He opened it for them and they passed through and stopped.
“Hey, girls.” He patted Hazel’s neck and took the lead rope. “Look at you up there. You’re a regular cowgirl.”
Allie beamed with pride. Hannah beamed at the man. She swung from the saddle and he gave her a chaste kiss. Even that made her gooey.
“You girls finished for the day?”
“You’re never finished with your horse right after you ride,” Allie told him. “You have to take care of them first. Brush them, give them water, that kind of stuff.”
“You’re right. You know a lot about horses.”
“Hannah taught me. She could teach you stuff too.”
“Yes.” Stephen sent her a look that made her blood hot and her nipples tingle. “I bet she could. Come on. Let’s get you down and get to work.”
Stephen took Winnie’s reins and Hannah moved to help Allie.
“I can do it,” Allie said.
“Okay.” Hannah stayed back. “I’m only here if you need me. Which I’m sure you don’t.” Allie fisted a bit of mane close to Hazel’s neck, leaned forward, and pulled both feet out of the stirrups. With great effort, she raised her prosthetic leg, having only her hip to maneuver an entire leg.
When she got stuck midway, Stephen moved to help but Hannah stopped him with a hand on his arm. Allie needed to do this. And she did. She got the leg over, turning herself onto her belly as she went. She hung there a second, both feet dangling. “Okay. Here I go.”
Hannah held her breath. It was just two feet, but Allie only had one solid foot to land on.
Stephen applauded her dismount. “A perfect ten.”
She could have kissed him, would have if Allie hadn’t been looking over her shoulder, smiling like she’d landed an Olympic vault.
But in a blink, the girl’s expression turned serious as she peered up at Stephen. “Do you kiss other girls?”
Oh, God.
“I asked Hannah,” Allie went on, “but she didn’t know. I just wondered, because you can’t be her boyfriend if you do. You’re handsome, but so’s my dad.”
Mortified, she choked out something like a cough. And on top of the kissing question, was Allie trying to set her up with her father?
“Allie.” Lexie called her from the barn.
“Sorry. I have to go now.”
As if we’d all like to stay and chat about it some more.
Lexie met her and together they walked Hazel slowly but steadily into the barn. Cheeks burning, Hannah stared after them.
“Well,” Stephen said cheerfully.
Yes. Well.
“Hannah.”
“What?” Please don’t ask me to look at you.
“Look at me.”
She really, really didn’t want to. But she did and found him fighting a smile while she was dying from embarrassment.
“Do you think I kiss other girls?”
She dropped her gaze and studied the buttons on his shirt. Small, white, four holes. “I don’t know.”
Stephen took her chin firmly between his thumb and finger and forced her eyes up to meet his. “I haven’t kissed another girl since the first time I kissed you over a bowl of ice cream. I haven’t wanted to. Haven’t even thought about it.”
“Oh.” She couldn’t stop the joy that burst inside her. “I haven’t either. Kissed anyone, I mean.”
“Good to know,” he said, fingering the ends of her braid and grinning like her answer was no surprise.
But then he caught her face in his hands and she didn’t care. He bent and planted a devastating kiss on her that didn’t last nearly long enough. She opened her eyes, dazed, and practically floated into the barn.
Together they settled Winnie and as soon as her door was secured, Stephen pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed her until she was boneless. She looped her arms around his neck.
“I missed you.”
He’d said it enough times via text, but it was so much better hearing his voice, feeling an extra-tight squeeze in his arms. He pulled back and studied her a moment. She knew he hated that she had nightmares without him there.
“I’m fine.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
“It was worth it. But if you feel bad,” he said, giving her bottom a squeeze, “maybe you should kiss me again.”
She did, making it count, until a deep throat-clearing interrupted. Nick stood at the barn entrance, looking especially deadly.
“More than worth it,” Stephen said, overly pleased.
Hannah smacked his shoulder.
“I need to go into the office, but I’ll see you tonight.” Then he kissed her again, quick and hard on the mouth.