So relieved no one was hurt. Why is Zain naked? Willa typed.
He’s fine. Just got something on his clothes.
Like he spilled a drink or like blood? Willa asked.
Kinda both.
Um, okay. “Mila, apparently Zain got something on his clothes. That’s why he’s naked.”
“Huh,” Mila said with a shrug. “That’s kind of disappointing. I was hoping for a better story. Now, where were we?”
“We were talking about men being intimidated by independent women,” Cady said, holding up her glass in salute to Greer. “I don’t even need to get laid. I have a vibrator. I just need these men to stop patting me on the head like I’m a little girl.”
“Chop that hand off and they won’t do it again,” Greer told Cady.
“I might have to do that.”
“I’ll help,” Willa said to her. “I was going to talk to you later, but I’d love to invest.”
“Me too!” Tilly said, jumping off the subject of stupid men. “Tell me all about what you want to do with the distillery.”
Willa and the ladies sat back and talked business. They’d already decided they couldn’t fix men, but they could help Cady fix her business. Women lifting women up were unstoppable.
25
Porter looked over the chessboard and didn’t show so much as a flicker of emotion. After the captured assassins were taken back to Desert Sun Farm, Ahmed returned with Brian to enjoy guys’ night.
Brian dropped the challenge of a chess match and Porter had accepted. Now everyone stood silently around the chessboard to watch the final moves of the heated game play out.
Porter played a ruthless match and Brian countered. Neither said one word to the other. Porter pretended to be relaxed as Brian fell into the trap Porter had laid. Then, with a single move on the board, it was over. Porter had captured the king. “Checkmate.”
Brian blinked and his lips thinned as he realized he’d been beaten. Then he shook his head and sat back in the chair as Blythe handed him a bourbon.
“Very interesting,” Brian said with a little smile. “You play like a spy. I should have seen that trap, but you hid it well. You’re aggressive but not egotistical about it. You’re confident and smart. I see why my daughter likes you.”
“Does that mean you approve of me dating your daughter?” Porter asked as he masked the bundle of nerves he was feeling.
Brian let out a sigh. “I saw what Callum did to her self-esteem. I thought you might be taking advantage of her, but you’re not. I’m seeing her grow under your love. You have my permission to date her. Heck, if you play chess like this, you have my permission to marry her if you show me how you cornered my king.”
Porter laughed as did everyone else. Then his father took a seat across from Brian and a new game was set up as the two men talked. Only Porter wasn’t listening. Marry Willa? He knew he’d loved her and he wanted her in his life, but the second he heard that word from Brian’s mouth, it settled in his heart. Married to Willa. His whole body warmed and hummed at the thought. He was so lost in the idea of marrying Willa the rest of guys’ night flew by in a blur.
“You look happy this morning,” Tilly said accusingly.
Willa tried to temper her smile. When Porter picked her up the night before he’d had given her that hungry look that made her whole body respond in an instant. They’d sped home and had barely made it into the house before they were kissing. After last night, riding had a whole different meaning.
“Maybe it’s because you and I are now both five percent owners of a distillery,” Willa said, trying to steer the subject away from sex with Porter and Tilly’s lack of sex with Parker.
Tilly grinned. “Yeah, I am part owner of a distillery. It’s the first major investment I’ve made on my own without running it by a roomful of stupid male bankers telling me what I should or shouldn’t do with my own money.”
“Watch out, world. Tilly is taking the reins.”
“Damn straight I am. Now, let’s practice and then get me a bottle of aspirin for this hangover.”
Willa smiled at her friend as they walked into the ring. They spent time walking the jumps to make sure they got the order down before they brought their horses out for a light practice.
“Great job,” Porter said, giving her a kiss the second Willa dismounted from Apollo. Greer stepped forward and took the reins as her groom.
“Thanks. He feels really good,” Willa said as she saw Aniyah and her husband, DeAndre, walking toward them with Piper and her husband, Aiden.
“I see you’re wearing my jacket,” Piper said happily as she hugged Willa. “I brought you something for the competition.”
Willa took the bag from Piper and pulled out the tissue paper. Inside was a lightweight white show shirt. She had a million of them. “Thanks.”
“I made it for you. It’s with a new material I’m working with. These synthetics work great with my nanotechnology,” Piper told her.
“Wait, is this bulletproof like my jacket?” Willa asked, holding up the shirt to get a better look.
“It is. That way you can be safe in the show ring.”
“Thank you so much.” Willa hugged Piper and turned to Tilly. “Here’s another company for you to invest in.”
“I don’t even know what it is, but I want in if Willa says so,” Tilly said, joining them from her practice ride.
“That was really amazing,” DeAndre told her. “I’m on duty tomorrow so we decided to come watch practice.”
“Thank you,” Willa said. “That’s so nice of you all to do. If you want, I can put Apollo up and meet you back here to watch the rest.”
“That would be great,” Aniyah said with her large smile.
“Porter, you can stay here. Tilly, Greer, and I will be right back.” Willa turned to motion to her bodyguards to follow. She’d only be a minute and Aiden was already talking to Porter so she didn’t want to make him leave.
Porter still leaned over and kissed her. “Hurry back.”
Porter watched as Willa, Greer, Tilly, and three bodyguards headed back to the barn. He didn’t like letting her out of his sight but felt she was safe here. Even Callum had been giving her wide berth recently.
“I can’t believe I missed guys’ night,” Aiden said.
“Who keeps giving you that acid gun?” DeAndre asked, but Porter was interested in the man walking toward them.
The man was completely average-looking besides his deep tan.
“G’day,” he said in an Australian accent.
“Oh, oh, I can talk like you. Aiden’s taught me everything. Tally-ho, chap!” Aniyah said as the man looked thoroughly confused.
“What’s this drongo talking about?”
“Would this bloke like some fish and chips? Some bangers and mash?” Aniyah went on happily spouting British sayings.
“Does she have a roo loose in the top paddock?” the man asked DeAndre, who no longer looked amused. “I’m looking for Porter Davies.”
“I’m Porter—” Before Porter could finish, a knife was shoved into his gut and the man ran.
“Bloody hell!” Aniyah yelled as the man took off.
DeAndre and Aiden took off after him as Piper picked up the knife from the ground. “Told you my jacket worked.”
Porter looked down and saw the blade hadn’t even nicked the jacket he was wearing.
“Get down!” Aniyah yelled as she pulled a large pink gun from her purse. “I’m going to shoot that tosser!”
Folks around them might have missed the quick, prison-style attempted stabbing, but they didn’t miss Aniyah waving her gun around.
People screamed. Security came running. DeAndre and Aiden dropped to the ground like bags of sand and lay flat as Aniyah fired off her shot.
“Oh my gosh,” Piper said in disbelief.
“Holy crap,” Porter said at the same time.
“I shot him!” Aniyah yelled as she jumped up and down. “Right in the arse.”
Aiden and DeAndre were on the man, handcuffing him as security tackled Aniyah.
“US marshal,” Parker called out, running over as Porter was trying to convince them Aniyah was the good guy in this scenario. “She’s with us. She helped apprehend an attempted murder suspect.”
Security backed off and Porter reached down to help Aniyah up.
“I sure hope that was a nightstick pressed against my leg or my Sugarbear is going to be real mad,” Aniyah said as she brushed dirt off her jeans. “But did you see it? I shot him! And not on the toe!”
“You’re my hero, Aniyah,” Porter said, lifting her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles.
“Baby!” DeAndre called out as he dragged the would-be assassin along. “Are you okay?”
“I’m great, Sugarbear. Now hand that wanker off to Parker because I am so hot for you right now.” Aniyah completely ignored the assassin and kissed her husband.
“I think we need to have a little talk,” Porter said, bending down to where the handcuffed man was on his knees moaning.
“Porter!” Willa cried as she ran forward with Greer and Tilly.
Tilly took one look at Parker holding a man moaning about being shot in the ass and asked Aniyah if she could borrow the gun. Parker narrowed his eyes at her and glared.
“Are you okay?” Parker asked Tilly. Willa ran to join them as a large group of people began to form a circle around them to see what was going on.
“As if you care,” Tilly said as she rolled her eyes at him.
“Well, I don’t see any blood on you so I better take this guy to get medical treatment.” Parker turned and walked away as he dragged the Aussie assassin behind him.
“What happened?” Willa asked as she looked him over for blood.
“He tried to stab me, but the jacket worked great. I’m fine. Parker will take him to Desert Sun Farm and Jace will treat him either before or after they interrogate him.”
“Can’t we go one day without someone trying to kill or kidnap us?” Willa asked with frustration.
“I think it’s kind of fun,” Greer said with a grin. “Keeps life interesting.”
“It’s been a while since I got to tackle someone. All in all, I thought it was a great morning so far,” Aiden said in his British accent.
Porter had Willa in his arms and had to agree; he was getting pretty used to these attempts.
“I don’t know whether to be frightened or proud about the fact that I’m recovering from these attempts a lot faster,” Willa said as the audience began to disperse after Parker took the assassin away.
Porter saw it first. The bad news crew was strutting toward them with Callum in the lead. Willa groaned when she saw them. “Just what I need.”
“Wow, your boyfriend is so unpopular someone tried to kill him. Not surprising since you like him and we all know how bad your judgment is,” Callum said with a snicker.
“Who’s this wanker?” Aniyah asked as she joined them and Aiden gave a little chuckle.
Callum looked over Aniyah with distaste, though Porter didn’t know why. Aniyah was a knockout. She was barely five feet tall, but she had the kind of curves that went on forever.
“My, how you have fallen,” Valentina laughed. “You can’t find any respectable friends so now you’re with the country bumpkins.”
“Worse,” Cyril said, glaring at Greer. “Uptight, frigid bitches.”
“Now, you’re not bad to look at. I’d let you carry my luggage,” Marguerite said to Aiden.
She was reaching toward Aiden when Porter heard, zap, zap, zap, zap in quick succession followed by a chorus of farts.
“Now,” Willa said with a smile as she put the fart taser back into her pocket. “Someone get some video with sound and then let’s watch some jumping.”
“Way ahead of you,” Aniyah said as she filmed the musical gastro number the four were performing.
Willa stepped over the four as she linked her arms with Porter’s family and walked away while talking to them about the jumps and the scoring.
“So, five days, right?” DeAndre asked as he came to walk next to Porter.
“Five days? Oh, yes, the last day for Willa’s show jumping is in five days. Are you planning on coming more?” Porter asked.
DeAndre shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean then?” Porter asked.
“I’ll let it be a surprise,” DeAndre said cryptically as they headed into the stands to watch the rest of practice.
26
Willa’s life might have changed drastically, but her preshow routine did not. Porter had somehow known to let her do her own thing this morning. He’d risen early, made her breakfast, and simply told her to let him know if she needed anything.
Willa had eaten, meditated, and gotten dressed in silence. While she was quiet on the drive to the barn, her mind was not. Mentally she was going over every jump, every lead change, every squeeze of her thighs, and every lean of her body.
“I’m sorry I haven’t talked much,” Willa said to Porter as they walked into the barn.
“It’s no problem. You’re in the zone. I get it. Just tell me if you need anything. Otherwise I’ll just hang out and give you a little peace.”
Willa stopped walking and Porter turned to see what had happened. Before he could ask, Willa kissed him. It wasn’t the kind of kiss that made you hot and bothered. It was the kind of kiss that was a slow burn of feelings. “Thank you. Thank you for understanding and for being so supportive.”
“I might not fully get what you do for work, but I get horses and I get competition,” Porter said as one side of his lips tilted up into a smile. “You’re going to do great. You know the course, Apollo is on his game, and you’re one hell of a rider.”
Willa gave him another quick kiss. “Thank you. You know exactly what I needed to hear.”
Willa linked her fingers with his as they walked the rest of the way to the stall. Greer and Tilly were already there and talking. Tilly had moved her horse to what had been Miss Trix’s stall after practice yesterday to make it easier for Greer and the rest of Keeneston to keep an eye on both of them. Today the barn had a whole new feel since it was show day. The entire barn was alive with the anticipation of competition.
“Did you see?” Tilly called out as she bounded forward.
“See what?” Willa asked.
Tilly turned her phone around. “It went viral,” she crowed in delight.
Willa stared down at the video of the fearsome four farting. Aniyah had added some music and graphics to really make it pop. Willa was speechless.
“They’ve threatened to sue everyone involved, but they can’t prove you or anyone did anything. After all, there’s no such thing as a fart stun gun,” Tilly giggled.
“They’re going to be so mad and take it out on us,” Willa realized. The funniness of the video was going to be replaced with them going on a bullying rampage. That used to leave her worried, but not any longer. Instead it was just an annoying distraction. She didn’t need them and she sure as hell wasn’t going to put up with their intimidation anymore.
Tilly shook her head. “Nope. People started commenting on the video with their own videos and stories of the four being abusive bullies. Former grooms, current competitors, barn staff, everyone! Their parents have all called them home because of the PR nightmare.”
Willa took a deep breath. “We’re free of them? For real?”
Tilly nodded her head excitedly. “At least for now and I’ll take it. Today is going to be a very good day.”
Willa smiled largely. “Yes, I believe it will be.”
“Good luck. I love you.”
Willa took a deep breath and looked down at Porter as walking beside her toward the ring. He’d been such a support for her this morning. “Thank you. Love you too.”
“Go get ’em, boy,” Porter said to Apollo before looking up at Willa and giving her a wink.
Willa turned her entire fo
cus on the jumps as she entered the ring. Porter faded away. The gossip about Callum and his crew, now called the “farting foursome,” all faded away. The crowd was no longer there. It was simply her and Apollo and the jumps. She felt the way Apollo’s skin shimmered with anticipation. The way his muscles bunched, ready to take the jumps. And the way his breathing slowed as if he, too, were mentally preparing himself for the course.
“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Willa said a second before she squeezed her thighs and trotted Apollo into the ring.
Willa knew the obstacles from her walk-through. The oxer with its numerous standards and poles to create wider jumps, the fake wall, the vertical with the single standards and only one pole wide but very high, and then the combinations for multiple jumps with just a few strides between them.
Willa took a deep breath and, with a squeeze of her legs, sent Apollo into a canter. Together they sailed over the first vertical. Willa brought Apollo into an immediate canter and into the second jump, an oxer a couple feet wide. As she cantered around the ring, she kept an eye on the time. When she cut across the diagonal of the ring, she pushed Apollo to lengthen his stride into a hand gallop. Not a racing gallop but a fast canter since today was the Speed Competition. Willa was going to take every split second she could get.
Willa and Apollo were in sync as they approached the final jump. Willa went up into her two-point stance as she squeezed her calves and asked Apollo to fly.
When they landed, she heard the cheers. She’d made time and Apollo had a clean round. Not a single hoof touched any of the jumps. She smiled and patted his neck. Apollo tossed his head and shook his mane, making the many braids dance. He knew he’d done well.
“You were fantastic!” Porter called up to her as she walked from the ring.
“It felt fantastic. Apollo is really on point today.” Willa dismounted right into Porter’s arms.
Forever Thrown: Forever Bluegrass #16 Page 19