Page 9 of Take Me Home

“Was that a yes, or a no?” I ask. Getting this broody man to speak is a chore.

He doesn’t respond.

“I didn’t catch your name.” I turn my body to face him better and muster up one of my best smiles. The smile that always wins over the judges at my shows.

His eyes flick towards me for the briefest of seconds. “Lincoln,” is all he says.

Just a one-word answer. No last name, no ‘but my friends call me Grumpy Lincoln.’ Nothing.

Lincoln moves one hand to turn the radio on. Classic country music plays softly, breaking up the silence. I take a deep breath and turn toward the window again.

“Have you eaten?” he asks, his deep voice surprising me. “Hank doesn’t stock the guest house with food.”

“Oh,” I say. “I haven’t. Is there something in town I can grab?” I remember seeing something about a small town near the ranch, Honey Badger Creek.

Lincoln sniffs. “You won’t find any five-star restaurants in Honey Badger Creek. We have a market, a bar, a café, a medical clinic, an antique shop, and a hardware store that mostly sells supplies for horses.”

I grit my teeth. I said nothing about a five-star restaurant. “A market is fine; I can just pick up some necessities.”

His gaze goes to the dash of the truck where the clock reads six in the evening. He worries his brow, then puts a hand in his coat pocket and pulls out his phone. Keeping the wheel perfectly straight, he makes a call and presses the phone to his ear.

A woman’s voice oozes from the other end. “Hi Linc, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hey Lanie,” he drawls, his voice sounding charming for the first time. “Was wondering if you could keep the store open a bit late? I need to stop in, but don’t get into town for another hour.”

She sighs. “You know I’d do anything for you, Handsome.”

I roll my eyes. But I supposed I should appreciate this since it means I’ll have something to eat tonight.

He ends the call without saying goodbye and sticks the phone back in his pocket.

“Thank you…Handsome,” I tell him, muttering the endearment she used under my breath.

His jaw tics.

I turn back toward the window, shifting in my seat to get more comfortable. The truck is old, and the cushion is so hard it’s making my hips ache.

“Sorry Hank didn’t send the limo.”

I whip my head back toward him. “Do you have a problem with me or something? I traveled here from California hoping to purchase a thoroughbred. Excuse me for anticipating a clean vehicle for pickup.” I cross my arms, feeling defensive. “And a polite driver.”

Lincoln shakes his head. “They don’t have horse breeders in California?”

“I already have an Olympic champion bred by Whispering Pines Ranch. She has outperformed any mare I’ve had before her. So why would I get a horse anywhere else?”

“Ahh,” he says. “Pony club.”

I blow out a deep breath. “Do you hate horses? Or women? Or both?”

He smirks. At least I think he does. It’s mostly covered by his beard. “I love horses and women.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” I run my tongue along my front teeth, holding back an even snarkier retort. “I have a headache; I’m going to rest.”

Hopefully Sunshine will go back to silently brooding. He was much more tolerable that way.

I lean my head back until it rests on the headrest and close my eyes.

The slamming of a door startles me awake an hour later. I can’t believe I actually fell asleep. But I’ve barely slept over the last week, so I suppose the exhaustion finally caught up to me. I look around to see the sky is fully dark now, and we’re parked in front of a small market.