Page 21 of Reins

His nose wrinkles over his thin, blond mustache. “It’s late.”

“Yea, I just want Petunia to stretch her legs a little.” I manage a weak smile, raising my brows to show how genuine I am.

The corner of his lip curls. “Fine. She’s leaving next week anyway.”

Then he slams the door shut in my face.

It might as well have been his fist into my belly, it feels the same. Fighting a sob, I grab my coat and rush outside.

Petunia stands patiently as I try to tack her up through blurry vision while the tears fall unchecked down my cheeks. When I wipe them away with my sleeve, the frigid air makes my skin sting.

Once we’re on the backside of the barn, I give in, slumping over her to cry into her alfalfa-scented mane.

“Maybe we should just run away?” Stroking the side of her neck, I let her set her own pace along the trail. “We can leave Eli and John to whatever fuckery they’re up to.”

She lets out a soft blow through her nostrils.

I guess that’s the closest thing to agreeing I’ll get out of her.

“No one would even care,” I exhale. “You’re the only thing who even appreciates that I exist.”

“What did they do?” A deep, growling voice comes from the trees behind me.

I sit up so fast I get light headed.

Petunia’s ears whip backwards, then she stops.

“Cade?” I stammer, twisting in the saddle. I can’t see him in the shadows.

Knowing he can see me makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“Tell me, Rosalyn. What did they do?” Cade asks again.

The sound helps me pinpoint a general clump of bushes I think he’s hiding behind.

My thoughts jumble until I land on the only thing concrete I know. “John’s going to send Petunia off next week to the sale barn.”

Rustling of branches betrays Cade’s spot before he emerges wearing a thick camouflage coat. “What?” He pulls his dark scarf down until I can see the scowl on his scarred features. “Why?”

“She got hurt.” I gesture down to the jagged scar on her leg. “She’s all I have.”

His brows drop. “What about that big fancy gelding you’ve been working all week?”

“He’s not the same.” I don’t know how else to explain it.

Cade’s arms cross as his frown deepens. “You sound spoiled. I thought you had something solid on your brothers.”

I wondered why he’s been lurking. “Wait, what do you mean? What did they do?”

Silence fills the distance between us as his eyes work over me. “I can’t be sure, that’s why I’m here.”

This time it’s my turn to stare at him.

Petunia slowly shifts under the pressure of my knee until I don’t have to strain to look.

“Did they—” I bite the inside of my cheek and grip the reins harder, steeling myself against a truth I somehow already know. “—hurt someone?”

His jaw tics under reddish whiskers that are longer than the last time I saw him.