Page 51 of Resisting Isaac

Just looked at me with those same dark eyes and waited.

My mom said he hadn’t had a name, hadn’t ever been meant to make it as long as he did. That’s why we’d named him Lucky—because we’d saved him, at least for a little while. But her words had offered little comfort back then.

After that, I stopped getting attached. Pulled back from the horses and focused on football. High school came and I only hooked up with girls who didn’t want anything serious and I made sure they knew I didn’t either.

Because loving something like that?

Letting it in,knowing it’s going to leave anyway?

It wrecks you.

And I promised myself I wouldn’t do it again. Not with horses. Not with people.

All these years, I thought keeping things light made me smart.

Turns out it just made me lonely.

I watch the mare pacing frantically for a while after Wyatt leaves.

I see it, the feral urge to run in her eyes even with a lameleg. Calculating how far she can get, if she can make it all the way back to her herd where she belongs.

As I finish up for the night, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll see the same look in Elena’s eyes when it’s time for her to leave.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

elena

There’s only a week of cowboy training camp left when we start blocking scenes in the evenings so production can plan the timing and lighting.

Poor Eli. Between training with Willow at the crack of dawn, joining us by lunch time, and now adding in evening blocking, he’s dead on his feet by dinner every night. We’ve yet to go on a single dinner date to work on our chemistry. So far, the only thing I feel for him is pity.Not sure how well that will play out onscreen.

By Thursday evening, he’s walking with a noticeable limp.

“You okay?”

He shrugs it off. “Willow’s horse hates me. Stepped on my foot on purpose this morning. Not for the first time.”

I wince. “Ouch. Maybe have a doctor check it out?”

He waves me off and returns to where Wes and Darren are gesturing wildly for us to join them.

“This is the key scene for season one,” Wes tells us all animatedly. “We’ll shoot over there by the horse arena, get those trees in the background during golden hour.” He holdshis hands up like a frame and confers with Darren while Eli and I await instructions.

Within a few minutes, I know exactly what scene this is.

Eli is going to tease me, call me a cute nickname, and then pull me into his arms for a slow dance and our first kiss. Just before his sister calls for a sober ride and interrupts us. Ivy said this wasn’t exactly how it happened, but in this business, changes are always necessary.

Isaac stands off to the side, holding the lead line on the chestnut horse that’s supposed to be in the shot. I’m more aware of him than I should be, but so far no one has called me on it.

“I can film on my phone,” Mikayla offers when Darren says the camera he’d planned to use isn’t charged.

“Fine. Let’s get set. We’re losing daylight, people,” Wes barks before clapping his hands loudly.

I glance up. The clouds are rolling in fast—heavy and gunmetal gray—and the crew’s already muttering about wrapping early.

But Darren waves them off. “We’ll get the shot. It’s one scene. No lightning, no problem.”

Famous last words.