Chapter 24

Avery leaned the pitchfork against the stall and stripped off the sweater she was wearing. The days were cold now, but she had worked up a sweat cleaning out the stable. She was just picking up the pitchfork again when someone cleared their throat behind her.

She turned around, frowning when she saw Marshall standing there. It had been just over a week since she’d walked in on him and Maya, and she had a feeling that Marshall was avoiding her.

“Hello, Avery.” Marshall smiled at her.

“Hello, m’lord.” She stabbed the pitchfork in the wheelbarrow of clean hay and used it to transfer some of the hay into the stall.

“Please, call me Marshall.”

She didn’t answer, grunting softly as she transferred another pitchfork of sweet-smelling hay into the stall.

“I was hoping we could speak for a moment.”

She sighed and stopped, leaning against the pitchfork and giving him an irritated look. “What is it?”

He stepped closer, cracking his knuckles. “I j