Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
THREE MONTHS LATER
NOAH
Noah sat in his office at Happy Trails, finishing up case notes with a sense of satisfaction that still surprised him some days.
The mountains outside his window were waking up, winter’s icy grip finally loosening under the push of spring.
Buds painted the ridge in pinks and whites, the air rich with wet earth and new growth.
It had been a good day. Cora, the little girl with the brain injury, had grinned for the first time in weeks and hugged her mount.
Maeve, shy and hesitant, had made progress with her balance, sitting straighter in the saddle.
Dave, the fellow Army vet who’d lost a leg, was learning to ride again with a mix of grit and humor that reminded Noah why he loved this work.
Happy Trails had turned out to be exactly what he needed.
Brian and his wife Tori were good people, and their son, Danny, an inspiration.
Scarred but unstoppable, Danny had pushed through years of therapy to earn his adaptive riding instructor certification.
Watching him teach others reminded Noah what resilience looked like.
Sanctuary was even better. Alex had been right about that, though Noah wasn’t about to tell him that.
The place was cathartic. The men who ran it had a way of pulling people in without judgment.
Their vast network of resources and counselors were as steady as the mountain on which they stood.
Weekly sessions had helped quiet the noise in his head and find a new kind of balance.
More than that, he counted them as friends now.
He was making progress. Getting stronger, mentally and physically. His nosy, loving, and supportive family had had his six all the way. His mom said his eyes looked clearer. His brothers teased him more and worried less. Life was getting back on track.
There was only one thing missing.
Teagan.
Not a day went by that he didn’t think of her.
Sometimes, it was sudden—a laugh drifting across the paddock that made him turn, expecting to see her.
Sometimes, it was subtler, in the ponytail of a patient’s dark hair or in the scent of hay, mingled with a light, feminine fragrance that reminded him of her.
He’d remember her voice, husky and soft, telling him once that horses only gave their trust if you earned it, and once you did, it was forever.
He hadn’t heard from her since she’d left, though he had received occasional vague updates through Danny Donovan, one of the guys at Sanctuary, who had some convoluted connection to her Irish kin. According to Danny, Teagan had been embraced by her family in Ireland and was doing well.
But what the hell did that mean? Had her ribs healed? Did she still wake from nightmares, and if so, was someone there to hold her? Did she miss him even half as much as he missed her?
Was she happy there?
He didn’t bother asking Danny. The only person who could answer those questions was three thousand miles away.
“Good work today,” Tori said from the doorway, breaking into his thoughts.
“We make a good team.”
“That we do. And it’s about to get better.” She grinned. “We hired a new equine specialist. They arrived a little while ago.”
Noah blinked. A new equine specialist? That was the first he’d heard of it. “Seems kind of sudden.”
“When it’s right, it’s right,” Tori said, her eyes dancing. “A perfect fit.”
“Great.” He summoned a smile.
Happy Trails had been searching for months for the right person. They needed someone who could read a horse at a glance, who knew instinctively which mount to pair with which rider. The position would have been perfect for Teagan.
But Teagan was an ocean away. The thought dimmed his good day.
“Why don’t you come over and say hello,” Tori urged. “We’ll be in the big ring.”
He packed up slowly, not eager to meet the newcomer. Whoever they were, they couldn’t possibly hold a candle to his horse whisperer.
Out by the paddocks, Brian, Tori, and Danny leaned against the split rail fence, their attention fixed on the far end of the field. Noah reluctantly followed their gazes.
A rider moved in perfect rhythm with the horse, bareback, no reins. The horse’s mane streamed black in the breeze, indistinguishable from the rider’s long, dark hair.
Noah’s chest tightened. He knew that hair. That seat. That ease and quiet confidence.
Teagan.
No. It wasn’t possible. Was he dreaming?
“Told you,” Tori murmured, her grin widening.
Noah moved closer to the fence, afraid to blink. The rider urged the horse toward them, slowing at the rail. As she slid down with effortless grace and stood before him, his world tilted.
“Hi,” Teagan said softly.
For a long moment, all he could do was stare. She was so beautiful, even more than he remembered. She’d filled out a little, her skin healthy and glowing, her hair a shiny waterfall of black silk he wanted to tangle his hands in.
Then, rougher than he intended, “Hi.” He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching for her. “You’re back.”
Her smile was gentle, sure. “I’m back.”
“You’re the new equine specialist.”
“I am.”
“Why?” The word ripped out of him.
She bit her lip, eyes dipping before she looked up through dark lashes. “Because this is where you are.” A nervous shift of her weight, then quieter, almost uncertain, “Is that okay?”
Noah hopped the fence, dropped every bit of restraint he had left, and pulled her into his arms.
“Okay?” He laughed. “It’s fucking fantastic.”
Noah locked his arms around her, convincing himself that she was real. He half expected her to vanish, to dissolve into smoke, the way she had in too many of his dreams. But the warmth against him was solid.
“I wasn’t sure—” she started, her voice muffled against his chest.
“Don’t,” he cut in, drawing back just enough to see her face. “You’re here. That’s all I need.”
Her lashes fluttered, and a breath shuddered out as her body melted into his. “Me too.”
A throat cleared behind them. “So, I guess you two know each other,” Tori said, amusement in her eyes.
Noah loosened his hold on Teagan but didn’t let go as he turned to face their audience and narrowed his eyes. “You knew. How?”
Tori shrugged unrepentantly. “Friend of a friend.”
“Alex and Heff are good friends,” Brian said by way of explanation, speaking of another Sanctuary guy who was heavily involved with Happy Trails.
“Alex told us what Teagan was able to do with Chester. I believe his exact words were ‘horse whisperer,’” he said with a laugh. “Tori couldn’t help but reach out.”
“Uh-huh. And you didn’t think to mention it?”
“Didn’t want to get your hopes up, man,” Brian said, only slightly apologetic. “But we shouldn’t have doubted. That croie shit is real.”
“Croie shit?” Noah asked.
“It’s a Callaghan thing,” Teagan said, squeezing his hip. “I’ll explain it to you later.”
That sounded good to him. He had other things in mind that took priority. Turning to Brian and Tori, he said, “You don’t need her any more today, right?”
“No,” they agreed in unison. “Go on. Get settled. Take as much time as you need. We’ll be here.”
Noah didn’t have to be told twice. And Teagan was right there with him.