The Wild Ones (6 page)

He nods. “I’ve got one coming up next month that would be a good place to start.”

“Just let me know when and I’m on it.”

He continues to nod. I can practically see the wheels turning.  And the expectations rising.  “You should make some time to start looking into the genetics of thoroughbreds, then.  Financial investment, too.  You need to have a good understanding of both those aspects before you start meeting other breeders.”

“I can do that.”  There’s a long pause, during which I know I’m being appraised.  That always makes me uncomfortable.  “So, I met the new guy yesterday.  What’s up with him?  What happened to Ronnie?”

“Found out he was mixed up in some…undesirable affairs.  I let him go.”

“So where’d you find his replacement?”

“Some locals knew of him.  He grew up around horses.  Supposed to be real good with them.  Has some veterinarian training.  Thought I’d give him a try.  He’s young.  If he works out, he could have a long career with us.”

“How long has he been here?”

“About six months, I guess.”

“How’s he working out?”

Daddy nods in that way he has that says he might be a little impressed.  Might be.  “He’s doing pretty good so far.  I think he has a lot to learn, but I don’t see any problems with him being able to do that.  Eventually.”  Sharp blue eyes narrow on me.  They make me want to squirm.  That look always precedes something I don’t like.  “Why the twenty questions?”

I shrug and try to be as casual as I can, even though nothing about Trick makes me feel casual.  “Just normal curiosity about the new guy.  Nothing special.”

“I’m sure Brent wouldn’t want you hanging around with the young, male help.”

I feel my hackles rise.  What a snob!  It amazes me that Daddy, having come from a meager background, can act like he’s had money all his life.  Drawing lines between us and “the help,” like some of us were born with silver spoons. 

I hold my tongue for a minute so as not to say something defensive that might give away my interest in all things Trick.  “I don’t plan to hang around with the help, Daddy.  Any more than I ever have.  But you know I love to ride.”

“Well, you can do that in the evenings then.  Between enjoying your summer and learning some of the business, your days will be pretty full.  Speaking of, I think Brent is coming over with his father later today.  Perfect day for a swim.”

Thwarted!  Damn!

I smile. I hope it’s not as tight as it feels. 

CHAPTER TWELVE- Trick

Why did I drink so much last night?

Four Tylenol and nearly a gallon of water into the day and my head
still
hurts.  I’ve already taken Titan through his paces and groomed him, exercised Knight-Time and groomed him and rotated Reverie to a different pasture for a few hours.  Surely that’s a whole day’s worth of work in about four short hours.

I’m walking Lonesome, the brood mare, out to the North pasture when I hear a splash. I look toward the house and I see a dark head break the water in the pool.  As I walk, I watch it swim across the length and then stand up in the shallow end. 

It’s Cami. 

Wet, her hair is much darker.  Like a rich coppery brown color.  As she walks through the water and more of her body emerges, Lonesome and I both stop in our tracks.

She slicks the water out of her hair and mounts the couple steps that bring her all the way out of the water.  And then, God help me, she turns in my direction to walk toward a lounge chair where her towel is lying.

My stomach aches a little at the sight of her.  She’s wearing a shiny bronze bikini that looks like it was made for her.  The bottoms are high cut to show off her long legs and flat stomach.  The top is nothing more than two tiny triangles that hang on to each perfect breast. 

Oh hell!  She looks even better than I thought she would in my head. 

I’m standing here, kind of spellbound, watching her rub the water from her arms and legs when she looks up.  Her head snaps up fast, almost like she can feel my eyes on her.  I wish she could.  I’d
really
give her something to smile about.

She stops drying off and just stands there with her towel in her hands and looks at me.  I feel like there’s a piece of yarn tied between us and the longer she stands there, the tighter it gets.  Like it’s drawing me toward her.  I can’t go to her, of course.  But God, I want to!

She jumps, like something startled her, and she turns back toward the house.  I see her boyfriend walking around the pool toward her.  I don’t really want to see them together, but for some reason, I’m still not moving. 

He stops in front of Cami and throws his towel on the chair where hers was.  Slowly, he reaches up and takes her towel from her hands.  He’s going to kiss her.  I just know it.  And my teeth are gritted.  I don’t know why I should even care, but I do.

He lays her towel aside, too, but rather than kissing her, he bends down and throws her over his shoulder and jumps in the pool.  I hear her squeal just before a big splash that’s followed by their laughter.

I move around to the other side of Lonesome and tug on her reins.  Their playful voices follow me all the way to the second gate.  I imagine what Cami looks like when she laughs, when she’s as happy as she sounds. 

I almost wish he’d kissed her instead.

I’m walking back to the stable after dropping off Lonesome, doing my dead level best not to look in the direction of the pool.  The fact that it’s awfully quiet makes me wonder what’s going on in the water.  It also makes me want to punch that rich prick right in the face.

I grin at the prospect.

“What’re you up to?” Sooty asks me from the doorway of the stable when I get within sight.

“Nothing.  Why?”

“You’re smiling like the cat that ate the canary.  Why would that be?”

I shrug.  “Just thinking.”

Sooty eyes me with his shrewd faded blue gaze.  I’d be willing to bet they don’t miss a thing.  That perceptiveness, that attention to the smallest detail is part of what makes him a great trainer.  He doesn’t miss anything with the horses, just like he doesn’t miss anything with people. 

Finally, he smiles.  His yellowed teeth are a dead giveaway of his lifetime love of tobacco. 

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with a girl, would it?”  He spits into the dirt floor and scuffs at it with his boot.  He’s one of the only people I’ve ever met that chews tobacco between cigarettes.  I can’t help but wonder if he ever sleeps. 

“Yeah, it does.  A mare.  By the name of Lonesome.  I just put her out in the North field.”

He inclines his head, his way of saying he’s respecting my privacy.  “Fair enough.  Females are females, don’t matter the species.  You’ll learn that soon enough when you see us breed Lonesome in a few weeks.  Doesn’t matter how much she likes that stud, she’ll kick at him at first.  It’s nature’s way.”

“That’s all fine and good for horses, but females don’t kick at me, Sooty.”

“Don’t be surprised if you find one along the way that does, though.  Just means she’s worth a little extra effort.”

Playfully, I punch the old guy in the arm.  “Sooty, you dog!  I never figured you for one that likes it rough.  You don’t take any of these riding crops home, do you?”

Sooty snickers a little and shakes his head.  “Boy, you’re not right in the head.”

“Isn’t that a job requirement for working here?”

He gives me one short bark of laughter, which is like striking humor gold with Sooty.  “So it is, Patrick.  So it is.”

As he’s walking off, he spits again and then turns back to me.  “Mint Julep ought to be ready to foal in the next week or two.  You’re welcome to hang around here during the night until she gives birth if you want to.  There’s another room up in the loft.  Up to you.  You can tell Jack I said it’s okay.”

I nod to Sooty.  This is a big deal. It’s his way of saying he’s taking me in, that he thinks I’m worth his time to teach a thing or two, even though I’ve seen just about everything there is to see.  Sooty likes things a certain way, though.  The fact that he’s willing to show me
his way
means he trusts me.  “Thanks, Sooty.”

He nods once and walks off.  I’m thinking
that
plus seeing Cami in a bathing suit makes this not such a bad day after all. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN- Cami

Ohmigod, would you leave already?

First of all, I know this is not how I should feel about having my boyfriend around.  But today, I totally do.  He was far too attentive in the pool; he was all hands.  That was fine while Trick was watching, but after that…not so much. I know it sounds crazy and ridiculously childish, but it’s true.  In a perverse way, I wanted Trick to be stuck with the image of me wrapped around someone else, kind of like I was stuck with the image of him and that blond girl. 

I hope he doesn’t sleep a wink!

Now, Brent is determined to stay and kiss my father’s butt.  What’s worse is Daddy
wants
him around.  The son he never had, the ideal mate for his daughter—whatever the real reason, if we lived in medieval times, I’d be betrothed to Brent.  You know, beneficial alliances and all.  Blech!

Not that Brent’s a bad guy.  He’s really not.  He’s actually a great guy.  Smart, handsome, well-educated, comes from a good family, treats me well.  And I love him.  But there’s just something missing, something I never knew was missing until I met Trick.

Brent is sort of like dark chocolate.  If you try it first, you’re going to love chocolate. And that’s fine. You could go your whole life loving it.  But if you ever taste milk chocolate...oh boy!  From that point on, dark chocolate will never be quite as good.  You’ll always crave milk chocolate. 

All in all, Brent was just much more appealing
before
I met Trick.  I realize now I just didn’t know what I was missing.

But Brent doesn’t deserve that.  He deserves someone who thinks he’s milk chocolate.  

I watch him laugh with my father and I feel terrible for sitting beside him, thinking about another guy. 

Maybe I just haven’t given him a chance to curl my toes.  Maybe Trick just caught me off guard.  Maybe I just need to try harder to make it work with Brent.

I slip my fingers into Brent’s where they rest on the couch between us.  He looks over at me and smiles and my conscience immediately feels a little better. 

He turns his attention back to Daddy, commenting on something he said, and I realize he looked surprised by me holding his hand.

What’s wrong with me?  Why don’t I do this more often?  Why don’t I feel like I can’t keep my hands off him? 

Greenish-gray eyes laugh at me from the back of my mind.  If it was Trick sitting beside me, my heart would be pounding and I wouldn’t be able to stop looking at him.  I would be thinking about him without his shirt on and remembering what his lips felt like on mine. 

“Wouldn’t it, Cami?”

Daddy’s voice brings me back from my fantasy.  He and Brent are both staring at me, waiting.

“I’m sorry, wouldn’t it what?”

Daddy shakes his head and smiles at Brent.  “Is this how she always acts when you hold hands?”

Brent laughs and looks over at me.  He winks and squeezes my hand.  I smile.  I
want
to feel something, but the only thing that stands out is the guilt I feel over thinking about Trick again.

Dammit!

“I was saying wouldn’t it be nice if Brent stayed for supper.”

“Oh, of course. I’d love it if you’d stay.”  I put on my brightest smile and push Trick right out of my mind.  Now if I could just get him to stay out…

“Why don’t you take him out for a ride?  You’ve got time beforehand.”

I feel my smile waver.  “Yeah, yeah.  That sounds good.”

“You’d better get going then,” Daddy prompts, leaning back in his chair.  His smile looks awfully smug, which makes me immediately suspicious.  But then I realize why it’s smug.  First he tells me to ride in the evenings, his subtle way of saying “stay away from Trick,” yet now he’s practically pushing me out the door.  The difference?  Now I’ve got Brent with me. 

You sly devil!  You
want
Trick to see me with Brent, for him to see I’m taken.

If it meant Brent making me his, Daddy would probably be okay with him peeing on my leg to mark his territory.

Men!

I excuse myself to go put on some jeans.  A few minutes later, Brent and I are making our way to the stable.  I’m really nervous for some reason.  Excited, too. 

I swallow a growl of frustration.  It irks me that Trick gets under my skin like this. I’m supposed to be focusing on Brent.

Brent, Brent, Brent!

It’s my mantra all the way to big stable doors.
 
  I know I should be holding his hand, but for some reason, I just can’t make myself do it.  That irks me, too.