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She nodded, and I gave her one more shoulder squeeze before standing up.
She followed me, but when I started to turn away, she touched my arm, and I looked back at her.
“Can we change my last name?” she signed.
I hadn’t expected her to ask that. “Yes. But what do you want to change it to?”
“Can I change it to Landry?” she asked. “I mean, is that legally your last name?”
I was going to cry again.
“Yes, it is, and abso-freaking-lutely, you can,” I told her.
“How did you do that? Change your name?”
She’d never asked me that before.
I raised my eyebrows and leaned toward her slightly. “How do you think?” I asked.
She shrugged.
“I dated a judge,” I replied with a wink.
Her face broke into a huge grin.
“I should have known,” she signed.
I took my time brushing Noor down after my birthday ride that Storm had taken me on, back to the lake where we’d had sex the first time. He’d made a big breakfast, and Dovie had joined us. Then, she left to go to the pool with Nailyah. Storm had set that up, I was sure, so he could have me alone. Not that I minded. Birthday sex in the sunshine and by the water had been pretty incredible.
Noor looked back toward me, and I went to her head and petted her.
“I’m sorry it’s been almost two weeks since I’ve been by to see you. I had fun on my ride today. I hope whoever you belong to has been taking care of you,” I told her.
“She’s taken out daily to get exercise and graze. We have stable hands who make sure she’s spoiled,” Storm said behind me as he slid his hands around me.
“She’d better be spoiled. She’s a good girl.”
She pushed against my hand, wanting me to pet her again.
“But she belongs to someone. Right?” I asked.
I didn’t want her to just be a horse they kept to be ridden by whoever.
“You.”
“Me what?” I asked, glancing back at him.
“She belongs to you,” he replied.
I stilled and dropped my hand from her to turn around and look up at him. “What do you mean?”
The corner of his lips crooked up. “She’s yours, Briar. You are her owner.”
I spun back around and gaped at Noor. “You’re mine? She’s mine?”
“Horses don’t speak, so she can’t respond,” he told me as if I expected her to.
“Storm, when did she become mine?” I asked, looking back at him.
“When I bought her.”
“You bought her for me?” I asked, pointing at myself.
He nodded, grinning at me now.
I let out a small squeal and jumped into his arms, then grabbed his face and kissed it. He held me up, cupping his hands on my bottom, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“You bought me Noor,” I said, breaking the kiss, then started pressing kisses all around his face.
“If this is going to become X-rated, I’m staying for the show.” Thatcher’s voice startled me, and I looked over Storm’s shoulder to see him leaning against a stall a few feet away. “Don’t let me stop you, little songbird.”
I loosened my grip on him, and he let me slide back down until my boots were on the ground.
“Damn, I shouldn’t have said anything,” Thatcher said.
“What do you need?” Storm asked, sounding annoyed.
“For someone who just had his woman climbing him like a pole, you sure are snarly,” Thatcher replied.
“Well, you interrupted us, so now, I’m annoyed.”
Thatcher straightened up. “Just thought you might want to know you got company.”
I glanced up at Storm, and he was scowling at Thatcher.
“Who?” he asked, his body tense.
“You sure you want me to answer that?” he asked, and when I turned my gaze back to him, he was looking at me.
“I didn’t invite anyone here, so who the fuck is it?” Storm demanded.
I got nervous when he talked to Thatcher like that. I took a step closer to him, not sure how that helped, but it made me feel better.
“Lula Mae,” Thatcher replied with a smug look on his face, then turned and sauntered away.
“Fuck,” Storm muttered.
I looked back up at him. His entire body was rigid; even his hands were fisted at his sides. He didn’t meet my gaze, but glared in the direction Thatcher had gone.
“Finish up with Noor. I’ll be back,” he said through clenched teeth and left without even glancing at me.
What was all that about? I wanted to believe that Lula Mae was not important. But then things like this happened, and that reminder that Storm had lied to me before taunted me. The suspicion that he might be keeping something from me was still hanging on.
I shouldn’t worry.
Turning back to Noor, I finished up brushing her and gave her some more kisses before leaving her stall and closing it. Glancing back toward where Storm had turned when he walked away, I debated on going to look for him. He had told me to stay here. But when had I ever done what I was told?
