“What are you going to say? I’m pretty curious, especially since you don’t talk much. I think that horse talks to me more than you do.” He gazed out as if looking for Ri in horse form.
Great, Seamus was more taken by his horse than his human. He should have returned without shifting and ridden away, just the two of them. With that thought, Ri paused and grasped hold of a possible solution to this difficult situation.
He had rescued Seamus before on horseback, and he could do it again, remove Seamus from danger, this time to his hideout where he could explain everything—and where it might be more believable.
And, most importantly, safer. Pete’s pack wouldn’t locate them there.
“Why don’t you come in?” Seamus felt like he was luring a wild animal into his home. Ri seemed restless and tense. Suffice it to say, Ri and Pete hadn’t hit it off. In fact, the entire encounter had been weird. Pete had been…strange. Yes, his jealousy was uncomfortably familiar, making Seamus’s skin itch, reminding Seamus why he stayed away from Pete. But Pete had mentioned that god-awful night Seamus assumed he’d forgotten hearing about. He sure as hell had never referred to it since.
“I have to go.” Ri looked apologetic and Seamus sighed.
“Of course you have to go, but where do you go?” Seamus swung his arm wide. “You head towards the fields and disappear. You’ve got me curious.”
“I’ll be back.”
“That’s not an answer,” Seamus said. As Ri stepped away, he added, “Wait.”
Ri turned, brows lifted in question.
He wanted to keep Ri here and talking, so he spoke the first thing that came to mind. “Why didn’t you like Pete?”
“He’s a predator.” A flat, swift response, if inaccurate.
“No, no, he’s not. He’s a pain in the butt sometimes, but he’s not a predator .” Seamus didn’t know if Ri meant something ominous or a more general personality trait. “Oblivious, maybe. He’s okay. It’s only that he’s an ex, and we have a history and kinda clash at times. I don’t dislike him.”
Ri was concentrating, as if Seamus was giving him very important intel. “I’ll be back.”
“God, Ri, you know, we need to talk. I’m concerned about you.” Telling Ri he was too weirdly behaved didn’t seem constructive.
“I’m fine,” Ri assured him with all sincerity.
“Good. Glad to hear it.” Seamus pulled in a breath. “You’re too unpredictable as a regular visitor. We need to set some ground rules.”
Ri nodded, almost eagerly, though he continued to back away. “I promise you, we’ll talk.”
“ Ri .”
He was jogging off towards the line of trees in the distance, as if he had important things to do.
Gawd, Seamus didn’t know what to make of this man, and what attraction lay between them was ebbing away under this erratic behavior. It was a shame.
Once Ri disappeared from sight, Seamus looked up into the big sky, particularly blue this hot prairie afternoon. “Zachariah? I’d like to know exactly how I am supposed to help your grandson. Because I don’t have a fucking clue. You haven’t given me any tips from beyond the grave. I won’t leave him in the lurch, I promise, but I can barely make contact with him. And he freaks out at any visitors.”
He stopped talking out loud, feeling silly. Then he went inside to clean up, trying to come up with explanations for Ri’s actions. Seamus had thought he was on the run, but that felt off. Perhaps Ri had some kind of personality disorder, but how the hell was he taking such good care of himself? Seamus needed to find out where Ri lived. He owed it to Zachariah, if nothing else.
As he washed up the dishes, he decided to get his focus off people and back on the farm chores. He needed the well water tested, since buying all his drinking water was more expensive than he liked and might not be necessary.
Before he could look up phone numbers in the out-of-date yellow pages, a whinny came from the backyard. Of all things, the horse
Great, Seamus was more taken by his horse than his human. He should have returned without shifting and ridden away, just the two of them. With that thought, Ri paused and grasped hold of a possible solution to this difficult situation.
He had rescued Seamus before on horseback, and he could do it again, remove Seamus from danger, this time to his hideout where he could explain everything—and where it might be more believable.
And, most importantly, safer. Pete’s pack wouldn’t locate them there.
“Why don’t you come in?” Seamus felt like he was luring a wild animal into his home. Ri seemed restless and tense. Suffice it to say, Ri and Pete hadn’t hit it off. In fact, the entire encounter had been weird. Pete had been…strange. Yes, his jealousy was uncomfortably familiar, making Seamus’s skin itch, reminding Seamus why he stayed away from Pete. But Pete had mentioned that god-awful night Seamus assumed he’d forgotten hearing about. He sure as hell had never referred to it since.
“I have to go.” Ri looked apologetic and Seamus sighed.
“Of course you have to go, but where do you go?” Seamus swung his arm wide. “You head towards the fields and disappear. You’ve got me curious.”
“I’ll be back.”
“That’s not an answer,” Seamus said. As Ri stepped away, he added, “Wait.”
Ri turned, brows lifted in question.
He wanted to keep Ri here and talking, so he spoke the first thing that came to mind. “Why didn’t you like Pete?”
“He’s a predator.” A flat, swift response, if inaccurate.
“No, no, he’s not. He’s a pain in the butt sometimes, but he’s not a predator .” Seamus didn’t know if Ri meant something ominous or a more general personality trait. “Oblivious, maybe. He’s okay. It’s only that he’s an ex, and we have a history and kinda clash at times. I don’t dislike him.”
Ri was concentrating, as if Seamus was giving him very important intel. “I’ll be back.”
“God, Ri, you know, we need to talk. I’m concerned about you.” Telling Ri he was too weirdly behaved didn’t seem constructive.
“I’m fine,” Ri assured him with all sincerity.
“Good. Glad to hear it.” Seamus pulled in a breath. “You’re too unpredictable as a regular visitor. We need to set some ground rules.”
Ri nodded, almost eagerly, though he continued to back away. “I promise you, we’ll talk.”
“ Ri .”
He was jogging off towards the line of trees in the distance, as if he had important things to do.
Gawd, Seamus didn’t know what to make of this man, and what attraction lay between them was ebbing away under this erratic behavior. It was a shame.
Once Ri disappeared from sight, Seamus looked up into the big sky, particularly blue this hot prairie afternoon. “Zachariah? I’d like to know exactly how I am supposed to help your grandson. Because I don’t have a fucking clue. You haven’t given me any tips from beyond the grave. I won’t leave him in the lurch, I promise, but I can barely make contact with him. And he freaks out at any visitors.”
He stopped talking out loud, feeling silly. Then he went inside to clean up, trying to come up with explanations for Ri’s actions. Seamus had thought he was on the run, but that felt off. Perhaps Ri had some kind of personality disorder, but how the hell was he taking such good care of himself? Seamus needed to find out where Ri lived. He owed it to Zachariah, if nothing else.
As he washed up the dishes, he decided to get his focus off people and back on the farm chores. He needed the well water tested, since buying all his drinking water was more expensive than he liked and might not be necessary.
Before he could look up phone numbers in the out-of-date yellow pages, a whinny came from the backyard. Of all things, the horse
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