Mallory's Bears(8)

“Down, boy. Remember—”

“Yeah, I know. Remember why we’re here.”

Rick and Gunner sauntered over, then without pausing, waved them on to follow them into the house. Kid and she took one glance at each other, then hurried after them.

She hadn’t given any thought to what she’d expected the interior of their home to look like. Maybe with a grand staircase and large paintings of their ancestors? Instead, she saw rustic furnishings that spoke of easy comfort. She paused inside the foyer and did a circle to take in the rest of the place. The staircase wasn’t grand, as it led straight up to the second story. Although the furnishings seemed overly large, there weren’t a lot of pieces. The living room spread out in front of them while two open double doors led into a dining room and a sunlit kitchen. The dining room boasted a long wooden table and an assortment of chairs, while the kitchen was in need of updating from the seventies.

The strange current of energy that had caught her by surprise simmered over her again. Gunner was beside her, and although he was speaking to Kid, he had his attention fixed solidly on her.

“You guys can take the first two rooms at the top of the stairs and to the right. Rick’s room and mine are down the other way toward the end of the hallway. Feel free to freshen up. Rick and I need to get back out and take care of the horses.”

She wasn’t about to let the chance get past her. “How about if I come along? You know. For research.”

“So you think we’re abusing our horses, too?”

She liked the lift of the corners of Gunner’s mouth. He was teasing her, and yet, she didn’t mind. She had a feeling that she’d like anything he did. Both to and with her. “That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

What did that mean? When she looked into his eyes, those amazing brown depths threatened to consume her, and she knew exactly what he meant. She dropped her gaze, almost afraid that he could control her without saying another word.

“Follow us, Mallory.”

“Mal.”

He stopped as he headed toward the door, followed by Rick. “What?”

“People call me Mal. Short for Mallory.”

Rick shook his head. “Naw. That won’t work.”

“I’m sorry?” Was he trying to tell her that her name wasn’t any good? “Um, yeah. That’s my name.”

“Mal’s not good enough. Or pretty enough.” He sized her up, taking her in from the top of her head down to her toes. “I’m going to call you Mallory. That fits you better.”

All at once, she wished that she was dressed in something better than an old faded T-shirt and worn jeans. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she tried to smooth the wrinkles out of her shirt, then heard Kid’s chuckle.

“Whatever. I won’t be here long enough for it to matter.”

“If you say so…Mallory.” Rick smiled that shit-eating grin that both irritated her and thrilled her.

Gunner’s laugh was almost as loud as Kid’s as the men headed down the front porch and out to the barn.

The aroma of horses, hay, and a myriad of other smells hit her as soon as she entered the barn. Another set of double doors was open at the opposite side allowing air to circulate from one end to the other. After seeing a few other barns, she had to admit that theirs was well-maintained and clean. Large stalls with plenty of room for the horses to move around dominated two walls with a wide strip of land between them. Two rooms were on either side of the back doors that she assumed led into smaller rooms where more gear as well as medications and other supplies were stored. Saddles and bridles hung from hooks or were neatly arranged on shelves. Food was clearly labeled and protected in metal containers from insects and marauding vermin.

“Does it meet with your approval, Oh, Mistress of Animal Treatment?”

She’d quickly found out that Gunner was the jokester and Rick was the more serious of the two. The fact that Kid found Gunner’s jokes entertaining didn’t help. But she had to admit they were funny. Sometimes. “I don’t know yet. Let me give it a good looksee first.”

Rick made a scoffing sound, then let out a short whistle. A bark answered him as a black and white Sheltie darted around the last stall and ran toward Rick. As soon as the dog got close enough, he jumped into the air and landed in Rick’s arms. The dog greeted his master with lots of whines and licks, and it was easy to see that Rick returned the love.

“This is Rebel.”

Rebel squirmed in Rick’s arms, then hurled his body at Gunner. Gunner caught him in midair and went through the same loving greeting that Rebel had given Rick. By the time the dog leapt out of Gunner’s arms to the ground in front of her, she’d already fallen in love.