Chapter 3 #2
“So everyone in town knew she was mine and figured I’d just abandoned you?” The thought has a knife slicing through my heart.
“Ayden...” She stammers, but my phone interrupts.
“Shit, sorry. It’s Tripp.”
She flashes a small smile while I answer it.
“Yeah?”
“Disco’s on the loose. It’s all hands on deck. Can ya help?”
“Fuck. How’d that happen?” I shake my head.
“Little shit knows how to wiggle the lock with his nose, and I was in the tack room. He was long gone before I noticed.”
I snort. “Oops, shoulda warned ya about him.”
“Yeah, thanks. Can you come or what?”
“I’m up on Sunset Trail, but I’ll look for him while I drive back.”
“Sounds good. Text if you see him.”
“Got it.”
I end the call and sigh. “Sorry, duty calls.”
“It’s okay. What happened?” she asks while we walk to the four-wheeler.
“Disco’s a new boarder and too smart for his own good. He got out and is probably grazin’ in a pasture somewhere.”
“What’re you gonna do if you find him?”
“Depends on where he is, but I’ll let Tripp know, and he can figure it out. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a horse’s gotten out, and we’ve had to chase it down.”
Once we’re riding on the trail again, Laney holds on to me even tighter as I take another route, one closer to the pastures. He couldn’t have gone far.
“Ah, there he is.” I point to our right. He’s rolling around in a mud bath.
“Oh my God.” She laughs. “I didn’t know horses did that.”
“It cools them down. But that gate should’ve been closed since it flooded back here. Twenty bucks one of the twins left it open.”
“Double it, and I’ll put my bet on Wilder,” she mocks, and I crack up at how quickly she’s caught on.
“No way, I’ll lose.”
I drive closer to the fence and whistle, hoping to get his attention. Taking out my phone, I text Tripp the location, and he sends back an ETA of five minutes.
“Disco,” I call out, turning off the engine. Laney and I remove our helmets and set them on the seat. My attempts to get his attention fail, but at least he’s not running.
“I bet you have a different adventure each day,” she says, staring at Disco as he continues acting like a pig in mud.
“Oh yeah. It’s never the same ’round here. Always some shit goin’ on. Makes it fun, though sometimes it’s stressful, too.”
“I bet.”
“I never asked. Did you stay workin’ at your mom’s boutique?”
“Yeah, I basically took over and spent years adding more inventory so we’d attract more tourists. Finally, it worked, and we were able to hire some part-time workers.”
“That’s amazin’, Lane.”
Her mom opened a shop filled with specialty clothes and accessories. It was her high school weekend job, and last I knew, they were struggling to keep it open.
Smiling wide, she nods. “I have pictures of me baby-wearing Serena while I’d do inventory after hours. She’d never sleep unless she was on my chest, so I had to get creative.”
Now I’m the one smiling. “I have no doubt you’re an incredible mom.”
“I love being her mom. It came naturally, more than I thought it would, but it was almost like we grew up together. Only being eighteen with a newborn, my friends couldn’t relate, so eventually, they stopped invitin’ me out.
When she was three, she was a little gabber mouth and so much fun to play with.
I much preferred to hang out with her than go out drinkin’. ”
I can’t stop beaming at the imagery of Laney and Serena at those ages.
“And now you’re twenty-eight, and she’s already halfway to being an adult.”
Her eyes widen in panic, and she nudges me. “Hush your mouth. Don’t say that.”
Chuckling, I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her into my chest. “I like that y’all are close. Hopefully, someday, I can have that with her, too.”
Tripp comes sprinting on Mallory’s horse and frowns. “Jesus Christ. He’s gonna need a bath.”
I smirk. “Hope you brought your rain boots.”
“Fuck you. This is supposed to be your shift, not mine.”
“He got loose on your watch,” I remind him.
“Whatever.” He finally darts his gaze to Laney. “You must be Ayden’s secret lady friend Wilder won’t shut up about. I’m Tripp.”
“Nice to meet you,” Laney replies.
“You got this handled now?” I ask.
“Yeah, yeah.” He digs his heel and leads Miss Swift toward Disco. Tripp manages to wrap a rope around his neck and bring him closer as he rides out of the pasture.
“He can bring him back on his own?” Laney asks.
“As long as Disco doesn’t fight it, he’ll be fine. I should lock that gate, though.”
We hop back on the four-wheeler and drive to the open fence. Once it’s secure, I ask Laney if she’s tired.
“Yeah, I think I should probably go back to my hotel room. It’s been a long day.”
She flew in this morning and spent the afternoon with me, so I don’t blame her, but I selfishly want to spend more time with her.
“I’ll drop you off at your car. You’ll come back tomorrow?”
“Sure, but I have to leave before lunch to make my flight.”
I hate that she can’t stay longer, but I understand she has our daughter and a job to get back to.
And Howie’s funeral.
I bring us to my truck and then drive her back. We make small talk, and when we’re in the parking lot, neither of us moves to get out.
“Thank you for comin’ to find me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again,” I admit.
She doesn’t meet my eyes. “Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I would either. I was scared you wouldn’t want to.”
Leaning over, I tilt up her chin until our gazes collide. “I’m sorry I ever made you believe that, but now that you’re back in my life, I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure something out so I can come down to visit, and when it’s feasible, I’ll fly you two up here. Okay?”
She bites down on her bottom lip, nodding.
“Meet me for breakfast? I’ll be here at nine.”
My break isn’t until eleven thirty, but I’ll get one of the guys to cover for me.
“That works.”
I brush my mouth against her cheek, silently wishing she’d turn an inch so I could taste her lips, but when she doesn’t move, I lean back. “Night, Laney. Drive safe.”
“G’night, Ayden.”
She jumps out and walks to her rental car.
The scent of her coconut shampoo lingers in the air, and I inhale deeply at the familiarity.
Once she’s inside and buckled, she gives me a little wave, and I almost instinctively honk my horn three times but then stop myself.
I take that as my cue to drive off before I do something stupid.