Read Online Twin Pleasures by Suzanne Thomas - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Thomas
Ads: Link
day early, making sure the livestock were fed and cleaned before leaving for work and caring for ill horses, then coming home again to tend the stock. She could picture no other life.
She could hear the horses nickering as the smell of breakfast drifted on the air. The cowboys worked at a steady pace to see to all their needs. She jumped out of the Jeep and followed the boys into the barn's interior. The pungent smells of barn hung in the air.
She went directly to Majesty’s stall and unlatched the door before stepping inside. A relieved, hungry horse greeted her. This was a new home, and strangers had been poking their heads inside to look at him. He wasn’t happy. The soothing sound of her voice had a calming effect on the fidgety stallion. He demonstrated his displeasure with the changes by some small rears and a couple of anxious snorts that she laughed off.
“You, sir, are a piece of work. At your age, acting all scared. You have to show all these young stallions what you are made of. Hold your head up high, and strut your beautiful body.” Her monotone voice calmed and assured the horse. She clipped the lead and walked him out. She couldn’t see the boys, so she took it upon herself to take him back to the paddock he was in the night before. She felt the stares of the workers but ignored them and went about her business. She found the feed room and calmly stood at the doorway. The cowboy in charge looked her way and smiled. The smile held a hint of derision that she paid no heed. She didn’t care what they thought about her or her relationship with the boys. She hadn’t come to terms with it herself, and she wasn’t going to let their opinion affect her.
“May I have six cups of grain, one cup of sweet feed and two measures of alfalfa?” Liana inquired of the cowboy. She held her arms out as the bucket and hay were placed unceremoniously into her outstretched arms. She didn’t show any complaint to the man at his obvious attempt to unbalance her. She was stronger than they knew.
She carried her burden to the paddock, greeted there by a demanding horse. He scarcely let her through the gate before pouncing on the offerings. She nudged him away and set the bucket on the feed hook. He was happily munching the food with his head buried deep inside, letting her prepare the hay to put it in the rack affixed to the pen. She leaned back against the railing and watched the hustle of cowboys going about their work.
The size of the place amazed her. She’d had a little taste of it last night, but in the light of day, the sheer vastness made her mind spin. The rolling Texas hills stretched as far as the eye could see and had horses sprinkled everywhere. She could just make out another barn and wondered if that was the induction barn mentioned last night. It was too far away to see if anybody was working there. The sounds of happy horses had a calming effect on her. She could see the planning and dedication that went into the operation and the care and well-being that went into the stock.
She closed her eyes, thinking about all that had happened in such a short time. The enormity of her situation made her cringe. Her life, her friends, her job were all crowding to come forward and demand she come to her senses. She’d thought she had a good life back home until meeting the boys and finding out what had been missing. Just the thought of leaving here, leaving them, made her unhappy, but again the thought of how this relationship could ever survive confused her. Her life had a focus before meeting the boys. She had plans and goals, all of which now seemed unimportant.
She placed her hand on her belly and tried to imagine a child, their child, growing inside her. The joy that filled her was her answer. She shook her head slightly at this turn in her life. She could remember a time that the thought of children scared her witless. Her sister was eight months pregnant and the many months being around Gabby all she
She could hear the horses nickering as the smell of breakfast drifted on the air. The cowboys worked at a steady pace to see to all their needs. She jumped out of the Jeep and followed the boys into the barn's interior. The pungent smells of barn hung in the air.
She went directly to Majesty’s stall and unlatched the door before stepping inside. A relieved, hungry horse greeted her. This was a new home, and strangers had been poking their heads inside to look at him. He wasn’t happy. The soothing sound of her voice had a calming effect on the fidgety stallion. He demonstrated his displeasure with the changes by some small rears and a couple of anxious snorts that she laughed off.
“You, sir, are a piece of work. At your age, acting all scared. You have to show all these young stallions what you are made of. Hold your head up high, and strut your beautiful body.” Her monotone voice calmed and assured the horse. She clipped the lead and walked him out. She couldn’t see the boys, so she took it upon herself to take him back to the paddock he was in the night before. She felt the stares of the workers but ignored them and went about her business. She found the feed room and calmly stood at the doorway. The cowboy in charge looked her way and smiled. The smile held a hint of derision that she paid no heed. She didn’t care what they thought about her or her relationship with the boys. She hadn’t come to terms with it herself, and she wasn’t going to let their opinion affect her.
“May I have six cups of grain, one cup of sweet feed and two measures of alfalfa?” Liana inquired of the cowboy. She held her arms out as the bucket and hay were placed unceremoniously into her outstretched arms. She didn’t show any complaint to the man at his obvious attempt to unbalance her. She was stronger than they knew.
She carried her burden to the paddock, greeted there by a demanding horse. He scarcely let her through the gate before pouncing on the offerings. She nudged him away and set the bucket on the feed hook. He was happily munching the food with his head buried deep inside, letting her prepare the hay to put it in the rack affixed to the pen. She leaned back against the railing and watched the hustle of cowboys going about their work.
The size of the place amazed her. She’d had a little taste of it last night, but in the light of day, the sheer vastness made her mind spin. The rolling Texas hills stretched as far as the eye could see and had horses sprinkled everywhere. She could just make out another barn and wondered if that was the induction barn mentioned last night. It was too far away to see if anybody was working there. The sounds of happy horses had a calming effect on her. She could see the planning and dedication that went into the operation and the care and well-being that went into the stock.
She closed her eyes, thinking about all that had happened in such a short time. The enormity of her situation made her cringe. Her life, her friends, her job were all crowding to come forward and demand she come to her senses. She’d thought she had a good life back home until meeting the boys and finding out what had been missing. Just the thought of leaving here, leaving them, made her unhappy, but again the thought of how this relationship could ever survive confused her. Her life had a focus before meeting the boys. She had plans and goals, all of which now seemed unimportant.
She placed her hand on her belly and tried to imagine a child, their child, growing inside her. The joy that filled her was her answer. She shook her head slightly at this turn in her life. She could remember a time that the thought of children scared her witless. Her sister was eight months pregnant and the many months being around Gabby all she
Similar Books
