I nab a horse blanket off one of the shelves as well as two bottled waters from the mini fridge, and Kellen grabs the food. I lead him out the back of the barn to a shady area under a sprawling oak tree, and we settle onto the ground for an impromptu picnic.
“Does Dr. Schoen ride?” he asks as he unwraps a sub and hands it to me.
“Not much anymore. She has two horses, and I handle most of their care and exercise. She gives me free apartment rent in exchange.” I bite into the sub, and my stomach does a happy dance. I didn’t have time for breakfast.
“I assume you’re looking to put down roots here since you said you were going to buy the practice.”
I nod as I sip my water. “I really like this area. The people are super nice—except for certain people who exploit and harm dogs—so yeah, I think this will be my home for some time to come. What about you?”
Kellen’s gaze sweeps across the hills of Dr. Schoen’s property to the mountains beyond. “It’s gorgeous here, and I love my job. It’s close to my parents without being too close, if you know what I mean.”
Oh yeah, I knew what he meant. “Did you leave a lot of close friends back on the West Coast?”
Kellen nods. “Military buddies, but you don’t ever really leave them. Those are friends for life.”
“I have friends like that in the horse world.” When I think of those people, I feel a longing I know will never go away, but it’s the sacrifice I made in exchange for freedom.
On the flip side, it was just such a friendship lost that caused me to run.
“Didn’t leave a boyfriend behind?” Kellen teases, although there is an intensity within his eyes that tells me the answer to his question is important and not something he’s taking lightly.
“No one worthy of mention,” I assure him. But that makes me curious. “What about you?”
“Not worthy of mention either, but since you asked, I was in a relationship before I moved to Pittsburgh. We’d been together three years, and she was going to move here, but I caught her cheating on me.”
I reach out without thinking and rest a hand on his arm. “Oh God… I’m so sorry.”
Kellen shakes his head, his smile easy and without burden. “Don’t be. I’m not. And the fact I’m not sorry tells me what I think I knew, anyway, that it really wasn’t meant to be. I think maybe I was supposed to find out she was cheating to avoid a complicated situation down the road if she moved her life to the East Coast to follow me.”
I hold up my sub in salute. “Well, I think she’s a fool for doing you wrong. How could she let someone who brings lunch get away?”
Kellen laughs, tipping his head back, and the sun catches his blue eyes so they sparkle. “Well, thank you for saying that. I thought she was a fool, but it’s nice to have the affirmation.”
“Seriously, though,” I say, drawing his gaze. “Thank you for lunch. It was really nice of you.”
Kellen shrugs like it’s no big deal, but truly… it is. I’ve dated and been in relationships, and no one has ever brought me a sandwich so he could have a few minutes of my time. And let’s not even get me thinking about him keeping Princess safe.
Or bailing me out of jail.
We chat more about our lives as we finish our sandwiches, drink our water, and enjoy the shade. Sitting side by side, hands planted behind us and legs stretched out, it feels like we’ve been hanging like this forever.
It’s just that easy.
Kellen holds up his watch to check the time, and we both know our fifteen minutes are up. He rolls his head to the right to look at me, chin resting on his shoulder. “I know we made tentative plans to go out weekend after next since my parents are coming in this weekend, and you have plans next weekend, but I really don’t want to wait that long to kiss you.”
I’m stunned by how quickly this changed from a chill picnic lunch to my entire being wanting to roll over and submit to him. Just upon the suggestion of a kiss. My throat dries out, making my voice husky. “Are you asking permission?”
“No. Merely stating my feelings.”
God. Why do his eyes have to be so damn mesmerizing, and why did I just look at his mouth? Could I be more obvious?
My heart thunders as he leans my way. “I lied about needing to work next Friday,” I blurt out.
Kellen’s chin jerks inward, and he raises an eyebrow. “You did?”
I nod with what I hope is an appropriately apologetic expression. “I was afraid that the reason you didn’t ask me out for this weekend was because you had plans with another woman, so I was reflexively closing myself off. But you’re not seeing someone else… it’s your parents coming in—” I frown as I consider something. “You aren’t seeing anyone else, right? And the thing with your girlfriend is over?”