Heir of Earth (Forgotten Gods) (8 page)

“But I haven’t finished mucking the stalls yet,” Lucas protested.

“I’m sure they will still be here when you get back,” Phin said and began cleaning up lunch, mumbling under his breath about how spoiled we were. I was used to Phin’s cantankerous ways and had no problem rolling my eyes at him when he wasn’t looking. Apparently Lucas had yet to learn that Phin’s bark was way worse than his bite. He eyed me with a sense of wonder as I scooted off the edge of Phin’s desk and made my way to the stalls.

Penny and Prince were a matching set of chestnut sport horses generally used to pull the carriage parked at the end of the barn. They were pretty much inseparable and refused to ride any way but side by side, so close that my stirrup would occasionally hit Lucas’ with a loud clank that made me jump in the saddle.

“I’m sorry Phin made you do this. I hope you aren’t too late finishing with the stalls.” Part of me felt like it was my fault he was here since I had kinda started the whole lunch rebellion.

“Are you kidding? I would rather be out here riding than shoveling poop in that barn. I just don’t want Phin to think I am too eager to get away from my chores. You know Phin— all work and no play. I only protested for a little job security.” His eyes sparkled in the sunshine and danced with the excitement of being on the back of a horse. I felt the same way. There wasn’t any way life could get much better than being on the back of a horse and having such a beautiful place to ride.

“Oh.” I nodded and thought for a minute. Conversation did not come so easily for me. I already knew everything about everyone I talked to. A dreaded moment of silence stretched out between us and the afternoon seemed to get 100 degrees hotter as a nervous sweat prickle over my skin. My mind went blank. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

Electrocuted by my own live-wire nerves, I tore at my riding gloves, instinctively reaching to pull a hangnail. Of course that didn’t work and I felt even more ridiculous as I fumbled with my gloves, trying to look like I was meaning to do something…anything. I was sure Lucas was making up his mind that I was a loser and a freak and that he needed to get this ride over with as soon as he could. Penny sensed my tension and began to prance under me. “Whoa, girl, easy,” I said in a low voice and placed a hand on her withers, massaging with my fingers. She instantly relaxed and fell right back in line with Prince.

“Wow, that was pretty cool. How’d you do that?” Lucas sounded honestly impressed. I glanced over at him. He was smiling just as broadly as ever at me, not a hint of judgment on his face. I relaxed and concentrated on having a conversation, just like I did with Rose, easy and relaxed. I couldn’t look him in the eye just yet, but I was determined to make myself have a normal conversation with someone who wasn’t related to me.

“It’s an old Indian trick. If you notice horses in their natural environment, like in the herd setting of a pasture? When they get nervous or upset about something, they comfort each other by massaging each other’s withers. Of course, they are using their teeth to rub on each other’s withers, which I can’t imagine feels very good. But, it’s the same principle. It’s a way to comfort them, to relax them and tell them it’s okay.” I chanced a glance up at Lucas, not sure what kind of reaction would greet me.

His eyebrow knitted into a furrow. He looked at me, down at my hand and back up at me, taking stock of me as if he was seeing me for the first time.

“That’s pretty amazing. How is that I’ve been around horses my whole life and have never heard that?” He didn’t doubt me; he was truly surprised that he didn’t know my trick.

“It obviously works. I thought Penny was getting ready to take you on a run back to the barn, which meant that Prince would have run me back, too. I guess you aren’t one of those daddy’s money, pretty poser riders after all.” Lucas gave me a smile.

“A what?” I didn’t know if I should be offended by whatever he was calling me.

“I’m just saying that ninety percent of all young female riders really don’t have the first clue about how to actually ride. Their parents have more money than they know what to do with and will spend an insane amount of money for a perfectly trained little pony so that their daughter can sit in the saddle while the horse does all the work and take home a blue ribbon. A pretty posing princess,” Lucas explained.

“I think that’s a compliment?” I asked a little scared to hear the answer.

“Most definitely. You obviously know how to ride a horse, not just sit there and look pretty.”

“Oh.” I looked down at my gloved hand.

“No, no. That’s not what I meant. I mean you are pretty, very pretty, that’s not what I meant. I just meant that you look pretty on a horse and you know how to ride. And, wow. I just really managed to mess that up didn’t I?” He reached up and brushed the curls out of his eyes, trying to hide the blush rising on his cheeks.

“Here I am trying to play it cool and I just manage to offend you and step all in it. Can we just start over on that? Forget all my stumbling around? You are very pretty and a very good rider and I never should have brought that other thing up. Will you forgive me?” He asked as he reached over and smoothed Penny’s mane.

“Um, sure,” I said in an almost whisper. My mind was swimming in the words he had just spilled over me. I couldn’t believe that he could be so honest about his insecurities, so unashamed of what he was thinking. I envied him that, and I also realized that he was just as awkward at this as I was.

I looked over at him and smiled; glad to know we had something else in common. “I read a lot. That’s how I know about the Indian trick. I have a lot of free time on my hands.”

“Sure you do,” he said sarcastically. “I bet you have a date every night of the week. How many boyfriends did you leave back home?” He was teasing me now.

“None. Not a single one.” I shook my head, as I looked him in the eye for the first time without blushing.

“Oh, you must have broken up with them all before you left.” He seemed pretty sure of his assumption, so I didn’t correct him.

We managed to keep up a light chatter all the way back to the barn. We had made a large circle around the fields so I could get an idea of the land.

“Basic rule of thumb around here. If you get lost, ride until you hit a fence, and follow that until you hit a drive, all drives lead to the main house which will get you to the barn.” Lucas was enjoying his turn as tour guide.

“So, that’s all the land of Ennishlough? Everything inside the fence?” I wanted to be sure before I was on my own.

“Well, no, there’s about a thousand more acres outside of the fence, all the way to the ocean, but you’ll stay inside the fence. We don’t take the horses outside of it. Safety reasons.” He explained.

We made it back to the barn and untacked. I helped Lucas finish his chores, insisting it was because I felt like I owed him, but really because I was enjoying hanging out with him. The time passed quickly and we were on the last stall before I knew it. I went to open the door so Lucas could wheel the cart inside.

“No!” He cried and lunged at me, throwing his body against the door before I could move out of his way.

“What?” I asked, wide eyed. Terrified of what I had done to get such a reaction.

“Never go in this stall. Never. No one goes anywhere near LeSheen.” Lucas offered a hand to help me up off the floor. We turned back to the stall and looked at the horse quietly eating hay in the corner.

He was a massive animal, dwarfing the other horses in the stable, which was no easy feat. He had a proud and noble air about him. He didn’t even bother to look our way, just stood munching hay in the corner. His solid white coat seemed to shine from the dark corner of the stall. Thick ribbons of muscles started high on his neck, right behind his ears. They wound down the perfectly arched neck, across strong shoulders and a broad chest before they made their way down his long legs. His hind end was rounded and hard as a rock, finished with a long, flowing white tail.

If I didn’t see his coat twitch every now and then to discourage a fly from resting on him too long, I would have thought he was carved from stone. His conformation was so perfect and his size so colossal.

“Wow. Now that’s a horse,” I said not taking my eyes off the animal. “Is this the one everyone wants to breed to?”

“Yeah, he’s one of the most sought after studs in Ireland, but he is the meanest animal I have ever met. Rule number one, no one goes anywhere near this horse, except his owner. We just feed him and clean his stall and that’s it. He’s dangerous, Faye. I’ve seen this stud go after a man like a charging bull.”

As if we were annoying him by standing outside his stall, LeSheen slowly turned his proud head, muzzle up in the air, and glared at us. He sat there, staring at us for a moment before slowly sauntering out the door on the back wall.

“Where’s he going? Is he getting out?” I asked.

“No, he’s gone into his paddock, which is actually perfect.” Lucas swung into action. “Would you go to the end of the barn aisle and watch him? Tell me if he’s coming this way so I can get the heck out of here before he comes back.” Lucas began to quietly undo the stall latch, like he didn’t want LeSheen to hear. I knew that was pointless; horses hear better than dogs.

“Sure.” I walked out of the barn and found LeSheen happily munching hay in the little fenced paddock attached to his stall.

I stood up on the fence boards, crossing my arms on the top board and making a comfortable place to rest my chin. He was gorgeous. I could see why people would pay so much for his babies. Just going on looks alone he was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. If those muscles were any indication, I was sure he could jump the moon as well.

A loud plunk caught both of our attention. I looked on the ground and realized that I had knocked a red bucket off the rail and it had fallen into the paddock. Normally I wouldn’t hesitate to climb over the fence and get the bucket. It could really injure him if he got the handle tangled on his leg. But I hesitated, wondering how dangerous this horse actually was. He seemed innocent enough, distracted by the hay he was happily eating.

I couldn’t reach the bucket from the far side of the fence. But it was only a few feet beyond my grasp. I thought I could grab it and get out before LeSheen would have time to turn around.

I swung my leg over the fence and dropped down inside the paddock wall.

LeSheen’s ears perked forward in amazement. He didn’t have many visitors. Keeping my eyes on him and judging where the bucket was with my periphery vision, I sidled over, squatted down, and retrieved it. I stood up, bucket in hand, and slowly made my retreat to the fence, eyes still locked on the horse.

LeSheen let out a low, friendly sounding nicker, and I stopped. He turned away from his hay bale to face me, ears still forward, listening. I didn’t move a muscle, my eyes never leaving him. He took a step toward me and lowered his head into a submissive position, nosing in the direction of the red bucket in my hand. He thought I had food. I dropped the bucket to my side.

He stopped and looked down at the bucket and then back at me and took another step forward. Moving nothing but my eyes, I peered down at his enormous, dinner-plate hooves. Even though the ground in his paddock was covered with the dark, rich dirt that makes Ireland so lush, there wasn’t a spec of dirt in the waves of white hair that surrounded his hooves. He took another step forward and let out another friendly sounding nicker. I could read the expression in his big warm eyes. He wanted to meet me. I held out my hand to him, inviting him to come closer. He lowered his head, sniffing the ground in front of me. I’m not really sure what happened next.

I heard Lucas’ wheelbarrow drop to the stone floor of the barn. He saw me in the paddock with LeSheen but did not say a word. LeSheen took one more step toward me and the look in his eyes changed from friendly curiosity to fire. I was in trouble.

LeSheen reared back on his strong hind legs. The massive head and neck rose to the sky as the dish plate feet pawed the air in front of him in warning. In one move, I lunged sideways for the fence as LeSheen began to strike with his hooves right where I had been standing. He let out an angry shriek and squealed with the fury only a stallion can produce.

Somehow, by the grace of all things holy, I had managed to hurl my body between two fence boards. I crashed to the ground with such force I actually bounced and slid to a stop. The red bucket flew in the opposite direction and smashed against the side of the barn. I lay on my stomach for a moment, surveying each part of me to be sure everything was there and trying to coax the breath back into my lungs. It took me a while to catch my breath, and I rolled onto my side so I could breathe deeper. When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the tips of two large boots.

I followed the boots, just inches from my nose, up to a pair of khaki canvas pants. From the khaki canvas pants, my eyes next focused on a thick leather belt with a large set of rusted keys hanging from a loop on the hip. A perfectly ironed light blue shirt hung slightly open, and a familiar little curl of hair sprouted around the buttons.

I didn’t want to, but my eyes seemed to have a mind of their own, and without my permission, they stared right into the beautiful stranger’s face. The intense green gaze that glared down at me no longer had the hypnotizing power of last night. His eyes locked on mine in fury, holding me where I was, cowering me like a disobedient dog. I could see the anger darkening his brow as he peered down at me, mimicking the rage I had just seen in LeSheen’s eyes.

“What is going on here?” It was not the honeyed voice in my ears as I fell asleep last night. His voice was full of anger as he stood over me, not even offering a hand to help me up.

“I’m Faye.” I managed to stutter, my mind on autopilot. “Phin’s cousin. I’m working here this summer.” I felt like I was on trial, accused of some horrible act and needing to plead my case, but no words came to my defense. Then thankfully, mercifully, two strong hands reached around me and pulled me to a standing position. My legs still felt like Jell-O and I did not yet have the strength about me to stand. Lucas didn’t expect me to. He let me lean against him. He held his weight and my own as we faced the fire together.

“Dayne, this is Faye. It’s her first day here; she didn’t know about LeSheen. I forgot to tell her. It’s my fault.” Lucas was making up lies faster than I could comprehend what he was saying.

“There was a bucket.” I pointed at the smashed plastic bucket on the ground a few feet away. “I didn‘t want him to get hurt.” I tried my best to get the point across that I was only trying to help the beast when he turned on me, but I knew my voice was thin and weak and probably not convincing at all.

I could feel his eyes on me—burning into me, trying to decide what to do. I wanted nothing more than to turn and hide behind Lucas’ back, to get away from this interrogation. Stupidly, my eyes betraying me again, I couldn’t resist looking up at him, and again, my body seemed to forget what it was supposed to do the moment my eyes met his. I leaned on Lucas even harder and his body stiffened and pushed back in response.

It seemed impossible that anger could make his face more beautiful, but it did. In the way that storm clouds glow a pre-dawn sky, the thick, brooding brow wrinkling over his eyes made them ignite with fire that sent flames licking over his entire face. My mouth opened as a hopeless adoring sigh slowly escaped like a tiny puff of wind toward him. He crossed his arms and leaned away from us, looking from the bucket, to LeSheen and back at me.

“Just be sure it doesn’t happen again. The last thing I need is for some kid to get hurt out here.” He turned to leave.
Kid? Great.
I thought.

“Be sure you tell Phin to keep a better eye on her and not let her anywhere near LeSheen. You know how dangerous he is.” Dayne scolded Lucas over his shoulder as he walked away and Lucas just stood there, taking his harsh words in stride. He even managed to answer with, “Yes sir, Mr. DeLaney,” as the heavy thump from Dayne’s boots storm off.

Lucas lowered me to the ground and gently shook my shoulders. “Faye! Faye, are you ok? What were you thinking?!?” My eyes fluttered open and Lucas leaned over me with a worried look as he brushed the dirt from my face.

“Mr. DeLaney?” I gasped. That gorgeous Greek god, who now hated me, was my boss? I slowly sat up and leaned on the fence post behind me, looking across the paddock to where LeSheen stood quietly munching on hay as if nothing had happened.

The entire walk back to the house
Phin preached to me on the dangers of stallions, their unpredictable nature, and how I was not, under any circumstances, to go anywhere near that horse. Even if the horse caught on fire—something that was practically impossible— I should find Phin instead of helping him myself.

Not a problem
, I thought; that sneaky horse is no friend of mine.

In truth, I was only half listening to this conversation. I was consumed with the thought that Dayne DeLaney, with his gorgeous green eyes, was my new employer and I had just made the worst possible first impression. I was sure he would find a way to fire me.

Rose insisted I go straight upstairs and take a shower when she saw the dirt caked on me. Her insistence provided me with the escape I was looking for. I had so much swirling through my mind.

I jumped in the shower before the water was hot and had to stand, huddled against the cold tile, while it warmed up. The crazy memories of my first day in Ireland replayed in my head, and I stepped into the cold water to distract myself, wishing it could erase the day along with all the dirt…but it wasn’t magic.

Lucas had been a pleasant surprise. He was the first person my age that had bothered to get to know me in years. I was amazed at how easily it all came back, like I had never suffered through those horrible, friendless years of high school. I expected to be dismissed by him, just like everyone else. But when I saw him blush and stammer like I was one of the popular girls in school, it reminded me of what my life could have been. What it should have been.

Thirty minutes later my skin was red and pruney, and the hot water was beginning to run out. I wiped the steam from the mirror and my face appeared, flushed from the hot shower. It was the same face that looked back at me from my own bathroom mirror at home, but something was different. I actually looked…happy? I turned my head from one side to the other. A smile came to my face when I remember that Lucas had called me pretty. That was a compliment I hadn’t heard in a long time and I had forgotten how good it felt to have someone tell you something like that.

Staring into that mirror, I decided I was ready to let go of the old me. It was time to let the guilt of my earlier years go and try to find where my life would finally begin. I could deal with my handicap now, which meant I could have friends again. If I could have friends, then I could maybe have the normal life I so desperately craved.
You can do this! You can be normal!
I thought to myself.

I walked into my room. Rose and Phin were talking in hushed tones in the kitchen below. No doubt she was giving him hell for my close call today. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own, but everyone seemed to be willing to take the blame for me.

I pulled on a sweatshirt and an old pair of boxer shorts before sitting down at the delicate dressing table in the corner of my room to begin the task of detangling my hair.

As much as I resisted, as hard as I focused on keeping my attention on everything else, it was only a matter of time before his memory crept into my thoughts. I pulled down the neck of my sweatshirt and looked at the reflection of my shoulder. It was covered with widening patches of navy blue, and one long, bright red streak, where the boards had dug into my flesh as I scraped by them.

I couldn’t help but let my afternoon encounter with Dayne deflate me. He had seemed like a romance novel hero in my dreams last night, and now I was pretty sure he hated me. The sad part was that for some sick, twisted, masochistic reason I had felt my heart sink a little deeper in love with him this afternoon.

Which made absolutely no sense.