Free Taking Heart by T. J. Kline Page A

pretty obvious from the start that I don’t even register on her radar.”
    â€œShe asked about you.”
    â€œHeaven forbid she make polite conversation and get to know about your family. What’s her sister’s name? What does she do for a living?”
    Dylan looked at his brother, confused. “Jessie said she rescues abused horses.”
    â€œWhat about her brother?”
    â€œJustin. He’s a veterinarian in town.”
    â€œAnd you know that because you’ve gotten intel on her? Or because you asked her about her family?” Gage threw his hands in the air. “Geez, chill out. If you want to kiss her, kiss her. If she doesn’t want you to, she’ll let you know.”
    Maybe Gage was right and he was just overthinking this. It was only a kiss. People did it all the time, and he’d kissed more than his fair share of women, even if he didn’t date often.
    That was before.
    And therein was where his problem lay. His life was split into two parts—life before his injury and life after. Life before hadn’t been easy, but he’d enjoyed it, lived it as capably as possible. But life after was a different story. Life after was haunted by memories and regrets, of loss and never-agains. He wasn’t a man, he was the shell of one. He had nothing to offer a woman now, and it wasn’t fair to start something he couldn’t see through.
    â€œYou don’t get it.”
    â€œI do get it, but this entire trip is about you making changes for the better. I’m going to help you make this one.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    Julia appeared at the back door and stamped her feet before opening the door, greeting them both with a bright smile. Dylan felt his heart skip whenever he saw her smile, and it didn’t disappoint now.
    â€œOkay, the pizza is on its way. I just ordered pepperoni since I forgot to ask what kind you both preferred.”
    Gage shot Dylan a quick glance before he rose. “I’m so sorry, Julia, but I can’t stay. I just got a call from work and there’s some sort of issue with our biggest client. I have to head back to town and work tonight.”
    â€œOh, okay.” Julia didn’t seem overly disappointed by his brother’s sudden departure. “No biggie. We’ll do it another night. I hope it’s nothing serious.”
    Gage gave him a pointed scowl. “I think if a few people can get their act together, it will all work out beautifully.” Dylan clenched his fists at his sides and glared back at his brother. Roscoe began pawing at his leg.
    â€œAre you all right?” Julia looked up at him and back down at the dog.
    Dylan followed her glance and realized the dog was alerting her to his state of mind and the frustration that swirled in him like a whirlpool. “I’m fine. Come on, Gage. I’ll walk you out.”
    As soon as they were outside, he shoved his brother’s shoulder. “What the hell was that? You’re leaving?”
    â€œI’m doing you a favor, and for crying out loud, if the opportunity presents itself tonight, kiss her. If only for the sake of climbing back onto that horse. You were injured. You’re not dead.” Gage shook his head as he slid behind the wheel of the Camaro. Dylan was tired of feeling as if he was nothing more than a disappointment. “Will you, please, just start living again?”
    If only he remembered how.
    J ULIA LET D YLAN pick out the movie as she set the pizza on the coffee table, ignoring the pathetic, mournful glances both dogs cast at the food. She watched as he squatted down in front of the television with an easy grace, confident in his own skin, yet oblivious to his sex appeal. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her suddenly overactive libido.
    It made no sense that, after nearly four years of having no attraction to any men, this dark, brooding male was the one to wake her body. It was true that