Something warm tickled Cole’s cheek. He opened his eyes just in time for Diogenes to snort his impatience. Wiping his face, Cole murmured, “Okay, okay, I deserved that.” He shook Jack’s shoulder and said, “Time to wake up. The horses want to get home.”
Jack looked up at the horse above him and shuddered. Rolling over, he groaned, “Already? My butt’s not looking forward to a long horseback ride right about now.”
Cole ran a hand down Jack’s flank. “I’m sorry. Are you really sore?”
“Oh, I’ll live. It’s just been a long time for me, and no offense, but you’re hung like a horse. Now that I’ve actually seen the underside of a horse, I can say that without exaggeration.”
Chuckling, Cole said, “When we get home, you can soak in a long, hot bath. We’ll go slow and let you recover before the nex
