Second Chances by Cheyenne Meadows Read Free Book Online Page B

she saw Dusty finishing the morning chore,
petting Ben’s head as he walked by, then pouring out some kibble into a bowl. A
tortoiseshell cat trotted out of an empty stall, hurried over, and proceeded to
chow down. Dusty changed out her water as well as dump a bigger bucket outside
before refilling, presumably for the dog. Cracking open a can, he emptied the
contents into another bowl and added dry food alongside. Ben dived right in.
    All
around animals crunched and ate. April soaked up the sounds and the feeling of
peace and contentment. A slower time when life boiled down to the basics, free
of the rat race, and full of the small things that made the day a bit brighter.
She savored the moment and realized the special place she’d found.
    Her
eyes landed on Dusty as he plopped down on a bale of straw next to Ben. He
rubbed the dog’s back and glanced up as if sensing her gaze. They stared at one
another before April’s attention turned to a still hungry mare looking for a
few more kernels of grain from the baby’s breakfast.
    Something
in his eyes touched her. A flash of pain, a sparkle of hope. The man had
suffered in his past. Lois’ words came back to her. Dusty doesn’t care for women. For a man who looked like he did,
surely he didn’t lack offers or feminine attention. Most likely because he
found himself on the losing end in one or more relationships. She could
empathize.
    Glancing
up, she found him still looking straight at her. Her belly flipped in sensual
delight as her breathing hitched. His eyes could reach into her very soul while
his tempered voice could soothe a raging demon. A heady combination.
    Wounded,
he might be, but deep down, she knew he had so much more to give. Anyone who
worked with horses like he did couldn’t be cruel or mean. No. He just withdrew
from the social scene like she’d done years before.
    Maybe,
like her filly, he needed someone to believe, to trust, and to show him not
everyone in this world was out to cause harm. Maybe she needed to step up and
be the one.
    Like I have any experience with
men. She
snorted to herself. Make that any good
experience. Perhaps if they stood on the same footing with a difficult
past, they could learn from one another?
    Yeah, right. With my luck? Pigs had a better chance of
growing wings than she did of finding a great man and living happily ever
after.
    The
foal finished eating. She collected both buckets, and paused to study Dusty
once more as he ran his hands down Ben’s back in a gentle caress.
    Lonely
and hurt. He looked like a man who could use a friend, of the two-legged kind.
How could she turn her back on him?
    I can’t.
    Friends it is. Decision made, she left the
stall, and paused when she heard a latch rattle loudly. Locating the sound, she
watched in amazement as the lock on her horses’ stall door slid back and the
door opened wide. Mischief stepped out and whinnied.
    She
burst out laughing as the mini found obvious delight in his accomplishment.
    Dusty
shook his head and chuckled, the humor lighting up his face and eyes, making
him all the more handsome.
    April’s
breath caught at the difference in the man. Straight white teeth flashed as
amusement washed over him. Delectable.
    “Why,
you little escape artist.” As if hearing his name, Mischief trotted over to
Dusty and nuzzled him with his nose.
    What
Dusty whispered in the horse’s ear, April couldn’t hear. Yet, the sight moved
her. Such a strong man who so far showed little happiness, now laughed and
whispered to a small horse as if sharing age old secrets. She felt a bit
jealous of her little troublemaker.
     

Chapter Five
    April
gathered up the lead ropes after taking her horses to the pasture and releasing
them. They had sniffed around the couple of other geldings, then started
grazing as if nothing new had happened over the past twenty-four hours. Despite
the dry summer this far, grass still remained and huge trees stood along the
far fence, broadcasting plenty of