8. Wild Horses
CHAPTER 8
Wild Horses
G arrett barely hung onto reality and the fact that if he lost his balance, not only would he look like a fool, but Kimi might get hurt in the tumble.
He finally slowed the kiss and eased his lips from hers. His body protested, but he hauled that under control.
He kept his hand in her hair and nipped little kisses at the corners of her lips, then her nose and cheeks. Finally, he pressed his lips to her forehead and kissed her there. “You are pure magic.”
Her laugh was throaty and went straight to his groin. As if that particular part of his anatomy needed any more help being attracted to this woman.
When his body was able to cooperate, he swung down from the fence and stood in front of Kimi with his hands on her thighs. He checked her eyes for regrets but found none. “I’m hoping we can do that again. Often.”
She placed her hands on his shoulders and grinned. “Me too.” Then she kissed him lightly, and he lifted her down and into a hug. Her body pressed into his in all the right places. Fewer layers of clothing would make it even better, but he wasn’t going there right after their first kiss.
Unwilling to screw it up, he forced himself to retrieve his hat and stuck it back on his head. Then he took her hand, and they strolled back toward the paddocks. The clouds covered the moon, but the yardlights provided plenty of light.
Kimi squeezed his hand and pointed. “Kitty’s closer to the barn. I think she’ll be inside within a week.”
Relief swamped him. “She’s been lonely.”
“Maybe you should get some goats of your own. Or some alpacas.”
He laughed. “Not sure I’m up for alpacas, but your goats sure do a lot of good for Onigis.”
Kimi nodded. “And every other animal that comes in. Even Snoops doesn’t try to bite Popcorn and her troop.”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“The sheep and Angora goats are good companion animals, too. And everyone likes Pretty and Awesome.”
He laughed. “Nina at work again?”
“Yep. Those are the peacock and peahen. They just wander and make friends with everyone.”
As they moved closer, he spotted the pit bull. The dog wasn’t sitting this time but laying down with his head on his paws. “Olaf at two o’clock.”
Kimi’s head swiveled, and she smiled. “He likes you. He’s never come this close to me. We should have grabbed some dog food back at my place.”
“Next time.”
That earned him a huge smile, and he had to kiss her again. When they broke off, the dog had lifted his head to watch them, still mostly hidden in the shadows. Garrett’s heart didn’t ache as much this time. Was he getting used to the dog, or was this more Kimi magic at work?
He kept his voice low. “Hey, Olaf. We’re heading into the barn. You’re welcome to join us. I might have something in my cooler you can eat.”
Instead of coming their way, the dog put his head down on his paws again. Kimi squeezed his hand, and they walked into the barn, leaving the door open in case Olaf followed.
Garrett had been storing the hay in the last couple of stalls, so they went that way and picked up a few more bales. They set them up in the aisle, close enough to the horses so they could hear them. They used the aisle wall as a headboard, and he spread a couple of horse blankets over the hay.
Grover seemed less antsy when they spoke, so they kept their voices normal as they went about bringing their bags and settling themselves onto the impromptu bed.
His body had all kinds of ideas about what they should do on that bed, but he wasn’t about to seduce Kimi in a barn with an open door. He wanted to take his time to explore her, and that wouldn’t happen here tonight.
Instead, he set out his cooler bag and pulled out water bottles, a container of cheese, and another of grapes. From the other bag, he grabbed crackers. “I’m going to have to head into town tomorrow and grab some food. I’m on the last bits of what I brought from Tennessee.”
Kimi smiled and opened her backpack. She brought out a container of homemade cookies and another, holding two cupcakes covered with sprinkles. “When I dropped off the puppy at the birthday party today, Rachel gave me these. I need to make a run to Phail Phoods soon too. One of these days, I’ll make a food run when I’m not looking at completely bare cupboards.”
He wanted to ask her if her middle-of-the-night missions were part of the reason, but he didn’t think she was ready to answer that yet. After her earlier reaction, he didn’t believe it was a regular vet call. He also didn’t think Kimi liked to lie. He wanted to gain her trust so that she would tell him.
Instead, he told her more about the ranch where he’d worked in Tennessee and about the horses he’d worked with. She told him stories about some of her calls, including a time she’d had to untangle a bull moose from a barbed wire fence.
“He was pissed off and in more than a bit of a panic. Moose figure they can solve most problems by charging them at full speed. He didn’t like being trapped. Took a couple of hours to get him free.”
“No injuries on your end?”
She shrugged. “A couple of bruises and plenty of scratches from the wire, but nothing worse that I get on a lot of my calls.”
“How did he react when you got him free? ”
“Didn’t even look at me. Just strode off into the bush with a cocky stride as if he’d never been stuck at all. Ungrateful beast.”
But she was laughing. She laughed often and easily, and Garrett found himself using facial muscles that hadn’t got much of a workout in years.
The horses didn’t need much looking after. They settled well into their new stalls. If things got too quiet, they became more nervous. “I think I’ll get a radio set up in here. They seem to be happier when we’re talking.”
Kimi agreed. “All signs point to them having a lot of happy years before whatever traumatized them. If they have no good memories associated with humans, it’s much more difficult to acclimate them.”
Which meant he could probably set up a radio now, and they could head to their respective beds for the remainder of the night.
But neither of them suggested it.
K imi woke up with her head on Garrett’s chest and his strong arms holding her close. They’d shared more than a few incredible kisses before falling asleep, but they hadn’t removed any clothing to take things to the next step.
Soon.
Kimi didn’t trust men easily. She’d never known her father. Her mom had disappeared when she was young, one of the countless missing and murdered indigenous women in the world. Kimi didn’t believe her mom had willingly left her. They’d had a good relationship, and her mom had been a good person. But Odina had finished her server shift one evening and had never been found. Kimi had moved in with her grandmother after that.
GG had been wonderful and had taught Kimi many of the mysteries of the natural world and how to care for animals in need. But she hadn’t been big on trust either.
Over the last few years, Kimi had seen so many of her friends fall in love with good men. Men who were protectors, not only of the ones they loved but of strangers and the world around them .
Garrett was one of those men, and Kimi’s heart was leaning hard in his direction. They hadn’t known each other long; they hadn’t done more than kiss, but she was falling.
With her head on his heart, she heard the moment he woke. The deeper intake of breath, the contented hum, the tightening of his arms around her.
She snuggled in. “Morning.”
“Morning.”
His rumbly voice had her smiling as her body reacted to it. To him.
His hands moved gently over her body. “This is a hell of a good way to wake up.”
The sun wasn’t up yet, so she stayed right where she was and traced her hand over the muscles beneath his t-shirt. “It is.”
Garrett kissed her hair but made no move to untangle them. “The horses did well.”
She laughed and lifted her head to grin at him. “After the first couple of hours, they probably didn’t need us at all, but I’m glad we kept them company.”
His grin was feral, and he easily lifted her up so she sprawled on top of him, their bodies lined up in the best way. He trailed his hands up and down her torso and then rested them on her butt. “Me too. One day, we’ll need to try this in an actual bed.”
She laughed and leaned down to kiss him. “We will.”
A bark had them both looking toward the barn door. Olaf sat in the doorway, head tilted to the side as if asking what they were doing.
“Your little friend is getting braver. Talk to him and see if he comes.”
Garrett’s hands continued to graze her body as he spoke. “Hey, buddy. Come on in, and we’ll find some food for you. Kimi can check out that leg of yours. Come here, boy.”
Grover whinnied from his stall as if inviting the dog in. Oscar leaned out to watch.
Garrett shifted slowly to a sitting position, keeping her straddling him. When she started to climb off, he squeezed her butt. “Not yet. Don’t want to scare off the dog with any sudden moves.”
She snorted out a laugh and ground down into his erection, making him stifle a groan. Then his mouth was on hers, and all thought fled from her brain.
When they broke apart, her body tingled everywhere, and she considered stripping him naked right there. Then her alarm rang, and she thumped her head softly onto his shoulder. “Damn. I’ve got to go.”
Garrett wrapped her in a hug that warmed her from the inside out. “Okay. But I’ll see you later.”
Not a question. She nodded anyway.
It took another few kisses, but she finally peeled herself off of him. “I need to get to my rounds. Those calves aren’t going to inoculate themselves.”
He grinned at her but didn’t protest. “Do you need me to check on your mare and those kittens?”
She leaned forward to kiss him again. “I should be back around lunch, but if I’m longer, that would be great. Thanks for a fun night.”
Then she grabbed her backpack and headed out. Olaf sat on Garrett’s back porch, watching her. “I’ll leave food with him. I promise.”
After she showered and changed, she checked on the new cats and the other animals. The pigs were content and making friends with the Angora goats in the next paddock. Maybe she’d try them together to give both groups some extra stimulation.
With her distracted mind, Snoops almost got a chunk of her shirt when she was filling his feeding trough. “Sorry, Snoops. If you were friendlier, we’d put someone else in here with you. I’ve got feelers out for another donkey, but so far, I haven’t heard of any.” Probably because she was looking to rescue one that needed help. She wasn’t giving up on that.
Her one-day idea of hosting a petting zoo for local kids and horse rides for people with various disabilities and injuries was still far off, but she figured Snoops would fit in one way or another. “Either you’ll be great with the kids, or you’ll help teach them that not all animals like to be touched. One day, buddy, and either way, you’re part of it.”
He tolerated her pats on the neck and her reassurances. “I think we need more goats, too. Would you like some pygmy goats? They’re cute. I don’t think you mind the goats. I’ll let you know if I find any. Okay, I need to head out. Have a good day.”
She loaded up what she’d need for the morning into the truck. Before she headed out, she texted Garrett. I left a bowl of food outside my door for Olaf if you want to grab it. I taped an extra barn key to the bottom for you .
That way, he could check on the cats if she was late. She liked the thought of him having a key. He was a good man, and she trusted him. The only other person with a key was Marcus. She’d left one with him in case she was out on calls and someone needed something to help an animal. The deputy had proven himself trustworthy from the day he’d arrived in Phail.
Now, her circle of trusted people was growing by leaps and bounds.
She climbed into the truck, but her phone beeped with a return text from Garrett. Thanks. Have a good morning. Stay safe.
His protective instincts were showing, and it made her smile. She’d always taken care of herself, but having someone there at her side was appealing.
She was still grinning as she headed out to inoculate calves. Garrett would be the perfect person to help her run the equine therapy program and petting zoo.
And look at her, spinning happy visions of a future that included a man at her side. She wondered how he’d feel about a little clandestine recon of a dog-fighting ring.