Shattered Hearts ePub Read Online Free PDF Page B

The old Amanda would have immediately wilted like a shrinking violet, but I was trying my best to be a brand new person.  So I raised my chin and glared at Nate, challenging him despite my pounding heart.
    He backed off then, shoving his hands deep in his pockets and giving a toss of his head to shake his hair out of his eyes.  When he spoke next, his tone wasn’t quite so abrasive.  “So what brought you here?”
    Hesitating, I tried to decide how much to tell him.  “I’m ready for a change,” I said, trying to keep my answer as vague as possible.  I didn’t want to explain myself to anyone because my motivations made even me cringe.  The last thing I wanted was to see pity, shock or horror on another person’s face as I admitted what had really caused me to flee California.
    Nate shot a look at me then.  “What kind of answer is that?” he demanded, immediately calling bullshit on my evasive response.  “What are you hiding?”
    “The restaurant where I used to work closed,” I tried again.  “It was as good a time as any to try something new.”  That was the truth, but it wasn’t the real reason I’d picked up and left.  Nate didn’t need to know that.  Thankfully, he seemed to accept my answer...or maybe he was simply tired of talking to me.  With him, it was difficult to say.
    “I’m all done with Penny,” he said, standing up and giving her an affectionate pat.  “I fed her first thing this morning but I still need to clean out her stall before I can get out there in the field,” he informed me.  “You can watch to see how it’s done.”
    After leaving Penny to graze, I followed Nate into the barn.  It smelled, well, like a barn.  I guess he was expecting me to stand in the doorway and watch from a distance as he cleaned, because he looked surprised when I picked up a pitchfork and got right in there beside him.  He didn’t say anything, though.  Instead, we worked side by side in silence.
    “Not bad,” he said, surveying the barn after we’d finished.  “You’ve done this before.”
    “Not exactly,” I replied.  I’d seen people cleaning up after the horses at the stables where I used to ride as a kid.  I’d never actually done it myself.  But I had a feeling telling Nate that would only make him think less of me, so I kept my mouth shut.  I didn’t know why I craved his approval so much, but I desperately wanted to prove my worth to him.
    He thought I was just some stupid, weak girl.  He didn’t take me seriously because my skin was pale and my hands weren’t calloused.  But I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty.  I might be tiny but I was strong...far stronger than he gave me credit for.  For reasons I couldn’t quite explain, it was important to me that he knew that.
    I could see perspiration soaking through Nate’s t-shirt.  I was sure mine must look the same.  Fatigued, I wiped the sweat from my brow.  The sun was unseasonably hot and the barn had grown humid as it had gotten later – no wonder Nate put Penny out in the field to graze during the day.
    As though he’d read my mind, he opened the barn door wide to let the fresh air in.  “It will cool off in here by evening,” he told me.  “Sooner than that if it rains...  But Penny is happiest out in the field anyway, so I try to keep her there as much as possible.  After what she’s been through, she deserves to live out the rest of her days like royalty.”
    As Nate’s words sunk in, I felt tears prick at my eyes. 
    He looked at me curiously.  “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah,” I bluffed, swiping a hand across my eyes.  “I’m just tired.”
    “Go inside,” he advised.  “Get a bite to eat, take a shower and have a rest.  If you’re up to it, maybe this evening I’ll show you how to feed Penny.  That’s probably a chore you can take over at some point, yeah?”
    “That would be great,” I replied at once, glad for the opportunity to work closely with the horse.