“That how you got Phoenix hooked on oatmeal iced cookies? Trying to give him some happiness?”
She winced. “Guilty. I didn’t realize what a pig he’d become. It started as a way to tempt him to let us get close.”
“I’ll never forget that look he tossed me when I gave him carrots instead.”
A laugh escaped her lips, and the sound warmed his chest. He wished he could make her do it more often. “Yeah, he’s a bit of a handful. But that’s also going to help him out on the track. Are we practicing with breaking from the gate today?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll combine practice with the gate and light racing against a competitor next week. We’ll begin with Flower. He’ll need to learn the right way to be paced. I don’t want to throw Maximus at him so early, but we’ll work up to it.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She popped the last piece of toast in her mouth. “Thanks for breakfast. How was the spare room?”
“Better than the Hampton.” He grinned and put the mugs in the sink. “I’ll stop in town and get some groceries.”
“No need.”
“Yeah, there is.” He leaned against the sink. “We split the food bill, okay? What do you want me to pick up, or do you want to text me a list?”
She chucked the paper plates in the garbage and smirked. “Well, aren’t you domestic? One night and already you’re grocery shopping.”
“I’ll buy a vacuum when I’m in town, too.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
He winked. “Yes, I’m kidding. I like dust.”
She laughed again, and his chest swelled with pride. He could get addicted to her laugh.
The voice nudged open the box. Told ya. You’re smitten.
He slammed the lid back down and refused to engage. The silence was blissful, but the damage had already been done.
He was terrified the voice was right.
Aidan watched the jockey guide Phoenix into an easy trot around the track. His gaze assessed the way Elmo handled the horse, his body language, and the way Phoenix seemed to respond.
Yeah, he’d been right. Phoenix wouldn’t have taken to just any jockey. Elmo had a talent for connecting with emotional horses. Aidan had seen him coax the best out of green-broke Thoroughbreds. Too bad Elmo wasn’t as well received in the racing world as he should be. Many didn’t agree with his unconventional methods regarding aura, energy, or using endless patience to break bad habits. Too many wanted a quick fix or a jockey who had big numbers, but Elmo sought out horses he could help or who needed him. He liked to sit in the pasture and read a book while Phoenix grazed. The jockey’s presence seemed to soak into the horse’s routine. He also knew the right time to challenge and claim control. Aidan loved watching a good jockey break down, assess, and build up a horse’s stamina and skill. But for Elmo, it was all about the heart. His decision to stay with Phoenix confirmed Aidan’s own instincts.
“They’ve bonded.” He turned to find Ethan with one foot propped up on the fence, watching horse and rider become one.
Aidan nodded. “I sensed they’d be a fit.”
“Your instinct was right.” He let a few moments pass in comfortable silence. “Heard you spent the night at Harper’s last night.”
Ah, shit.
Refusing to react to the probing statement, Aidan nodded, his gaze still trained on the pair on the track. “Yep.”
“How was it?”
“Good.”
He waited some more, and Ethan finally broke. “My sister never lets anyone stay with her. Strangers in her personal space make her uncomfortable. She’s very . . . private.”
Aidan swiveled his head around and met the man’s gaze. “Hoping I’m not a stranger for long. But I don’t intend to make her uncomfortable. I respect our working relationship too much.”
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck and cursed. “Look, I’m not playing overprotective big brother here. Harper would lose her shit if she knew I was mentioning this. I only want you to know she took a leap of trust by letting you stay. By letting you into her world. I hope you respect it. That’s all.”
Aidan relaxed and grinned. He was glad her brother looked out for her. He was a straight shooter who protected his family. “Got it. And I do. More than you know.”
Ethan grinned back, and an alliance seemed to form between them—unspoken, but the type men shared around a woman they both cared about. “Good. Gonna try to break him from the gate today?”
“Yeah, he’s definitely skittish, so I want to know how he does. Want to watch?”
“Would like to, but I have some things to take care of. I’ll check in with you later.” He tipped his head and strode off, his slight limp reminding Aidan he was a man who’d sacrificed for all of them without question. That was the type of man he could work with.
So far, the Bishop family was turning out to be his favorite client.
An hour later, he examined the starting gate, which was the key to getting Phoenix ready for a race. For the past few days, they’d been loading the horse into the gate and keeping him there. It’d been rough in the beginning, and Elmo had been challenged trying to keep the horse from kicking and breaking out in a frenzy. They’d gone from a few seconds in the gate to just under a minute now, and Aidan felt comfortable about trying the break. He’d already spoken at length with Elmo about the use of various techniques, but both of them decided to rely on the old-fashioned way.
The three of them stood by the track. “Each horse has a different reaction to the gate,” he explained to Harper. “It may feel claustrophobic and put them into a panic. We need to get Phoenix comfortable with breaking clean and fast the moment the door opens. Coinciding it with a loud noise will help condition him.”
She nodded, absently patting the horse’s shiny black coat. “I’ve been conditioning him to be more comfortable around noises. Ethan used a cowbell, then paired it with comfort, so he’s been less skittish.”
“Good. I’m going to give you the signal, and then you hit the button to release the gate. I’ll ring a buzzer at the exact time. Elmo, use your discretion for now on how you handle him, depending on his stress level.”
They agreed, and Elmo mounted. Aidan guided the horse toward the gate. Phoenix immediately pulled back, trying to avoid the tight quarters, and Aidan took a few times circling until the horse began to relax. By the eighth retreat, they squeezed him in, and he quickly gave the signal, not wanting Phoenix to be enclosed for too long the first time.
The gate sprang open. He hit the loud, shrieking buzzer.
Phoenix reared up, rushing ahead with a drunken gait, then straightened out and began to run.
Harper shot Aidan a look. “That was rough.”
“Yep. Definitely not his favorite thing to do, but most horses dislike the gate.” He called out to Elmo, “Bring him back and let’s do it again.”
He praised the horse, who thought the torture was over, then began circling him again. It took the same amount of repetitions to get him locked in. The buzzer rang, and he lurched out, this time taking off pretty fast, but he was all over the track.
Elmo trotted back. “He likes to go left. Post position by rail could be big problem.”
“Agreed. Harp, has the vet told you anything about his left side being weaker?”
She shook her head. “No, but when I rescued him, there was bruising. I think he may have been whipped and tries to protect it?”
“Okay, could be a mental thing. For now, guide him toward the outside and see how he straightens out. We can work up to running on the inside later on.”
They did it again. And again. And again.
The sun grew hot and his T-shirt stuck to his back. He chugged water and called for a break. “Let’s stop for the day. I don’t want him to get frustrated or link the gate with punishment.” He patted the horse’s flank and slid out one oatmeal cookie from his pocket. The horse’s ears pricked up, and he showed his teeth in his trademark macabre grin, waiting for the
treat.
Aidan laughed and held it out. “Sugar addict. You get carrots for lunch.”
Phoenix finished chewing, then bumped his head forward, knocking Aidan back a step.
“Oh, tough guy, huh,” he crooned, rubbing under his chin. “Let’s save that fire for the track.” Grinning, he turned and caught Harper staring at him.
Slowly, his grin disappeared.
It was the longing in her eyes that almost slammed him to his knees. Her gaze roved over him almost hungrily, as if starved for his affection like the horse he now rubbed. With the sun glinting off her tousled dark hair and her beautiful face tilted upward, he ached to touch her. His gut clenched and he gritted his teeth, swearing under his breath. Then turned away.
“I take him in,” Elmo said.
Aidan nodded, not trusting himself to speak. It was better this way. Ignoring the connection between them was the only way to move forward. It was the only way to keep himself sane.
He started back toward the barns. She fell into step beside him.
“How often will we practice the gate?” she asked.
“Every day,” he said gruffly. He stuck his hands in his pockets. Probably better to keep himself from temptation. “I don’t want him to burn out, though. A happy horse will give the best to the track. We’re pushing hard, and at his young age, he needs plenty of play, sleep, and snuggle time.”
“Consider this your invitation to the pajama party at the barn, then.”
“It will be quite the craic, especially if you put Owen in charge of the planning.” He tamped down a smile and shook his head. If only she weren’t so damn fun to talk to. A physical attraction was easier to fight. Liking her?
That just sucked.
As they neared the barn, he noticed the crowd of people surrounding Phoenix. “He’s got a fan club already, huh?”
Her face lit up. “Chloe’s here! Come on, I’ll introduce you.” She ran the rest of the way, and he enjoyed the graceful swing of her hips and ass framed in tight, faded jeans.
When he reached the group, a young girl with long dark hair and piercing blue eyes stepped out in front. The tiny diamond nose ring she wore winked in the light. She was dressed to work—in old jeans, boots, and a purple V-neck top. It matched the lone violet streak in her hair.
“You’re a real horse trainer!” she said excitedly, sticking out her hand. “I’m Chloe.”
He laughed, shaking her hand. “Nice to finally meet you. I’m Aidan. And yes, I’m the one hired to get Phoenix ready for the track.”
“That is so fridge!” she squealed.
“Totally fridge,” Ethan repeated, giving Chloe a high five.
Mia frowned. “Huh? What’s fridge?”
Ethan shot Chloe a suffering look. “She doesn’t understand the lingo,” he said sadly.
Chloe giggled. “It means cool, Mia. If you go to my IG, you’ll see the meme with the word on it I used to describe the new car Daddy got me. Well, used car, but I love it.”
“Hey, a Jeep is totally fridge, even with miles on it,” Ethan said.
Mia rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t know what that means! He’s just pretending.”
Ethan assumed a hurt look. “Do too. If you followed Chloe’s IG stories regularly, you’d know more things.” He turned to the young girl. “Can you show me how to do those puppy ears on Snapchat?”
“Definitely.”
Mia groaned. “I give up.”
Chloe laughed and turned to Harper. “I can help you out till mid-August, when I head back into Manhattan to hang with Dad. How’s Chloe’s Pride?”
“She’s missed you.” Harper squeezed her shoulder with affection. “We’ve all missed you, but I heard you got on the dean’s list this semester. Way to go.”
“Thanks.” Her face lit up. “I’m thinking about getting into law. Specifically, animal protective rights litigation. There are so many rescues who suffer and need someone to fight on their behalf. You taught me that, Harper.”
Aidan watched the emotions play over Harper’s face. Pride surged. She was so damn special, but she had no clue. She was the type of woman to keep her head down and barrel forward, never thinking of herself. She needed to be told more often she was important. Chloe’s words seemed to tug at something she kept carefully hidden—a longing to be seen or heard.
He wanted to be the man to give it to her.
But he couldn’t.
Elmo dismounted and introduced himself with his usual one-word answers, but Chloe didn’t seem to mind.
Owen strolled out of the barn with a confused look on his face. “Hey, guys. Did I miss a group meeting or something?”
Harper waved him over. “Owen, this is Chloe Lake. She’s the one who helped us out last summer and attends SUNY New Paltz. She’ll be helping us out again this summer. Maybe she can teach you a few things.”
Aidan caught Harper’s edgy voice and winced. Owen had been trying, but he was still sloppy with instructions, afraid of a majority of the horses, and distracted by his phone.
Chloe gave Owen a smile. “Nice to meet you,” she said.
A strange look skittered over Owen’s face. He stood stock-still, staring at her with his mouth half-open and a glazed look in his eyes.
Aidan watched him with a bit of worry. “You okay, buddy?” he asked.
Owen didn’t move.
Chloe frowned and touched his shoulder. “Is it the heat? Summer is rough. You have to make sure you’re hydrated.”
A slow, dopey smile broke over the kid’s face. Those crazy surfer curls bounced and brushed his cheeks. “Chloe,” he whispered, staring at the girl.
Uh-oh.
Chloe stepped back, shooting him an odd look. “Uh, yeah. That’s me. How do you like working at the farm?”
The dopey grin stayed put. “Love it.”
Harper let out a humorless laugh, completely oblivious to what was happening. “I wish,” she said with a bite of sarcasm. “He’s been struggling, but Aidan is teaching him how to ride, and if we can surgically remove his phone from his hand, he may do better.”
Chloe laughed, swinging her head, and Owen blinked, as if dazzled by a flash of lights. “I had some trouble when I first came here, too,” she admitted, shooting a mischievous look at Mia. “But some great people straightened me out. Just let me know if you need help.”
Aidan watched the poor schmuck crumble before him. Oh yeah, he had it bad. Lovesick after one glance at the lovely Chloe, his fate could go one of two ways: his work at the farm would suck even more because he’d be distracted by his new love interest, or he’d get his shit together and try to impress her.
Aidan hoped for the latter.
Owen glowed. “Thanks, Chloe. Maybe you can show me how to—oh, crap!”
A mad, shrill screech and clucking rose in the air. Hei Hei crashed down the path, his crazy head feathers bobbing, and hurtled straight to . . . Owen.
Aidan tried not to wince as the scene played out in rapid time. Owen screamed, seemingly too overtaken by fear to act cool in front of Chloe, and began to frantically back up. Mia and Ethan snapped out a command for the chicken to stop, but Hei Hei averted Mia’s reach by inches and charged.
Owen stumbled and fell back onto the ground. Hei Hei began pecking with glee at his feet, fat jowls jiggling, while Owen squirmed and tried to crawl away like he was trapped in a Stephen King movie. Owen kicked, and Hei Hei backed up, apparently satisfied he’d made his presence known.
Then those beady eyes fastened on Phoenix.
Everything morphed into a shitshow.
Phoenix took one glance at the crazed chicken and went nuts. Shaking his head and pawing the ground, the horse tried to challenge the creature in an old-fashioned game of . . . chicken.
Elmo grabbed for the reins, but Phoenix twisted hard and advanced.
Hei Hei shrieked and charged back.
Mia yelled, and Harper suddenly jumped in the middle of the dueling pair, causing Aidan to have a fucking heart attack.
With a dancer’s grace, she pivoted, knocking the chicken off course, while she yanked hard on the horse’s bridle just in time.
The two animals stared at one another in some type of alpha battle.
Mia threw her head back in temper. “Hei Hei! Bad chicken! I’ve told you not to bother Owen! You just like taunting him, and that’s mean, and Phoenix had every right to trample you for your behavior. Are you listening to me?”
The chicken raced over to Mia and began rubbing his head feathers against her legs.
She shook her finger at him. “Sucking up is not going to help this relationship right now,” she said sternly. “You’re going in the pen, and I want you to think about this behavior of yours and how you want to change.”
Hei Hei squawked.
“I don’t care. Maybe by limiting your freedom for the day, you’ll learn to appreciate the animals you share space with. Now, let’s go. March.”
Aidan stared at the bizarre exchange. But when Mia took off down the path with Hei Hei following sullenly, his mind was officially blown.
Damn. That was some chicken.
Chloe knelt in front of Owen. “Are you okay?”
He got up, brushing himself off, and nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, he never liked me.”
“He has issues with men,” Chloe said seriously. “Harper said it took a long time for him to feel safe because of how he was hurt, but he’d never truly harm you. He just likes the power of being in charge since he was helpless for so many years.”
Owen stared at her with undisguised hero worship. “Wow. You’re really amazing with animals. I never thought of stuff like that before. You must be supersmart.”
“Not really. I have to study hard to get good grades, but I want to practice animal law one day,” she said.
“That’s a great field. Maybe you can teach me more about the animals on the farm. You know, so I’m not as afraid.”
“Sure.”
Aidan shared a look with Ethan. They both shook their heads at the problem blossoming before them.
Ethan cleared his throat. “Hey, Chloe, why don’t you come with me to the inn and say hello to Ophelia? Owen, I need you back in the stables. Can you clean out the stall for Chloe’s Pride so she can be ridden later?”
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