“To the pool, of course.”
“Not before you take care of Stimpy.”
“I do believe that’s what you’re paid to do. I’m going to go have a swim.”
It was, and it wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to get into semantics with an uppity little princess like her. “You’re going to get your ass back here and take care of this horse. Now.”
That halted her steps and brought her back around. She lifted her chin, somehow looking down her nose at him from twenty feet away. “You can’t talk to me like that. I’ll have you fired.”
He snorted. “Good luck with that. In the meantime, the rule is, you ride in this stable, you take care of your horse. You may not remember everything about this place, but I know damn well you remember that.”
“What does that mean?”
Annoyed with himself for revealing his resentment, he abruptly turned and went back into the tack room.
“I’ll have you fired.”
The echo of her threat had him clenching his jaw, but he forced himself to take a seat behind the saddle he’d been cleaning and focus on the rhythmic motions of his hand to soothe his pissed-off energy.
While his anger eased, a strange crackle and buzz woke up every cell of his body. The level shot up a notch when, five minutes later, she stomped into the room to deposit Stimpy’s saddle and bridle on an empty rack and hook without so much as a glance in his direction. Then she went straight to the bins on the other side of the room, selected the brushes she needed to rub the horse down, and stomped back out again.
See? He shot a narrow-eyed look at the empty doorway. She hadn’t forgotten where the brushes were located, and after today, he’d bet a hundred bucks she’d remember him the next time they met.
It could be a year, or another ten, but she’d definitely remember him.
2
May - 10 months later
Dallas, TX
Raine leaned forward slightly in the saddle, heels down as she counted Diamond Fire’s strides on their approach to the next jump, a vertical with two rails, one-point-two-five meters high. They could do this jump in their sleep—except her shoulders tensed and body stiffened as the nightmare of their fall during the final event of last season flashed in her mind with sickening clarity.
Fire tossed his head and stumbled a step. When he regained his footing, she wheeled him to the left, and they galloped past the jump with her heart lodged in her throat.
“It’s okay,” her trainer called from the center of the arena. “Take him around and try it again. You’ll get it on this round.”
Charlie’s encouraging claps echoed up into the steel rafters, but she could hear the tight edge of dissatisfaction eating into his patience. He wanted results. Because her dad paid him an obscene amount of money for those results, and the pressure was on for all of them.
She didn’t need to glance toward the tall, blond trainer in the arena to know his sharp blue gaze was analyzing her every move. Anxiety spiked her pulse, and she cantered Fire past the next jump, too.
“Stop pushing so hard,” she snapped. “I told you he’s not ready yet.”
“It’s been four and a half months, Raine.”
“Four and a half months and he’s still stumbling on an easy jump.”
He propped one hand on his hip as he gestured toward the course with his other. “He did okay when Jess rode him while your shoulder healed.”
“So it’s all my fault?” She pointed her baby toward a pathetically low, single vertical. On Fire’s way over, one nick of his back hoof bounced the rail from the cups. “How about that? Was that my fault, too?”
“He can sense your anxiety. He—”
“I’m fine,” she hollered from the far end of the arena.
“—knows you don’t trust him.”
“He doesn’t trust me,” she shot back, nausea threatening to send up her breakfast from two hours ago.
Tears of frustration burned her eyes as she reined Fire to a stop in front of their trainer. Ever since the accident, nothing had been the same between her and her horse. Their perfect partnership had crashed into the dirt right alongside them that day at the end of December. Eight years down the drain. And now Charlie kept throwing it in her face—just like her dad.
“You gotta get this jump back if you’re going to compete at your previous level,” Charlie said, his tone firm, yet sympathetic. “You were almost disqualified last week.”
Her stomach roiled as she recalled how bad their ride had gone at the event. They hadn’t racked up that many faults in years. “You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know. And I certainly don’t need to hear it every damn day.”
A tiny voice whispered she wasn’t so sure she wanted to keep competing, but she didn’t dare listen. She hated the sliver of doubt that kept surfacing at the worst times. Jumping was her life. It had been since her first show when she was nine. If she wasn’t riding, she didn’t know who she was, or what the hell else she’d do.
She gripped the reins tighter to keep her hands from shaking. Fire danced backward until she relaxed her hold.
Charlie heaved a resigned sigh and gave a slight shake of his head. “Cool him down and then do your workout. We’ll give it another go tomorrow.”
Raine swung Fire around and posted as he trotted one circuit of the ring, then slowed him to a walk for a couple more rounds. Finally, she dismounted and led him from the arena into the attached stable while unstrapping her helmet. After removing his saddle and bridle, she gave him a thorough rub down before gathering the tack to put away.
“You’re not pushing her hard enough.”
The sound of her father’s angry voice pulled her up short two steps from the tack room door.
“She complains I’m pushing her too hard,” Charlie argued.
“She walks all over you, and we both know it. If she doesn’t get back to competition level, she won’t have time to qualify.”
Raine grit her teeth, so sick of the two of them getting on her case about the Olympics. What did they want her to do, force Fire over the jumps? He’d really hate her then.
“I keep telling her that,” her trainer told her dad.
“And then you let her off the hook and cut practice short.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“Then your best isn’t good enough. She needs better. Different.”
Impatience dripped from her dad’s voice. She could picture the two of them facing off, her dad’s dark, brooding expression challenging the younger man’s.
“I’m sending her and Diamond Fire up to my brother’s in Denver for the next month.”
What?
Raine stiffened at her dad’s words. That was news to her.
“Am I being fired?” Charlie asked.
“Of course not. You’ll stay here to work with the alternates while they head up north. A change of scenery will do them both some good, and my brother has a trainer who works wonders with their rescue horses.”
Indignation spurred her around the corner to confront her dad. “Fire isn’t some broken down rescue horse.”
He didn’t seem the least bit concerned she’d been eavesdropping. “No, but he does need some work. You both do.”
“Which we can do here.” She hugged the saddle tighter against her churning stomach. “I’m not going to Uncle Mark’s.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, dark eyebrows rising toward dark hair just beginning to gray at the temples. “Yes, you are.”
“I’ll miss two events.”
“After where you finished last week, that’s the least of our worries.”
“Dad.”
“Raine, it’s not up for discussion.”
It took everything she had to not stamp her foot like when she was five and didn’t get her way. “Fire and I will be fine. We are making progress. We just need more time.”
He shook his head. “You don’t have time. If you have any hope of making the Olympic team, you have to
get back to where you were.”
Those damn tears threatened again as she choked out, “We will.”
Her dad put his hands on her shoulders, the weight of them as heavy as his voice. “Honey, you’ve talked about going for gold since you were ten. I told you I’d help you get there, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.” He pulled her in for a quick hug. With her tucked in under his chin, he dropped a kiss on the top of her head before setting her back with a firm grip. “You leave first thing in the morning. Pack for a month.”
She sputtered furiously as he strode away, even though she knew from that tone, nothing she said would change his mind. She should’ve known he wouldn’t let her stonewall Charlie forever.
The trainer gave her a helpless shrug before following her father. She growled under her breath as they both disappeared.
Alone in the tack room, Raine sank down onto a bench seat near the wall, saddle hugged tight to her stomach.
Shit. She was going back to Denver.
It wasn’t just that she’d have to work with a new trainer she didn’t know, but she’d have to face that arrogant jerk at Uncle Mark’s stable again. She wished she didn’t remember his name. Or the color of his eyes, the way his shirt had molded his broad shoulders, or how her pulse had tripped each time they came face to face.
But she did remember Reyes Torrez. All too well.
He’d featured in numerous girlish fantasies since she was fifteen, and a few more since she’d seen him again last summer. She could hope he’d been fired for some other jackass thing he’d done since then, but given the history between his family and Uncle Mark’s, that was nothing more than a pipe dream.
3
Reyes was bent over checking Morning Glory’s horseshoes when the sound of approaching footsteps had him glancing under his arm. He released the mare’s foot and straightened to face the senator—also his boss. “Afternoon, Mark. I thought you and Janine were heading back to Washington today.”
“We’re on our way out, but I needed to come ask a personal favor before I left.”
“Sure. Name it.” He glanced past his shoulder to see their town car waiting beyond the open doors, their driver and bodyguard leaning against the front passenger door.
“First of all, I’m going to hold you to that,” the senator said with a grin as he stroked his palm along the thoroughbred’s neck. “Second, in the future, you might want to hear the favor before you agree to it.”
Reyes returned his smile. “That’s an ominous warning coming from a politician.”
Mark chuckled. “So true. Anyway, do you remember my niece from Texas who visited last year? She came down to the barn for a ride?”
Now his smile faltered. Raine Diamond. A woman impossible to forget—even though he’d tried over the past ten months.
Following her progress on the jumping circuit is not trying.
Whatever.
“I remember her,” he confirmed cautiously.
“She took a bad spill at the end of last season and got banged up pretty bad.”
Yeah, he’d read about her fall and resulting shoulder surgery. And while she should’ve had plenty of time to heal, she and her champion Trakehner had faulted to the bottom of the board at the first two competitions of the season.
Despite their adversarial encounter last summer, he had sympathy for her—in a general sense, nothing more.
“Sorry to hear that,” he murmured.
Mark gave a solemn nod. “She’s recovered physically, but she’s been having some issues with her horse ever since. My brother called yesterday and asked if you’d be willing to work with them.”
His pulse skipped at the request, and he had to fight to keep his expression neutral. “I work with horses, not people.”
“They’re a package deal.”
“Then I’m not your guy.”
“I told Matt what you’ve done with Janine’s rescue horses, and he seems to think you’d be perfect.”
Reyes frowned in confusion. “Based solely on your word?”
“Well, he is my brother.” A small smile curved his boss’ lips. “And he also overheard you stand up to Raine last summer.”
Oh, shit, seriously? Heat flashed through him at the thought of her father overhearing that exchange. He’d been blunt and rude to knock her down off her high horse, but he’d have kept his mouth shut if he’d known anyone else was around. Maybe.
Knowing Mark knew about their encounter heaped on yet another level of discomfort—although, if it had been a problem, he wouldn’t still have a job. “After that, I’d think I’m the last person he’d want working with his daughter.”
The senator shrugged. “My niece is used to getting her way, and it’s not working with her current trainer.”
“Shocker,” he muttered before he could help himself.
“Considering she was nearly disqualified last week, and they’re running out of time to make sure she can qualify for the Olympic team, Matt’s desperate.”
Her dad was desperate? Not her? Great. And if he didn’t produce results, what then?
Didn’t matter. He didn’t do package deals, and he wasn’t going to Texas.
His parents had left for a month-long European tour and cruise five days ago. Which moved him up from assistant stable manager, to manager—because he was currently the only stable employee on the payroll. “Mark, I’m sorry, but you know I can’t leave right now with Dad and Mom gone.”
“That’s why she’s coming here.”
Well, shit. “When?”
The senator glanced at his watch before digging into his pocket to pull out a set of keys and a slip of paper. “She’ll be here about six.”
“Tonight?”
“Like I said, they’re running out of time.” He held out the items in his hand, his smile somewhat apologetic. “Call Matt for the details, and give these keys to Raine, please. Janine made up the guest house, stocked the fridge, and left her Benz in the garage down there for her to use.”
Reyes hesitated before releasing a sigh of resignation. “I don’t even have the option to say no, do I?”
“I did tell you I was going to hold you to your initial acceptance.”
He gave a grim smile and took the paper and keys from the older man’s hand. “Lesson learned.”
Mark clapped him on the back before heading out. “Thanks, Rey. You got one month to fix what you can. Don’t let me down.”
Just a personal favor, hey? No pressure.
Sonofabitch.
As the senator slipped into the back seat of his car by his wife and their driver/bodyguard shut the door, Reyes fisted the keys in his hand. So much for the trail ride he’d planned on Taz. Now he had three hours to prepare for Her Royal Highness.
Scowling down at the slip of paper crumpled around the keys, he reached for his phone.
Reyes’ pulse sped up when the luxury transport trailer pulled in two hours and forty-seven minutes later. Nothing but the best for a Diamond. With one shoulder braced against one of the massive vertical support beams that bracketed the barn doorway, he shoved his hands in his front pockets.
He didn’t miss the glance Raine shot in his direction as she climbed down from the front passenger seat, but she went straight to the back, followed by a guy he assumed was a groom. He was kind of surprised to even see her in the truck when she could’ve taken a two-hour non-stop flight from Dallas and caught a cab to the estate—or called one of her cousins.
The driver got out and busied himself unloading five large suitcases from the cargo compartment. When he dragged out a couple of tack trunks, a dozen bales of hay and three sacks of grain, Reyes stepped forward. He wasn’t about to play bellhop for Princess Raine, but helping with the horse’s necessities fit his job description.
He transferred the trunks to the empty stall next to the one he’d prepared for her gelding, then made his way around to the back of the trailer when there was still no sign of her or the horse. The doors were open, ramp down,
but Raine and her horse were still inside.
While she murmured in a low voice and tugged on the gelding’s lead rope, he took a moment to appreciate the view. After skimming his gaze over her slim figure in a white T-shirt, skinny jeans cuffed above the ankle, and white canvas tennis shoes, he forced his attention to her horse.
Diamond Fire. Though he’d seen the gelding in videos of her events online, the sleek, black-bay Trakehner was even more impressive in person. He knew the jumper sported three white socks under his leg wraps, and had a distinctive flame-shaped marking under his ebony forelock. Standing about sixteen hands high, the top of Raine’s head barely reached his withers. A tall horse for a petite woman, yet in every video he’d watched, they made a perfect pair.
“You two coming out, or what?” Reyes asked.
Raine started at the sound of his voice, but didn’t bother glancing his way. “When we’re ready,” she advised in a cool tone, her dark, wavy hair curtaining her face.
It didn’t appear they were doing anything other than just standing there. He let another minute pass before giving voice to mounting impatience. “Maybe you don’t have anything better to do, but I’m already two hours past quitting time.”
“Then go,” she snapped. “I didn’t ask you to stay.”
“No, but your uncle did. What’s the hold up?”
She huffed out a sigh, shoulders drooping slightly. “He’s being stubborn.”
He frowned. “Is this normal for him?”
A shake of her head sent a ripple through her silky waves. “No. But then again, there’s not much that’s been normal lately.”
The frustration in her voice sparked sympathy. He knew how it felt to miss normal, though his experience stemmed from an entirely different situation, and things had begun to improve this past year.
Marginally.
Setting that aside, he stepped up onto the ramp. “May I?”
Raine twisted around to glare at him, as if offended he dared to ask. Just as he was trying not to notice the pretty color of her hazel irises, she rolled her eyes and moved back while extending one hand with the lead rope in silent invitation. Clearly, she didn’t expect him to succeed where she’d failed.
Don't Dare a Diamond (Must Love Diamonds Book 5) Page 2