Rock Solid by Samantha Hunter Read Free Book Online

said, special.”
    Hannah understood immediately from Brody’s tone. “He’s the one who threw you?”
    “Yeah, and he enjoyed it, I’m pretty sure.”
    “He does have a sparkle in his eye,” she said, grinning. “But I can handle him. He’ll be fine, walking out.”
    Brody hesitated, but finally nodded.
    “You take Sally—I’ll get him and we’ll take them out together. We’ll be fine, Brody.”
    He relented, handing her the tack while he returned to Sally, who waited patiently. Hannah forgot the awkward encounter she’d been expecting and enjoyed the distraction.
    She kept a firm hold on Zip, Sally on the other side with Brody. As she walked the thoroughbred, she let her shoulder gently bump up against his, like buddies walking along together. He seemed to like it.
    She liked him, too, but she also couldn’t help but be aware of the power of the horse. He walked as though he was barely holding back from bolting. It was much the same feeling she got from Brody a lot of the time, especially now. Strung tight, needing to be let loose.
    “Where did you get him? I can feel the energy practically coming off him in waves,” she commented as they walked out into the sunlight.
    “Thoroughbred rescue. He has a very impressive racing pedigree, but he was too unmanageable, so they surrendered him to the rescue when they couldn’t sell him. I know the owner of the rescue, and she knew I had open stable space. They wanted me to keep a few of their horses for a while, but they weren’t being adopted, so I took them on permanently.”
    Hannah smiled. “That was a very kind thing to do, Brody.”
    And more like the man she’d known, too, she thought to herself.
    “He’s a bit...touchy. I was working with him, but he might need a better hand than mine, clearly. Jed will probably do better with him.”
    “Jed?”
    “He helps with the farm, has ever since my grandparents lived here. He’s excellent with horses, and he’s been working with Zip a bit each day since I hurt my back.”
    Hannah nodded as Brody opened the gate to the pasture. He led Sally in, but told Hannah to wait.
    “Zip goes over in a separate section—he has to until he’s gelded anyway.”
    “Ouch. Poor Zip,” she said with a comforting pat.
    “We’re hoping it will calm him down some.”
    “You don’t sound entirely convinced,” she commented as they walked to the next corral.
    “Well, you know...I sort of like him as he is, but I also don’t want him hurting himself or anyone else. I’m waiting to see how he responds to more training, but if we’re going to geld him, I want to do it before he gets much older.”
    Hannah nodded, led Zip into the smaller pasture next door to Sally’s and then walked back out with Brody, leaving the horses, her buffer, behind.
    “Um, listen,” she began, taking a breath as they walked back to the barn. “I have to apologize for last night. I was...in a weird mood, and I guess the wine really lowered my inhibitions,” she said with an embarrassed laugh. “But thank you for, well, being so considerate.”
    “I owe you an apology, not the other way around. I wish you’d told me about your situation.”
    She smiled at him. “Talk about pot and kettle.”
    He laughed. “Well, we’ll call it even. As long as you promise not to go wrestling alligators or sharks.”
    She laughed ruefully. “That’s an easy promise to make.”
    “You feel like a ride? The other two horses in the stable need some exercise. Zip and Sally had a ride yesterday, but Salty and Pepper—my parents’ horses—need some exercise. I’ll put Snow, the other rescue, out with Sally. She’s older and just likes wandering around the pasture. Then we could go out on the trails for a bit.”
    Hannah knew she should say no. She should say goodbye while things were settled and agreeable.
    Instead, she looked up into Brody’s face, admiring the laugh lines around his green eyes and the way the sun played off reddish highlights in