Free License to Love by Kristen James Page A

walked down the
hall and into the bathroom. Man, he needed to learn how to talk to people. He
went to the door where she’d locked herself in.
    “I’m sorry, Missy.”
    “I just need some time alone.”
    He knew she had some fears and hurts but he wanted to help.
It probably didn’t help that he was so cold when he first met her, but couldn’t
he make up for that now?
    He knew what betrayal felt like, and how hard it was to
trust again. Despite that, he wanted to try.
    “I’m too curious for my own good.” He resigned himself to
talking to the door. “I’ve grown to care about you. It happened when we met,
but I didn’t want to like you. I can’t fight it now. So I’m sorry about
whatever happened that hurt you.”
    Wow, his longest speech ever. He thought he heard quiet
crying.
    “I hold on too tight, I know.” Confession time now, he
guessed. “I don’t want to push you away. I don’t want to lose you, too.”
    She didn’t answer and he was out of words. Now what? Sure,
he could sit and wait. Or he could remember his place, or more specifically
that this was her place now, her home.
    “Okay, I’m leaving, but I won’t give up on you.” His legs
felt stiff on his way out, like he had to push through river water to get
outside.
    He gulped down a cool breath of sweet Oregon air. This
complicated the hell out of things, but there was no turning back.
     
    * * * *
    “Has there been a flash flood warning or something?” Dale
asked as he met Brent at the stable entrance in the early morning. “You’re
moving fast.”
    “I feel something coming. Let’s get the rest of the horses
in.” He’d brought in two already, but he needed help to calm down the horses
remaining in the pasture.
    They were excited about something, and it just might be the
heavy rain they’d had for days now.
    The horses couldn’t seem to make up their minds once they
were inside for the day. They settled down, then panicked again.
    “It’s just rain,” he muttered to himself before the truth
hit him. His mood, not the weather, was spooking them.
    He trudged back to the pasture. How was he supposed to act
normal? He wanted to help Missy through this, whatever it was. Plus, they
couldn’t work together with things the way they were.
    With the horses in their stalls, he felt better.
    “Brent?” That one quiet word behind him made him jump. He
turned around to find Missy bundled in a thick brown jacket, her arms crossed
and pulled close.
    He stood, staring, a full minute at her lips, red from the
cold, and her weepy eyes. They were wide, driving him crazy, and reminding him he
should answer.
    “Missy.” He stepped closer, gauging her reaction, but she
didn’t move.
    “I’m sorry I shut you out like that.” She dropped her gaze.
    This felt like a second chance to talk things out, but he
knew to step lightly. He wondered if he could at least offer a hand of support
on her shoulder.
    She was trying not to cry and needed something. So he took
the last step, but stopped in front of her, not touching, just waiting. “Well,
if we’re both sorry, let’s just move on. If you want to, that is.”
    When she nodded, he moved his arm across her back and drew
her closer. That sweet lavender smell reached him right before she relaxed into
him. Her head leaned and rested on his shoulder.
    “Can we be friends again?” she asked. Feeling her in his
arms stirred protective feelings. She felt like a fragile fawn, too wobbly to
stand on its new legs. Her lavender and spice scent stirred other things, but
he ignored them.
    “Friends, Missy.” And anything else you want from me .
He hoped she sensed that thought because speaking it wouldn’t be right.
    He couldn’t fight for a woman who asked him for his
friendship. She clearly needed that, someone to depend on. He could be a good
friend, it had always been the more that caused problems.
     
    * * * *
    After she looked out her window the next morning and saw
Brent working with the