She, however, eyed the western saddle with a frown. “Why is he wearing that?”
“We’re going for a trail ride.”
Her gaze shifted from Fire to Taz and back. “What about training?”
He finished with the cinch and flipped the stirrup down from over the seat. “When’s the last time you rode Fire for fun?”
She arched her brow. “He’s not a pleasure horse.”
“No, but he still needs to be a horse, doesn’t he?” He saw understanding dawn in her expression just before she averted her gaze and moved toward the gelding’s head to stroke her hand down his nose.
“Fire gets plenty of rest between events.” Her voice had a defensive edge. “We take good care of our horses.”
“I didn’t mean to imply you don’t, but after picking up Willow and Grace from Jessica’s yesterday, I realized maybe Fire needs to de-stress a little like the thoroughbreds do. Maybe you both do.” He leaned in to see her face over the saddle. “Did you take any time off after the accident?”
“Eight weeks after my shoulder surgery,” she said.
“Besides that,” he clarified. “Did you take any time to just ride him and relax? Maybe rebuild the bond the two of you have?”
Raine frowned, her gaze locked on Fire. “Once I could ride again, there wasn’t any time,” she said softly. “One of our junior riders kept him in jumping condition, and when the doctor cleared me, we went right back into practice to catch up for the beginning of the season.”
Guilt darkened her hazel eyes to almost brown when she finally looked at him. He moved around to the front of her horse and handed her the reins with a smile. “Well, then today we’re just riding. I hope you like ham sandwiches, because I packed a lunch.”
Surprise touched her features. “How long are we going to be gone?”
“’Til at least mid-afternoon.”
“That long? Are there bathrooms along the way?”
He laughed at her pink cheeks and patted the leather bags secured to Taz’s saddle. “I’ve got all the necessities right here.”
Toilet paper. Hand wipes. Lunch. Water. Picnic blanket.
Everything except condoms. He would be lying if he said the thought hadn’t crossed his mind, but since they were doing the friendship thing in addition to training, he needed to provide obstacles to temptation wherever possible.
They led the horses from the barn, and he glanced over as the breeze blew a loose strand of hair across Raine’s face. He tightened his hands on the reins, suppressing the urge to reach out and tuck it behind her ear. If he did that, he’d want to cup the back of her head so he could lean down and cover her mouth with his to see if there was any flavor to that gloss making her lips so shiny.
And on that note, he’d now be finding a log or a boulder to sit on while they ate their lunch and leave the picnic blanket packed deep in his saddle bag.
He’d chosen a longer trail that looped east onto public land bordering the Diamond estate before connecting with the trails on the west side of the property. As they rode past the huge main house, he noticed Raine’s gaze sweeping over the estate. He knew her family had plenty of money like his employers, and wondered if their place in Texas was as grand.
“Does it make you miss home?” he asked.
She lifted a shoulder, her head still averted. “I travel enough I’m used to being away.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
Now her gaze swung around to him. “I guess not really. It’s a lot cooler up here, and I like that for training outside instead of always being in air conditioning or it being super hot outside. Plus, my family has spread out, much like everyone here has. My brothers all moved out years ago, and my parents both travel for work a lot, so it’s hit and miss when we see each other. If I miss anything, it’s all of them, not the house.”
“You still live at home?”
A wry smile curved her lips. “It’s where I train, so it’s just easier.”
“Hey, I live where I work, so I get it.”
Her head swung back toward her uncle’s one last time before they entered the woods. “I will say, though, I’m not used to it being so quiet around here. There was always a full house whenever I visited.”
And these days, he was the one with the most permanent residence at the Diamond estate. “I’m not about to complain about the quiet,” he said.
She tossed him a smile. “I suppose not. Though, with Shelby and Dev engaged, I bet it won’t be long before you have a niece or nephew running around getting into trouble.”
“They’re talking about kids already?” The news shouldn’t surprise him, but he hadn’t thought about being an uncle anytime soon.
“Shelby said they want to be married for a little while first, but I’m sure with Merit and Asher already started, the rest will have kids sooner than later. I know Celia and Robert are trying, and probably Loyal and Roxanna, too.”
The wistful note in her voice started his heart beating a little faster. “How about you?”
“Am I trying?” Her dark eyebrows arched over eyes sparkling with humor. “Um, probably best if I get myself a man first, don’t you think?”
“Probably.” He grinned even as his pulse skipped at the idea of offering himself for the position. “However, I meant in the future. Do you want kids someday?”
“Definitely.” She tilted her head sideways, glancing at him from beneath her lashes. “You?”
“Yeah, I hope so.” The smile she gave him did funny things to his stomach, and he quickly shifted the conversation. “How many brothers do you have?”
“There’s five of us. Axel, the twins—Phoenix and Chance—and then Olix. I’m the only girl, and the youngest.”
“Ahh. That explains so much,” he teased.
“Shut up.”
He laughed. “I’m the baby, too. I bet you got away with a lot of shit just like me.”
“True—but it can suck, too. Especially for girls. I’ve got four brothers who are super overprotective, and my dad still thinks I’m his baby girl.”
“You’ll always be his baby girl.”
Her nose scrunched up, and he laughed again. Riding like this always brought him peace, but today felt different. Lighter. Fun.
Man, when was the last time he’d truly had fun?
“What about you?” Raine asked. “I know Devante, and don’t you have an older sister, too? I think I remember Shelby pointing her out at Loyal’s wedding back in February.”
“Yeah, Solana. She’s an FBI agent based in Washington state, though she’s hoping for a transfer to the Colorado field office. We each left the moment we graduated high school, so if she comes back, it’ll be nice to all be close again.”
“That’s cool. That she works for the FBI, I mean.”
“It’s her job,” he said with a shrug.
Raine looked ahead, her expression suddenly pensive. “But it’s a job that can make a difference. All I do is ride horses.”
He blinked at the statement. “What’s wrong with that? I pretty much do the same.”
“You train them—there’s a difference,” she countered. “And you help re-home retired thoroughbreds. Shelby runs her clinic so low income families can have pets and not worry about the cost of caring for them. Loyal and Grayson run the veterans foundation, and Grayson also raises and trains service dogs. What good does me riding a horse over jumps do?”
There was an unexpected depth to her question that had him posing his own. “Would you rather be doing something else?”
“Maybe.” As if realizing what she’d just admitted, she shot him a quick glance and a shrug. “I mean, I love what I do, but I guess I wonder sometimes.”
“What else would you do?”
She grimaced as her shoulders shook with a visible shiver. “I have no idea.”
“Maybe it’s something you should think about.”
She didn’t reply, and they rode in silence until he noticed her rub a palm ov
er her bare arm. He’d thrown a gray plaid button up over his T-shirt this morning, leaving it open and rolling up the sleeves. It kept him comfortable in the shade of the tall trees, but Raine’s T-shirt didn’t appear to be doing the job.
“You cold?” he asked.
She looked over in surprise and then dropped her hand back down to her leg. “I’ll be fine once we’re back in the sun. I’m usually warm when I’m jumping, but it’s cooler here in the woods than I would’ve expected.”
He should’ve thought of that and suggested she grab a sweatshirt. Shrugging out of his shirt, he rode closer to hand it over. “Here, put this on.”
“What about you?”
“I was actually getting a little warm,” he fibbed.
She hesitated one more moment before taking it to slide her arms into the sleeves. “Thanks.”
It was huge on her, with the rolled sleeves nearly reaching her wrists. The unbuttoned sides fell down along her thighs in a way that had him imagining her in nothing but his shirt, her dark hair loose and wavy as it cascaded over her shoulders.
He let loose a groan under his breath. She shot him a questioning glance, and heat crept up his neck as he quickly urged Taz ahead of Diamond Fire. If he kept thinking along the lines of her in his shirt, in his bed—don’t go adding details—the ride was going to very quickly get extremely uncomfortable.
He scrambled for a distraction and went back to what they’d been talking about. “You know, who’s to say you can’t jump and do something more? As you pointed out, the re-homing isn’t my whole job.”
She and Fire drew even with him and Taz once more. “Can I help you with Saving Grace and Willow Midnight the next couple of weeks?” she asked.
More time together above and beyond her training? Absolutely not. “Sure.”
“That would be great.” Her hazel eyes lit with a sudden excitement. “If you show me what to do, I could start a program when I get home.”
Home. In Texas.
The reminder hit like a kick to the gut.
But then again, considering how much he enjoyed spending time with her yesterday and today, that reminder was exactly what he needed. And often.
12
Raine felt a little bad taking her scheduled day off on Sunday when it felt like she’d already taken Friday and Saturday off. But, seeing as those were both on her trainer’s orders, she ignored the guilt and headed up to the main house for brunch.
The past few days put a spring in her step. Things had been good. Great even. First at the horse rescue on Friday, and then yesterday’s ride had been amazing in a way she hadn’t realized how much she and Fire needed. She was pretty sure her horse enjoyed the change of scenery as much as she did, and the company hadn’t been too shabby, either.
She rolled her eyes at her understatement and lifted a hand to keep her loose hair from blowing into her face. Reyes had been nice, and fun, and surprisingly funny at times. They’d talked comfortably the whole time, and she didn’t think he’d caught any of the countless instances she’d discretely lifted the collar of his shirt to inhale the tummy-flipping scent of him clinging to the material.
At least she sure hoped not, since she was the one who suggested they be friends. The very last thing she should’ve been doing as they ate lunch on a big fallen log was imagine sliding over to bury her nose in the crook of his neck—but dear Lord, the man smelled so damn good.
Doing her best to put him out of her mind, she walked past all the vehicles in the drive and entered the house. A cacophony of voices led her to the kitchen. Of the dozen or so people gathered, her gaze landed smack dab on Reyes holding Ava, Asher and Honor’s little four month old.
Her heart lodged up in her throat at the sight of his uninhibited smile as the baby giggled while he ran her tiny little palm over the whiskers on his chin.
“Hey.”
Raine jumped at the stage whisper in her ear, and twisted to see her cousin standing slightly behind her with a wide grin.
“I’m telling you,” Shelby said in a soft sing-song voice, “there’s something about those Torrez boys.”
Yes, there definitely was. Looking back toward Reyes and the baby, she gave Bells a one-armed hug. “Only they’re not boys anymore.”
“Most definitely not,” her cousin agreed with a happy grin.
A spark of envy burned in her chest. Not for her cousin’s man, but because if she was being honest and said to hell with all the friendship stuff, she wanted what Shelby had.
With Reyes.
And yet, it wasn’t going to happen. They lived in different states. Hell, they lived different lives.
Not that different.
Different enough though.
“You know, we’ve invited Reyes to brunch before. This is the first time he’s come.”
Her pulse skipped at her cousin’s insinuation. She glanced at Shelby, then back to him. “We’re becoming friends.”
“Just friends?”
“There’s no point in anything more.” She didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in her voice, and Shelby squeezed her shoulder in commiseration. “Neither of us is into casual flings, and other than this one month, our lives are hundreds of miles apart.”
“Hmm. That’s a shame. The miles apart that is—not the casual stuff.”
You’re telling me.
Someone called her name, and as she turned to look, Reyes’ lashes lifted and their gazes connected. Her heart thumped hard. Seconds ticked by as the world shifted beneath her feet while undeniable yearning made it hard to swallow.
“A real shame,” Shelby whispered before walking between them.
She blinked as the connection was broken, and then her cousin Merit stepped up to envelop her in a bear hug. Raine spent the next five minutes making her way around the island and table, giving hugs to everyone. Grandma and Grandpa, Asher and Honor, Devante, Celia and Robert, Merit, Mae, and Ian, and last but not least, Loyal and Roxanna.
Merit and Mae’s little guy Maverick was firmly ensconced in Grandma Irene’s arms, so she turned to Reyes, who still held Ava. “My turn.”
He twisted away with a teasing smile. “I just got her.”
“I haven’t even met her.”
“Fine, you win.”
She leaned forward to take the baby, her pulse kicking up when his large hands brushed against hers in the exchange. She focused on Ava, teasing and tickling to make her smile and giggle. Asher and Honor watched from over by the island, but the two seemed content with having a break.
After a few minutes, the baby fussed and twisted in her arms, so she turned her around to face all the action. When Reyes held out a rattle, Ava seized it and shook her little fist with gusto. After the first smack to her face, Raine laughed before ducking backward to avoid a second. Reyes was quick to switch the rattle for a stuffed animal.
“Good call,” she said with a smile of thanks. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Dev made me come.”
His wry tone had her arching her brows.
He rolled his eyes the tiniest bit. “He thinks I need to socialize more.”
Despite their acrimonious start earlier in the week—and last summer—anytime she’d seen him interact with other people, he seemed friendly and outgoing. But after their talk at the pool, she was pretty sure she could read between the lines. “Because of…?”
His eyes were a dark shade of green, solemn and shadowed. “Yeah.” He shifted his gaze to the baby and reached out to let Ava wrap her tiny hand around his finger. “He’s not wrong.”
Sympathy pulsed with each heavy thump of her heart. Yet another reason they couldn’t act on the chemistry between them—she wouldn’t be the one to screw up a job that helped him deal with the horror he’d lived through.
So…friends it would be.
She leaned the baby in to plant a slobbery kiss on his cheek as she said, “Then I’m glad you’re here.”
13
Emotion swelled in
Reyes’ chest at Raine’s soft statement. Other than his brother, she was the only one here who knew exactly what he’d gone through. Well, he suspected Dev had told Shelby some, but he’d never talked to her about it himself.
Yesterday, he’d spent the entire day without any heavy moments cutting off his air until later in the evening when he laid in bed and tried to turn the light off for the first time in months. It took all of five seconds before he had to flip it back on, but at least as he drifted off to a replay of the day spent with Raine, he’d gotten a restful night’s sleep.
While he had told her his brother made him come today, knowing she was going to be there, he hadn’t scrambled for an excuse when the invite was issued. And Dev was also right that he needed to stop isolating himself at the stables with the horses. Other than the Diamonds, he hadn’t taken any time to reconnect with high school friends still in the area, and he only texted his Army buddies every so often.
Sitting at brunch with all of the new, happy families, watching how cute Maverick and Ava were as they interacted with everyone, he found himself yearning for more in his own life. And with that yearning, he couldn’t help watching and listening to Raine across the table during brunch, and later, when everyone pitched in to clean up after the meal.
She was a vision with her loose hair falling in soft waves past her shoulders. A gauzy, mint shirt brought out the green in her hazel eyes, and a pair of white jean capris showed off her great ass and legs. Hell, even the gold sandals on her small feet were enough to make his pulse skip.
Stop looking.
Right. Like that was gonna happen.
He grabbed a towel to dry dishes as Asher washed and Merit rinsed, his gaze straying to Raine as often as possible without being too obvious. Even though it wasn’t quite a week ago, it was hard to recall back when he thought she was a spoiled little rich girl. Yeah, she’d had her moments, but he’d also seen her work hard both in the ring and cleaning stalls, and with her own personal workouts. She was determined and dedicated, and he had no doubt she was going to ride Fire all the way to gold someday.
Don't Dare a Diamond (Must Love Diamonds Book 5) Page 8