Free Stripped Down by Lorelei James Page A

it was her, her horse, and ten or more cows. During team penning competition, there were two other riders on horses and up to thirty calves. In other words—mass chaos. She couldn’t take the chance that she’d have a low glycemic moment and pass out on top of her horse.
    Again.
    It had happened to her during a competition, prior to her diagnosis. At the time she’d blamed it on excessive heat in the arena, or being overly tired. She was lucky she hadn’t injured herself or someone else.
    Especially since she hadn’t remembered anything that had happened.
    Mel had withdrawn from all competitions. She’d been in limbo, trying to figure out what to do with her life now that her life had changed. Being a trust fund baby did have some perks—she didn’t have to decide immediately.
    The scenery kept her interest for the remainder of the drive. When she turned down the dirt road that the GPS indicated led to Wynton’s house, she envied him and this view every day. Hills and flat land and those gorgeous snow-topped Rocky Mountains in the distance.
    His house wasn’t what she expected. It was an older ranch house with one old barn, one enormous new barn, and loading pens off to the side of the corral. She pulled the horse trailer up to the pasture Wynton had recommended. She’d keep Plato segregated for a few days until he became acclimated to the area and the other horses.
    Since she’d exercised Plato first thing this morning, she checked him for any new marks after being cooped up in the horse trailer. Sometimes the temperamental horse would kick the walls and she’d open up the back end to see him bleeding. But he didn’t look worse for the wear, so she fed him and turned him loose.
    The next thing Mel did was open the house and cart all of her stuff inside, dumping it in the guest bedroom. She wanted to set the parameters from day one. She couldn’t wait to fuck Wynton in every way she’d fantasized about—okay, maybe she had actually written down a list of all the positions and scenarios she wanted to try with Super Man-Slut—but she would be sleeping and waking up alone every night.
    You are such a chicken-shit. Why don’t you just tell him the truth?
    Because she didn’t want to blow a good thing. Sexually, they seemed to be on the same page, and that was all that mattered.
    She stowed her insulin in the back of the closet. She hid her blood sugar meter in the same drawer as the Glucagon emergency kit. She filled the nightstand drawer with her new best friend—a constant supply of snacks. Then she unpacked her clothes and put them away. She set up her laptop, her cell phone charger, and her e-reader. She spread her toiletries out on the counter in the bathroom across the hallway, including the brand new, unopened jumbo-sized box of condoms.
    Then she allowed herself to explore.
    Wynton’s house was a four-bedroom ranch with a decent-sized living room, and a kitchen that opened into the dining room. Off the dining room was a patio that was completely enclosed by an eight-foot tall fence. The space was homey, although a few things didn’t fit. Like the rooster-imaged ruffled curtains in the kitchen and the peach-colored walls in the living room. But the gigantic TV and gaming system, and the oversized recliners and couch did scream bachelor.
    One place she didn’t even peek into was the closed door at the opposite end of the hallway from her room. It seemed…intrusive to check out Wynton’s bedroom when he wasn’t here.
    And since she had no idea what time he’d arrive, she carried in the groceries she’d packed in the cooler and took stock of his pantry. Good thing she stopped at the store.
    Mel had just finished the chicken stir-fry when she heard the front door open.
     
    * * * *
     
    The wait for the doctor’s diagnosis today had been nerve-racking. But the good news had been such a relief. His dad had a new diet and exercise regimen. He had eight weeks off to recover because he would make a