Nina shook off the jealous thoughts and searched for something to say. “This camp you and your fiancé have started is simply amazing.”
Johanna’s smile beamed. “We both consider ourselves lucky to have the means and opportunity to make a difference for children.”
“Well, you certainly have made a difference for Cody. I’m grateful your staff was able to fit us in at the last minute when I called on Wednesday.”
Johanna’s forehead creased for a moment before she smiled again, stepping back. “Well, I should get to work. Amie, we can talk about the extra guests later.” She waved quickly. “Nice to meet you, Nina.”
Nina waited until the vet tech was out of sight before turning to Amie. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Not at all. I think she was just confused over how you got into the camp last week. There’s usually a long waiting list.”
“Oh, good, I was afraid I’d made things awkward, since she dated Alex.”
Amie arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “You know about that? Not many do.”
“He mentioned it to me.”
“How interesting that he told you.” Amie leaned back against the rail, her turquoise and pewter necklace glinting in the afternoon sun. “She and Alex went out once, purely platonic, though, because she was still on the rebound from a breakup with Stone. She also didn’t want to cause trouble between the cousins. And truth be told, she never really got over the crush she had on Stone. Clearly.”
“Crush?”
“She practically grew up here. Her father was the stable vet tech before her. Johanna has loved Stone for as long as I can remember. Sometimes romance happens slowly over years.” Amie toyed with her turquoise necklace, her eyes pensive. “And sometimes that connection happens in an instant.”
“My parents were the love-since-childhood sort.” She remembered her plan to find out more about Alex and asked, “What about yours?”
Amie’s smile went tight. “They met in college. My mother always said the second she met him, she knew he would be hers. My father was considered a catch and my mom is quite competitive.”
How did a person respond diplomatically to that? “From the tone of your voice, I take it to mean competitive isn’t a good thing.”
“Not in her case.” She snorted inelegantly. “She may truly love Dad, but she sure loves his money. It’s weird to think how she likes the wealth but carries this huge chip on her shoulder, insecure from feeling that she never accomplished anything on her own. So she pushed us to find the success she felt she’d been cheated out of by living the life as a cossetted queen with a sugar daddy.”
Whoa. Nina rocked back on her boot heels. “That’s...unfortunate.”
“Don’t feel sorry for her. You haven’t met my mom.” Amie crossed her feet at the ankles, her brown riding boots immaculate. “Have you ever watched that reality show series about babies in beauty pageants? That was my life. From the beaded gowns to the questionably adult dance routines to pixie stix poured into cola to keep me awake at nap time.”
“For real?”
“I have shelves of tiaras and trophies to prove it.” She straightened and struck a quick beauty queen pose. “I even have a special row for my fake teeth she had made when my baby teeth fell out.”
There was something sad about not enjoying the precious gap-toothed smile of an innocent child. “It doesn’t sound like you were on board with those plans.”
“I’m only marginally messed up by her stage mom ways.” Amie waved aside Nina’s concern. “I went to college and double-majored in art and business. I wasn’t summa cum laude, but I finished on time. I have a job. Alex is the one who had it far tougher than I did.”
Nina’s stomach clenched. “What do you mean?”
Amie glanced into the corral where children were being lifted onto placid mares and ponies. “Have you ever watched the rodeo circuit? It was sure nothing like that. Before the age of eighteen, my brother had broken more bones than an adult football player. Or at least it seemed that way. And to keep our parents happy, he kept climbing right back on again.”
Nina pressed a hand to her tight throat, thinking about her son’s joy today and envisioning Alex as a child being pushed by adults. “I’m so sorry. For both of you.”
“Don’t be.” Amie shrugged an elegant shoulder dismissively. “We didn’t starve. We weren’t abused. We lived a life of privilege and accolades. I just wanted you to understand why sometimes we’re a little bit off when it comes to relationships and expressing our feelings.”
Nina wasn’t sure what to say in response, looking around nervously, seeing a pigtailed girl with muscular dystrophy benefitting from the rhythm of the dun-colored pony she rode. The girl smiled from the saddle, her eyes dancing with each step of the pudgy pony. An older boy missing an arm worked on his balance riding a surefooted mare. Kicking up a steady stream of clay, the blue roan mare walked around the pen, seemingly sensitive to the needs of the boy.
Alex and his sister downplayed themselves and their lives, but this family clearly worked to use their money and power for good. And this clearly good woman was sharing so much about herself and their family. Nina felt like a fraud.
“Alex and I have only known each other for a few days,” Nina blurted out.
“Right.” Amie picked up her sketch pad off the rail and backed away one poised step at a time. “Like I said, some fall faster than others.” With a wave, she spun away, sketch pad under her arm.
Nerves clustered in Nina’s stomach over the mention of relationships and commitments. No surprise, since her ex had trounced her ability to trust. This was supposed to be a fling.
And yet she couldn’t help searching the grounds for a glimpse of him.
A rush of warm air over her neck gave her only an instant’s warning before...
“Good afternoon, beautiful.”
* * *
Alex braced his hands on Nina’s waist as she turned fast to face him. Waiting to touch her again had made for a torturous twelve hours. He’d always considered himself a methodical man, but in a few short days this woman had flipped his world upside down.
His late-night ride hadn’t helped him find any answers for balancing his grandmother’s request and his driving desire to pursue Nina for more than just one night. Until he came up with the right approach for addressing the stock purchase, he wanted to do everything in his power to win her over, not just physically.
Her eyes were wary as she met his. “Thank you. I wondered where you were this morning.”
“Taking care of business for the wedding.” He stroked her waist lightly. “Now I have a couple of hours this afternoon free to spend with you.”
Her chin went up. “If you think we’re just going to pick up where we left off after you walked out without—”
He tapped her lips. “I have other plans for the day and hope you’re amenable.”
“To what?” she asked warily.
“A tour of the McNair property while your son’s busy with his lessons.” Maybe then she would understand how important the ranch was to him, and then she would understand how this legacy compelled him. “Amie is staying nearby in case Cody needs anything. She said it’s the perfect opportunity to sketch him.”
“You’ve thought of everything.” She looked around. “Are we going on a drive?”
He shook his head slowly. “Your son is riding today. I think he would be proud to see his mom give it a go, as well.”
Her nose crinkled. “You’re playing dirty pool, using guilt on me.
“Is it working? Because your chariot awaits, beautiful lady.” He stepped aside, gesturing behind him.
Her eyes went to the large bay-and-white horse behind him. The gelding was tied to a rail post swishing his tail from side to side. Nina studied the horse incred
ulously.
“Do you actually expect me to ride him?” Her voice squeaked, her wide eyes still fixed on the bay. Not surprisingly, the gelding’s tack was gorgeous. The light tan saddle contained an elegant inlaid depiction of a horse herd at a full-out gallop. The cantle, skirt and fender were plated with etched silver, complementing the plates of silver ornamentation on the bridle. Alex and the bay looked like a scene from an old Western movie. Yippee-ki-yay indeed.
“I thought we could both ride together and that would make you feel more secure in the saddle.” Had he pushed too hard? It had seemed like a good idea this morning.
She glanced over at her son, then back at the horse. The gelding was calm enough that Nina didn’t run screaming in the other direction.
Chewing her lip, she nodded tightly. “Okay, sure. If Cody can conquer his fears to step out in public, I can do this.”
Alex slid his hand behind her neck. “Nina, you are so damn incredible.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She grabbed his arms and tugged him toward the horse. “Now hurry up before I change my mind.”
With a cowboy whoop, he grasped her waist and lifted her over the split-rail fence. He took his time setting her on her feet again, letting her slide down the length of his body. The press of her soft curves and the swing of her red wavy curls had his body on fire in an instant. He didn’t regret walking away last night, but he sure as hell looked forward to the day he wouldn’t have to.
“Nina, this is Zircon. He’s an American paint.” He stroked the white horse with brown markings. Zircon’s nearly solid brown face was interrupted by a long crescent stripe below his right eye. Zircon shook his head, a rumble that radiated all the way to his tail. He looked lazily at Alex, tongue hanging out of the right side of his mouth. “He’s solid and sweet as you can tell. I trust him with a second rider, but we’ll keep it short for him and for you. Are you ready?” Alex touched Zircon’s tongue and the horse came to full attention, tongue back in the cheek.
Alex waited for her verdict. She glanced at her son, clearly in his element, atop a horse. And sure enough, Amie sat with her back against a tree, sketch pad in hand.
Alex gripped Nina’s elbow. “He’s fine. Happy. He’ll be busy for the next hour on a scripted walk to the creek and back. What about you?”
“Yes, let’s do this before I lose my nerve.” She pressed her hand to the horse’s body and slid her foot into Alex’s linked fingers.
She was tense and not particularly pliable, but he’d helped worse. He hefted her up and secured her, quickly mounting up behind her.
Zircon stood steady. Not a move. “Good boy,” he praised softly before sliding his arms around Nina, his cheek against her hair. “How are you doing?”
“You have experience if this horse freaks out. Right?”
“Of course.” He breathed in the berry smell of her shampoo as he clicked for the horse to start forward.
“Okay, good.” She grabbed the pommel and horn fast. “You know there are a half dozen women around here who are green with envy—and not afraid of horses.”
“Where? I don’t see anyone but you.” He slid a palm to her stomach and urged her to lean into the circle of his arms. “You still aren’t relaxing. Why don’t you grab a chunk of mane with one of your hands? It’ll help you connect to Zircon and you’ll gain some more balance.”
“Truthfully?” she said through her teeth. “I’m trying to figure out why you’re doing this, since you left last night when I made it clear you could stay.”
Her right hand moved toward Zircon’s mane. She twined her fingers around the locks of bay-and-white mane, her breathing easing ever so slightly.
“You did.” He rested his chin on her head, looking out at the grassy stretch of earth, the creek, the trees that had lived here longer than he had. Zircon walked on calmly, responding to the slight pressure in Alex’s legs. He started to angle the horse toward the open field. Toward where he and Nina could talk. He was torn between this woman and his obligation to this land. “And there will come a day when I take you up on that.”
“But not last night.” Her back went starchy stiff against his chest.
“There’s a difference between thinking you’re ready to take a step and actually being ready.” Arm wrapped around her, he urged her closer.
The press of her bottom against him was sweet torture. The roll of the horse’s steps moved Nina’s body against him until he throbbed with arousal. A low growl slipped between his clenched teeth.
She laughed softly. “Serves you right.”
“Well, damn. I think I irked your feelings. Sorry about that.” He chuckled softly. His arm slid up just under her breasts. “I guess we’ll have to...talk and get to know each other better.”
She tipped her head, her expression quizzical. “Talking would be good. Tell me more about what it was like growing up here.”
“Well, my grandmother believed we needed to learn every inch of the farm firsthand.” He guided the horse around a fallen tree and into an open field of bluebonnets. Zircon’s ears flicked back and forth. “We shadowed the staff. Sometimes it was fun, sometimes not so much. She said she didn’t want any spoiled trust fund babies taking over the family business.”
“Good for her.”
He nudged Zircon to the left past a fat oak, birds flapping from the trees up into the clear Texas sky. “One summer she got us all chickens and we learned to start a chicken coop.”
“Seriously?” She relaxed against him, laughing.
“To this day we call that ‘the Summer of Eggs.’ We had to collect them and learned how to cook the eggs as well—scrambled, fried, then graduating to omelets and quiche.”
“I like that your grandmother had you boys learn, as well.”
Did she know that she’d loosened her grip on the horn, and one hand had slid to rest on her thigh? He didn’t intend to point that out. Her shoulders and body started to move with Zircon’s gait and not against it. Nina was a natural when fear wasn’t her main focus.
“She and my grandfather built this business from the ground up.” As the words rolled from his tongue, he realized his reason for bringing her here. It wasn’t about riding a horse. It was about hoping she would understand his motives. Hoping that she would be able to forgive him for holding back part of his reason for seeking her out. “The ranch is actually Gran’s. My grandfather was the jeweler/craftsman. Together they blended that dream into an empire.” Alex’s neck kinked with nerves as he considered how far to take this conversation.
“That’s lovely, seeing their differences as strengths to be blended.”
“You said your husband grew up pampered.”
“Did I?”
“I believe so. You mentioned his wealthy parents and their need to control.” He swallowed hard before venturing into that damn dangerous territory. “Would that be the Lowerys of Lowery Resorts?”
She glanced back in surprise. “Yes, actually they are. Cody too, since he inherited his father’s portion of the holdings.”
Alex forced his hands to stay loose on the reins. “And you’re the executor or are his grandparents?”
“I am, and God,” she sighed, sagging back into a slump, “the weight of that worries on me. The doctors still don’t know exactly what the autism means for his future. Will he be able to support himself? Live on his own? I don’t know the answers, so I have to be very careful with that money. He could have to live off the investments for the rest of his life.”
Her words hammered at Alex with a reality he hadn’t considered until now. He’d been so busy thinking about what was best for his grandmother and the ranch, he hadn’t given a thought to worrying about that four-year-old boy. This wasn’t about the McNairs versus the Lowerys. This involved a sick old woman and a special-needs child who might never be able to support himself.
That truth sliced clean through him.
They were well beyond the bluebonnet field and walking through a rocky, unstable area. Zircon’s ears were pinned back. Guilt weighted Alex’s shoulders down and dimmed the beauty of the day. So much so that he lost track of the path in the land he knew as well as his own hand.
So much so that he didn’t see the arc of the rattlesnake between the horse’s hooves until it was too late.
Seven
Nina’s heart leaped to her throat.
She felt the horse coil beneath her, almost mimicking the motion of the rattlesnake. Zircon’s muscles exploded forward and he reared back. Ears pinned flat against his head, the paint pawed the air. Alex banded one arm around her to hold her secure and the other held the reins. He said something, some kind of command to Zircon, but she could only hear the roaring in her ears and the hammering of her heart as the world tilted backward.
She was going to die. Fall off the horse. Break her neck. Make her son an orphan. She’d stepped outside her comfort zone and would pay the price. A scream welled in her throat. She squeezed her eyes closed to fight vertigo, every muscle in her body tensing. She grabbed a fistful of mane, holding so tightly that her knuckles were bone white.
Zircon’s hooves slammed down again, jarring her teeth, pushing her forward and off balance. She tried to stabilize her body weight on Zircon’s neck but barely caught her breath before the horse bolted forward. She slammed back against the hard wall of Alex’s chest, knocking the air from her lungs.
“Alex!” she choked out.
“Stay calm,” his voice rumbled against her ear. “Hold tight and remember to breathe.”
Faster and faster, the horse galloped along the path, then off. Zircon’s gait was hurried, erratic. The horse was hardly running in a straight line and his ears were still pinned in fright. Earth and dirt flew past her vision. They raced through an open field, toward a creek. The wind whipped through her hair, but she hadn’t been tossed off. She wasn’t dead from a broken neck.
Yet.
Pursued by the Rich Rancher Page 9