Accidental Hero. Loralee Lillibridge

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СКАЧАТЬ here, you might as well get out of the heat.” Trying to be cordial while talking to the back of his head challenged her genuine inclination to be polite. And Bo wasn’t helping matters by refusing to look her way. He kept his face turned and his darn hat pulled so low, she wondered how he could even see anything but the underside of the brim.

      “No thanks, I’ll just wait here,” he said. “Don’t know what Shorty wanted to see Buck about. He told me somebody had some horses to take care of, but guess he made a mistake. Doesn’t look like you need help around here. Not with those worn-out nags in your pasture. You’d be further ahead to sell them instead of paying out good money for feed.”

      “That’s all you know, Ramsey.” Abby bristled at his condemning observation of her wonderful four-legged friends. “Those horses are a vital part of a very important riding program. Don’t criticize before you understand what you’re talking about.”

      “A riding program?” He turned to her, and she realized she’d piqued his interest enough to make him forget his scars, at least for the moment. Then it dawned on her—a sneaking suspicion of why Shorty had brought him here. If anyone knew horses, it was Bo, but that didn’t mean she wanted him here. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to face the possibility of having him around on a day-to-day basis and not be tempted to hash over old memories. Did she even want to?

      Looking at him, she could understand his reluctance to expose himself to public scrutiny, yet the scars didn’t keep her legs from going goofy or her pulse from singing karaoke at the sound of his voice. His crooked leg and awkward gait didn’t detract from his seductive Texas charm. No, there was nothing scary about Bo except the fact that he still had the power to hurt her. Deep in her heart, she acknowledged that secret and vowed to keep those longings and desires to herself. After all, he was a married man.

      Still, his experience around horses would be a tremendous help and relieve Pop of some of his workload. To do or not to do? Was it worth the chance? Pop could sure use the extra pair of hands.

      “Have you ever heard of using horses to help children with physical and emotional problems, Bo?” Her question slid out on the deep end of a sigh as she grabbed the door handle. “Come over to the porch where it’s cooler, and I’ll tell you about it.”

      Without waiting for him to object, or for the chance to change her own mind, Abby opened the door, squinting against the noon brightness. “It’s too hot to stand out here in the sun. I won’t offer you a beer, but I’ve got cold, sweet tea already made.”

      She started to help him out of the truck, then thought better of it, remembering how he’d shot out of the café parking lot on Saturday. She stepped aside to give his male pride a wide berth. Holding her breath might not help, but she did it anyway.

      He reached for the sunglasses in his shirt pocket and settled them on his nose.

      “You’re right, it is too hot to sit out here,” he said, surprising her with his swift agreement. “And I haven’t had honest-to-God sweet tea in a helluva long time.”

      He eased out one leg, then the other, until he was standing outside the truck. After a moment’s hesitation when he hung onto the door for balance, he followed her to the shaded porch.

      The shuffle of his uneven stride as he dragged his leg along the walk made her slow her own pace. But when his labored breathing sent a warm puff of air to tickle the back of her neck, it was all she could do to keep from breaking into a run.

      Chapter Four

      By the time she returned from the kitchen, Bo was lounging in a wicker chair near the porch steps. The sight of him sitting there looking right at home made her insides turn as cold as the ice cubes in the frosted glass she handed him. If only her hand would stop shaking. Her nerves were giving her fits lately.

      “Much obliged,” Bo said and reached for the glass.

      His fingers brushed hers. Warm, callused fingers. Sensual fingers. Abby abruptly hurried away to sit on the steps. Why, oh, why did I do this?

      An awkward silence, broken only by the sound of ice clinking on the sides of their glasses, hung between them.

      Abby fidgeted.

      Mosquitos buzzed.

      Bo inspected his drink. Cleared his throat. “So, what’s this horse therapy thing you’ve got going?”

      Abby’s head snapped around. He was watching her through those damned dark glasses, and she stifled the urge to reach over and yank them right off his face. She hated being unable to see his eyes.

      “Not therapy for horses, Bo. Therapy for anyone with special needs. Children, mostly, but there are a couple of young adults, also.” Slowly, deliberately, she emphasized each word. “It’s designed to give a sense of accomplishment and strength to the students. To make them proud of their achievement. Some have never walked, some have emotional as well as physical difficulties to overcome, but here with the horses, they’re no different from anyone else. Riding puts them on an equal basis. It helps them focus and learn to concentrate, not to mention that it builds self-confidence. There are numerous advantages to the program.”

      She paused to catch her breath, realizing she must sound like an evangelist for the cause. “Sorry, sometimes I get carried away.”

      Bo inclined his head. “And you accomplish all that by letting them ride horses?”

      She struggled to keep her voice calm against the veiled pessimism in his question. She’d learned a long time ago that arguing with him never accomplished a darn thing.

      “It’s more than just the riding. They learn about responsibility by taking part in the care of the animals, by remembering to put the tack away after their ride, by learning to give commands as well as follow them.” She looked at him straight on. “Even the students who can’t walk find a way to interact with the horses. It’s called trust.” She paused to let her words sink in. “Communication, Ramsey. A vital part of life. Something necessary in any type of relationship.”

      When she saw him flinch, Abby was satisfied she’d made her point. She reached up to push a wayward strand of hair out of her face and tuck it back under her baseball cap. “Until you see one of the classes in progress, I suppose it’s difficult to understand.”

      She wished he’d take those darned sunglasses off. Didn’t he know she could see his face anyway? The dark lens only hid his eyes, a fact that kept her on the edge of anxiety. She started to ask about Marla, but changed her mind when she realized Bo was actually listening to her.

      His rapt attention pleased her. Satisfied an empty spot in her heart that longed for his approval, yet filled a need to prove to him she had survived their unexpected breakup, thank you very much. She had her self-esteem in place and her emotions carefully tucked away.

      He removed his dark glasses as if he’d read her mind. His gaze zeroed in on her face. “You’ve done this all alone?”

      Her cheeks warmed under his scrutiny. Almost as if he dared her to look at the jagged scar that snaked from his hairline to his chin, narrowly missing his left eye. But nothing could make her forget the way those sultry eyes could seduce with a suggestive flicker. The way they shuttered lazily when they darkened with desire. With raw need. How many times had she felt the heat of his gaze caress her naked body? How many times had he touched…?

      “Abby?”

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