Chapter 2
Chapter Two
“ S he’s the one,” Abe said, motioning to the young black and tan mare trotting circles in the small corral.
Max stood beside him with his arms crossed as he studied the horse with a skeptical look on his face. “You sure? She looks a little green.”
Abe let out a low chuckle. “That’s the point.
She’s young, but she’s got good spunk. Good muscle tone.
” He narrowed his eyes and watched the horse trot around the coral.
“She’s a diva. Look at her demanding everyone’s attention.
” He chuckled. “Give me a few weeks with her, and she’ll be one of the best damn cutting horses in your barn. ”
Max exhaled through his nose, clearly still debating.
Abe didn’t blame him. Horses weren’t cheap, and Max had already dropped a fortune on remodeling his new place.
Including the massive barn that would house several horses, the first of which his friend planned on buying today.
Thankfully, Abe knew what he was looking for.
And this mare? She had the makings of a champion, even if she was up for auction for apparently being too wild.
The pair of them stood at the rail, watching as the auctioneer rattled off numbers in rapid succession. The mare tossed her head, ears twitching, as the crowd murmured around her. She was alert but not nervous, her hooves moving with a natural grace that made Abe nod again in approval.
“She’s got good instincts,” Abe added. “See the way she’s watching everything? She’s not just standing there, she’s reading the pen. That’s a horse that’s got smarts.”
Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, alright. I’ll bid.” He lifted his auction paddle just as the price jumped.
Abe smirked. “Told you.”
Max shot him a look. “If she throws me, I’m blaming you.”
Abe chuckled again but didn’t respond. When Max had the winning bid, his friend slapped him on the shoulder in celebration.
Then Abe focused on the next horse stepping into the ring, a tall, muscular buckskin gelding with a dark mane and intelligent eyes. The kind of horse that knew his own worth. He’d checked out both of the horses before the bidding started and had earmarked them for Max.
Actually, if he could, he’d purchase the gelding for himself. But he wasn’t there to buy.
“Put a bid on him too,” Abe said, nudging Max’s arm.
Max groaned. “Another one?”
“You need a solid horse for yourself, don’t you?” Abe shrugged. “That one’s got strength. He’ll be good for riding around that massive property you have. Plus, he won’t spook easy.”
Max hesitated, but when the bidding started, he raised his paddle again. The numbers climbed quickly, and Abe could see the internal struggle written all over Max’s face.
Finally, with one last bid, the gavel slammed down. Sold.
Max exhaled. “Well, I guess I’m officially broke and own two horses.”
Abe clapped a hand on his shoulder, grinning. “Nah, you just made two damn good investments.”
Max shook his head, but there was amusement in his eyes. “If I go under, I’m making you dig me out.”
“All you have to do is make another hit movie,” Abe joked. Max laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.
They turned back to the corral as the next horse was led in, but Abe’s attention drifted. Maybe it was just the auction buzz. Or maybe it was something else entirely.
He glanced around. The itch between his shoulder blades was back, the odd feeling of being watched. It was one of the reasons he’d needed the break and had promised to help Max out over the summer. One of the reasons at any rate. Avoiding questions was another.
He felt his jaw tense and had to force himself to relax as he and Max made their way up to the office to pay for the horses.
The auction office was small and smelled like old leather and coffee that had been sitting on the burner too long. Max handed over his check while Abe stood near the door, arms crossed, scanning the crowd outside through the glass window. The itch between his shoulder blades hadn’t gone away.
“You alright?” Max asked as he signed the last of the paperwork.
Abe forced a smirk. “Yeah. Just not used to standing in one place for too long.”
Max gave him a knowing look but didn’t press. Instead, he tucked the receipt into his back pocket and pushed open the door. “C’mon, let’s wait by the trailer. They should be bringing the horses out soon.”
The sun was high, baking the dusty lot as they made their way to Max’s truck and his new horse trailer, which were parked near the loading area. The low hum of conversations and the occasional call from the auctioneer still filled the air behind them, but out here, it was a lot quieter.
Abe leaned against the side of the truck, tugging the brim of his ball cap lower.
Maybe he was being paranoid. He hadn’t seen any cameras, no press lurking around, no obvious signs that anyone had followed him here.
But he knew better than to let his guard down.
Fame had a way of making a man feel like a fish in a damn glass bowl.
“Excuse me…”
Abe turned just as two young women, barely out of their teens, approached with shy smiles and wide, eager eyes. One clutched her phone, the other tugged at the hem of her tank top.
Oh, hell.
“You’re Abe Collins, right?” the braver of the two asked, her cheeks already pink with excitement.
Max let out a quiet snort beside him, clearly enjoying this way too much. Abe shot him a glare before offering the girls a polite nod. “Yeah, that’s me.”
The girl with the phone practically bounced on her heels. “We thought it was you! My sister and I are huge fans. We saw you play in Portland last year. It was amazing.”
Abe scratched at the back of his neck. “Appreciate that. Glad you enjoyed the show.”
The second girl, the quieter one, spoke up. “Are you playing at the county fair this weekend?”
Abe shook his head. “Nah, not this year. Just here helping out a friend.”
Both girls glanced over at Max, and Abe watched one of their jaws drop.
“You’re Max Wilson!” Her smile grew. “Gosh, both of you here together. Could you both sign something for us?” The first girl lifted the hem of her white tank top, revealing a smooth stretch of skin above the waistband of her jeans. “We don’t have anything else.”
Max coughed, barely holding back a laugh.
“Yeah, alright.” Abe shot him another glare.
He took their pen and signed their skin, careful to keep it above the fabric line so he wouldn’t get accused of anything later. Max followed, choosing to sign his name on their sleeves instead.
“Thank you so much!” The girl beamed at him before turning to her sister. “Can we get a picture?” She waved her phone.
“Sure,” he said and they both stood looking into her phone while she snapped a few photos of the four of them.
“I told you it was him!” He heard one say to the other as they giggled and hurried back off towards the auction barn.
Abe exhaled and rubbed a hand over his face. “Well, that was fun.”
Max chuckled, opening the truck door to grab a water bottle. “Yeah. I found it highly entertaining. I always love being recognized.”
Abe shot him a look as his friend dropped off.
“Right,” he growled and lowered his hat some more in hopes that no one else would recognize him.
It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to this. He’d been dealing with fans for years now. But he had come here to lay low, not sign autographs in the middle of a damn horse auction.
Before Max could tease him further, a ranch hand leading two haltered horses emerged from the barn.
“There they are,” Max said, stepping forward as the mare and gelding were brought over. The mare’s ears twitched as she took in her new surroundings, while the buckskin gelding stood solid, steady as a rock. Yeah, he instantly knew he could fall for that horse.
Abe forced himself to shake off the lingering discomfort from the attention and focused on the horses instead.
At least with them, there were no expectations. No crowds. No cameras.
Just the familiar, steady rhythm of something real.
And right now, that was exactly what he needed. In the two days since he’d arrived in the small town, he’d gotten plenty of peace and quiet.
Shortly after unloading the horses in their new state-of-the-art stalls, complete with heated flooring and cameras, they headed down to the beach.
The timing for Max and Juliette’s wedding had been perfect for him. He’d needed to get away from the city and all the new rumors. He’d arrived a few days early to help Max pick a few horses to fill his newly renovated barn.
Max had not only invited him to his wedding as best man but had suggested that he stay and watch over his property while Max and his new bride, Juliette, went on their honeymoon.
He was pretty sure Max was taking pity on him after he found out some of the hell he’d been going through in the last few weeks.
They’d planned a small gathering that evening at a bonfire, or at least Max had said it would be small. Currently, there were more than a hundred townspeople gathered around two massive bonfires.
Abe stepped off the last stair and onto the beach and took in the sight before him.
What was supposed to be a small get-together looked more like a full-blown festival.
Two massive bonfires roared in the center of the beach between the water’s edge and the tall grass.
Flames licked at the night sky, shooting embers into the darkness.
People milled about in clusters, some gathered near coolers packed with beer, others dancing to the twang of a guitar being played by someone near the fire.
The low thump of music mixed with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
“Small gathering, huh?” Abe muttered, shooting a look at Max.
Max just grinned and clapped him on the back. “Welcome to Pride. When we celebrate, the whole town comes out.”
Juliette appeared out of the crowd, barefoot, her white sundress flowing around her legs as she rushed into Max’s arms. Abe stepped back, giving them a moment. They looked good together, he had to admit. Genuine. Happy.
Which meant he was officially the odd man out.
He’d liked Juliette from the moment he’d met her a few months back, when they had come to California for a movie premiere.
He grabbed a beer from a nearby cooler, took a long sip, and wandered towards one of the fires.
He was halfway through his drink when he noticed her.
She stood a little apart from the crowd, leaning against a driftwood log, arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing cut-off shorts and a faded band T-shirt and looked better than anything he’d seen in years.
The firelight cast a warm glow over her tanned skin, highlighting the sharp cut of her cheekbones and the loose waves of long hair that framed her face. There was something effortless about the way she held herself, like she belonged here but didn’t feel the need to prove it.
Their eyes met, and for a brief second he expected recognition to flash on her face, like it usually did when people saw him. Maybe a flash of excitement. A whisper to a friend. The usual reaction when someone realized who he was.
But she just held his gaze, cool and uninterested, before looking away like he was just some guy at a party.
Well, damn. That was new.
Curious now, he watched her for a few more moments. She didn’t appear to be with anyone. No one really stopped and talked to her or included her in their group conversations.
Almost five minutes later, he finally manned up and wandered over to her.
“You don’t look like you’re having much fun,” he said, leaning on the log next to her.
She didn’t glance over at him, instead she kept looking down into a drink. “Neither do you.”
“Touché.” His lips twitched.
There was a long pause before she finally looked at him, one of her dark brows lifting slightly. “So, are you a friend of the bride or groom?”
“Groom.” He took another sip of his beer. “You?”
She shrugged. “Small towns. Everyone knows everyone.”
“Right.” He glanced around and then back when he noticed she was watching him.
“I’m Abe.”
“Dylan.”
She didn’t offer a last name. Didn’t gush about his music. Didn’t even give him one of those lingering stares like most women did. Instead, she took a slow sip of whatever was in her cup and turned her attention back to the fire. Maybe she really didn’t know who he was?
Lucky.
Abe studied her, intrigued despite himself. “So, you’re from here?”
“Born and raised,” she said a little dryly.
“You don’t seem too interested in the town-wide party.”
She let out a short laugh, finally turning her body towards him. “Let me guess. You think bonfire parties are all small towns do for fun?”
“Well… aren’t they?”
That earned him a smirk. “We do other things too. We fish. Ride horses. Get in bar fights. Occasionally tip a cow or two.”
“Seriously? That’s a real thing?” Abe chuckled when she smirked. “Sounds like a wild time.”
“We get by.”
Silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
If anything, it was oddly easy. Abe couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a conversation with someone who didn’t expect anything from him.
Who didn’t try to impress him or make him feel like he owed them something just because of who he was.
Dylan took another sip of her drink, then gave him a once-over, finally showing the first sign of interest. “So, what’s your story? Are you new in town, or just passing through?”
He could have given her the usual answer. The one he gave in interviews about how he was taking some time off, how he needed a break from the road, how he was looking for a little peace and quiet.
But for some reason, he just said, “A friend asked me to be his best man. He needed some help with horses, and then asked me to watch his place as he heads off on his honeymoon.”
Dylan nodded like that made perfect sense. Then she smirked and motioned to the growing crowd. “Well, just a heads-up. If you’re looking for peace and quiet, you came to the wrong place.”
Abe laughed, tipping his beer in her direction. “Noted.”
And for the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel like the famous Abe Collins. Just a guy at a bonfire, flirting with a girl who didn’t seem to care too much who he was.
And damn if that wasn’t a nice change.
Then Max tapped on his shoulder and handed him a guitar.
“Time to earn your room and board.” He nodded as he realized everyone around them was watching and waiting on him.
Well, damn. When he started singing, he glanced over at Dylan and was thankful she didn’t seem all that surprised at how good he was.