he’d been able to go to Three Rivers with Molly, but she’d taken a ton of pictures, and she’d worked with Matt to get a layout for their program here at the farm. Hunt really liked listening to her talk about it, because she seemed to have as much passion for the equine therapy project as he did. Gloria and Matt had been at her side every step of the way, and that eased some of Hunter’s guilt about his long hours in the lab at HMC.
All three of them stood out in the pasture Hunter was currently watching over, and he saw Molly peel off and go north, back toward the farmhouse.
Matt and Gloria continued to meander through the pasture, their hatted heads and the distance between them and Hunter making it impossible for him to see their faces. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that they liked each other. Matt didn’t reach for her hand though, and she never strayed too close to him with any one step.
They definitely had a history, though, and Hunter wanted to know what it was. He trusted Matt with every fiber of his being, and he didn’t want to lose either of them. Gloria really did possess a special kind of talent with horses, and he wondered if she could be a counselor as well, because Molly said she was brilliant with Brittany as well.
Brittany had something wrong with her that no one had been able to diagnose. She stuttered sometimes, and sometimes she lost her balance. She had a hard time carrying too much, as the muscles in her legs sometimes gave out. Matt continued to assign her the job of collecting the eggs, though, because he wanted her to be as strong as possible.
She’d only broken them once this summer, and Hunter smiled at the mere thought of the little girl. Matt’s kids had never come to the farm with him, and Hunter found their presence here comforting. They made life at the farm even more appealing, and Hunter’s gaze wandered in the direction Molly had gone.
He still hadn’t kissed her, and he wondered what in the world he’d been waiting for. He didn’t see her every day, for one thing. When they did get together, the amount of items they needed to talk about went on and on. Molly was detailed and organized, and she’d made starting the equine therapy center ridiculously easy for Hunter.
He realized that while he still held her hand and flirted with her, their relationship had almost become professional. Like he was the boss and she his secretary.
He frowned at the very thought of that. He did not want that kind of relationship with Molly Benson, and yet, he hadn’t taken their romantic relationship to the next level.
“What are you afraid of?” he asked himself, a question Lucy would’ve pressed him to answer. He was afraid of making the wrong decision, for one. At work, here at the farm, and with Molly.
He was afraid he wouldn’t be good enough for her, and that she’d eventually realize it when he’d fallen all the way in love with her again. He was worried about strapping her with a man who needed to talk to a therapist every week just to keep getting up and going to work.
He was terrified he wouldn’t be able to support her when she needed it. Not financially, but emotionally. He was honestly scared out of his mind at becoming a father, though he did want children. A lot of them, actually.
With his fears flowing freely through his mind, he didn’t see Gloria go in a different direction, and he didn’t realize how close Matt had gotten until he said, “What brings you out to the farm tonight, Hunt?”
A smile touched his face. “Just needed a breather, I think. The city is…busy.” Noisy, crowded, and intense too. It wore on Hunter’s nerves and soul, and he much preferred the stillness and less frantic nature of the farm.
Matt nodded, climbed the fence, and stood next to him. “Things are coming along real nice, Hunt. Stables will be done in another month. Gloria is great with the horses, and she’s been doing all that online training Molly suggested.” He gave a long sigh that spoke more of contentment than frustration. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about staying on here.”
“Staying?” Hunter turned toward Matt and leaned his hip into the log there. “You never stay. Don’t the kids go to school in Sugar