She just needed to get her head straight about Jensen. It wasn’t like he was spending all his time thinking about her.
6
JENSEN
Jensen’s boots crunched in the snowy grass as he made his way up the hill to his cousin’s barn early the next morning.
Josh had opened a horse rehab place over the last year. One of his regular guys had to call out today, so Jensen had offered to help out. He was honestly happy for the distraction.
Henry was already supposed to spend the day with grandparents anyway because Jensen had a corporate training scheduled. But it had been canceled. Again. So it ended up being a perfect day to do some farm work.
Deep breaths of the frosty air helped him feel centered. Missing out on one gig wasn’t a big deal. He had savings, so he and Henry would be fine. And he would have payment coming in soon for that other job he had done this month.
He cringed mentally when he thought back to the silly nature of the voice work he’d picked up, but it wasn’tlike anyone who knew him would ever hear it or realize it was him even if they did.
The sun was just coming up, painting the snow on the fields a rosy pink that made him think of Willow Wright’s blushing cheeks.
Do not think about that girl. She’s definitely not thinking about you.
“You okay?” Josh asked.
“Yeah,” Jensen said. “Sorry, just a little distracted.”
“Horses are good medicine,” Josh said with a grin.
“I thought we were supposed to be the ones helping them,” Jensen teased.
“Oh, we are,” Josh told him. “These two just need a quick groom and a nice swim.”
Jensen waited while Josh opened up the barn and then they stepped inside together. There was nothing like the warmth, the sweet scent of hay, and the gentle huffing and stomping of the big beasts. Jensen had grown up around the farm, so horses were nothing new to him, but he’d never taken one for a swim before.
“These boys are mostly here for rest,” Josh explained as he opened up the first stall door. “This guy is Archer, and he’s got some ligament inflammation.Easy, buddy, we’re okay.”
He led a big bay out of the stall. Maybe Archer had inflamed ligaments, but he was beautiful, and his body language told Jensen he craved movement.
“Racehorse?” Jensen guessed.
“Yep,” Josh said. “They both are. Do you want to take him out while I get the other?”
“Sure,” Jensen said, approaching the big stallion as calmly and slowly as he could.
Horses liked calm and confidence. They had to know what to expect. The big animals could be dangerous if you were scared or loud. He took the harness and stroked the big boy.
“Grab a lead from over there, if you want,” Josh told him.
Jensen grabbed one from the hooks on the wall and led the big horse outside.
Archer huffed in a big breath of the cold morning air, letting it out again in frosty clouds around his muzzle.
“Feels good out here, doesn’t it?” Jensen asked him.
Josh followed a moment later, a big gray mare on his lead and a bucket of supplies in his other hand.
They got to work cleaning out hooves and brushing the big animals down. Jensen could tell Archer was enjoying his grooming, so he took a little extra time along his withers, smiling when he saw the beast’s furry back ripple with pleasure.
“We’re mainly just using the groom as an excuse to check on them,” Josh said, handing Jensen the mare’s lead so he could take over with Archer.
Jensen noticed he was paying special attention to the backs of the big animal’s rear legs.
