Catherine Anderson - Kendrickcoulter 02 by Phantom Waltz

Author:Phantom Waltz [Waltz, Phantom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-01-16T23:45:18.982000+00:00

Wink grunted three times and whinnied excitedly. Ryan had never heard the horse make that particular succession of

noises before, but he recognized horse love talk when he heard it. His stomach did a slow revolution, and he could only pray Bethany didn't make the connection.

"Wink?" she whispered. She started tearing at the driver's door to exit the van. "Wink!" She fixed a tear-filled, incredulous gaze on Ryan as she extended the lift. "That's my horse!"

Ryan thought, Well, hell... He puffed air into his cheeks. "Nothing like hitting you with all your surprises at once. I, um ... bought her back for you."

She moved her chair out onto the platform, set the brake, and then lowered the lift to the pad. "You what?"

Just in case she hadn't heard him, he repeated himself.

"You what?" she said again.

Ryan wasn't going to say it a third time. She moved her chair off the lift onto the cement and took off like a shot for the stable. Ryan followed, almost wishing that he could stop her from going inside. But, no.

He'd paved the way, so to speak.

At the entrance she braked to a sudden stop, stared for a moment at the wide asphalt alley that stretched, straight as a bullet, the length of the center aisle to the double, cross-buck doors that opened onto the riding arena. Before each stall, a lip of asphalt with a sloped edge extended out, making the hasp of the gate accessible to someone in a wheelchair.

"Oh, Ryan," she whispered shakily.

Standing slightly back and to one side, he could see a tear rolling down her pale cheek. About halfway up the aisle, Wink thrust her head out over the stall gate, the whites showing around her eyes, her nostrils flared as she snorted the air. She made the three grunting sounds again and whinnied eagerly. It was clearly a greeting for Bethany alone. Gazing at the horse, Bethany made a low, keening sound, then covered her face with her hands.

"Oh, God, Ryan, why did you do this?" She dropped her hands and whirled on him. "Just friends, you said. No risks, no expectations!" With every word, her voice grew shriller. "Jake sold Wink for twenty-five thousand. I know Hun-sacker wouldn't have let her go for a cent less than that. How much did you pay for her?"

Ryan swiped a hand over his mouth, Instead of feeling like her hero, as he'd imagined he might, he felt like he'd committed a crime. "The money isn't important, honey."

"It is important! And don't call me honey!"

"Bethany, I—"

"How much?" she demanded.

"Thirtyish," he admitted. "That's peanuts, Bethany. I've paid over a hundred for a nice horse without batting an eye."

"Thirtyish?" She stared up at him in appalled amazement. "And what does the ish stand for?"

"Six.

"Thirty-six thousand?" She passed a hand over her eyes. She was shaking. Shaking horribly. "I can't believe you did this. I can't believe it! I can't ever pay it back. Not ever."

"I don't expect you to pay me back."

She stared at him with an accusing look in her eyes.

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