“I’d like that,” Bridget said warmly. “Now I think we’d better finish off this wine before we get too mushy. Shall we order up some rich, decadent dessert?”
“Yes!” Heather said eagerly. “Mother scowls at me when I do that.”
“No scowling from me, but I might fight you for the last bite,” Bridget laughed.
It was some time later that Heather hugged Bridget goodbye, and made her way slowly to her suite. Bridget watched from her door to make sure she got there safely, then staggering into the bedroom she collapsed on the bed.
What a night. Wow, tomorrow is going to be a helluva day. I hope Caden gets back in time for her lesson. I’m right about that Jeff thing. I can feel it. Man, I’m sooo tired. Goodnight, Caden, goodnight Valentino, good night, mare and foal, good night my new friend, Heather. God bless you all.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
She was standing in a red room. Everything was red. The walls, the bed, the lights. Different shades of red, but red. Staring down at her hands she was wearing red silk handcuffs. Wondering how there could be such a thing, she lifted her eyes, knowing Caden was in front of her and he would know the answer. Smiling down at her, he kissed her softly, touching her breast with a whisper of his finger.
“You’re filled with passion you have yet to understand.”
She was lost in his eyes, captivated by his words, and was about to ask a question when a strange buzzing sound rattled through the room. Frowning, deeply disturbed, she brought her hands to her ears. The handcuffs had disappeared, and suddenly her eyes blinked open. She had been ripped from a deep sleep, but the buzzing was still ringing in her ears, loud and insistent.
What the hell? Oh, my fucking pager.
Cursing herself for not having left it on the nightstand, bleary-eyed she climbed from the bed, and stumbling across the room she picked it up from the desk.
Be here at ten ready to ride. Jane.
“That’s weird,” Bridget muttered. “Makes no sense. Huh. What’s she up to?”
Staring across at the clock she saw it was nine-fifteen, and feeling slightly hung over, she moved into the bathroom to shower, but just as she was about to step under the water the phone rang. Turning off the faucets she raced back into the bedroom and snatched up the receiver.
“Hey, darlin’.”
“I knew it was you. How is everything?”
“Patty was so much better this mornin’, and her baby, what a doll. I can’t wait to introduce you. I want you to help me pick out a name.”
“That would fantastic. I would love that.”
“Did you see Heather last night?”
“Caden, I did, and what a story,” she exclaimed, “but it’s something I have to tell you in person.”
“What about this mornin’? I thought I’d be talkin’ to you at the barn. Aren’t you workin’?”
“That’s another story, but one I’ll tell you now. When Heather’s mother called to arrange a lesson for Heather with me, Jane told her Heather had to be evaluated by her first, so she’s riding with Jane at ten-thirty this morning. I just now got a page that she wants me there at ten, ready to get on.”
“That’s weird.”
“Totally,” Bridget declared. “I wish you were here. I don’t like this. Not a bit.”
“Go with the flow, darlin’. Don’t react and don’t provoke. I’ll be leavin’ here in about an hour.”
“Can’t you come sooner?”
“I’ll try. I’m almost afraid not to. There won’t be anyone there to keep the peace,” he chuckled.
“I had the most wonderful dream about you, but it got interrupted. We where in this amazing red room.”
“Red room?” he repeated.
“Yes, you said something very sexy to me, just not sure what it was now.”
“You think about that dream if she tries to make you crazy.”
“I will. I’d better run. I’ve just got time to get back to my cabin, grab some breakfast and change.”
“See you very soon, darlin’. Be good.”
“I will. Drive carefully.”
Hanging up the phone she hurried back to her shower, and let the water wash away the last of her drowsiness.
I’ll do as Caden said, I’ll go with the flow, stay calm, I won’t react, but I’ll sure as hell keep my wits about me. Something is most definitely wrong with this picture.
Dressing quickly, she trotted down the stairs, dashed through the kitchen and out the back door, but striding down the path to the cabins she slowed her step as she studied the sky. Thick, puffy clouds floated overhead, but in the distance she could see a forbidding dark grey mass.
It could skirt us, or it could pummel us. I wonder if Caden’s ranch is in that direction. God, I hope he’s back soon.
Reaching her cabin she turned on the television, then changed into her favorite riding jeans and boots, and as she poured herself some granola she listened attentively to the morning news waiting for the weather forecast.
“Best get out your raincoats and umbrella’s folks, we have a fast developing storm headed our way.”
Picking up her cereal she carried it into the living room, and stood in front of the television eating as she watched. According to the forecaster the storm would pass directly over them in a couple of hours.
“Just when Caden will be arriving. I wonder if he knows. Shoot, I’m going to call him.”
Reaching Celeste, she was able to get the phone number for his ranch, and to her relief he picked up on the first ring.
“I’m so glad I caught you,” she said urgently. “There’s a big storm, and it’s supposed to be here-“
“Sorry to interrupt, darlin’, but I just heard. I’m not hangin’ around. I’m gonna help the boys bring in some horses, then I’m jumpin’ in my car.”
“Hurry, but still be careful.”
“You bet.”
Reassured, she dropped the bowl in her sink and headed up to the stable. As she walked into the barn aisle she saw Jane and Tim standing by the cross ties with two of the horses she’d been on the day before. They were both tacked up and ready to ride.
“Good morning,” she smiled.
“Hi, Bridget. Tim is going to take you out and show you our most popular trail.”
“Now?” She wants me out of the way while she’s giving Heather a lesson. I don’t like this, not one bit.
“Yes,” Jane said impatiently, “now. There’ll be a storm here in a couple of hours, but you have enough time to do the loop.”
Bridget was about to protest, then remembered Caden’s advice and bit her tongue.
“Okay, great,” she said. “I’d love to go out. Which horse do you want me to ride, or do you care?”
“Why don’t you take Houston,” Tim suggested. “Harley here is kinda my pal.”
“Makes no difference to me,” Bridget said walking past Jane and unhooking Houston from the cross ties. “Come on, fella, let’s go have some fun.”
From the corner of her eye Bridget saw Jane check her watch, but there was still almost twenty-five minutes before Heather was due.
What’s up with that? You want us out of here now, but you have plenty of time before Heather arrives for her lesson. What are you up to, Jane?
Bridget had noticed a mounting block had been placed in the stable yard, presumably for Heather, so leading Houston out with Tim and Harley following, she climbed on board, walked away a few steps, then waited patiently for Tim to mount up.
“You ready?” Tim asked as he landed in his saddle.
“You bet. Where exactly will we be going?”
“We’ll follow the trail to the meadow above the swimming hole, then turn left. It takes us up a small hill that bends around and drops us back on the other side of the barn. It’s about forty-five minutes.”
“Lead the way,” she said eagerly. That means the barn and riding ring will be completely out of sight. Damn, I feel like I should stay here.
Tim started forward,
and try as she might, Bridget couldn’t think of a reason to get off her horse and stall. She started following him along the trail and into the trees, her concern growing. By the time they were approaching the meadow, her worry had turned into an overwhelming need to turn around and go back.
“Tim, hold up a minute.”
“What? Is something wrong?” he asked pulling his horse to a stop.
“I’m going to be straight with you,” she said solemnly.
“Okay, but why do I think I’m not going to like this?”
“It’s painfully obvious that the only reason we’re out here is because Jane wants me away from the barn.”
“Yeah, I figured that when I got the page this mornin’.”
“I’m going back. I’ll cut around the far side of the barn so she won’t see me, but I have to find out what it is she doesn’t want me to know about.”
“You realize you could lose your job, right?”
“I don’t care, I really don’t, besides, with her in charge I’m only going to last five minutes anyway.”
“I think I know what she’s doin’,” Tim said slowly. “I’m kinda surprised you haven’t cottoned-on.”
“What?”
“The only reason I could think of, is that she wants to ride Valentino.”
“Shit. Of course. I’m an idiot. Thanks, Tim. I’m outta here.”
Turning Houston around she broke into a canter, continuing on until she reached the middle of the wooded area, then slowed to a walk. Moving behind the barn she skirted around the long side, and approached the stable yard just in time to see Jane leading Valentino up to the mounting block. Kicking Houston into a fast trot she burst forward, and jumping from the saddle, flipped the reins over the horses head and marched up to her.
“What the hell?” Jane shouted staring at her in shock.
“I could say the same thing to you,” Bridget shouted back. “Caden told you, that horse is not to be ridden by anyone but me.”
“Too bad. The client wants to ride him, and at this ranch we give the client what they want. That means I have to ride him first.”
“The hell you will,” Bridget exclaimed.
The sound of the golf cart caught Bridget’s attention, and turning around she saw Heather and her mother rolling towards them. Her heart sank. Celeste wasn’t with them. Celeste was a smart, reasonable woman, and Bridget was sure she would have read the situation correctly and stepped in. The cart rolled to a stop, and Molly climbed out and marched forward.
“Thank you for arranging this, Jane. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too, Mrs. Chadwick. I think you’ll find Valentino here to be everything I told you, and more.”
“From what I saw from the terrace yesterday, I believe he’ll be just perfect. I’m looking forward to seeing him go with you on board.”
“Uh, what exactly is going on here?” Bridget asked.
“Heather likes this horse,” Molly replied impatiently, “so Jane is going to give us a demonstration, and then give her a lesson on him. What’s it to you?”
“I’m sorry, but this horse is not for a beginner,” Bridget said politely, and why are you being so rude to me?
“My daughter is not a beginner,” Molly snapped, “and Jane is the person in charge here. She’s made it clear you’re just one of the stable hands. You shouldn’t be interfering with matters that don’t concern you.”
“Mother, please. I haven’t ridden in a western saddle,” Heather interjected.
Bridget was about to point out that the horse didn’t belong to the ranch, when a movement caught her eye, and turning around she saw Jane had reached the top step of the mounting block and was about to get on.
“Jane, do not get on that horse!”
“You have zero authority here,” she barked. “What you say is irrelevant.”
Bridget had no thought as she exploded into action. Throwing Houston’s reins at a startled Heather, she lunged forward, shoving Jane off the mounting block sending her tumbling to the ground. Leaping to the top step in a single bound, she climbed quickly into the saddle, and with a cluck and a kick she was cantering across the stable yard.
“My heavens,” Molly exclaimed running across to Jane. “Are you all right?”
“That girl’s insane,” Jane muttered as she got to her feet, “and she’s now unemployed.”
Heather had kept Bridget and Valentino in her sights, and had watched them gallop around the outside of the arena and start up a hill, covering the ground with remarkable speed.
Bridget, I’m so sorry. I wish I’d known you didn’t want anyone else riding him, I would never have even brought up his name. I feel so bad.
“I’m reporting her to Richard Tate,” she heard her mother bark. “I’m going up to the office right now.”
“That’s not necessary,” Jane said quickly. “Please, Mrs. Chadwick, I need to handle this personally. I’ll fetch another horse for Heather to ride.”
Hearing her name, Heather was about to turn around when she saw the big chestnut in the distance disappear over the hill.
“I’ll put her on Lilly,” Jane continued. “She’s a very sweet mare.”
“Uh, no, that’s okay,” Heather said pulling her eyes away and leading Houston forward. “I’m not really in the mood now.” There’s no way I’d take a lesson from you. Obviously Bridget told you no-one else should ride him, but you didn’t give a shit. You’re a fucking cow.
“Now, Heather, let’s not be hasty,” Molly said quickly. “Riding is good for you.”
“No, mother, not today,” Heather replied handing Houston’s reins to Jane. “I’m going back to the house. If you want to stay here, I’ll walk up and leave you the golf cart.”
“No, no, I’m coming. I’m very sorry, Jane. Thank you for all your efforts. I do appreciate them.”
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Chadwick, and don’t worry, I’ll sort this out.”
Already sitting behind the wheel, Heather waited impatiently as Molly climbed in.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you,” Molly muttered as Heather headed up the driveway. “You could have had a lesson on another horse.”
“It wasn’t about the horse, Mother, it was about Jane.”
“It seems to me that other girl, that Bridget, she’s the one with the problem.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I just? I’ve been around-“
“The block more times than you, my girl,” Heather interrupted. “I’ve heard that ten thousand times, and I’m sick of it.”
“Heather. How dare you speak to me like that!”
“I need some peace,” Heather snapped pulling up to the front door. “Please don’t bother me for a while. I’m getting a headache.”
“Do you want some Aleve, or-“
“No, mother, I just want to be left alone,” she said tersely. “I’ll call you later.”
Stepping from the cart Heather hurried inside, ran up the stairs and into her room. Locking the door, she took a deep breath, walked into the bedroom, sat on the bed, and picking the phone she dialed Jeff’s number.
Back at the barn Jane was seriously irritated. She’d virtually sold Valentino to the Chadwick woman over the phone, and for a highly inflated price, a price she was sure Caden would not have been able to turn down.
“Who else can I sell to that stupid woman? Still, it wasn’t a complete loss,” she muttered as she put Houston into a stall. “In fact, I think it’s going to work out very well indeed.”
The sound of a horse in the yard made her pause, and moving quickly down the barn aisle, stepping outside she found Tim climbing off Harley.
“Where the hell have you been, and what made Bridget turn around and come back here?”
“I don’t know, Jane,” he said calmly, leading his horse into the barn.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Jane demanded as she followed him.
“I turned around
and she was gone,” Tim lied. “I rode around for a bit looking for her. I thought maybe she’d fallen off or something, and I’d missed it.”
“Fuck.”
Ignoring her outburst, Tim placed his horse in the cross ties and began unsaddling him, watching Jane from the corner of his eye.
“Don’t you even want to know what happened?” she asked staring at him. “You’re always so, so, so, controlled. So, uninterested, or what, bored?”
“Just don’t wanna poke my nose in, or cause any problems,” he replied, then casually added, “I am curious about one thing though.”
“You are?” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe it.”
“I don’t think you like your job very much, and I-”
“What’s to like?” she snapped interrupting him.
“I’ve often wondered why you stay here?” he continued, his voice even and measured.
“Why do you think? To nail a rich bastard, of course. Where else am I going to meet wealthy men. I almost got one a couple of months ago, but his wife’s radar must have gone off because they left in a big hurry. Sonofabitch didn’t even say goodbye.”
“That explains it then,” Tim said brushing his horse. “Did Bridget go home?”
“She took off on Valentino,” Jane snapped.
“Valentino? I don’t understand.”
“She came back and attacked me. I was showing Valentino to Heather Chadwick and her mother and Bridget went nuts. She pushed me off the mounting block and jumped on.”
“She did? That’s intense,” Tim remarked. Good for you Bridget.
“She went off towards the hills on the other side of the arena.”
“She did? That’s not a great area to be riding alone,” Tim frowned.
“That’s her problem. I don’t give a shit. Hurry up. I’m going to find the grooms and start bringing the horses in for the storm. We’ve got to fill their water buckets and pull their blankets out.”
“Sure. I’ll just pick out Harely’s feet and put him away,” Tim replied, but if Bridget isn’t back soon, I’m gonna go look for her.
A short time later, zipping down the interstate, keeping his eyes peeled for the highway patrol, Caden was nearing the turnoff. His crew didn’t want him driving in the approaching storm, so they’d refused to let him help bring in the horses. Knowing they had plenty of time, and grateful for the opportunity to get away quickly, he’d jumped in his car and sped off.
When a Cowboy Loves a Woman Page 12