I abused a horse.” Liv clicked the keys to unlock her car door. She didn’t need this. “Who’d you tell?” Matt asked.
“Andie and my father.”
“And who did Andie tell?”
“I have no idea who Andie told. Maybe you should be more concerned about who Trena told. She’s the one who had it in for you.”
Which made her wonder what kind of guy Matt was to live with. The Trena she’d bought the horse from was not the Trena she’d been in awe of in high school. The woman was still beautiful, maybe even more beautiful, but she’d also been withdrawn and sullen. Not a woman happy in her marriage.
And the reason for that was standing right there in front of her, looking sexy as hell. Shae had once said that Matt wore sexy the way other guys wore clothes and Liv hated that she had to agree with that assessment. What a waste.
“I don’t know where Trena is, but I know where you are.”
“I didn’t try to destroy your reputation, Matt. I have no reason to do that. I bought a horse that had obviously been used roughly. Tell me who you would have thought was responsible, given the circumstances.”
She could see from the way he shifted his weight that he not only understood her point, but he’d also probably come to the same conclusion himself.
“Will you do me the courtesy of telling Andie and your father that you were wrong?”
Liv almost said that she didn’t know that she was wrong, but something in his expression stopped her.
“I don’t know who Trena lent Beckett to,” he said seriously, “but she lent him to someone who used him hard, then she sold him to get rid of the evidence before I got home.”
Liv listened to excuses all day long. And lies. People pretending that they’d done their exercises when she knew that they hadn’t. She was pretty good at reading the signs...and she didn’t read anything in Matt’s face except harsh sincerity. And it made her feel uncomfortable. As if she’d done something wrong.
“Maybe that’s so,” she finally said. “I have no way of knowing.”
“I’m telling you I didn’t abuse the horse...and back in high school I didn’t mean to behave in a way that made you feel like you’d been used.”
The unexpected shift in topic brought heat to her cheeks, which irritated her.
“That’s what you’re sorry for?” She’d forgotten he’d started out saying that he owed her an apology.
“It’s a crime I actually did commit.”
“Not exactly a crime,” Liv said. She adjusted her shoulder bag, keeping a hand on the strap. “Just unrealistic expectations on my part.”
He didn’t deny it, which she hated to say, stung a little. Instead, he looked her up and down with half-hooded eyes, eyes that made her wonder just how good he was in bed. No one should have this much sex appeal.
“I need to go, Matt.”
“I am sorry.”
“Yeah.” Liv swallowed. “Me, too—but I’m not ready to apologize about the horse thing, because I still don’t know what happened there.”
“What do I have to do to convince you?” he asked.
“Nothing, Matt. Nothing at all. Just leave me and Beckett alone and I’ll tell Andie and my dad that you didn’t hurt the horse.” She turned and started walking to her car. “I’ll tell them to spread the news,” she muttered.
Right now, it didn’t matter if he hurt the horse because he was never getting him back.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LIV WENT STRAIGHT to the barn when she got home. Beckett often spent the afternoons in his stall, avoiding the heat, before venturing out to the pasture again in the early evening. The fence still wasn’t fixed properly, but thankfully he hadn’t shown any inclination to wander to the neighbors’ again. Liv had done what she could after the tractor broke down and told Tim she was satisfied with the job, even though she wasn’t. There was still time to do it right before winter.
“Totally spoiled,” Liv said as the horse nosed for treats.
“I’ll be back,” she said. “So don’t go rolling in the dirt or anything.” She patted his neck and then headed back to the house, where Tim was waiting on the porch.
She gave her father a once-over as she approached, thinking he looked as peaked as ever, despite his assertion that he was feeling so-o-o much better. Right. Every time she looked at her father her stomach made a knot.
“Hey, Dad,” she said as she mounted the steps, doing her best to hide her concern.