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Her brows shoot up and she blinks quickly. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I’ve got to get up early.” I step to the door, holding it for her to go. “Tell Eddie to be ready at six a.m. sharp.”
“He’ll be ready.”
She steps into the hall, and I shut the door.
6
Rachel
“His name was Shiloh.” Edward is on his hands and knees reaching under the deck.
His tone is impatient, and I know he hates it when I ask him twenty questions. But I want to know all about his very first equine therapy experience.
I haven’t seen Zane, but I was doing yoga when my brother suddenly appeared and started searching for kittens under the wooden platform where I practice.
“What did you do? Did you ride him? Walk him around? Clean his hooves?”
“He was only getting started for the day, so I didn’t clean his hooves.” He sits back on his feet, holding up two black kittens. “I think these are the only other males.”
“Tell me what you did.” I’m doing my best not to get impatient with him right back.
He blinks away from the felines, seeming to remember I’m here. “I brushed him and shoveled the dirty hay out of his stall. Then I walked beside him while a little boy rode.”
I frown. That’s not what I expected. I thought he’d be doing more riding, not simply being a stable boy. I’m all ready to fuss, but I hesitate. He does seem more relaxed today, which is encouraging after the raucous night we had at the restaurant.
It took me forever to fall asleep, and not just because of all the music and dancing. I tossed and turned in my bed all night trying to forget the sight of Zane Bradford standing in the hall in only a towel with his damp hair around his neck.
His broad shoulders were lean and toned, and he seemed bigger somehow. His muscular chest was dusted with the faintest bit of hair, and I wanted to slide my nose across the planes of his shoulders and lick him. Then maybe bite him.
He seemed on edge, like he might forget he hates me and pull me into his arms. Or maybe it was just what I wished he’d do. He has no right to look so good, and I kind of forgot his order that I stay on my side of the house.
“Miss Gina asked me to identify the male cats so she could have them neutered.” Edward cuts right through my lusty thoughts.
It makes me exhale a short laugh. “You’re doing a great job with them.”
He returns to digging under the deck, and I look up to see Zane stalking in our direction. He’s back to scowling and wearing his usual jeans and unbuttoned plaid shirt with a gray tee underneath. But I’ve seen what’s underneath that, and it’s yummy.
He’s about to walk right past us when I stick out my hand and wave. “Hey!”
Stopping short, his brow furrows. “Hey yourself.”
“No…” I look down, exhaling a laugh. “I have something… Miss Gina asked me to ask you to take a look at the sink in the greenhouse. She said it’s all wet under there, and it might be a leak.”
He hesitates a moment longer, glancing in the direction he was headed before relenting. “Show me.”
“Right this way.” My voice is soft, and I’m still in my yogaclothes as I walk him down the narrow flagstone path to the green-glass structure where Miss Gina stores her succulents and more delicate flowers during the winter.
It’s warm and densely humid when we enter, and I continue to the small sink area in the center of the room.
“Miss Gina and I were trying to figure out where the water was coming from.” I open the cabinet doors under the sink to show the pan full of water. “We turned on the faucet, the sprayer, everything. Get down there and watch what happens.”
He cuts his eyes to me briefly before squatting down and leaning into the cabinet as I fill a large bowl with water.
“I think it has something to do with the seal around the drain,” I explain. “When I pour a big bowl like this down the drain, watch what happens.”
I lift the large bowl of water, all ready to pour the entire contents into the sink when it wobbles in my hand. It’s heavier than I realized, and with my wet fingers, I don’t have a good grip on the sides. All at once, it starts to slide.
