Sunset Seduction - By Charlene Sands Page 0,26

of the day washing down and grooming the horses. Every few hours, she would pay a visit to Trib. She let him see her. She wanted him to know she was there and would be returning time and again. She wanted him to become familiar with her.

“I’m here and I’m coming back soon. Don’t you worry,” she’d say.

The horse didn’t respond, except to look at her with cautious eyes.

Other than Luke, Ward was the only hand allowed to turn him out to his special corral. One day soon, Audrey would do that. She would also ride him.

For now, each time she was about to exit the paddock, she would leave something special for the stallion on the ground. A few sugar cubes. A scoop of oats. A carrot.

She’d walk out of the barn and into the hot Nevada sunshine, putting her ear to the barn door. She’d listen and, after a few minutes, hear Trib wander over and gobble up his treat.

At the end of the day, Audrey entered the Slade home feeling a sense of accomplishment. She hummed through her shower and dressed in her new clothes, leaving her long blond hair down for a change.

Sophia had invited her to the cottage when she found out Luke would be gone for the day. But Audrey suspected Luke had something to do with that invitation. She didn’t mind. She liked spending time with Sophia and Logan. The two were a testament to true love.

Dinner was lovely. Sophia was a gracious host. Logan grilled steaks outside and Sophia and Audrey made side dishes to complement the meal. Afterward, Logan took a rare long-distance phone call from his brother Justin, who was on his last tour of duty in Afghanistan and due to come home soon. The phone call gave her some private time to spend with Sophia.

Sophia was easy to be around. She didn’t judge. She was a good listener and Audrey opened up to her about her life on the road with Casey. About her dreams of becoming a veterinarian and how Casey’s injury had slowed that down. Sophia encouraged her to pursue her dreams, as long as she was sure of what she truly wanted.

Audrey left the cottage at nine o’clock after thanking the Slades for a wonderful evening. She parked her truck and headed toward the house. The ranch was quietly settled for the night, the sky starless and black, the air heavy with the day’s lingering heat. Not even an owl hooted. The horses were sleeping. Only Jewel greeted her at the door, rubbing against her leg and purring as Audrey walked inside. She wasn’t entirely alone; the cat was here. As much as she loved Jewel, somehow that wasn’t enough. Seeing Logan and Sophia tonight being so much in love and truly in tune with each other left her feeling a little lost.

It was strange. She was happy for them, but pangs of sadness hit her as she walked into the home of the man she loved. Luke wasn’t here. She wanted to talk to him. She’d promised to give him a daily update of her work with Trib. She wanted to share with him the little progress she’d made. But more so, she wanted his company. She missed him and didn’t want to waste another second of her time here at Sunset Ranch. Sensations of loneliness rippled over her that far outweighed being physically alone in this big house. She felt it deep in her bones and an unwelcome shiver crept up her spine. Sleep wasn’t going to happen right now. And she was too darn edgy for mindless television. She needed a lift, a boost to get her out of this peculiar mood.

An idea struck and her lips curled up.

A skinny-dip was out of the question.

But she did have one other option.

* * *

Luke texted Audrey on his way home from the airport. She didn’t answer. He glanced at his watch. It was after ten. By all rights she should be in bed by now. Everyone who worked the ranch woke at dawn, put in their hours and it was lights-out by nine usually. She must be asleep after having had dinner at the cottage. But he hadn’t heard from her today. He knew darn well she’d jump at the chance to work with Trib. It was a hard call for him to make, giving her that freedom, especially when he wasn’t going to be around. He’d worried over it at odd times today