Chapter 128

Allena grabbed a stiff brush and began grooming Star with long, methodical strokes.

Grooming her horse always relaxed her, and she needed to relax big time. If only her brain

would comply and stop thinking about Justin and his thoughtless, hurtful, meaningless, and impossibly inappropriate declaration of love. It was a low act. And if she had any sense, she would forget all about it.

Justin didn’t love her. He couldn’t possibly. Once she was done grooming, she went to grab the hay net, deciding she wasn’t in the mood to go riding. The net was empty, as was the drum that usually contained a hay bale. She looked up to the hay loft and sighed, thinking she probably could get one of the ranch hands to throw down a bale. Instead, she left Star tied up in his stall and climbed the wide ladder to the loft. The scent of sweet hay shot up her nose, and she sneezed a couple of times, then grabbed one of the bales by the twine and tossed it down.

“Do you need some help?”

She looked down and spot