Or maybe, she was as desperate as her father.
Reyes entered the trailer, murmuring softly, keeping his gaze locked on Diamond Fire while taking the rope and easing closer to approach the horse from the side so he wouldn’t startle him. Conscious of Raine watching with her arms crossed, he reached a hand to stroke the gelding’s neck, then held his palm out for him to smell.
“Hey, boy, how’s it going? I bet you’re tired after the trip here, so how about we get you out of this box? The sun’s still shining, and there’s a nice, cool breeze outside.”
He kept his voice low and smooth. The horse’s ears flicked back and forth, then stayed forward as he arched his neck and turned to bump his forehead against Reyes’ chest. When he leaned his weight into him, Reyes took a step back. The gelding turned to follow.
“There you go. Good boy.” Forcing away a triumphant grin, he gave a gentle pull on the lead and led him toward the ramp. “Come on. We’ve got a clean stall all set for you, big guy.”
Raine muttered, “Traitor,” under her breath as they passed. At the bottom of the ramp, she stepped forward and took the lead rope from his hands. “I’m going to walk him around to stretch his legs.”
He lifted his palms and stepped away—but not before he caught a whiff of something light and flowery. The enticing scent amped up his pulse all over again. “I’ll meet you inside when you’re ready.”
As she led her horse away, the groom and driver were already closing up the trailer to leave. Reyes stood by the barn as they drove away, leaving Raine’s pile of luggage and horse feed stacked by the front doors. Looked like he’d be playing bellhop after all. He gave a low growl, then set to work transferring the hay and grain into the same stall as her trunks.
Nearly fifteen minutes later, the clip-clop of hooves drew him out of the office next to the stable’s tack room. He made his way down the aisle to show Raine the stall he’d prepared for Diamond Fire, and the one next to it where he’d stored all the tack and feed.
“How’s he doing?”
“He’s fine,” she said shortly. “I don’t know what got into him. He’s never done that before.”
Reyes didn’t know what to say to make her feel better about the horse’s refusal to obey. It wasn’t like the two of them weren’t used to travelling for events and being in new places on a regular basis, so he couldn’t blame it on that. He also didn’t quite know why he wanted to ease her distress, so he kept silent as she put the gelding in the stall and checked everything over.
When he noticed her intense scrutiny of every nook and cranny, a spark of defensive annoyance surged forward. “Everything up to your standards, your Highness?”
The sarcasm earned him a sideways glare. “It’s fine,” she said. “You can go now.”
Oh, how badly he wanted to be an asshole after such a haughty dismissal. Instead, he gave her a smile that he hoped irked the shit out of her. “Come on now, I know you don’t really want me to leave.”
A flash of alarm lit her hazel eyes a second before she scoffed and arched her brows. “Wanna bet?”
“Wanna carry all that luggage to the guest house by yourself?”
Her gaze cut to the door where the transport driver had left her things in a jumbled pile. She clenched her jaw a second before her shoulders slumped. “No.”
“I’ll give you five minutes to finish up, and then I’ll drive you over.”
“I’m not quite ready to leave Fire yet. Just leave everything at the door, and I’ll walk over when I’m finished.”
He had to give her credit for that one—not for ordering him around like her own personal servant, but for taking care of her horse. She looked exhausted after the twelve-hour drive from Texas, and if he was honest, he’d totally expected her to bail on the animal.
“Suit yourself.” He pulled out the keys the senator had given him. “These are for the house. Janine filled the fridge and left her car in the garage for you to use, so you should be all set.”
“Thanks.” Her tone was grudging as she accepted the keys. Then she looked around as if searching for someone. After a long moment, she asked, “Did my uncle say anything to your dad about what’s going on? No one’s bothered to inform me who I’m supposed to be working with, or when we’re supposed to meet. I expected him—or her—to be here tonight.”
Reyes blinked. She didn’t know he was her new trainer for the next month?
No, of course not. After all, he was nothing more than a stable boy. It wouldn’t even cross her mind that he might be more than just the guy who shoveled shit for the senator.
This was going to be interesting.
4
With her running shoes pounding the pavement, Raine made the final turn off the road, back into her aunt and uncle’s long, paved driveway a little after seven a.m. the next morning. She didn’t usually work out until after jump practice, but being cooped up in the transport truck yesterday left her restless and full of pent-up energy.
It was cooler up here in Colorado than Texas, and the Rocky Mountains made a beautiful backdrop in the bright sunlight. If only the gorgeous scenery made a difference. Usually, a run helped her relax and decompress, but this morning, thoughts of Reyes Torrez dominated every step of the way.
She shot a glance toward the barn. Last night, his vehicle had been parked outside the doors again when she left Fire, and when she glanced back, she’d noticed lights on in the apartment above the stables. With her aunt and uncle back in Washington, she’d been mildly relieved she wasn’t alone at the estate, yet also disturbed to realize the man taking up so much of her mind space lived so close by.
Yesterday, she’d hated admitting to him she didn’t know what the hell was going on. She hated even more the smug little grin that had tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if knowing something she didn’t was highly amusing to him. She hated most that when she’d fallen into bed, she’d dreamed about both smacking the smile off his face and kissing it off.
It made no sense that she was attracted to a man so wholly infuriating. She’d erroneously figured sleep would give her a reprieve from thinking about him.
“My dad’s gone for the next three weeks,” Reyes had informed her last night. “Which means I’m in charge. Your trainer will be here at eight a.m. sharp. Don’t be late.”
Even though she had plenty of time, she increased her stride past the stables and headed toward the guest house to take a shower and grab a quick breakfast.
“I’m in charge.”
His firm tone when he said those words made her hate that fact as much as everything else. If his, “Don’t be late,” were any indication, the jerk would probably be a major pain in her ass on purpose. He was already halfway there after getting Fire to follow him out of the trailer like he was the Pied Piper.
Reyes had stalked away last night before she could ask any more questions. Like, who exactly is this magical, secret trainer my dad thinks will fix everything?
Why are you such a jerk?
Do you have a girlfriend?
Nope, skip that last one. She didn’t need to know, because it didn’t matter one bit. She was here for work, not to be distracted by the sexy stable guy. If only Dad had given her the details of this month-long exile instead of making himself scarce so she couldn’t hound him about it and change his mind. And with Mom in Vancouver on a business trip, she’d been no help.
Raine hurried through her shower, ate a quick bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit, and then braided her long, damp hair so it would stay out of her way during the training session. Dressed in a long sleeved T-shirt, breeches, and riding boots, she entered the barn at quarter to eight to the sounds of hooves rustling in the stalls as horses munched their morning hay.
The comfort of a horse barn had always been her sanctuary—until it wasn’t.
Reyes stepped out of a stall on the far side of the aisle from Fire, making her heart rate speed up. Geez, was he the only one who worked here? She realized with his father gone, and
only eight stalls occupied, the answer was likely yes.
He paused when he saw her, his expression slightly surprised as he glanced at his watch, but then his jaw set, and he continued forward.
Clearly he’d expected her to be late. She gave him a tight smile and reached for the stall latch as he walked past. When her conscience got the better of her, she spoke over her shoulder while sliding the door open. “Thank you for taking my things to the house last night.”
“All part of the job,” he quipped.
His dry tone drew her head around, but he’d already disappeared into the office. So much for trying to be civil. She huffed out a breath and tried to put him out of her mind while getting Fire tacked up for work. Thankfully, he seemed closer to his regular self, nudging her shoulder as she tightened the saddle cinch. She took a moment to hug his head to her chest, placed a kiss on his forehead, and said a small prayer today went well.
Well would mean a decent trainer, successful jumps, and Reyes too busy here in the barn to be anywhere near the arena as a distraction.
After strapping her helmet on, she led Fire from the barn a couple minutes before eight. A glance around revealed no vehicle other than the hunk of junk Reyes had driven last night, and nobody waiting for her in the arena. Maybe her trainer should’ve received the, “Don’t be late,” warning, too.
Raine shook off her frown as she led her gelding toward the mounting block. No big deal. She and Fire would start warm-up until they arrived.
“I’ll give you a leg up.”
Reyes’ too-close voice made her jerk around with a gasp. How the heck had she not heard him walk up behind her? Only, he really was too close, and her helmet visor bumped right into his chest.
Damn, he smelled good. Like hay, and the outdoors, and an underlying hint of fresh citrus swirled in with all kinds of male goodness.
“Sorry.” His hands grasped her shoulders to set her back a step.
She flicked her gaze up and just as quickly dropped it again while turning back to Fire. Those green eyes of his were way too damn pretty in the morning sunlight.
“I had it, but, yeah, whatever.” His chest brushed against her shoulder as he bent to offer his interlocked hands for her boot. Two seconds later, she was in the saddle and looking down at him as she gathered the reins with shaky hands. “Thanks.”
“Yep.” He patted Fire’s neck and headed for the arena fence.
Raine blew out a silent sigh, her stomach tightening at the thought of him watching them practice. Then she got a good look inside the arena and her annoyance spiked as she squeezed her knees to signal Fire forward. All the rails were on the ground. Not a single jump was set up with even an inch of air between the rail and the dirt.
“What is this?” she demanded once she’d ridden through the open gate.
“Back to basics,” Reyes replied.
“This is ridiculous. I’m not some ten-year-old beginner.” She twisted in her seat to glare at him as he joined her inside the arena. Then she swept her furious gaze toward the barn, and the driveway beyond. “And why is it I’m not supposed to be late, but this guy—or woman?—isn’t even here yet?”
“Who says he isn’t here yet?”
The fake innocent tone of his voice instantly stiffened her spine. The tension in her body sent Fire dancing sideways, and she spun him in a circle to settle him down before finally looking at Reyes. Amusement in his sunlit gaze made her stomach drop out from under her.
“You?”
He offered a slight smile with an affirmative tilt of his head. “Me.”
“Why didn’t you just say so last night?”
“And miss this fun?”
She suppressed the urge to scream, but still tossed out, “Asshole,” before urging Fire into a trot around the outdoor arena. She needed a few rounds to cool off. Reyes didn’t say a word as she passed the first time. Nor the second.
Smart man.
By the time he’d climbed the fence on her third round and perched on the top rail to watch, she’d managed to get her aggravation under control.
“Run the course,” he instructed as she and Fire approached. “Mix it up, but take it easy. I want to get a feel for your rhythm.”
“Our rhythm is fine,” she retorted.
Still, she grit her teeth and did as he said. Three times through, during which he stayed silent. Her annoyance flared yet again. It was one thing to let her cool off, and Lord knew she didn’t want to talk to the guy, but if he was supposed to be training her, he was going to have to say something at some point.
Finally, she rode over to the fence and planted Fire directly in front of him. “What exactly are your qualifications?”
He sat balanced on the top rail, hands braced on either side of him, the sun adding blond highlights to his brown hair. “I did some jumping back in high school.”
When he didn’t add more, she tilted her head in disbelief. “Are you serious right now?”
He smiled while sitting up straighter. “I did jump some in high school, though nowhere near your level. However, I have been training horses with my dad since I was fourteen. I took a six year break while in the military, but after coming home almost two years ago, I’ve been working solo.”
Raine snorted. “With what, the few horses my aunt keeps here now?”
“You do know Janine rescues horses, right? Most of them off-the-track-thoroughbreds?”
“Of course.” Her dad wrote a check every year to contribute to his sister-in-law’s non-profit.
“Well, then you should know, she doesn’t keep them all. We celebrated a hundred and fifty rehomed last month.”
She had not known that, but she should’ve. It was an extremely impressive number.
“When they leave here,” Reyes added, “they’ve been transitioned into new careers in jumping, hunting, dressage, trail riding, pleasure driving—whatever we discover best suits them.”
Still irritated over the whole situation, she snipped, “So what…are you supposed to be a horse whisperer or something?”
He dropped his gaze as he lifted a shoulder. “The horses respond to me. Always have.”
Like Fire in the trailer. “And how many riders have you worked with?”
“You would be the first.”
“Perfect.” Her dad was putting her Olympic hopes in the hands of a guy with no professional experience at all. “How could this go wrong?”
He lifted his gaze once more, long dark lashes shadowing his eyes. “I saw the tapes of your last two events. Whatever you were doing back home wasn’t working. If you ask me, you’ve got nothing to lose.”
“Well, I didn’t ask you, did I?”
“Technically, you did.”
“That was a rhetorical question. You do know what rhetorical means, don’t you?”
He smirked at her sarcasm before jumping down from the fence to stride toward one of the jumps. She watched as he put the rails in the cups and then moved on to the next one.
Good. About damn time they got down to real work.
When the last rail was in place, he raised a hand over his head and swiveled his wrist in a circle to indicate she should get started. Despite wanting the real jumps, her nerves tingled to life as she urged Fire forward. Once around the arena to loosen him up, because her tension from the exchange with Reyes was making him antsy.
Way number one it would go wrong—the guy annoyed the hell out of her and made her nervous. Which made her horse nervous. Not a good combination.
Stop thinking about him.
Focus on Fire. Focus on the jumps.
Imagine walking into the Olympic stadium with the U.S. Equestrian Team, the American flag rippling in all its glory above your head.
Her dad had painted that picture with her so often over the years, the image sprang to life with ease.
Another half-round at an easy canter settled her and Fire into the familiar rhythm that had gotten them to the top, so she reined him onto the course. Over the next h
alf-hour, Reyes directed them through a multitude of combinations. Other than the called out instructions, he simply watched. His intense scrutiny was really starting to mess with her head, especially when for the third time in a row, Fire refused an easy one meter vertical.
“You’re breaking the rhythm,” Reyes called out, shaking his head.
“He won’t go over the jump.”
“Because you’re telling him not to.”
“I am not.”
“You’re easing up on approach, sending mixed signals, and it’s throwing him off. He doesn’t know what you want him to do.”
Just like Charlie, he was blaming her for Fire’s refusal. Her jaw ached from the force of her clenched teeth. How did no one understand what the fall had done to him? He was afraid. It was going to take time for him to get over it and get his confidence back. She knew her horse better than they did, damn it.
“He needs a break,” she announced. And so did she.
Before Reyes could disagree with her, she swung her leg over and dismounted. She didn’t get more than two strides toward the gate when he moved into their path.
He held out his hand, palm up. “Give me the reins.”
“I can take care of him myself.”
“That’s a given. But first I want to try something.”
She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but after a long moment, she slapped the reins into his palm. He draped them back over Fire’s neck while moving to the opposite side to lower the right stirrup. Grudgingly, she lowered the one on her side, too.
When he joined her on the left side, she wordlessly bent to offer her interlocked hands and boosted him up into the saddle. His western boots and jeans looked completely out of place with her English saddle, but his form was flawless as he nudged Fire into a trot, and then a canter. He made a circuit of the arena, to get a feel for the horse beneath him, she assumed, then took him over a couple of the jumps Fire had completed for her with ease.
Don't Dare a Diamond (Must Love Diamonds Book 5) Page 3