Free Sweet and Wild by Cerian Hebert Page A

melted through her light plaid shirt. Clouds gathered low
on the western horizon but the rest of the sky was a powder blue. A hawk spun a
slow circle overhead.
    The stable yard buzzed with more
activity than it had a few days ago. Hal drove a four-wheeler, pulling a wagon
loaded with boards. He gave her a wave before heading out to the paddock south
of the barn. Fred worked in the cattle pen, separating the younger stock, in a
world of his own and didn’t even notice her arrival.
    She avoided looking toward the house,
but wondered where Craig was. Was he nervous about seeing her? Or would he try
to apologize again. Damn, that ticked her off. She frowned and dismounted, then
led Piper to a trough of water and to the hitching post in the shade of the
barn.
    It was a little kiss. Why in the world
should she let it turn her inside out?
    When Marisol flew out of the house,
followed by a more sober Craig, Quinn realized that ignoring what had happened
between them would be easier said than done.
    Still, she put on her best smile and
focused on Marisol, not giving Craig even a snip of attention, even though he
looked damned good in the faded jeans and white shirt. A baseball cap covered
his dark hair and cast his eyes in shadow. Despite that, she felt them on her.
Seeking something. Maybe any indication of how she felt about him.
    “You excited?” Quinn asked Marisol.
    Marisol grabbed onto Quinn’s hands with
both of hers and gave them a good shake. “I didn’t think today would ever get
here, but Dad says I can’t ride her today. I can lead her around the stable
yard so she gets used to the smells. I would think it would smell the same here
as it does where she’s coming from.”
    “You’d be surprised. It’s probably a
good idea to give her a day to get used to the place.”
    Marisol kept her grip on Quinn’s,
squeezing tight. “But you’ll be here tomorrow for our first lesson, right?”
    “Right.” And every other day after that she’d
be here, on Craig’s property, maybe talking to him, maybe not. Each moment
she’d remember the way his lips had touched hers, remember the thrill and
satisfaction that kissing him was every bit as sweet and melting as she’d
always dreamed.
    Then she’d go and spoil it by recalling how
he’d apologized.
    The arrival of Shelby and Little Miss
Sunshine saved her from further retrospection. She stood back and let Craig and
Shelby unload the mare, keeping an anxious Marisol at her side. The girl’s
enthusiasm bristled like crackling electricity.
    “She’s so beautiful,” Marisol sighed
when the mare emerged from the trailer.
    Quinn agreed. The summer sun glimmered
off the horse’s golden coat. She came by her name honestly.
    “Why are there bandages on her legs?”
    “To protect them during the trip. Even
though horses are really strong it’s still easy for them to get hurt,
especially their legs.”
    The mare lifted her nose in the air.
Nostrils flared as she took in the new scents and let out a shrill whinny that
echoed against the barn. The horses in the paddock lifted their heads and went
to the fence to see who’d arrived. Sunny lowered her head, then shook it, and
her entire body, like a wet dog, and danced around Shelby again.
    Marisol laughed.
    Quinn smiled. Horse and girl were
equally wired. They were going to make quite a pair.
    Craig walked away from the horse and
Shelby, glancing at Quinn as he approached. Her stomach clutched and a rush of
heat spread from her face to her toes. She prayed the shadow from her hat hid
the blush that no doubt colored her face a lovely shade of red.
    “I’m giving them a moment,” he
explained, his gaze switching to Marisol. “In a minute go to Shelby. She wants
to spend a little time with you, to give you some pointers.”
    After a few minutes, when Shelby called
Marisol, Quinn wished she could join them and escape Craig. Unless she
distracted him with another topic.
    “You never did tell me why Ted Penney
went off in such