Rory was finishing off mucking Star’s stall, which thankfully was the last one. Star was a sweet old pinto mare, who was kept on at the ranch purely for sentimental reasons. She’d been Jake’s mom’s horse and was considered part of the fabric of the place.
Rory was getting hungry and his arm muscles were starting to ache more than those in his butt. Resting for a moment to give Star another sugar lump, he heard the side door to the barn creak open. Poking his head into the aisle, he saw a bareheaded Zane entering. The man wasn’t even wearing a jacket.
“There you are. Woke up and you weren’t there,” Zane said, closing the door behind him and strolling down the aisle.
Rory leaned on his pitchfork. “Couldn’t sleep so I got up and made a start on morning chores.”
Zane looked down the aisle
