Intent(29)

“What do you mean?” I just told him about my breakup a few minutes ago, and I intentionally kept my mental breakdown out of the conversation.

He rolls to his side but keeps his body touching mine, his hand splayed across my stomach, and his eyes glued to mine. “The equine rehab center isn’t just a place that rehabilitates horses, Layne. It does help them, don’t get me wrong, but they’re very attuned to human emotions. If a horse senses a human’s spirit is broken in a similar way his is, he’s more likely to bond with that human. Frankie has bonded with you because he feels your pain and he recognizes it as his own.

“Justin is a licensed therapist, and this is a new type of therapy that we’re conducting clinical trials on. I’m a licensed equine specialist, so not the same as Justin. He works with the human patients, I work with the horse patients, and together we try to heal both.”

The weight of his words sinks in as I think about the time I’ve spent with Frankie. It humbles me to think of when we clung to each other, the feelings I felt were magnified in him. The day in the pasture when he walked up to me, the day in the pen when it felt like he hugged me—it was because the broken heart inside me mirrored the broken heart inside him.

“So you knew I was broken when you first met me?” My voice is thick with emotion but I manage to get the words out.

“I didn’t know any details, but I knew you were hurting when you told me Frankie approached you. He’s never done that with anyone else.”

“And you’re still here, even knowing that ahead of time?”

“I’ve tried to resist, Layne. For your sake, for my sake, and mostly for River’s sake, I’ve tried to keep my distance from you. But Justin said something that made me reconsider my stance. If there’s something between us we both want, I’m actually hurting myself and my daughter by not giving it a chance. So tell me something, Layne. Are you willing to take a chance on me?”

“What happens at the end of the summer?” I whisper, afraid of his answer, regardless of what it is.

“We’ll just go where summer never ends,” he replies.

If any other man had said that, I would’ve sworn it was a smooth line he used just to try to get in my pants. But with Ace, I know that’s not the case at all. He had every opportunity to take all he wanted, but he stopped on his own. He’s also not one to mince words to spare anyone’s feelings. Every day I’ve spent with him, he’s been bluntly honest.

That’s my cue to be bluntly honest with myself. Should I allow the pain from my split with Bobby to rob me of my happiness? To taint the rest of my life? When I left his apartment that day, and every day up until now, I’ve been intent on never letting another living soul anywhere near my heart.

But River found a way in.

Frankie thawed the iceberg in my chest.

Ace warmed me from the inside out.

I don’t want to miss this chance, wherever it may lead. I know I’m still broken and I’m afraid to hope, but something tells me Ace already knows that.

“Eternal summer sounds perfect to me,” I reply, leaving it intentionally vague. I just can’t bring myself to say it yet.

His responding smile is understanding, empathetic, discerning. He may not be a therapist for humans, but he seems to be able to read people very well. “Good answer.”

He leans in for a sweet, chaste kiss. His lips brush against mine, his tongue teases me without fully delving inside. Even so, it’s still every bit as toe-curling and panty-melting as the others were.

“Don’t forget the inner tube race is the day after tomorrow.” He raises my fingers to his mouth, kissing the tips one by one. “You’re still going to be my partner in it, right? It’s always a lot of fun, and you could use a little cutting loose and having some fun.”

“Such a sweet-talker. You’ve convinced me,” I retort. “What you’re really saying is you need my help to win the race.”

“Oh, you’ll help me win, huh?” The amused twinkle in his eye is so sexy.

“That’s right. You don’t stand a chance without me.”

“I do love a woman who’s sure of herself,” he winks. “And since you have a day off from babysitting, come by the farm and hang out with Frankie tomorrow. He misses you.”

“Frankie misses me, huh?”

“He does.” Ace nods. “And if you come by late in the afternoon, say just before I get off work, we’ll leave from there and I’ll take you out on a real date.”

“Um, Ace, I’ve seen you when you get off work. I’m not going out with you all dirty and sweaty,” I laugh.

“I’ll take a shower there before we leave,” he deadpans. “But now you have to pay for that insult.”

“Pay, how?” I ask tentatively. I’m not sure I really want to know.

Before I can move, his fingers grip my ribs on both sides and he tickles me—mercilessly. Even through my squirming, squealing, and attempts to break free, his grip never falters.

“Are you going to take that back now?”

“Okay!” I laugh, I mean, really laugh. “I take it back! I take it back!”

“That’s a good girl,” he chides playfully as he stops. “You learn so quickly.”