Page 3 of His Wilde Little (Saddle Up #2)

I’d gotten the wrong impression of Lorenzo, he was nice, oddly nice for someone I thought wouldn’t have two positive words to rub together.

I definitely couldn’t admit it to my family, and I was not going to let my sister know.

I wanted her to be indifferent to him, even if she assumed he was brought here for her, because maybe he was brought here for me.

And the rescue horse we were getting in that he was here for, and still, that confused me, we were going to get rid of the stables once our mare was gone.

Horses scarred me if I was going to be real. They were so powerful with their backlogs, and it just was not the vibe for me. I didn’t mind the occasional spitting from the alpacas because at least they did it lovingly, and I don’t care what anyone said, it was a sign of affection.

As the day progressed, people from town came up to the ranch on their little visits, some of them to buy eggs, others to pet the goats.

It was one of my favorite things to walk around talking to people about the animals and giving them oats or sliced carrots.

And as I walked around, I couldn’t see Lorenzo at all.

My sister was stood on the porch on the phone and as I approached her, she held her hand up to me and then walked off inside. I followed behind her and as I walked in, I caught Diane on her way out.

“Jace, Jace, Jace,” she said, swinging her arm around mine and pulling me in. “Where is this handsome cowboy you’ve imported all the way from Texas?”

Diane was my mom’s friend, newly divorced—well, two years ago, and she worked part-time on the ranch in the small cheese processing factory we had. It smelled awful inside, so I avoided that place as much as possible, even if I devoured the goat’s cheese whenever samples were brought out.

“Lorenzo,” I said, trying not to smile so big. “I was actually looking for him. Did you stop Olivia?”

She waved a hand and scoffed. “Oh, you know she wouldn’t have stopped what she was doing even if she spotted me in flames that girl when she’s gabbing away on the phone,” she laughed. “Anyway, where is he? And are you going to introduce me?”

“If I can find him, sure, but he’s a pretty quiet guy.”

“Is he—you know, conversative ?” she asked in a hushed voice. “Your mom was telling me she was worried about—” And she gestured to me in my whole being. “Which I told her was awful, you know, Brokeback Mountain did your community so many favors.”

“My community,” I laughed. “Someone filled up your tank with an extra dose of audacity today.” I snorted. “I don’t think he’s homophobic, if that’s what you’re getting at. And I’ve already scouted out all my rainbow utensils from the kitchen.”

She patted my arm. “Good to know and is he single?” she asked. “Your mom said you were showing him around, so I’m assuming the two of you got to talking.”

I gestured to the door but before we could leave, Olivia walked over huffing.

“Those people delivering those rescues are asking for proof we’re equipped to handle them.

And apparently, it’s three horses, not just one.

Three. Dad knows how much it costs to house a horse, right?

Or did he fall through the roof and bang he had recently? ”

“Jeesh, remind me not to get on your bad side,” Diane laughed, still tugging on my arm.

“Have you seen Dad?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Have you seen Lorenzo?”

“Oh, have you?” Diane added.

“No. I was hoping to, you know, see if he’s—but now I’ve got to deal with three horses coming in, and how much of a financial drain it’s going to be since they’re malnourished and will need to be seen by a vet to get a real work up.

All three of them.” Olivia wasn’t screaming, but she might as well have been with the way she was worked up by the news, and I agreed with her.

I also wanted a front row seat with fresh popcorn when she blew up at our dad too.

Back out of the house, we didn’t see Lorenzo as I walked with Diane on my arm towards the gift shop my mom was manning.

I turned back on myself to walk up the path towards the alpacas, and passing them, I headed for the stables which were signposted as out of bounds for guests, purely because of how old the horse was, and she didn’t want to be around people.

Lorenzo, stood at the corner of the stables, puffing on a cigarette. He dropped his head back slightly, extending his neck out to exhale the smoke. I stared for a moment until he caught me, and I had to pretend I was just approaching.

“I—hey—I’m—” he stubbed the cigarette out on the inside of the packet, closing it, he stuffed it inside his jacket pocket. “I’m not a smoker, it’s an old habit, and big changes stress me out a little.”

I nodded. “I get it, it’s a big change for me too,” I told him.

He pulled out some minty gum and offered me one. “I’m not the biggest fan of interacting with people, so I kinda wanted to just see what Mary Poppings had to say to me.” He snickered. “Who gave her that name?”

Taking a gum, I looked him over, still unable to decide how I felt.

Maybe I should’ve kept Diane with me. “Olivia gave her the name. She was the one who rode her and mostly took care of her. Now it’s my mom that takes her out to the field every day.

You’re better off asking her questions about the horse, and the three new ones coming in.

” A shudder tickled over me. “I only come in here to clean and leave food.”

“Wait. You said three,” he said, eyes snapping open. “Three?” He wiped at his brow and pulled his hat away briefly to swipe them through his hair. “Are you sure?” He held three fingers up to me. “I heard it was just the one. A neglected stallion gone wild in need of taming.”

I shrugged. “Just what I heard. But surely that’s not a problem for you, right? The horse whisperer, that can’t be tough for you.”

“It’s—it’s more than I signed on for,” he said. “I might need your help.”

“Olivia will—”

“But you handle the animals well,” he added. “I think we work well together.”

“Yeah, but she’s the one who had horses on her walls and didn’t get out of My Little Pony until she went to college,” I said.

He smirked. “I’ll teach you all you need to know about horses, since you’re teaching me about alpacas and goats. I think it’s only fair.”

This man had magnetized me, whatever I said, he was sticking to me with each response. I didn’t know if I was trying to think of more excuses for him to combat or just accept that he wasn’t the person I’d made him out to be hours ago.

“Have you seen my dad?” I asked.

“Yeah, he just left, he was the one who showed me the horse. And for what it’s worth, I think she’s lonely,” he said, stepping closer, I thought he was just trying to get closer to me, but in reality, he was just trying to get a view inside the stable.

It was a large stable. At one point, there had been several horses in there.

The family had a history of buying, breeding, and selling show horses, but that was way before I was born.

The ranch had also at one point been home to a flock of sheep and a herd of cows.

My dad spoke fondly over those days, saying how it felt like a ranch back then.

I glanced to my wristwatch, not noting anything, just a way to change the topic. “I have some time now if you want to head into town,” I told him.

“? I thought you would be busy doing those tours and such.”

“Oh no, it’s all self-guided here, I just like to be around to answer any questions,” I said. “But I have time, so, do you want to head into town, or not?”

“Of course, yeah, I’m absolutely ready. I’ve got a bit of a list that I need.”

Visiting Pineberry Falls was going to be the real test of who he was. Town was covered in rainbow pride flags. I’d know right away if what he’d demonstrated before was just for show, or if he wasn’t bothered it at all. Better yet if he was an ally, and best, if he batted for my team.

Leaving wasn’t as easy as I’d made it sound. I got the ranch branded van and drove up to the guesthouse where Lorenzo waited, now dressed in a thicker jacket and his boots looked a little smarter.

“Yes, before you ask, these are my show shoes,” he said, meeting my gaze at his feet. “It’s important people see me clean.”

They were noticeably the boots he’d worn when he arrived yesterday, and smart thinking on his behalf because I would never have worn those around the coup or barns, especially with all the poop and the way I’d once had a goat try and gnaw at my boots.

We reached the house, driving back toward the gate when we were stopped by Diane, nearly flinging herself in front of the car. Forming a giant X shape. “Stop,” she yelled.

“What? Is everything ok?” I asked, sticking my head out of the window to try and see if I’d hit something. It hadn’t felt like I had.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” she asked.

“We’re heading into town,” I told her.

“Great. I’ll come with you, I live in town,” she said.

“And then how will you get here tomorrow when your car is here?” I asked. “We won’t be long, I’m just going to show him around, let him grab some supplies and we’ll be back.” Glancing to Lorenzo, he nodded to what I was saying.

Diane approached the van to my side and whispered to me.

“Tell him nice things about me,” she uttered, and while I don’t think he heard, he definitely knew the vibe she was throwing out there.

She seemed unable to keep her eyes off him, and I couldn’t actually blame her, he was an enigma I wanted answers to.

Once we were outside the ranch, Lorenzo chuckled. “You know, I get that a lot,” he said. “Ladies throw themselves at me. I don’t get it. I think maybe it’s that they think because I’m not loud or outspoken, that I’m an ear to listen to them.”

The enigma was unravelling, and all it took was my silence. “Do you?”

“Do I listen? Sure, but I’m not a relationship guy.”

“I get it, you’re one of those guys who waltzes through town, leaving a wave of broken hearts in your stead.”

He laughed. “Definitely not. I was with the same ranch out in Texas for years. In fact, there was once a time when I would never have even imagined leaving that place.”

“So, why did you?”

He went quiet again, just when I thought we were getting somewhere.

I knew it couldn’t have been money, mostly because the ranch was just profitable.

We’d gone a lot of years breaking even, and with the little extra money we were making, I’d pushed for buying another alpaca, and that almost happened.

Once we arrived in town to the sight of all the rainbow-colored adornments on the different buildings, I looked to him again, trying to gauge what he was thinking. There was a wry smile, for whatever that counted for, but besides that, I couldn’t get a read on him at all.

Although what I didn’t learn about him from his reaction to the colorful town appearance, I did learn more about him from what he was deciding to buy in town.

He bought bacon, scotch, a near palette of cup noodles, hair pomade, shoe polish, tinned soups and stewed meats, and a whole lot of peanuts.

He practically cleared one shelf. It gave me an insight, just a small one, that he was used to being alone, and surviving on quite literal peanuts and whatever nutrients cup noodles had in them.

“Hey, don’t judge me,” he said as we got back to the van.

“I’m not—”

With one brow raised, he stared at me intensely, breaking the lie right out of me. “You know you’re invited to eat at the house,” I said. “My mom always makes more than we need, and I always bake more than we’ll eat as well.”

He shook his head. “That’s your place, I’ll only go in there if I absolutely have to,” he said.

“But thank you for the offer. I appreciate it. I’m just used to the way I do things.

It means I get to keep my own schedule and time.

Plus, now there’s about to be three horses in the stables in need of around the clock care. ”

“Ok, but if my mom asks you to come over and have dinner with us, I don’t think she’ll take no for an answer.”

Lorenzo had a deep growly chuckle from the back of his throat, it felt like an embrace around my head. “I’ll let her now not to set a place out for me. I think it’s important that I keep my own hours since I’m here for the horses.”

“Even if they’re actually not here yet,” I said.

I wouldn’t mind having a meal with him, having my sister pull information from him like it was her job.

I wanted to know more now. What had happened to him to make him this way?

“Anyway, it’s probably for the best, I think my sister has a crush on you.

” I don’t know why I’d said it, but I did, blurted right out of me like his silence demanded to be filled.

“That’s sweet,” he said. “But I’m not here for any of that.”

It kinda crushed my crush on him. I was out of my mind for even thinking it for a second. But there was something about him, and I didn’t want to try putting my finger on it.

“Should we get back?” he asked. “I want to get adjusted as quick as possible.”

“Sure. Unless there’s anything else you want to do?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Maybe another time.”

Another time that wouldn’t involve me, is what I heard it as.