Chapter 90
* * * *
The day had started out weird and got worse until…
Breakfast was tense and uncomfortable. Barry wasn’t talking to Jimmy or Jake, asking Rory instead to ask his men to pass the coffeepot, toast or whatever. Rory hated being in the middle of their argument.
For their part, Jimmy and Jake kept snapping at each other, and it didn’t sound friendly. As best he could, Rory kept his head down and ate. Zane seemed oblivious to the tension, which Rory thought could be cut with a knife. The big guy just inhaled breakfast as usual, occasionally smiling at Rory, patting his knee or rubbing his leg. Zane’s actions did go some way to calming Rory’s nerves. Rory realized, much to his shame, that perhaps Zane wasn’t as oblivious as he’d first thought. Rory laid his hand over Zane’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Zane turned his hand over and interlaced his fingers with Rory’s.
Zane’s actions aside, Rory was still relieved when Liam gave out the list of chores and Rory could escape to the barn. Wayne had already fed the horses so it fell to him to muck stalls.
Another weird thing happened when Rex followed Rory out of the house and across the yard. Maybe the German shepherd had felt the tension, too, and also wanted to escape. Odd though that the dog followed Rory into the barn and sat and watched him work rather than slink off somewhere else.
Shadow, too, was behaving weirdly. The horse snatched Rory’s hat and turned around, hiding his head in the corner of his stall.
“Give it back,” Rory warned softly, hands on his hips.
Shadow soon turned around but didn’t put the hat back on Rory’s head. Rory figured the first time was a fluke, so he took the hat from Shadow’s mouth and put it back on his head, the horse grinning at him. However, the hat was snatched away again moments later.
“You’re a fucking pest,” Rory said, wagging his finger at the horse before retrieving the hat again.
When it happened a third time, Rory chose to ignore the horse and just carried on with his work. Soon Shadow stepped up behind Rory and rested his head on Rory’s shoulder, hat still in his mouth.
“Thank you,” Rory said, taking his hat back and hugging the horse’s neck. “You gonna behave now?”
The horse snorted, Rory didn’t know if that signified agreement or disagreement. But it didn’t matter because Rory was done cleaning out the dirty straw and he made quick work of replacing it with clean.
“Be back later with some treats and to turn you out,” Rory said, patting the horse’s neck before leaving the stall.
* * * *
Rory was returning from the corral—halfway through turning out the horses—when Rex whimpered and pressed in close to him. Rory bent to pet the dog in reassurance.
Rex sure was behaving weirdly. Then he heard a car coming up the driveway. It parked in the yard and the driver’s door opened and an obviously pregnant Tonya levered herself out. She spied Rory, smiled, and waddled over.
“Hi, Rory, she said cheerily.
Rory managed a quick nod in greeting, ice starting to flow through his veins.
Rex whined.
“Is Zane around? I, uh…sort of need to speak with him.” She rubbed her bump.
Rory swallowed, opened his mouth, closed it and swallowed again. “Equipment barn.” He was shaking but his raised arm in the direction of the said barn was hopefully steady enough for the trembling not to be noticed. Rex whined again and pressed his muzzle into Rory’s other hand.
“Thanks.” She changed direction and Rory watched her go, his hopes and dreams of a cozy domestic future with Zane disappearing with her.
Numb and feeling colder than he could ever remember, Rory turned back to the horse barn, tripping over his booted feet and slamming into the doorframe. But he didn’t feel the impact. He didn’t feel anything. The only thing on his mind was an overwhelming need to hide. Hide from Zane, Tonya, the whole cruel, evil, unfair world that had just snatched away the only good thing that had ever happened to him. He spied the ladder leading up to the hay loft. It’d be warm, dark, safe up there.
Putting a foot on the first rung of the ladder, Rory spied Shadow standing in the aisle. Even though he needed to get away, he knew he couldn’t leave the horse where it was. Stepping down again, Rory walked wearily down the aisle. His muddled brain couldn’t process how Shadow had gotten out and why the big stallion was kicking the tack room door.
“Shadow?” Rory asked, coming alongside the horse. “Come on, buddy, let’s get you back in your stall. I’ll turn you out later…when…” When his world stopped imploding.