Chapter 11 #2
I wasn’t sure exactly how it happened, but before I could blink, our bodies were tipping backward, and I knew we were going down.
It was the worst thing we could do. Landing at the feet of a horse was the last place you wanted to be, but as we continued to drift backward, all I could think about was the gold flecks I could see in Tucker’s warm brown eyes.
They were blown wide in shock as he registered our fate, too, and it was like opening the window to his soul.
I could see every emotion dancing in those honey-laced depths.
My ass hit the cement first, and for the briefest of moments, I was cradling Tucker Legare in my arms. He felt so… strong. Sturdy. And god, how I wished the situation were different. That I was feeling him on top of me for a reason other than my own idiocy.
But then the entirety of his weight came down on my chest and hips, our bodies tangling in a mess of limbs, forcing a grunt from my lips.
To keep my head from smacking the ground, I tensed my upper body, hoping my core muscles could hold me even a hairbreadth off the cement.
Except I knew it was useless. We were going down, and I was going to hit my head.
I waited for the crack. Waited for the pain.
But when neither came, I blinked open my eyes, completely unaware that I’d closed them in the brace for impact.
As expected, our fall had startled Rein, and she shied away from us on the floor, her large dark eyes wide with fear.
She snorted loud and tossed her head around, the clink of the cross ties jangling against the wall and her halter only adding to the cacophony of chaos.
Her natural instinct was to run, but she was held in place by the cross ties, so she continued to shuffle around to avoid the perceived danger.
Before I could really process what happened, Tucker was shifting on top of me and pulling his hand out from under my head.
“Get your ass up, Jackson!” he barked, gripping the front of my jacket as he hauled me to my feet.
Once up, I stumbled my way under the cross ties and out of the paddock, my limbs feeling like jelly from the adrenaline that still pumped through my veins.
Behind me, Tucker was already working to gently soothe Rein, pulling her head down, and whispering calming words while stroking her muzzle.
The other horses around her were starting to get riled up from the potential threat, so I quickly moved over to Cadence, the other horse Tucker had been grooming, to calm her as well.
Blood still whooshed in my ears by the time the commotion was settled, and I took a step back to bend over and rest my hands on my still shaky legs as I tried to slow my breathing.
Both Tucker and I had just come inches from being seriously injured by Rein.
If she’d stepped on us, it would have scared her worse.
Horses were herd animals—thousand-pound prey animals whose instincts to survive were to bolt to avoid predators.
But if danger was already upon them, they’d use whatever means necessary.
Just like any animal fighting to survive.
One or both of us could have been killed just now. I closed my eyes against the thought.
“Stand up.”
I blinked up at the visual of Tucker standing over me. The look on his face was murderous, and the tense set to his jaw sent a chill down my spine.
“Tucker, I’m—” I rose up as I went to apologize, but my words were cut off as he gripped the front of my jacket, hauling me through the barn as I struggled to keep up.
When we reached the blistering cold air outside, he whirled back on me, a fire so different from the one I’d seen earlier blazing in his eyes. This was fury. This was rage.
“I don’t want your fucking apologies,” he seethed in a low voice, pulling me close, probably to ensure I’d hear him, but all it did was make something sick swim in my stomach.
I’d fucked up, sure, and I deserved to be reprimanded, but I’d almost wish he’d yell at me.
That would be easier to handle because then I wouldn’t be face-to-face with eyes that flared with interest only a few moments before.
Those fiery depths bounced over my face, and maybe it was then he realized how close he held me because Tucker dropped his hand and stepped back. The distance may have only been a few feet, but suddenly it felt like a gorge had opened between us. Had I really fucked up that badly?
He took off his hat, running his hand through his hair, before replacing it. “This isn’t on you, though. This is on me. I should’ve been paying better attention. I was just… distracted.”
“I was, too,” I interjected, suddenly desperate for a rope.
Something that could pull him back to me—or be a lifeline.
His words felt like a punch to the gut. Whatever had been happening in that paddock wasn’t just a one-sided thing.
I needed him to understand that. We were attracted to each other, and the idea that he wanted to carry the result of that on his own felt dismissive.
Tucker ticked his jaw, and the sharp look that came when he finally put his eyes back on me told me everything. “I don’t tolerate distractions.”
I swallowed hard against the well of emotions that struggled to break free and lowered my head. “Yes, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“No. It won’t.”
Maybe that shouldn’t have stung the way it did, but fuck did it flay me open.
I heard him walk back into the barn, but my feet were rooted to the earth where I stood.
It wasn’t until Dillon walked up a little bit later that I realized how chilled my body had become, despite the warmth the jacket had been providing.
“You good, man?” he asked, studying me with clear concern.
“Yeah.” I sucked in a breath, shoving my hands into my pockets. “Just thinking.”
Dillon continued to look me over, but maybe the smile I flashed him was enough to convince him things were okay. It felt fake to me, but we had unfamiliarity working in my favor.
“You ready for the ride later? I hear Tucker set something up special for you.”
“Yeah, man. Totally.”
It was a bold-faced lie. For the first time since setting foot at Juniper Grove, I wanted to be as far away from Tucker Legare as I could get.