Promise Canyon (Virgin River #13)(35)

When her feet were on the ground she said, "I don't know what's up with him, why he goes along with me the way he does. But it's working, right?"

Clay smiled at her. "Let's see how he likes the brush today. Will you join me?"

"Sure. For a little while..."

When they were in the stable together and Clay groomed the horse, Lilly sat on a bench. "Listen, you're not upset that he lets me near him, are you?"

Clay looked over his shoulder and smiled at Lilly. "I'm proud of you. You're exceptional. But tomorrow or the day after I'm going to take him out early and alone, to make sure he understands he's not just dating a pretty girl but actually training."

She laughed. "I understand. I won't get in your way." Then she sighed longingly. "I wish he was ready for me to saddle up Blue and ride alongside. That could be good."

"Soon, Lilly." There was the sound of a vehicle pulling up to the stable and clinic and Clay lifted his head with the grace of a buck sniffing the air. He recognized the sound of that engine. "Gabe," he said under his breath. "Excuse me, Lilly." Then he maneuvered Streak into the stallion pen without finishing his grooming and walked out of the barn.

Lilly watched Clay's long, powerful strides lead him outside; she listened to the sound of his boot heels hitting the ground, watched that long, silky black ponytail swing across his back. "You were almost done, anyway," she said to the horse.

Lilly followed Clay; she was wiping her hands on a rag, standing in the barn's double doors in time to see a young man jump from the driver's side of a small green truck, walk briskly to Clay and embrace him with power. Their fists banged on each other's backs. The young man looked like he could be Clay's younger brother--as tall, almost as broad, an identical black ponytail down his back. Jeans, denim shirt, boots, hat. Then Clay grasped the young man's upper arms, held him away, looked him up and down and murmured something that made the younger man laugh. Then he looked over Clay's shoulder curiously. And Clay turned.

"Lilly. Come here a second. Meet my son, Gabe."

Shock was evident on her face, but she moved toward them. Son? How was that possible? Clay was only thirty-four and this young man was too old.

"Gabe, meet Lilly. She delivers feed from her grandfather's feed store twice a week, and lately she's been helping me with a difficult horse. Lilly, this is Gabe." Clay put an arm around Gabe's shoulders and pulled him close. "He's going to stay with my sister in Grace Valley and finish high school here so we can spend a little more time together. He'll work here part-time."

Lilly stuck out her hand. She smiled a bit tremulously. "Nice to meet you. Wow. I'd have taken you for a younger brother."

Gabe laughed and grasped her hand. "Dad was barely seventeen when I was born. He got an early start, but probably not on purpose."

"Not on purpose, but with no regrets," Clay said. "Gabe grew up with the Tahoma family--my parents, aunts and uncles, many cousins. Regrettably, I wasn't always there, but I think he had a good upbringing."

"I did," he confirmed with a smile. "And you were there as often as you could be."

Lilly was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "There's a lot more to you than meets the eye."

"There's more to everyone than meets the eye," Clay said. "I hope you'll forgive me--I'm going to introduce Gabe to Nathaniel and Annie, then follow him to my sister's house. Is there anything else you need today?"

"I'll feed Streak and you can turn him out before you leave," she said.

"Thank you."

"Nice to meet you, Gabe. Welcome." As she walked away from them she thought, Wow, he has more in common with the teenage werewolf than I thought. He found out a baby was coming when he was only a teenager, too...but the difference is, he didn't walk away.

Lilly stayed away from the clinic for a couple of days, giving Clay, his son and the horse a little space. Then she ventured back. There was no need to deliver feed but Lilly was driven to explore Clay and whatever it was that compelled him to become an involved father at such a young age. In fact, if she was honest, there was much about Clay she wanted to learn.

The round pen and small pasture were both empty and she went into the barn. No one was around. There was only the sound of some faint swishing and soft whistling. Streak's stall was empty. She found Gabe in another stall with one of the Jensen Thoroughbreds, mucking it out. She tapped lightly on the wood.

Gabe's head came up and he smiled. "Hey, Miss Yazhi," he said. "Dr. Jensen has gone out to a farm to take a look at an old bull."

She glanced into Streak's stall. "Someone seems to be missing," she said.

"Oh, him. Dad took him out on the trail."

"Really?" she asked, eyes wide. "Saddled?"

Gabe nodded. "Didn't like it much, either. Yesterday he took him just around the pen with the saddle and even that was iffy. I hope Dad gets to ride back." And then he chuckled.

"He might be walking," she suggested.

"It wouldn't be the first time. He's had himself a tough horse or two before this."

"Tougher than Streak?"

"Streak's a pu**ycat. Back home, we brought 'em in from the open range sometimes. Had some stallions that had killed. Thousand-pound felons." And again, the boyish grin. He was such a handsome kid. He'd braided that long ponytail, probably to keep his hair out of his face while he did chores.