At least there were signs of his occupancy. As well as the fact that he didn’t put his clothes away any better than she did.
She was still smiling when she went back downstairs.
He’d cleared the table. “Honey, I did the dishes.”
She laughed. “What a hero.”
“I try.” His eyes crinkled. “What do you want to do now?”
Muss up your neatly made bed?
The words only sounded inside her head, though. “Show me the horses?”
He smiled slowly. “As much as I appreciate the outfit, you’re not exactly dressed for riding.”
“That’s okay. I don’t know how to ride, anyway.”
He pressed his palm to his chest. “You’re killing me. You’re in Texas, sweetheart. That’s something we’ll have to rectify as soon as possible.”
Any reason to spend time with him was okay with her. “That doesn’t mean we can’t go look at them now, does it?”
In answer, he took her hand in his and he led her back outside where it was even more hot and humid thanks to the clouds that had rolled in. They crossed the short bridge that arched over the stream and ducked between the rails of the white fence to cross the pasture toward the three light brown horses standing still on the far side of the field. They would have looked identical if not for the white markings on their faces.
Jay gave a soft whistle and the one with the smallest mark flicked its dark tail jauntily and trotted toward them, not stopping until it butted his head against Jay’s upraised palm. “This is Loretta. Looking good for a thirty-year-old lady.”
“Thirty!”
“Year older ’n me. I learned to ride on her. Almost before I could walk.” He tugged Arabella closer and guided her fingers to the white mark. “She likes her star rubbed. Right there.”
Arabella rubbed her fingertips against the smooth white hair and Loretta’s liquid brown eyes turned in her direction. She felt strangely moved knowing that the old horse had borne a small, young Jay on her back. “I didn’t realize horses lived so long.”
“Some do.” Jay ran his hand down the horse’s gleaming shoulder. “She’s pampered and healthy. Hopefully she’s got a lot more years left in her.”
As if in answer, Loretta butted her nose against his shoulder.
He laughed and stuck his hand in the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a peppermint. He barely managed to unwrap it before the horse nipped it out of his fingers.
By then, the other two horses had plodded forward, too. “Waylon,” Jay said as he pointed out the one with a long narrow stripe down his nose, “and Willie.” He dropped another candy in Arabella’s hand. “Unwrap it and hold it flat in your palm.”
She did as instructed and Willie’s velvety lips rubbed against her palm as he took the peppermint. She giggled and scrubbed her palm down her side. “Tickles.”
Jay chuckled. “Here.” He unwrapped the third peppermint and handed it to her. “Waylon isn’t quite as polite as Willie,” he warned.
She eagerly presented her palm with the candy in the center and Waylon butted against Willie to get to it, and left a slobbery smear behind once he did.
“Definitely not as polite.” Arabella wrinkled her nose, laughing. “Your grandmother must really like country music. Considering their names, I mean.”
Jay pulled out his shirttail and wiped her hand dry. “She’s more of a Sinatra fan. My grandfather was the one who named them. They got Willie and Waylon as foals not long before he died.” He patted his empty pocket for the benefit of the horses. “All gone, my friends.”
Waylon and Willie bobbed their heads and plodded away.
Loretta remained, though, seeming content with the brush of Jay’s hand on her back.
Arabella slowly stroked the horse’s back, her hand following Jay’s. “It’s no wonder your grandmother doesn’t want to give them up.”
“She never will as long as I have something to say about it.”
Her heart squeezed. “You’re a good grandson.”
His lips twisted slightly. “Not as good as I should have been.” He looked over her head toward the barn but Arabella had the sense he was focused elsewhere.
She held her hand still on Loretta’s back, knowing his hand would bump into hers. “Why?”
She wasn’t sure he’d answer at first. But then his gaze shifted to her face. “I was so focused on my own life I couldn’t even make time to get back to celebrate holidays. Birthdays. Then when everything went to hell—” He glanced up when thunder rumbled softly overhead.
She slid her fingers through his, keeping his hand on Loretta’s back when he would have pulled away. “What went to hell?”
He frowned. “Arabella.”
She winced, wishing for Bella again. “Does it have to do with Detective Teas?”
“Teas?” He frowned even more and his lips thinned. “He thinks I had something to do with the balcony collapse at the hotel.”
It took a moment for his abrupt words to sink in. To make sense. “That’s ridiculous!”
“I know it is, but why do you think so?”
She turned toward him and settled her palms on his chest. Even through his shirt, she could feel the solid warmth of him. “Because I know you.”
He gathered her hands beneath his. His eyes searched hers with a sudden urgency that pulled at her. “What do you know?”
“I know you put your family first.”
He started to shake his head and she curled her fingertips into his chest. Even Loretta cooperated, conveniently shifting her considerable size behind him so that he couldn’t back away from Arabella. “Maybe you didn’t always, but you do now. And now is what I know. I know you’re a hard worker. You’re loyal to the hotel.” She took a step closer until their hands were caught between their bodies. “And
