Page 119 of Outrageous

Horse breeding, as Eva knew from years of loitering around the stables—and particularly after the last few busy days—could sometimes be a violent event. The actual time the stud spent servicing the mare was brief and generally trouble-free. It was the few seconds before and after the mount that were the most critical, and everyone worked in silence.

Luckily, Clancy was skilled at his job and finished with a minimum of thrashing and, remarkably, after he’d dismounted, there were no visible signs on either horse that hundreds of pounds of living flesh had just come together.

Eva didn’t realize she’d broken a sweat—she’d been holding Moonspinner’s front leg—until Gabriel tossed her a clean cloth.

“Thank you,” she said, wiping her brow. “It was good to have you here,” she added, meaning it.

“She’s a lovely mare,” Gabriel said, stroking the quivering flesh of the mare’s arched neck. “You chose well, Evil.”

She grinned at him as the lads led both horses off.

“Are you done here—at least for the time being?” Gabe asked. “Did you eat breakfast?”

“No, I had to get down here.”

“Of course you did.” He snatched off her hat and ruffled her hair. “Perhaps we might go find a bite to eat.”

Eva grabbed back her hat. “Just let me record Moonspinner’s information and I’ll go with you.” She hesitated and looked down at herself. She was wearing her usual outfit—buckskins, boots, and coat—and most of her family members were accustomed to it by now. But there were guests. “Unless you think I should go clean up first?”

Gabriel laughed. “Who is this woman and what has she done with my sister?”

She smacked his shoulder as they walked to the small office.

Eva pulled off her gloves—which she’d actually remembered this morning—and entered the information with comments and observations about both horses and the manner and duration of the covering. With any luck, Clancy had done the trick and Moonspinner would produce her first foal in eleven months.

When she’d finished, they left the stables side by side.

“So, what did you think?” Eva asked, even though she didn’t want to seem as if she needed his approval.

“I’m impressed, but not surprised. I believe you have an aptitude for horses in general. I think you will do well.” Coming from Gabe, whose father had owned thousands of horses, that was a compliment, indeed.

“You might want to tell that to Tommy,” she said. He frowned and Eva flicked a dismissive hand. “Forget I said that. Instead, why don’t you tell me what it is you’ve come to say to me? And whose message are you delivering?”

Gabe smiled. “That obvious, am I?”

“You wouldn’t be awake and about this early without a reason. I just don’t know what your reason’s name is.”

He sighed. “Nobody said anything, but I can see how it is between you and Tommy.”

Eva groaned.

“What?” he asked, opening the door for her before following her into the cool dimness of the castle. “Are you two fighting?”

“Not exactly.”

He took her by the arm and stopped her, turning her toward him. “What were you thinking, accepting him, Eva?”

She jerked her arm away. “Lord, Gabe, don’t beat around the bush.”

“I won’t, because it seems everyone else is. Have you all gone mad? Even Mother has nothing to say on the matter.”

She began walking. “There is nothing to say.”

“You don’t love him.”

She cut him a sneering look. “Look who is suddenly the expert on love.”

“Don’t try to start a fight—I won’t be distracted.”