Chapter 59: Man to Man

After Jenny left them alone, Cole scrubbed a hand across his lips and paced across to Dahlia’s stall. The horse cowered in the far corner, watching him with obvious mistrust.

“Cole, I just—”

Wordlessly, he sharply held up one finger, effectively silencing whatever had been about to tumble out of Meredith’s mouth.

He turned, leaning back against the stall, the offending device clutched at his side in his left hand as he considered his options.

Meredith knelt to pick up her belongings, stuffing them back into her bag. “I don’t know why you’re taking that girl’s word over mine,” she muttered. “I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my fucking horse, anyway. I’ll treat her any way I damn well please.”

She stood, retrieving a cigarette and lighter from an outer pocket of her bag.

“Don’t even think about smoking in my barn,” Cole said, his voice dangerously calm.