still trying to get my rebellious dick under control.
“Just a splash of the creamer in the fridge.”
“The big, tough cowboy doesn’t drink it black?”
I grinned at the teasing tone, a different warmth settling in my stomach. I liked the idea of this easy banter with her.
“Cowboys are more out West than in the South,” I informed her. “Besides, we don’t have cows on the ranch.”
“Then what are you?” she asked, carrying two mugs of coffee over to the table. “A horseboy?”
I laughed. “You make a fair point.” I sat down across from her. “I suppose ranch hand would be the most accurate job title.”
As we ate, our conversation stayed on my work, but I didn’t mind. When we were finished, I planned on showing Nyx what I’d discovered before she’d come over yesterday. I intended to use it in my film, but if it could help the Huxleys and Nyx’s clients, I wanted them to have it too.
“I have to know.” Nyx stabbed a section of egg with her fork. “How did a rich politician’s son on track to be a documentary filmmaker learn how to give riding lessons?”
I was impressed by the question and let it be heard in my words. “Most people just want to know how I ended working here, not how I was qualified to do the work.”
She shrugged, a pleased smile curving her lips at the compliment. “It just seems like a weird thing for you to know how to do.”
“After I found out about my dad and my ex, I needed to get out of Savannah,” I broke off a piece of bacon but didn’t lift it to my mouth, “so I went to Statesboro to stay with a cousin of mine, Perenelle. She volunteers at a stable that teaches special needs kids how to ride. That’s where I learned the basics. When Brew hired me, he said I had a natural talent with horses, so he taught me the rest of what I needed to know.”
“Brew and Shadae are great people,” she said, nothing but sincerity in her voice.
“Some of the best I’ve ever known,” I agreed.
She reached over and put her hand on mine. “I understand why you were angry when you thought I was using them.”
“It’s funny.” I turned my hand and linked our fingers together. “I feel more at home here, with them, than I ever did with my family. More myself.”
“I get that.” She rubbed my fingers with her thumb. “When I moved in with Kaimi and Rose, it was the first time I’d felt like I was home since before my dad died.”
We were both quiet after that, and after finishing the last of my breakfast, I got up to put the plate in the sink. It was time to change the conversation so that we weren’t both thinking about how the places we each called home were eight hundred miles apart.
I’d looked up the mileage during the flight to New York for Kaimi’s wedding.
That wasn’t important right now, though. We had other things to discuss.
“I meant to come see you today.” I poured myself a second cup of coffee, then put the pot back on the warmer when she placed her hand over her mug, indicating that she’d had enough. “I found a few things that I think you’ll find…interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“I moved it all over to the couch so we could eat at the table.” I took her empty plate and put it with mine, continuing my explanation as I went. “I was at my sister’s house yesterday, watching the kids while everyone else was at the hospital and–”
“Shit!” Nyx cut in, an embarrassed expression on her face. “I completely forgot about your nephew! How is he?”
“Good,” I said with a smile. “He has to stay in the hospital longer than he would have if they’d caught it before his appendix burst, but he’ll make a complete recovery and should be home around Halloween.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, sitting down next to me on the couch. “If something like that happened to Rose, I’d be a mess.”
“Somehow, I doubt it.” Off her look, I added, “You’d be the one threatening the doctor with loss of limb if they didn’t take care of her.”
She laughed. “Yeah, that does sound about right.” She leaned against me for a moment. “Now, back to what you were saying.”
I was tempted to put my arm around her, but we’d probably get distracted if I did that, so I stuck with simply