“What’d you want, Stephanie? When you ran, what did you think would happen?”
“Honestly?” she asks. I don’t say anything, waiting for her to continue, and I’m glad when she does. “Honestly, I thought that I would fail. I figured I’d try, then come back home when I was a complete failure.”
“So what? You’d fail, come home, and then we’d get married?” I ask, anger suddenly filling my entire body. “I was your fucking backup plan, wasn’t I?”
“Don’t, Ford. Just don’t. I was young and stupid.”
“Apparently, I was too.”
Ending the call, I power down my cell. I lie there awake for another thirty minutes before I hear the thunder in the distance. With a groan, I roll out of bed and pull on my jeans along with a t-shirt, then pull on socks and my boots before I head outside. If I don’t make sure Starlight is locked up tight, she’ll take off on me.
Once I’m outside, I see the lightning in the distance, with a curse, I jog toward Starlight’s pen. Gone. Fuck. I didn’t catch this storm on the radar, probably because I didn’t fucking look like I usually do.
I love my horse, I really fucking do, but the fucking animal is a goddamn pussy. She cannot handle lightning and thunder, just can’t. She fucking bolts as soon as it’s anywhere near. I didn’t have her tethered in her stall or the barn doors closed, she’s gone.
Tilting my head back, I run my fingers through my hair with a heavy sigh. “Fuck,” I curse to myself. “Fucking shit.”
Headlights appear behind me, just as I’m climbing into my Gator and starting the engine. Turning to look back over my shoulder, I let out a curse under my breath. Watching her pull up, her car rocks forward as she slams on her brakes.
The door swings open and she jumps out, before she bounds toward me wearing a little pair of shorts and a tank top with an open sweater. Her hair is in a messy pile on top of her head and her face is bare, she looks fucking phenomenal.
“What the fuck?” I shout as she rushes toward me.
“I don’t know,” she breathes. “I just couldn’t leave our talk like that, I couldn’t.”
She’s got tears streaming down her cheeks. “Get in, I gotta go find Starlight,” I grumble.
“What?”
She looks fucking adorably confused. “Got a horse that sprints anytime there’s a fucking storm and it’s comin’.”
Without another word, she walks around the Gator and climbs inside. I don’t say anything, I’m not sure what to say exactly. Instead, I go in search of my fucking horse. For whatever reason, I have a thing for females that fucking bolt.
STEPHANIE
Ford is driving his Gator like a bat out of hell. I hear the thunder rumble in the distance, then see the flash of lightning and I know that it’s closer than I would prefer to be outside in. He shouts out a curse, then jerks the wheel to the right.
A little house comes into view just as the water starts to pour down around us. Ford climbs out and walks around the Gator, I watch as he takes something from under the front doormat and fiddles with the door before pushing it open.
“C’mon,” he calls out. I don’t hesitate. Instead, I hurry out of the Gator and the rain and run toward him. “Wait in here. I haven’t been in here for a while, so turn the lights on.”
I know what that warning means. On the inside, I let out a shriek, but decide to pull up my big girl panties for him and just give him a nod. Flipping the lights on, I close the door behind me and look around the small cabin-like house.
My first impression? It’s absolutely adorable. It looks like one of those cabins that you see when people go glamping. It only has a small living room and a small kitchen with a bistro-style table and two chairs. The whole thing is painted a beautiful light buttery yellow.
I’m surprised that it’s somewhat furnished. Stepping farther inside, I really look around. The sofa is older, but in good condition, a dark brown leather. The coffee table is gorgeous and stained a deep black walnut color.
The floors are rich wood planks, and turning toward the kitchen, I sigh at the old farmhouse sink. It’s absolutely stunning. The countertops are wooden butcher block and I can’t believe the detail that has been put into every small aspect of the place.