there, her mind refused to shut down, and she found herself thinking of nothing else but the man lying in a bed just a thin wall away. After a moment she tossed over onto her back, staring up into the dark. Even as her body screamed for rest, her brain refused to shut up. She replayed all of their conversations from the day, wondering if she was really getting through to him or if he was simply putting on an act to get her to concede.
She rolled onto her side, staring at the wall he was behind. Was he having a hard time sleeping, too? Was he thinking about her at all? Or was he checking his phone, answering emails, attending to business when he couldn’t during the day? Anne-Marie heaved a sigh and pressed a pillow to her face in an attempt to block out all her wayward thoughts.
She would regret this in the morning, she knew. She needed to be fresh if she was going to have to teach Kaled any skills he didn’t already somehow come equipped with. Was there anything the man couldn’t do?
NINE
Anne-Marie’s thoughts drifted aimlessly until suddenly she felt the light of day on her cheeks. She cracked open an eye and checked the time on her bedside table, realizing with a jolt that she had slept in. Shooting out of bed, she stood for a moment, scolding herself for her reckless behavior.
Pulling on an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt, she stepped into the hallway only to see Kaled’s door open. When she walked past his room, she found it empty. His suitcase was placed neatly in a corner, and there was no evidence of his clothing or presence elsewhere.
Anne-Marie stepped out into the kitchen, searching for her guest. The house was quiet and still as ever. After searching a few more rooms, she stepped out onto the porch and nearly laughed.
Kaled was standing out in the field, once again having a meeting with the horses. He was surrounded by five of them this time, and he petted each horse in turn as they nuzzled him for attention. She could hear his voice, though she couldn’t quite tell what he was saying to them. Whatever it was, they were clearly mesmerized. Anne-Marie stood and watched him, her heart melting with each passing minute, until she was interrupted by a very loud, very annoyed meow.
Kaled looked up at the farmhouse, then. Seeing her, he gave the horses one last pat before making his way over. Buckle the cat began making figure eights around her legs as he approached, and Anne-Marie laughed, gently stepping aside.
“All right, all right! I’ll feed you in a moment,” she said, looking up as Kaled approached.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her eyebrows crunched in concern. “I never sleep in, ever. I’m so embarrassed.”
Kaled’s smile was warm, and he seemed more relaxed and laid back than she had ever seen him.
“There’s no need to apologize. I imagine you haven’t had the opportunity to sleep in in a very long time. I’m happy to provide that for you.”
“Yes, well. It’s inexcusable, after you only had a day to get to know the horses and their morning care, to expect you to do that. It won’t happen again.”
Kaled walked up the steps and placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to really look up at him.
“Anne-Marie, it’s fine. I am perfectly capable of performing a task after I am trained, which you did so excellently yesterday. Allow yourself the chance to relax, just for a moment. Can you do that?”
Her eyes searched his as she considered her answer.
“I don’t honestly know,” she said softly.
Kaled placed his other hand on her shoulder, turning her toward the house.
“I do. There’s coffee in the kitchen. All you have to do is press the button and it will start to brew. I wanted it to be fresh for when you woke up.”
“You are beyond considerate,” she said, and he gently pressed her toward the house with a laugh.
“Hardly. Now get some caffeine. Then, when you’re awake, you can let me know what we plan on accomplishing first today.”
Anne-Marie turned back, ready to protest, but Kaled was already off on his way back to the horses. The cat meowed at her again, his annoyance growing.
“Come on, Buckle. Let’s get some breakfast.”
She fed the cat first, lest he lose his temper, before pulling out some eggs and bread. She was just about to turn on the stove when Kaled came in from the back with more herbs from the garden.
“I’ve had some ideas for breakfast, now that the horses are all settled.”
“Oh yeah? What were you thinking this time, Master Chef?”
Kaled grinned, setting the herbs down and taking a look at the ingredients she had already set out.
“Perfect. Let’s do this…” he said, taking the eggs and cracking them in a bowl with the herbs.
After a moment, Anne-Marie sat at the kitchen table, for the first time enjoying someone else cooking for her while she relaxed. It was an odd feeling, really. She was too used to being the responsible one. It was the first time in her adult life that she had allowed herself to relinquish control to another person, and yet she found herself feeling quite safe in Kaled’s capable hands.
He finished preparing the meal and set a full plate of food in front of her before taking the seat opposite. Buckle jumped up onto a third seat, staring at Kaled.
“And what is it you’re after this morning, good sir?” Kaled asked the cat.
Buckle continued to stare at him.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just a big brat. I only keep him around to take care of the mice.”
Buckle glanced over at Anne-Marie and then stared back at Kaled. Finally, Kaled scratched the animal’s head and chin, and he purred loudly. Once Kaled returned to eating his meal, Buckle, satisfied, hopped off the chair and headed straight to the front door, where he meowed until Anne-Marie quickly let him out.
“He likes you,” she said after swallowing a bite of egg. “I’ve never seen Buckle take to anyone quite so quickly.”
“We have an agreement,” Kaled said, his lips twitching.
“Oh yeah? And what is that? I’ve never known that cat to agree to anything.”
Kaled’s gaze was mischievous.
�
�That’s for us to know. It’s an agreement among men, you know.”
“I’ll find out. I always find a way.”
“You’ll have to do it through him. I’ll never tell.”
Anne-Marie smirked at him as she finished her last bite.
“This was delicious. Thank you. Your culinary skills once again exceed all expectation.”
“Thank you. I think that experiment worked out quite well. We’ll have to try something else at lunchtime.”
“I can’t wait,” she said happily.
They did the dishes together again, and Anne-Marie didn’t even bother dodging Kaled’s fingers when they brushed against hers, time and time again. It was almost as though he were doing it on purpose, but Anne-Marie told herself that was silly. They were washing dishes. It wasn’t exactly a candlelit dinner.
Once everything was clean and put away, Kaled picked up his Stetson from the sofa and plopped it back onto his head, tilting it in Anne-Marie’s direction.
“Ma’am,” he said, with a southern drawl.
Anne-Marie laughed. “I think you’re becoming a bit too accustomed to this lifestyle. Are you going to steal that hat when you leave?”
After she said it, she wished she hadn’t. It prompted them both to think about the fact that their situation was temporary, that their time together, working hard, enjoying one another’s company, would soon come to an end.
Kaled’s expression faltered before he grinned at her, removing the hat and looking at it.
“I don’t think so. I imagine this belonged to your father, so I’m extra grateful that you would lend it to me. Perhaps I’ll get one that fits my own head after all this is over.”
“Well, it certainly suits you,” she said.
Kaled’s expression was searching as he stared at her then, and she realized that the silence was dragging on. Clapping her hands together, she broke the spell. She had to protect herself against these feelings. She just had to.
After all, this time would come to an end, and the last thing Anne-Marie needed was a broken heart.
TEN
They spent the morning performing the mundane, menial tasks that Anne-Marie usually loathed, like mucking out the horses’ stalls and clearing brush out of the perimeter. Even as her back ached, Anne-Marie found her stomach aching even more from laughter, as Kaled told joke after joke to make the time pass quicker. She pressed her hand to her face as gales of silent laughter had her doubled over an old pitchfork.
“What? You know you were thinking it. I’m just brave enough to say it out loud,” Kaled said, leaning on his own pitchfork as he waited for her to pull herself together.
After several moments, Anne-Marie wiped a tear from her eye and took a breath. “You are never allowed to tell that joke again,” she said, glancing out at the horses as though they’d be offended by Kaled’s humor.
None of them batted an eyelash as they continued munching at the ground.
As Anne-Marie gazed out at the field, she saw Aloha suddenly collapse to the ground.
“Aloha!” she cried, dropping her tool as she ran toward the field.
In a heartbeat, Kaled was beside her, the two of them sprinting until they reached the horse. The creature’s eyes were wild as she rolled in discomfort, and Kaled soothed her while Anne-Marie inspected the situation. When she looked up at Kaled, there was concern in her eyes.
“She’s gone into labor,” she said, hardly breathing.
Kaled’s gaze was dark, his brows furrowed as he continued to stroke the horse’s head. “Do you know what to do?” he asked.
Anne-Marie nodded. “I’ve delivered a few foals in my time, though never by myself.”
“You aren’t by yourself,” he reminded her.
Anne-Marie stared at him for a moment. Delivering a foal with a novice assistant didn’t exactly count. Still, she wasn’t alone, and it would be much easier with Kaled’s help. He had been exceptional at everything he had tried on the ranch, and Anne-Marie could hardly believe what a natural he was. It was like he belonged there.
“You’re right,” she said. “I don’t suppose you have any experience with foaling, given your time sneaking off to the stables?”
Kaled shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I can learn though, and I can help. Just tell me what you need and we can help her through this together.”
Anne-Marie glanced around them. The other horses were starting to get nervous, stomping their feet as they glanced over at Aloha and the pair of humans on the ground. The first thing they needed to do was clear some space.
“I need to round the horses up and put them in the corral for the day. They’ll be perfectly fine in there, but we’ll need space. This shouldn’t take long.”
“Got it. Which part of that would you like to do?”
Anne-Marie watched as Aloha settled her head in his lap, finding comfort there. There was no way she was going to let Kaled leave her side.
“You stay right where you are. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Call out if she starts to struggle. She should know what to do.”
Anne-Marie stood and quickly rounded the other horses up. Sensing her urgency, they were quick to follow and less finicky than usual when being placed in slightly smaller confines. It took her all of ten minutes to get them settled before she rejoined Kaled and kneeled down to check on Aloha.
“Labor is definitely progressing,” Anne-Marie said.
She sat close to Kaled and began stroking Aloha’s mane, her shoulder pressing against his as she did so. Aloha breathed heavily as contractions passed through her body, though as time passed, there was still no sign of a foal.
“How long is this supposed to take, normally?” Kaled asked.
Anne-Marie shrugged. “Anywhere from fifteen minutes to two hours. A lot of people will be with the horse, go inside for a cup of coffee, and come out to a new baby foal.”
“That sounds convenient,” Kaled said.
“Horses can be pretty no-nonsense when they want to be.”
Aloha jerked as another contraction ripped through her, and Kaled and Anne-Marie both placed soothing hands on her head to comfort her.
“It’s all right, girl. You’re doing great,” Kaled said, stroking her brown neck as she writhed in an effort to birth her foal.
“Shh, it’s okay,” Anne-Marie said, allowing her hand to rest on the creature’s mane.
After a moment, a bright, wiggling mass popped onto the ground, and Kaled grabbed Anne-Marie’s hand, squeezing it.
“That looks like our baby,” he whispered.
Anne-Marie felt Aloha fighting to stand, and she gripped Kaled’s hand and pulled him up with her, the two of them stepping to the side as Aloha lumbered her way back to a standing position.
Anne-Marie stumbled slightly as they moved out of the way, and Kaled caught her, holding her gently in his arms to steady her. He didn’t let go as they watched Aloha turn and greet her new baby, a pure white little foal.
“That was so fast,” Kaled said, astounded.
He was holding her so close she could feel his breath along the back of her neck. It sent a chill of awareness along her spine, and she repressed a shiver even as she hesitated to release the muscular arm that was wrapped around her. Still, there was no reason for them to continue standing in that way, so she cleared her throat and stepped away as Kaled removed his arm, somewhat reluctantly, it seemed.
“Yes. If only human births were as convenient. Of course, they aren’t always this smooth. One sec,” she said, dashing up to the house.
She grabbed a towel from the linen closet and ran back out, the front door slamming behind her. Aloha was working to clean her baby off, and when she saw Anne-Marie approach with the towel, she gave her head a gentle nod.
Under Aloha’s watchful eye, Anne-Marie toweled off the little foal as it sat, bewildered, looking around at the bright new world around it. As she toweled, Anne-Marie glanced down to check the foal’s gender. When she looked up a Kaled, she was beaming.
“It’s a girl!” she exclaimed.
Kaled’s smile was warm as he joined her and placed a gentle hand on the foal’s back. “She’s just beautiful,” he said.
They sat in quiet contemplation as they watched the little horse open her dark eyes and stare around. They weren’t sitting for long before the little lady began wobbling her bony legs in her first attempt to stand, and Kaled and Anne-Marie stood and moved to the side to give her plenty of space.