Free Wild Horses by Claire McEwen

shoulder when she looked up from some papers on the table. A woman whose lipsticked mouth showed perfect white teeth when she opened it to laugh at something Todd had said.
    She had big violet eyes and was showing an insane amount of cleavage, and all the outrage Nora had been saving up since her conversation with Lee this morning merged with the realization that Todd living in Benson meant Todd dating in Benson. The sick feeling that had been in her stomach all day got worse, and all Nora wanted to do was go home. But before she could, Todd’s date saw her standing there gaping at them like a jealous, dusty fish. The woman leaned her shiny head in and murmured something to Todd, who turned around and spotted Nora.
    â€œHey,” he said, waving her over.
    She didn’t want to be waved over. She wanted to sink through the floorboards of the High Country and disappear into the beery mud below. Her hair was in pigtails that hung down from underneath her ball cap. Below her shorts, her legs were dirt smeared and scratched. Dusty, clunky hiking boots completed the look. In humiliating contrast, Todd’s date was wearing a minidress and heels.
    Outrage began building again, white-hot inside her. While his actions had Nora covering for him with lies and Lee frantically trying to salvage his job, Todd was here cuddling up with a date .
    Her anger eclipsed her embarrassment. “I was hoping to speak with you, but it looks as if you’re extremely busy.”
    â€œI am, but...”
    â€œAnd I’m sure whatever you’re doing in here is very important and urgent.” She bit the words out.
    â€œWell, I think so...” Todd’s brows were raised and he looked embarrassed. Probably for her. Which just made Nora angrier.
    â€œBecause that’s what you do, right? You run around and try to save the world, and your lofty goals are so important that you couldn’t possibly consider the consequences for anyone else.” The anger felt good, wiping out the guilt from lying to Lee today and the irritating jealously she was feeling now.
    Todd glanced helplessly at his date, then back at her. He looked so bewildered, and that just made it all worse. He should know . He should have realized that after he let those horses out, the Department of Range Management would need to blame someone. And that someone was poor Lee.
    â€œLook, Nora, we’re almost done here. Let me just go ahead and finish up, and then you can tell me what’s got you so upset.”
    She hated his placating tone. As if she was some kind of crazy person he was trying to appease. And the worst thing was, she never got this mad. She was reserved. Famously reserved. She’d stayed calm almost her whole life. Except when Todd had left her. Except in the bar the other night. Except today.
    Anger mutated to blinding rage. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I realize that finishing your date is so much more important than talking about how I had to lie for you today. Or how you might have ruined a good man’s entire life.”
    Todd paled. She’d come close to spilling the secret he’d asked her to keep. But it served him right.
    â€œNora, this is my friend Tess Cole. She’s putting together a few ads for me.”
    â€œOh.” Great. She was his friend. To top everything off, now Nora had her filthy hiking boot stuck in her mouth. “An ad for the repair shop?” It was an inane question, but her mind was scrambled. Todd’s not-a-date was looking at her with a slight smile and the knowing eyes of a woman who could spot a big romantic mess. Except this mess wasn’t romantic. Far from it.
    â€œSome PR for his charitable organization, The Mustang Protection Fund,” Tess explained. She held out her hand and Nora spotted the enormous diamond on her ring finger. “So nice to meet you, Nora.”
    â€œNice to meet you, too,” Nora mumbled, giving Tess’s hand a weak shake, trying to