Resonance of Stars (Greenstone Security #5) - Anne Malcom Page 0,52
my best to avoid Duke at dinner and feigned sleep while he was showering.
This wasn’t an act I could continue. This week had been pure luck, with ranch tasks pulling Duke’s attention away from me. But it was just a matter of time.
I was no closer to finding a way to build my shields back up, so feeding the horses was an essential part of the routine to keep me even.
But in order to feed the horses I had to walk past the arena—where Duke was training the newest horse.
It was running around him in circles, and he was guiding it. All of his focus was on that horse. Normally, he’d notice me watching. That was just who he was. Whatever he’d done in his past had made it so there was no such thing as calm for him. He was always alert, expecting the next threat. The more time I spent with him, the more I understood why he’d had to leave this place. Whatever he’d seen and done over there had changed him, changed his insides. He couldn’t be in a place like this, a place of beauty. Love. A place where the ghost of his past self formerly walked.
I totally got it.
Even though my heart broke for him.
Broke for whoever he used to be. He would’ve had a good life here, a good woman, children.
But life didn’t work that way.
So I tried to shake off my sorrow, my grief for him.
And I just watched.
Watching Duke longe this horse was weirdly erotic.
Well, it wasn’t weird, as watching Duke do anything had become erotic.
It was weird how deeply he touched me, beyond the fact he was a hot guy in a cowboy hat, jeans that were made for him, training a horse. That was part of it, sure. But there was something else. Something inside me that was desperate to sink my nails into his skin, clutch his bones so I never had to lose him.
But I would.
Lose him, that was.
We all lost everyone eventually.
Both Duke and I were too focused that we didn’t notice Tanner had climbed the fence until he was in the middle of the arena.
The horse stopped abruptly, as if it could sense the aggression in the air. I could taste it, and I wasn’t even near them.
Tanner snatched the rope connected to the horse.
“This isn’t your horse to train,” he said.
Thankfully, I could hear him, since he was speaking loudly enough for the audience he was obviously too pissed off to realize he had. This was it. I had been waiting for their tension to come to a head. I knew the rest of the family had as well.
Duke’s stance was casual, but I didn’t miss the tightness in his body, so starkly different to the way it had been moments before with the horse.
“I wasn’t aware that I was banned from touching horses,” he replied.
Tanner leaned forward, the scowl not suiting his features. “You’re not banned from shit. But we both know you’re here for a fuckin’ holiday with your woman. Show her some country, give her the opportunity to fall in love, and then you’ll go back to your life in Hollywood. We won’t see you for another five years. So no, I don’t want you thinkin’ you can get horses used to you.”
Tanner wasn’t yelling. He didn’t need to. He was getting his fury across rather well.
“You think you know shit about my life, about Anastasia’s life?” Duke asked quietly, but still loud enough to hear the danger in his voice.
Although it wasn’t my place to interfere, my body worked on its own. I was climbing the wooden fence without consciously making the decision to do it.
Tanner was ready to explode. “I know enough to be certain you’re gonna break Mom’s heart all over again when you leave. And you’re gonna break Anastasia’s heart too, ’cause you ain’t got it in you to treat anyone decent.”
Oh fuck. Tanner was going to bat for me, which would’ve been sweet if things were real. On Duke’s side at least. I was plenty prepared for my heart to be broken. I was also a big girl, able to fight my own battles and I sure as shit didn’t need two brothers fighting over me.
“And what the fuck do you know about treating someone decent, Tanner?” Duke asked this even quieter, but since I was getting closer I could hear him. “I know you’re well versed at breaking women’s hearts.”