Helen Lacey - Three Reasons To Wed

She walked toward him and planted her hands on her hips. “What’s this?”

He held out the lead. “For you.”

“What?”

“She needs a home,” he said and looked around at the pasture and stables adjoining the house yard. “And you have room.”

Marissa continued to stare at him. “You’re giving me a horse?” she asked and noticed Rex was by the rear of the truck, watching their exchange with a kind of wary interest.

Grady shrugged. “She’s old, around twenty-six. But she’s in good health and will do for a riding horse until you are confident in the saddle.”

Marissa stroked the mare’s cheek. “Where did she come from?”

“I picked her up from the sale yards a few years ago. The girls learned how to handle a horse with this old mare. She was too big for them as a riding pony, but she’ll be okay for you.”

The mare rubbed her face affectionately against Marissa’s arm. “She’s just lovely. But I’ll pay you for her.”

“No need,” he said and began to walk the horse toward the neighboring paddock. “She’s more than earned her semiretirement.”

Marissa followed and waited by the fence while he turned the old mare out into the pasture. He did everything with such a natural ease she couldn’t help but admire him. The mare whinnied when she was released and trotted around for a few minutes, tail and head extended.

“She’s just beautiful. Thank you...it’s very generous of you.”

Grady rested his elbows on the fence and turned his head toward her. “I thought you’d like the company.”

“I do,” she said and smiled. “But won’t the girls miss her?”

“They have their own ponies. Old Ebony hasn’t been getting a lot of attention of late.”

“I’ll see that she does,” Marissa said. “I’ll need to get some gear—like a saddle and bridle.”

“No need,” Grady replied. “Rex is unloading some gear into the stables for you.”

“Thank you,” she said and managed a small smile. “But I really... I have to...”

“It’s a gift, Marissa,” he said and straightened. “But if that’s too hard for you to accept, consider it an exchange for your kindness toward my daughters.”

“I don’t need payment to love the girls, Grady. Really, what kind of person do you take me for?”

He made an exasperated sound and she felt his rising anger. Unease snaked down her spine. But this wasn’t Simon. She had nothing to fear from Grady. She knew that. It was herself she feared. And the feelings running riot throughout her body.

“Can I ever get anything right with you? I wasn’t criticizing. I wasn’t inferring anything. Maybe I just wanted to give you a horse because you said you wanted to learn to ride. Maybe I just wanted to do something nice for you, Marissa.”

“Why?”

Grady’s expression suddenly looked like thunder and she winced. “Who the hell knows!”

Then he took off back to his truck and reversed out of the driveway as if he had the devil on his tail.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.