Lost Love (Cowboys and Angels #1)(56)
He laughed. “Considering you kicked my ass at roping, I figured I’d do something nice for you.”
Steed did the same thing I’d done with my horse. His hands moved over the Blue Roan. “Fucking hell, she’s beautiful,” he said.
Trevor nodded. “I just bought her not too long ago from a breeder in Mason. His wife trained her, and I’ve got to say, she did one hell of a good job. I’ve never had a mare behave like such a lady as this one.”
“What’s her name?” I asked while still running my hands along my horse.
Trevor pointed to my horse first. “This here is Allure.”
My brows lifted. “Very fitting name for her.”
He laughed. “Yeah, and this one is Marley.”
I crinkled my nose. “That’s an adorable name for her.”
Steed took the reins from Trevor. “Anything you need us to do when we get back?”
“Hose them down, and make sure they have fresh water. They’ll get oats tomorrow morning, so a bit of hay cubes is fine if you want to treat them.”
“Got it.”
Trevor started to walk off. “Oh, and just an FYI. They like to run.”
I laughed. “Oh gosh, I feel a race coming on.”
We rode in silence for a bit until we were off the main trail, cutting through one of the pastures. Steed seemed lost in thought, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about what Chloe had said.
“Today at the spa, Chloe told me her Christmas wish list.”
He laughed. “She’s been asking to write a letter to Santa Claus, but told me it wasn’t ready for me to read it. Of course, I can hardly read what she writes anyway.”
I chuckled.
“What was on it?” he asked.
I cleared my throat. “Well, some things you’ll love, one you will hate.”
His brows pinched together. “Really?”
Nodding, I giggled. “Yep. She said she wanted her own horse. A bed for Patches so she could sleep in her room with her.”
Steed let out a roar of laughter.
I went on. “A Barbie dream house. Some books, other things like dresses and make-up.”
“Make-up?” he gasped. “What the fuck does she need make-up for?”
My failed attempts to hide my smile only made him frown more. “Fuck,” he said, his hand raking through his beautiful brown waves.
“Then she said she wanted a boyfriend. Preferably Timothy Knox.”
Peeking over to watch his reaction, I thought he was going to blow the top of his head off.
“Boyfriend! Who the fuck is Timothy Knox?”
My cheeks ached from holding back laughter. “He’s a classmate. Sweet little boy. He always pulls her chair out for her if he is near. And he always sits next to her at lunch.”
Steed’s eyes widened in horror. “W-what?”
I looked ahead of me. If I kept staring at Steed, I was sure to start laughing my ass off.
“You need to move him.”
Lifting a brow, I asked, “Move him? Move him where?”
“Away from my daughter! To another class!”
“Steed, I’m the only kindergarten teacher. I can’t have him moved. Besides, I wouldn’t even if I could.”
“Why not? The little bastard is going after our Chloe.”
My breath seized in my throat.
Our Chloe.
Not wanting to make a big deal out of what he said, I ignored it. “They’re five. It’s harmless.”
“It’s not harmless if my daughter wants to be his girlfriend.” He shook his head and brought Marley to a stop. “I’m going to be sick.”
A small part of me felt sorry for him.
“Then I probably shouldn’t tell you she asked for a kiss from him also.”
Steed’s face turned white, and he slid off of his horse. He stumbled for a few steps and dropped back onto his ass.
It shouldn’t have, but damn, it turned me on seeing him react this way. I knew I was making a mistake sliding off my horse, but I was tired of playing it safe. Besides, it was obvious that Steed needed me.
Standing over Steed, I watched while he cradled his head in his hands.
“This is payback. Karma. My sin coming back to haunt me.”
Sighing, I kicked at his boot. “Stop it. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I thought we were going to ride.”
He glanced up at me. “Are you sure you can keep an eye on this little Timothy bastard?”
I grimaced. “Steed, I don’t think you should be calling my students names like bastard and little prick.”
He scoffed and stood up. I was about to say more but my voice caught in my throat. I was so taken by this man’s beauty that I struggled to think straight, let alone speak. His blue eyes popped against the off-white cowboy hat. My eyes traveled down to the day-old scruff on his face. I wanted desperately to feel it against my skin.