Intent(16)

I don’t think about what a good father Ace is, how attentive he is to his daughter’s well-being, and how much she obviously adores him.

“Waynie, you should spend the night. I never had a sleepover before.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” I stall. “But since I just got here today, I’m not even unpacked yet. Maybe we can do it at my place one night this summer and give your daddy a break.”

“Maybe.” She scrunches her little brow and purses her lips as she considers my idea. “But I want Daddy to play with us, too.”

“Don’t worry about it right now, precious. We’ll figure it out later. You need to finish eating first,” Ace interjects and points toward her plate.

I don’t think about all these beautiful moments others take for granted but are just out of my reach.

“Everything smells so delicious.” The combination of the aromas makes my mouth water and I begin loading food onto my plate. The grilled chicken is covered in barbecue sauce. The baked potatoes are still steaming hot. The corn on the cob is slathered with butter and it’s dripping down the sides. And, of course, the salad looks too perfect to eat. “I hope you didn’t go to all this trouble for me.”

“Honestly, it’s no trouble at all. I cook for River and me anyway. Adding one more person to the mix is just icing on the cake.”

Ace’s smile is full of so much warmth it makes me question if this is the same man I met in the field earlier today. That man was gruff, rude, and condescending. The man sitting here now is definitely still in charge, but with a charming twist that is very unexpected. In the back of my mind, I can’t help but question the sudden change in demeanor.

“Even so, I really do appreciate your hospitality.”

“Layne, there is something I need to say to you.” Ace puts his fork down and looks me directly in the eye. “My behavior earlier today was completely uncalled for, and I’d like to apologize for that. You caught me off guard when I saw you in the pasture with the horses. Some of them are afraid of people and could be dangerous under the wrong conditions. But I was just rude, and you didn’t deserve that.”

“Apology accepted.” I swallow past the lump in my throat, unable to resist the automatic comparison between Ace and Bobby that pops in my head. Bobby never would’ve admitted his fault so easily. “Are those your horses?”

“Not exactly—not the way you’re thinking, anyway.” He cocks his head to the side and the muscles around the edge of one eye tighten. My eyes inadvertently follow his lips as he pulls one side up and considers how best to finish his explanation. “My best friend, Justin, and I own an equine rehabilitation facility. Those horses are part of our program.”

“That sounds very interesting. I’d love to learn more about what you do there.” My instant mortification sets in when I realize how I just blurted that out without even thinking. I don’t know the first thing about rehabilitating a horse. “So, what was wrong with the horse I was petting?”

“That was Frankie,” Ace replies. “Frankie is one of our rescue horses. He was in a very abusive environment—physical abuse, neglect, and starvation. When we first got him, he didn’t trust any human. Not that I blame him. But it took a long time with just him and me in the round pen, with hay and sweet feed in my hands, before I could even get close to him.

“So, you can imagine my surprise when I walked through the pasture to get him today, fully expecting to spend half an hour chasing his ass around, but instead, I find you petting him. By the way, how’d you get so close to him? What’d you bribe him with?”

“He came up to me while I was sitting on that boulder by the water. I didn’t offer him anything.”

This really does catch Ace’s attention. Again, he puts his fork down, but this time, he leans back in his chair. His wrist is propped on the table by his plate and the other hand is on his hip. His eyes are wide and his lips slightly parted. “He came up to you? You didn’t call him or anything?”

“Actually, he surprised me because I didn’t hear him walk up behind me. He put his muzzle on my arm. I jumped at first but then I stood and started petting him.”

Ace’s bottom jaw drops to his lap. He’s still looking at me disbelievingly, so I keep explaining.

“When I started walking away, he followed me and stayed right with me. I thought he just wanted more attention, so I stopped walking, put my stuff down, and told him I’d pet him as long as he’d let me.” I chuckle and shake my head, remembering how I’d spoken to the horse. But in my defense, he seemed to understand me. “That’s when you walked up.”

“Why’d you laugh just now?” Ace asks as he leans toward me and puts both elbows on the table.

“Oh, I was just thinking about how silly you must think it is that I talked to the horse.” I shrug one shoulder dismissively but turn my face away from his penetrating green eyes.

Calloused fingers, rough from years of hard work, touch my chin tenderly and turn my face back to his. “It’s not silly at all, Layne. It’s just the opposite, actually. It makes perfect sense, and just that little bit of information you shared helps me tremendously.”

“Then I’m glad my trespassing on your property turned out to be helpful.” I smile teasingly. “Maybe I’ll vandalize your barn tomorrow and give you another revelation.”