before he said it what he was going to say. “He’s dead. Died when I was nine.”
Her heart sank low in her chest, and she reached out and put a hand over his. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” His skin was warm against her fingers. He didn’t pull away, and she let the touch linger.
“It was a long time ago.”
For a whole ten seconds, she held her tongue. When she couldn’t take the suspense, she asked, “What happened? He must have been very young.”
“He was twenty-eight,” he said, almost matter-of-factly. He set down his fork, crossed his arms, and looked her straight in the eye. “And he died of a broken neck.”
Madeline’s hand flew to her mouth. “That’s horrible!” Her heart went out to the little boy who had lost his father so young, especially in such an awful way. “How did it happen?”
The breeze ruffled the hair at his temple, and he lifted a hand to brush it away. His beautiful eyes seemed to shutter as he gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Just a stupid accident,” he said at last, shaking his head.
“A car accident?”
“Nope.” He blew out a breath and sat forward. “He was riding his horse when the mare spooked. She threw him, he hit wrong, and unfortunately, that was that.”
Chapter 9
He wished she had left well enough alone.
Tanner pressed his lips together as he watched Madeline’s reaction to the news. It was always the same. The same widening of eyes, the same jaw drop, the same realization. By the time she hit that last part, he’d already steeled himself for the inevitable response.
Gaping at him as though he were ten cents short of a dollar, she said, “How on earth did you get back on a horse, let alone start a career where you’re regularly thrown from them?”
Even though he expected the reaction, disappointment washed through him. Why did people always feel the need to throw judgment on him and his choices?
He pushed his plate away and seized his beer. “I chose to grab life by the horns. If I had walked away from riding horses, I’d have been giving up something I love. For all the wrong reasons.”
It was plain to see she didn’t understand his reasoning at all. “Yeah, but you don’t just ride well-trained horses. You put yourself in harm’s way by getting on animals that want nothing more than to throw you off.”
“Well, the point is to not get thrown off,” he said drily before taking a long pull of his beer. Did she really think he hadn’t heard this argument a hundred times before?
She shook her head and set her wineglass on the table with a clipped clink. “I can’t believe you can be so flippant about your well-being. If I were you, I wouldn’t go anywhere near the back of a horse.”
“And if your loved one was killed in a car accident, would you avoid driving in a car?”
She made a face. “That’s not the same at all. Driving is a necessity in our society. Riding the back of a bucking bronco is not.”
Scoffing, he said, “Maybe not for you. But I refuse to live life in fear. Nothing makes me feel more alive than taking a risk, so as far as I’m concerned, riding a ‘bucking bronco’ is a necessity in my life.”
“That’s insane,” she said, coming to her feet. “You shouldn’t have to risk your life in order to feel alive.”
He stood as well and stalked to the railing. “How would you know? You live a life so dry that you could give it all up in a snap to follow a job you don’t even care about.”
“I care about my career,” she said indignantly. “And yes, I’m willing to make sacrifices to get ahead in it. I plan to live a long and productive life. That’s more than I can say for you.”
“Oh, really? You’re so bored with your own job you don’t even want to talk about it. Where’s the passion in that?”
Her brow lowered over her golden eyes as she sent him a sour look. “Oh, come on. Who really loves their job? It’s a means to an end. What I want is corporate success, to be
Her heart sank low in her chest, and she reached out and put a hand over his. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” His skin was warm against her fingers. He didn’t pull away, and she let the touch linger.
“It was a long time ago.”
For a whole ten seconds, she held her tongue. When she couldn’t take the suspense, she asked, “What happened? He must have been very young.”
“He was twenty-eight,” he said, almost matter-of-factly. He set down his fork, crossed his arms, and looked her straight in the eye. “And he died of a broken neck.”
Madeline’s hand flew to her mouth. “That’s horrible!” Her heart went out to the little boy who had lost his father so young, especially in such an awful way. “How did it happen?”
The breeze ruffled the hair at his temple, and he lifted a hand to brush it away. His beautiful eyes seemed to shutter as he gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Just a stupid accident,” he said at last, shaking his head.
“A car accident?”
“Nope.” He blew out a breath and sat forward. “He was riding his horse when the mare spooked. She threw him, he hit wrong, and unfortunately, that was that.”
Chapter 9
He wished she had left well enough alone.
Tanner pressed his lips together as he watched Madeline’s reaction to the news. It was always the same. The same widening of eyes, the same jaw drop, the same realization. By the time she hit that last part, he’d already steeled himself for the inevitable response.
Gaping at him as though he were ten cents short of a dollar, she said, “How on earth did you get back on a horse, let alone start a career where you’re regularly thrown from them?”
Even though he expected the reaction, disappointment washed through him. Why did people always feel the need to throw judgment on him and his choices?
He pushed his plate away and seized his beer. “I chose to grab life by the horns. If I had walked away from riding horses, I’d have been giving up something I love. For all the wrong reasons.”
It was plain to see she didn’t understand his reasoning at all. “Yeah, but you don’t just ride well-trained horses. You put yourself in harm’s way by getting on animals that want nothing more than to throw you off.”
“Well, the point is to not get thrown off,” he said drily before taking a long pull of his beer. Did she really think he hadn’t heard this argument a hundred times before?
She shook her head and set her wineglass on the table with a clipped clink. “I can’t believe you can be so flippant about your well-being. If I were you, I wouldn’t go anywhere near the back of a horse.”
“And if your loved one was killed in a car accident, would you avoid driving in a car?”
She made a face. “That’s not the same at all. Driving is a necessity in our society. Riding the back of a bucking bronco is not.”
Scoffing, he said, “Maybe not for you. But I refuse to live life in fear. Nothing makes me feel more alive than taking a risk, so as far as I’m concerned, riding a ‘bucking bronco’ is a necessity in my life.”
“That’s insane,” she said, coming to her feet. “You shouldn’t have to risk your life in order to feel alive.”
He stood as well and stalked to the railing. “How would you know? You live a life so dry that you could give it all up in a snap to follow a job you don’t even care about.”
“I care about my career,” she said indignantly. “And yes, I’m willing to make sacrifices to get ahead in it. I plan to live a long and productive life. That’s more than I can say for you.”
“Oh, really? You’re so bored with your own job you don’t even want to talk about it. Where’s the passion in that?”
Her brow lowered over her golden eyes as she sent him a sour look. “Oh, come on. Who really loves their job? It’s a means to an end. What I want is corporate success, to be
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