Page 79 of Paper Horses

I nodded as if he could see the action, still fighting the urge to cry. Taking a drag of air, I answered, “Yes, he knows it all. And yes, we made up.”

I could almost hear his excitement through the phone.

“But, Gabe, we live different lives in different places. I don’t know how this will ever work.”

“It will because you’ll fight for it, just like I fought to win Tori back. If you really want it and really love him like I know you still do, you’ll figure out a way.”

I stared at the ceiling, shaking my head at his words. “When did you become a self-help guru?”

That caused a chuckle, and I realized it wasn’t until Tori had returned that I’d heard him laugh. Nor had I known how much I’d missed the sound.

“I wouldn’t say guru, but I know a bit about fighting for a second chance, and I can promise you, Liv. It will be worth it in the end.”

“Yeah,” I said, picking at my broken fingernail. “I’ll send you the details in a few minutes. Have Tori look over the estimates and see what we can do. It’s a big overhaul and an expensive one.”

Talking business helped me recover and harden my edges.

“We’ve got plenty. We put the farm…no, ranch, under its own LLC and have funds already in place on top of what we paid Hudson for it. Whatever you’ve got in mind, we’ll do it.”

“Thanks, Gabe.”

“Sure thing, and try to relax more. Tori and I have it covered here.”

“Will do, and Gabe…” The urge to tell him I loved him welled up, to admit how proud I was of him, how thankful I was to have him as my brother. But it sat there like a boulder blocking my throat, and I faltered.

“Yeah?”

No matter how I wanted to tell him, that wasn’t us. It hadn’t been in so very long that I no longer knew how to tell him. “Say hi to the rugrat for me.”

“That was profoundly sweet coming from you, sis. Even if I’m not keen on the rugrat part.”

I laughed and said goodbye, staring at the phone long after we’d disconnected. Why was it so hard to tell him how I felt? To bridge the gap that sat between us?

The door opened, breaking my thoughts, and I looked over from where I sat at the island. Seeing Hudson removed the heaviness from my mind. His appearance was like the spark of a lighter in a dark room.

“What are you wearing?” he asked, kicking his boots off and hanging his hat before he headed to the sink to wash up.

Dirt-caked jeans had never appealed to me, but on Hudson they were sexy. His black T-shirt had dust on it, only enhancing the look.

“Clothes,” I quipped.

“Nah, those aren’t clothes for around here. Get your ass up and put those sexy jeans back on so I can ogle it.”

I looked down at my blouse and skirt. Wearing them had helped me focus and get back in a work mindset.

“My jeans are in the dryer, so you’ll have to deal with it.” Not that I hadn’t bought two more pairs, but those were the ones that really worked Hudson up, so they had become my favorite.

His head spun toward the back of the house, where the laundry room was. “You did wash? By yourself?”

I opened my mouth to respond when it occurred to me that I had, without a single complaint, without even thinking, like it was a natural every-day thing for me to do.

“Yes, and there’s nothing wrong with what I’m wearing.”

A look of pride shone in his eyes. “You can’t wear that out to the bar.”

“No?” I stood and smoothed my skirt down. It was form-fitting and hugged my curves. The blouse was sheer, and I’d left the top few buttons undone. “I think I’d get quite a few looks if I walked in like this.” I turned my head around to look at my rear. “Yeah, especially my ass, which looks just as good in this as in my jeans.”

He wiped a hand down his face, his eyes roaming over me like I was a meal after a famine. Ravenous. That’s what those dusty orbs screamed when they locked with mine. In two strides, he was in front of me.