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“I have a three-year-old,” the woman said. “My trainer is showing him for me. And also a mare I’m bringing out for hunt seat but I’m a nervous mom right now.”

“He’s the dun over there!” The man pointed.

“Beautiful horse,” I said. “Good luck to him.”

“And you,” the woman said. “You’ll be in color breed together, but I think he’ll be out of the ribbons. It’s his first time out.”

“You never know,” I said. “Doobs won his maiden show circuit championship, right?

“He did,” the guy said. “But Cole had a winner in that horse from the day he took him off the trailer. He’s magic with young horses, and he knew what he was doing.”

“Dan wanted to send our gelding to Cole, but he was full up. Mary is a good trainer, too. She’s doing great with Buddy,” the woman said.

“She is,” Dan agreed. “But I still prefer Cole for a young horse.”

I smiled. It affirmed my first instinct. I felt a swell of pride as he returned.

“You got a chair?” He asked. “Oh good!”

“These kind folks—Dan and… I am so sorry I didn’t get your name⁠—”

“Ali,” she replied.

“I know them,” Cole chuckled. “For years. You’ve brought that Dun, I see.”

Cole knelt, chatting with the couple as he tied an ice bag to my thigh with vet wrap—a strangely intimate and delicate matter given where I’d been kicked and the fact that my chaps were still half-on. But he didn’t care. Riley’s expression remained incredulous.

“I have some Motrin in the first aid kit,” Cole said. “You should take some.”

Before I could protest, he took off.

“He’s in full dad-mode!” I blushed.

Dan and Ali tended to their horse as Riley looked on.

“What is that face?” I demanded.

“Either the man likes manhandling women riders or he’s up to more than I knew,” Riley said. “You’re going to deny⁠—”

“Don’t start,” I groaned. “We’re coworkers.”

“And he just attached an icepack to your upper thigh without asking you if that was fine, offering to let you do it, or hesitating. And your response was to let him. Why is that, Chloe?”

“It’s no one’s business.”

“That’s fine. Keep it out of the barn. His re-rider clients will be heartbroken,” Riley joked.

“And Piper would be upset that we lied. Look, it wasn’t meant to go like this. We just… fell into it. And normally, it wasn’t like this, but… something changed somehow and…”

My voice faded.

“Chloe, he’s a good person,” Riley said. “But this is all really complicated. Remember what happened with Meg and all of that?”

“I know. I shouldn’t. Look, it’s not serious.”

“Uh-huh. That’s why he freaked out like this? He has two other clients here.”

“He’s been checking on them!”