Chapter Text
Jeremy unpacked his belongings to feel a little more settled and was going to take a shower, but decided he'd just end up smelling like the campfire, so he'd wait. He did leg stretches before grabbing his guitar and heading back outside. He saw a small fire going outside of the main house and made his way over, waving at Dakota.
Dakota gave Jeremy a friendly smile as she sat in a hammock chair, swinging slightly. Her hazel eyes slowly wandering over his figure as he got closer. "I got you a beer, as promised."
"Thank you," he said graciously, finding the seat next to her available. He carefully lowered himself into the chair, stretching his left leg out in front of him. "I brought my guitar if you like a little music. Nothing spectacular, but I can get around."
She turned slightly, curling up in her chair, leaving one leg down to rock herself. "I love music," she told him.
"Awesome," he said, taking the beer from the small table beside them and taking a sip of it before he went about carefully getting out his guitar.
Sitting back, he rested the guitar on his abdomen and began to strum a little. "You can tell me if I'm making myself too at home," he remarked, smiling at himself.
Dakota watched as the fire colored Jeremy in an orange glow. She shook her head. "I'm happy that you're comfortable."
"I'm pretty adaptable," he shrugged as he played. "I travel quite a bit these days, so it's nice to have a place to stay out for a little while."
"It's always nice to be outside... enjoy nature. Good company." She turned and reached for her own beer before taking a drink.
He chuckled dryly. "I don't know that anyone would believe you if you told them I was good company these days," he said, stopping the music for a moment to take another drink of his beer. "A lot of people probably believe what they read, though." He glanced over at Kota curiously. "Have you read any of it?"
"I try to stay away from the gossip that shows up on social media. I knew what was going on only because of what your agent emailed me."
He nodded, understanding her stance. "Well, if you ever do read it, I hope you know it's not true," he shared. "I wasn't the perfect guy. I'm not. But I'm not a bad guy. It just... matters to me that people know that."
"I only judge people by how they are when I meet them," she told him honestly. "You've been an absolute gentleman to me and to my daughter. I know what you're going through is hard, so, to be so kind to us. It means a lot."
He smiled more softly, his fingers returning to the guitar strings to start to strum a song. "I'm glad," he replied, glancing over at her. Her eyes sparkled in the light of the fire. Look away. He didn't need to linger.
Watching Jeremy play the guitar soothed Dakota. She watched his hands, how he moved them along the neck of the guitar, careful about where he placed his fingers. "I'm glad too," she said quietly.
He didn't speak for a while then, simply allowing the music to move through him. He'd always wanted to be a musician, and there were parts of him that were. Without knowing where he was headed, he began to play Simple Man by Lynard Skynard, humming along with what would have been the lyrics.
"You play beautifully," she said quietly. Kota continued to watch as he played, and began to sing softly as he reached the chorus.
His smile grew and he looked up at her as she sang, nodding along with the music. He began to sing in harmony with her as it picked up the second half of the chorus and he couldn't help the grin on his face.
Dakota felt her body hum with warmth as she sang with Jeremy. His voice was melodic and beautiful and they harmonized very well. Once the song came to an end, she giggled, feeling her face turn red, making her cover her face with her hands.
"No, no, don't cover your face," Jeremy pleaded with a smile. "You can sing, girl! That's something to be proud of. Don't hide!"
She reluctantly uncovered her face and gave Jeremy a bashful smile. "I haven't done that in a long time. I normally just sing with the radio or my phone."
"You don't need to be shy, it's just me here," he tried to reassure. "I promise, I won't tell a soul. Your secret is safe with me."
Dakota grinned softly. "You're really sweet... and I have to let you know, I do love your voice."
"Oh, well, thank you," he replied almost a little shyly. "It's a little gravelly and not the best quality, but I enjoy singing and writing music. I'm thinking about putting an album out but I haven't quite settled on that yet," he shared.
"I think you'd have a lot of people that would buy one if you did," she said honestly. Including me. Kota turned her head to look at the fire, seeing it was getting low. "Better add wood to that," she commented as she stood.
"I've got it," Jeremy said, pushing himself up out of his chair, but his hurt leg locked up on him, causing him to falter and fall back in his chair. "Damn it... you win this time."
"Shit." The wood forgotten, Dakota walked over to him and placed one hand on his knee. "Are you okay?"
He groaned a little as he nodded. "I'm fine, I just stood up too fast and the damn thing locked up," he told her with some amount of frustration, though not in the least directed at her.
Dakota sighed softly as she gently kneaded the muscle around his knee, hearing him hiss. "It's tight... no wonder."
"I must have just over used it. I swear it's been starting to feel better," he said, knowing he probably sounded pathetic.
"Jeremy, it's okay. Healing isn't easy, especially on a part of your body that you use every day." She continued to knead the muscle until it loosened slightly. "I can feel heat through your pants. It's not happy with you."
"Should I put a heating pad on it tonight, or...?" he asked, wondering what her insights were. She dealt with people with injuries a lot. "I don't want to make it worse. I don't want to go backwards."
"Ice might be better," she said softly, holding back the temptation of running her hand along his leg.
His eyes watched the dying fire flicker on her face and he nodded. "Ice then," he agreed. She smells like the fire and her perfume.
Dakota stood and turned to the fire. "Do you want to stay out a while longer?" She asked. "Or I can help you to the guest house."
"I should probably get ice on this knee," he answered, though he would admit to being disappointed. He just knew he shouldn't push his situation. Besides, she was just being friendly. "But I can get back there, I'll go slow."
"Are you sure?" She asked. "Jeremy, I don't want you to fall."
"Would it make you feel better to supervise me walking home?" he asked, scooting to the edge of the chair.
Dakota chuckled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes. In fact it would."
He couldn't help but smile at the sound of her laugh. "Okay, fine. I'll take the escort," he replied, preparing to stand for a moment before he slowly rose. He used one knee to compensate for the other. "Once I get going I should be okay," he said as he took an awkward step, warming up.
Instantly, Kota reached out to hold Jeremy's arm. "Easy, there..."
He couldn't help but chuckle a little. He felt a little like one of the horses she was nursing back to health. "Okay..." he agreed, taking another step slowly and carefully. He favored the leg as he walked, but his stride improved as he moved.
As his walking got a little better, Dakota let go of Jeremy's arm, but placed a hand on his back. "Take full steps if you can, try not to favor it."
"That'll just hurt the other knee, right?" he asked, recalling what his physical therapist has told him before. He took longer, careful strides then at her instruction.
"In moderation it's not awful, but long term it could harm the other leg," she agreed. As they reached the guest house, she let Jeremy get the key from his jeans to unlock the door.
He opened the door and stepped inside, feeling Dakota follow him in. "I'm assuming there's ice in the freezer?" he asked, mentally preparing for how he'd end up for the evening.
"Yes," she told him. "I can help you get settled. I think I even have ice packs."
"Okay," he agreed, sensing that his refusal wouldn't work. She was a sure woman. "Let me go get changed and then maybe I'll settle in on the couch for the night."
"I'll be right here," Dakota told him. "If you need help, let me know."
Jeremy made his way back to the bedroom and closed the door before he unbelted and unbuttoned his pants. As he pulled them down, he took in his slightly swollen knee with a frown. "One of these days..." he murmured to himself before he went about dressing for bed. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and left his tee shirt on before he reemerged back into the room. "Ready for an ice pack."
Dakota chuckled from the small kitchen. "I have one ready for you." She turned and grinned at him, holding a frozen sponge in one hand.
"A frozen sponge? Creative," he remarked with a smile. He turned to head toward the couch and after he sat carefully, he hissed a little as he extended his leg and rested his foot on the coffee table.
"Easy," Kota said gently. She walked over to him and gently placed the sponge on his knee. "Do you want anything while I'm here?"
He puffed out his cheeks at the sensation of the cold and tried to focus on something else. "Uh, maybe a water? Oh, and could you bring me the pile of papers on the counter? I'm sorry to ask you..."
"Oh, don't fret, I asked you," she told him with a wave of her hand. Dakota turned and went back to the small kitchen to retrieve the water and stack of folders and papers. Then she returned to him and handed everything to him. "Anything else before I go in for the night? I'll still be up for a bit..."
"No, no. Thank you so much," he said sincerely. "Today was probably the first time I've smiled in a while so... really, thank you."
Dakota smiled back at him. "You're welcome," she said sweetly. "Just... get some rest. If you have a hard time in the morning just call me."
"Do I have your number?" he asked, fishing his phone out of his pocket. "Can you put it in?" he said, handing her his phone.
"It was in the paperwork about coming here," Dakota answered but reached for his phone to put in her number anyway. "But I don't mind giving it to you."
"Thank you," he replied graciously. "Should I meet you at the barn in the morning?"
"If you want, but we won't be starting early. I want to start easy since you're injured," she told him.
"Okay. I'll text you to find out when to meet you," he replied, smiling easily. "I hope you sleep well."
Dakota lingered by the door as she watched him, feeling butterflies flutter in her stomach that she'd been trying to keep down half of the evening. "You too, Jeremy."
"Good night," he replied, offering her a wave before he watched her go. His eyes lingered on the door for a few moments after she left and he exhaled heavily. "Like you need more problems right now," he murmured to himself before he turned his attention to the script proposals he had in his lap.
~~~~~~
The following morning, Dakota saw Faye off to school then prepared Pancake, a client horse, for a morning ride. "Are you going to behave this morning?"
Jeremy had fallen asleep on the couch once he'd reclined it back and he woke up to the sunshine as it rose. He nearly forgot where he was for a moment but once he oriented himself, he carefully went about moving his stiff knee.
He stretched it out a few times before he stood up. It wasn't throbbing anymore, that was an improvement. Going about his morning routine, he showered and then made himself a cup of coffee. Leaning against the counter as he sipped it, his eyes found Dakota in the distance in the barn.
Smiling to himself, he went and made a second cup of coffee before he walked out to the barn.
"Thought you might need a little coffee?" he offered with an easy smile.
Dakota turned with slight surprise, but couldn't hold back her delighted smile. "Aren't you sweet." She held onto Pancake's reins and reached out to take the steaming mug with the other. "I figured you'd sleep in."
"I don't do that a whole lot. I'm better up and moving around than sitting still with my mind," he replied, resting his now free hand on his hip as he took a sip of his coffee.
As Kota took a sip of coffee, she ran her eyes across his figure, hopefully discreetly, before turning and patting Pancake's neck. "This guy needs some exercise... how does your knee feel?"
Jeremy glanced down to look at his knee before he replied. "It's feels okay right now. I did the stretches the physical therapist recommended and took an anti-inflammatory, so I should hopefully be good to move for a little while."
"Do you think that you'd be up for a ride?"
"Sure," he agreed, taking a longer sip of his coffee before he set the mug down. "Should I get Rocks?"
"Yep. Let me tie this girl up and I will show you how to tack up." Dakota quickly got Pancake tied to a hitch before walking down the aisle of the barn and to Rocks' stall.
Jeremy followed her down to Rocks's stall and smiled to greet the horse. "Good morning, pal," he said, walking up to the horse to pet him.
Dakota smiled watching Jeremy interact with Rocks. "Put his halter on him and lead him out here to the cross ties and give him a brush. Then I'll show you how to cinch a saddle."
"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a nod and a charming grin before he did what he'd been instructed to do. He carefully put on the halter and patiently led Rocks out of the stall and to the cross ties. He found a brush and began the task of brushing the sides of the large horse.
"He loves to be pampered," Dakota grinned, watching Rocks' eyes slowly close. "He's falling asleep on you."
Jeremy chuckled and patted the horse's neck. "Wake up, buddy. We've got work to do," he encouraged.
Rocks huffed before bobbing his head slightly. "He's ready for his saddle. Do you have a weight limit?"
"Not that I know of," Jeremy replied, moving for the saddle. Carefully, he picked it up and held it for a moment before moving again. "Feels fine," he told her, knowing she was probably worried about him hurting himself.
Stubborn man. She followed him as he walked up to Rocks once more. "Swing it upward and onto his back gently. Make sure the horn is facing his head."
"Horn facing the head..." he repeated, turning the saddle in his arms before he hoisted the heavy saddle up onto the large creature. "See? I'm not a total invalid..."
Dakota chuckled softly. "I know you're not. The cinch is buckled into the saddle on the other side. You'll unclip that and then walk back around to me."
He followed instructions as she gave them and offered her a cheeky smile as he walked back around to her. "Sorry I'm stubborn. But I'm also not sorry."
She raised an eyebrow at him, enjoying his playful side. "I'm stubborn too." Dakota instructed him on how to tighten the cinch around Rocks' belly then how to attach the breast collar.
Dakota gently shook the saddle and nodded. "Nice and tight. We'll see if it loosens up in a bit. Now for the bridle."
Jeremy waited for her to put the bridle in his hands before he approached Rocks again. "Easy, big guy," he said calmly as he attached it. "You're just about ready for a ride."
"He can be stubborn about getting the bit in his mouth. You might have to put your thumb in his mouth, behind his teeth and press."
"Oh geez... don't bite me," he said to Rocks as he positioned himself in front of the horse. "Open up for me pal..." he said as he attempted to get the horse to take the bit. When he didn't, Jeremy made a face and did as Dakota instructed.
Dakota giggled as Rocks ignored him. "Do you want my help?"
"Yes, please," Jeremy replied with a chuckle.
She continued to laugh as she took the bridle from Jeremy then clicked at Rocks and nudged him to wake him up. "C'mon lazy." Kota pressed the bit to his lips as she pressed her thumb against his gum, making him open his mouth. "There we go."
"He's so comfortable around me, he's sleeping!" Jeremy laughed, shaking his head. "Wake up, fella. We've got work to do."
"He's a bit of a lump," Kota chuckled as she buckled the bridle then checked the cinch. "Will you need a refresher?"
"Wouldn't hurt to get one, just in case," he replied, standing at Rocks's side with his hand on the saddle.
Damn he is handsome. Clearing her throat, Dakota turned and untied Pancake. "Follow me and I'll show you the basics."
"After you," he said, taking the reins in his hand and gesturing for her to walk out before him and Rocks. He followed her out of the barn and out into the arena. "We have 911 on speed dial, right?" he joked.
"Jeremy," she laughed. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Do you want a mounting block? It's a small set of steps to get you a little closer to mounting up."
"Nah, I think I can do it. I'll use my good leg," he said, taking a step in toward Rocks. "Put one foot in and hoist myself over, yeah?"
"On the left side, left foot in the stirrup," Dakota nodded.
"Oh, left is the bad leg... want me to try it?" he asked, a slightly concerned wrinkle on his brow.
"You can try. If you feel pain. I'll give you a leg up."
"Maybe I should take that step..." he said warily, with a hint of disappointment. He knew it was a bad idea to push himself too far, though. He had a lot riding on getting better.
"The mounting block is right here." Dakota turned and retrieved it for him. "Just step up and then swing over. It'll be easier."
"I'll work up to doing it without the block," he said as he stepped up onto it. He made sure he was steady before he swept his leg over the horse and settled onto it.
Dakota turned and mounted Pancake before looking over at Jeremy. "You look good. Comfortable."
He chuckled a little. "Good, I'm faking it well," he replied jokingly. "Nah, I feel okay... you think he'll get going for me or is he stubborn about that too?"
"He might be lazy but he normally is pretty good. Just gently squeeze with both legs. To turn, pull to one side towards your knee. To stop gently pull to your stomach," Dakota demonstrated.
"Okay, let's see here..." he murmured before he squeezed his legs to get Rocks to start walking. The horse complied and began to walk around the arena. He practiced turning before he pulled him to a stop. "Feels pretty natural."
Dakota walked Pancake to a gate before bending down and opening it. "Let's go on a little trail ride."
"I'll follow you," Jeremy said, using his legs to get Rocks going again before he followed Kota out of the arena.
Once they were both out of the arena, Dakota pressed Pancake's side, getting her to walk sideways, allowing Kota to grasp the gate and guide it closed so she could latch it. "Good boy, Pancake."
"You make it look so natural," he said to her as he waited for her past the gate. "So easy. But I guess you have a lot more practice."
Dakota looked over at Jeremy and smiled at him. "It comes with the territory when you do it every day," she shrugged. "But thank you. Pancake just learned how to do that. He used to be afraid of the gate."
"Good job, Pancake," Jeremy echoed, pulling Rocks beside her as they began to walk down the trail. "It's been a while since I've gotten to ride. I forgot how... free it feels."
"It's pretty relaxing," Dakota agreed. "Everything else around you tends to just melt away when you're in the saddle."
"The nature helps too," he remarked, taking in the beautiful setting around them. "I'd love for everything else to melt away."
Dakota watched Jeremy as they rode as he looked at the countryside all around them. "I know," she said softly.
He sighed softly, a hum leaving his chest. "Thank you for this... your program," he said gently.
"You're welcome," Dakota nodded. "I love helping people. Horses too."
"You're doing good work. Helping people. Making a real difference," he said knowingly. "That's all we should be aiming for as people."
Dakota felt herself flush slightly as she turned Pancake to follow a narrower trail. "That means a lot," she told him. "This will go down hill a bit, just lean back slightly. We'll cross a creek too."
Jeremy leaned back as she instructed, carefully guiding Rocks down the hill and as they reached the creek, the horse stopped. "Does he have a thing about water?" he asked, reaching forward to gently stroke the horse's neck.
"He likes water. Likes to play in it," Dakota answered as she worked to get Pancake to cross only to have him walk sideways at the bank.
"Oh, do you want to play?" Jeremy asked as Rocks stuck his hoof in the water and kicked at it. He couldn't help but laugh naturally. "Play a little, pal." Rocks walked further into the creek before pawing at the water over and over, splashing water up around them.
Meanwhile, Dakota kicked Pancake's sides and clicked at him, wanting him to move forward. "C'mon boy. It's just water. Rocks is fine."
Jeremy laughed as water splashed up onto him and he tried to swipe it away. "Alright, a little too much fun maybe," he said with a chuckle in his voice.
Pancake tossed his head and reared slightly before finally bunny hopping into the water and walking across. "Good boy." When Dakota turned, she laughed, seeing Jeremy get soaked as Rocks continued to stomp his hoof into the water. "You'll have to kick him to get him moving again."
Jeremy gently kicked the horse's side as she told him to, and it took a few tries, but Rocks eventually began to walk through the creek. "Thankfully it's a warm morning," he said, looking down at himself.
"You are soaked," Dakota laughed. "But you'll dry."
"I'll dry," he agreed, catching up to her on the other side of the creek. "Do you ride this trail a lot?" he asked.
Dakota nodded as she turned and started down the trail once more. "It's one of my favorites. We don't have any jumps made into this trail, so it's pretty easy. There's another water crossing that's a bit bigger and longer further down. Pancake has issues with water, so that's why I use this one."
"Wow, so you're doing therapy in two of us right now," Jeremy pointed out with an easy grin. "You're that good."
She chuckled and shrugged. "Training for one. Therapy tends to happen on its own when it comes to horses."
"I guess traditional talk therapy doesn't help too much, huh?" he said with a small smirk. "They don't really talk back. Then again, neither did I really."
"They talk in their own way," Dakota replied. "It just takes the right person to listen."
Jeremy couldn't help but smile. "That's beautifully said," he replied, riding comfortably beside her.
As they made it to the larger creek, Dakota smiled. "Thank you, Jeremy."
"Oh no, more water," Jeremy said with a chuckle as Rocks headed for the creek again. .
"It's warm, I'm sure you'll be okay," she chuckled as they reached the edge. Pancake snorted and pawed at the dirt before hopping off the ground and into the water, making Dakota laugh more.
He couldn't help but break into a laugh and it was only a moment later that Rocks did the same. "It doesn't matter at this point, buddy. Just have fun."
Rocks pawed at the water once the water got deep enough, splashing Dakota and Jeremy both. She laughed and watched as Jeremy tried to cover his face.
All Jeremy could do was laugh as he did his best to keep the water out of his eyes. He was at the mercy of the horse, and the only other option was jumping off and into the creek.
Dakota got Pancake moving and soon crossed the creek, then turned to look at Jeremy. "Jere, hun, kick him!"
He laughed and kicked Rocks, startling him enough to get him to move. "Tomorrow I won't even bother showering. He'll take care of it for me!"
"Rocks loves water," Dakota smiled, her eyes watching how his shirt clung to his well built frame.
"You're telling me!" he said with a chuckle. "Maybe I'll just wear swim trunks. Then he can have a field day."
Seeing you shirtless would be a sight. Dakota cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks turn pink. "I'm sure he would like that."
He walked Rocks out of the shade so his clothing could dry in the sun. "This would be a great place to camp," he observed, looking around.
"It is," she nodded. "Sometimes we like to camp out here or we'll load a couple of horses and camp out for a few days."
"That sounds like a blast," he said with a nod. "I have a house out in Lake Tahoe and we'll do that with my nephews. Fishing for our food, camp fires... I love that kinda thing."
"Wow... that gets pretty cold in the winter," she replied.
"Yeah, it does," he agreed. "But we do a lot of snow activities too. Skiing, snowboarding, riding snow cats. I have a business that clears snow, too. As well as a construction company."
"Wow... you're into pretty much everything." Dakota and Jeremy turned down the path only to find that a large log had fallen over the trail. "Well... this isn't what I planned today."
"Want me to try and move it?" Jeremy asked, pulling Rocks up beside her. "Or... do you have a chainsaw? I could take care of it for ya."
"Back at the barn, but not here. We're halfway through the trail, so I don't want to go back." Dakota sighed. "I have an idea, but you're going to have to trust me."
"An idea? Hit me," he said, smiling easily.
"Get off from Rocks and sit behind me. We can jump over together."
"Oh, okay," he said, hesitating for a moment before he dismounted Rocks. He carefully approached Pancake and ran his hand along the horse's side. "You sure she can hold both of us?"
Dakota nodded and removed her left foot from the stirrup. "She's a strong girl. Unclip one side of Rocks' reins and hand them to me, then I'll do my best to help you mount up here with me."
Jeremy followed her instructions, unclipping one side of the reins before handing it to Dakota. "Alright, let's see how this goes..." he murmured, using the log that had fallen as a step up and pushed himself up into the back of the horse.
As Pancake shuffled slightly, Dakota backed her up by pulling back gently on the reins. "Get yourself centered and hold on to me. Mirror my movements as best as you can."
He listened and adjusted how he was sitting before he wrapped his exceptionally strong forearms around her waist. "Alright, I'll follow you."
"Okay... try not to go to one side or the other or we'll both fall." Dakota clicked at Rocks, getting him to turn the right way as they all backed up just a little further.
"Like riding a motorcycle," he pointed out familiarly.
"Sort of," she agreed. Dakota tapped his arm gently. "Are you ready?"
"When you are," he replied, adjusting his arms around her center.
Dakota rested one hand on Jeremy's arm as she clicked at Pancake and kicked her to get her moving. The pair easily got into a canter as they approached the log, making sure they approached it straight, Dakota squeezed Pancake's sides again. "C'mon girl," she coaxed.
Pancake easily hopped over the log and slid to a gentle stop, snorting and tossing her head. "Good girl," Dakota praised as she huffed, turning to see that Rocks had made the small jump with them. "Good boy, Rocks. Are you good too, Jer?"
"All in one piece," he replied, slowly releasing his arms from around her.
"You sure?" she asked. She turned Pancake and lined up with Rocks' back. "Line yourself up with his stirrup and switch over to him."
"Okay," Jeremy agreed, carefully doing as she said. Lining himself up, he settled his foot into the stirrup before he swung himself in a smooth motion back onto Rocks. "Not too shabby."
Dakota smiled. "Hopefully I didn't hurt your knee."
"It feels alright," he assured her, swinging his left leg a little to demonstrate. "Where to next?"
"Let's finish this trail and get something to eat. You up to try trotting?"
"Sure," Jeremy replied with a nod. "I think I remember how to get that going..."
She giggled and nodded. "Squeeze gently and make a clicking sound. Post up and down if you want. You don't have to sit."
"Got it," he replied, taking a moment to pet Rocks's mane before he did as she'd told him. He squeezed and clicked and after a moment, Rocks began to trot forward.
Dakota accompanied him, watching how he sat as they trotted down the trail. "Sit tall... that's it. Put your weight in your knees as you post."
It worried him to put weight on his knee but he nodded and did as she instructed. There was no shooting pain so he didn't back off at all.
"You're doing great, Jeremy!" Dakota praised. As they reached the ranch once more, she slowed Pancake down. "How do you feel?"
Jeremy rode in just behind her, his posture having relaxed as he grew more comfortable on Rocks. "Good," he replied, "but I'm worried about how I'll feel later."
Dakota nodded as she dismounted and stood beside Pancake. "I can help you if it gets bad. Do you want help down?"
"Nah, I think I've got it," he replied, careful to dismount on his right side. He patted Rocks on the side then. "Good job, pal."
"He did really good," she agreed. "So did you."
"Well, thanks. I needed the refresher, though," he admitted humbly. "You hungry? I could eat."
"Me too. Let's untack the horses, give them a brush, and hose them off. Then we can go and find us something to eat."
"Sounds good to me," he replied, following her back to the barn. "I'm kinda jealous you get to do this all day," he told her. "Play with horses, be outside... the trees, the wilderness, it's all great here."
Dakota grinned. "It's not always fun," she told him. "I have to muck out quite a few stalls every day, give everyone grain and hay, and make sure some of them get their daily meds and turn outs. But I do love the nature and being outside."
"It's definitely a full-time job," he said with a smile. "I try to get outside as much as I can. To be honest, I get a little stir crazy when I have to be inside too long."
"I'm the same way. I love being outside." They reached the barn and began untacking the horses. "I just hate the cold."
He chuckled. "Then don't come to Tahoe in the winter," he advised. "We get lots of snow up there."
As Dakota removed the saddle pad from Pancake's back, she rose a brow at him. "Is that an invitation?"
Jeremy chuckled as he nodded. "Anytime. You and Faye, both. Maybe I can make you like the cold a little bit."
She blushed as she put the tack up and slipped Pancake's halter on her head. "You have a way with words, Renner."
He couldn't help but smirk a little. "You think I'm putting on? I mean it, you really are welcome."
Dakota chuckled and shook her head. "No, I believe you," she told him. "I'm not sure when I would be able to. But I've heard it looks stunning."
"Do you have anyone who could help out with the place so you could get away for a little bit?" he asked curiously.
"I have a brother. If I know I'm going to be gone a while, I normally give him a call," she told him.
Jeremy nodded. "Good. I didn't like the thought of you being out here alone without support."
Dakota walked over to him and handed him a horse brush as he sat the saddle pad on the rail beside him. "You're worried about me?"
He took the brush and shrugged. "I don't know, not worried. I just like to know people have support. I know you can take care of yourself."
She grinned and shrugged. "I've been doing that since before my daughter was born." Dakota turned and began brushing out Pancake.
Jeremy stood from his perch and began to brush out Rocks, following in Dakota's footsteps. "It's hard to let people take care of you when it's always been you?" he suggested.
Dakota shrugged again. "It's... just something I've grown used to doing. Not many people have had my back in life. So I take care of myself and my daughter. If I can do a bit of good too, so be it."
"Well... now Jeremy Renner has your back, so there's that," he replied with a sure smile.
She blushed slightly and nodded. "That does help a little."
"Good," he said as he continued to brush down Rocks. He moved from one side of the horse to the other.
As they finished brushing the horses, Dakota led Pancake outside and to a hitching pole. "Let's get you hosed off, big girl."
Jeremy brought Rocks out and hitched him to a pole as well before he picked up the other nearby hose to spray him down.
As Dakota watched then, she smirked before arching the water hose so the water would land on Jeremy, giggling the entire time.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, stepping back from Rocks with a laugh. "Want to play that game? Two can play that game!" he said before pointing his hose at her to spray her.
Dakota squealed with laughter as she shot her hose towards him. "Not fair! You can spray the hose better than I can!"
"How do you figure that?" he questioned with a laugh. He was soaked now and shook his head with a grin. "This is totally fair!"
Turning to turn off her hose, she shrieked with laughter. Her hair sticking to her face. "Okay! Okay! I give!"
Jeremy held his sprayer in the air to signal a ceasefire and he gently put it back where it belonged. "Would it offend you if I went shirtless?" he asked, his shirt sticking to his body.
Dakota swallowed thickly. "Nope!" She answered, her voice betraying her inner thoughts, making it higher in pitch. "I don't mind."
He nodded before he peeled his shirt off of himself revealing his muscular body, from his arms and shoulders to his abs. Sometimes action movies had their benefits physically. "Thank you, that feels so much better."
I bet it does. Dakota blushed and turned to get the access water off Pancake's coat. "I'm glad you're more comfortable."
He followed her in his actions and brushed the water off of Rocks. "Want me to chop some wood while I have my shirt off?" he asked with a smirk, chuckling.
Dakota blinked. "Uh... I..." He had officially made her flustered.
He laughed at her stifled reply. "Breathe, I'm just messing with you!" you."
She felt her ears get hot while walking around Pancake to unclip her from the pole. "They can be turned out to pasture."
"Okay," he said, unable to help himself as he grinned. He led Rocks out to the pasture and released him, patting his back before stepping back.
Dakota unhooked Pancake's halter and let her go, then turned and smiled at Jeremy. She couldn't help but feel attracted to him. But Kota knew she shouldn't act on it. "What do you think so far?"
"I think I'm starting to understand the therapy part of it," he admitted, grabbing his wet shirt from off of the rail he'd set it on.
"I'm really glad you're enjoying yourself," she said softly. Dakota and Jeremy walked to the gate of the pasture and closed it behind them. "Are you still hungry?"
"I am," he said with a nod. "Can I help with putting something together?" "
"Sure, I don't mind the help. Or the company."
"I should... get a dry shirt and meet you at the house," he remarked, realizing how it might look if he stayed like this. hat.
Dakota licked her dry lips and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I can just meet you at the house when you're ready. You don't need to knock."
"Okay, great," Jeremy said before he veered off and back toward the guest house. He rubbed the back of his neck in thought. Better leave that alone, Renner.