All Summer Long (Fool's Gold #9)(75)

“Like I said, I’m not in love with him.”

The hat moved again and Charlie saw one green eye staring at her. She shook her head. “No. I’m not.”

“Are you sure?” Annabelle asked. “Love is sneaky.”

“Clay says it’s an at-first-sight kind of thing.”

“Maybe it was for him, but it wasn’t for me. Of course I had a sucky childhood. His was better.”

Charlie had never been in love. She’d felt loved by her father, but that had been different. She believed Dominique felt a form of love, although they were still working their way through that.

“How is loving Shane different from the relationship you had with your first husband?” Charlie asked.

Annabelle pushed off her hat again. “I’m different,” she admitted. “Stronger and more sure. With Lewis, I was so desperate for someone to care about me, I didn’t look past what he said to judge his actions. With Shane, I see love in both his words and deeds.” She wrinkled her nose. “I know that sounds old-fashioned but both are important. I need to hear the words, but what he does makes me feel special.”

“Like the fact that he doesn’t want to wait to get married? That he built his house to suit you?”

“Something like that.” Annabelle grinned. “He gives with his whole heart. I’ve never had that before. Loving him makes me a better person. Being loved by him makes me feel safe. We each want to be the one who gives more.”

That, Charlie could relate to. Clay didn’t take her for granted, or dislike the parts of her she liked best. She felt the same about him. She knew his flaws and was okay with them.

“Clay’s a good guy, too,” she said.

“He is.”

Charlie waited, but Annabelle didn’t seem to have any more to say. “Are you going to warn me to be careful?” she asked.

Annabelle sat up and faced her. “I don’t think so.”

“But I haven’t been with a man in a decade. Clay’s basically my first adult relationship. It would be easy for me to fall for him. He’s been married. He’s loved and lost and he’s not looking for anything else. That puts me at a disadvantage. I could get hurt.”

Annabelle leaned forward and patted her arm. “My little girl is growing up so fast. I’m just so proud.”

Charlie swatted away her arm. “Shut up.”

Annabelle’s smile faded. “You don’t need me to tell you the potential pitfalls. You already know. Besides, I think Clay’s at just as much risk as you are.”

“I am pretty great,” Charlie said, stretching out on her lounge chair.

“Exactly.”

Charlie wondered if Annabelle knew the words were just cheap talk. When it came to Clay, she found herself both hopeful and terrified. Being around him was amazing. From what she could tell, he was everything she wanted. But he was also a man who had already had one great love and wasn’t looking for another. Clay had said love was a lightning bolt and so far there hadn’t been a single flash in the sky.

She planned to enjoy everything about her experience with him, all the while protecting her heart as best she could. If she got hurt, she would recover. She would move on. Whatever the cost, it was worth it. He’d made her whole and no matter what happened, she was better for having known him.

* * *

CLAY LED KHATAR out of the corral. The white Arabian stallion playfully nuzzled Clay’s neck.

“I’m not Annabelle,” Clay grumbled, pushing him away. “She’ll be by later. In the meantime, behave.”

The majestic animal snorted, as if amused. Despite his massive size and the strength that went with it, he was one of the gentlest horses Shane owned. Good news for his brother, Clay thought. Shane had gotten the million-dollar horse for a discount due to his difficult and potentially killer nature. Which had turned out to be the result of bad training and some abuse.

Since arriving in Fool’s Gold, the once-mean-tempered horse had turned into an equine kitten. Last week Khatar had escaped from the corral to join one of Shane’s riding classes. He’d decided that next to Annabelle, he adored a little girl named Kalinda best. She had suffered life-threatening burns the previous summer and was still going through various surgeries as she healed. She’d started riding a small pony but Khatar had made it clear that when she was ready for a horse, he planned to be the guy.

While the class circled the ring, Khatar had kept pace with Kalinda and her pony. He’d stayed close when she’d dismounted, stepping between her and the other horses.

“You’re kind of a sap, you know that?” Clay patted the horse. “Ready for a good long ride?”

Khatar’s ears perked up at the mention of riding. When Shane had mentioned he’d had to spend the afternoon signing the final paperwork on his house, Clay had offered to exercise the horses. With his alfalfa crop in the ground and no firefighter training scheduled, he had the time.

He’d just finished saddling Khatar when an unfamiliar Taurus pulled in next to the house. Clay watched a guy climb out. He was in his mid-to-late thirties and had on a shirt that said “Gil” and the name of the local hardware store.

Clay made sure Khatar was secure and went to greet the man.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m looking for Nate.”