River on Fire (River's End #5)

by Leanne Davis

  There was so much going on at the ranch. Some people boarded their horses there; and many were out grazing in the different pastures or paddocks beside the barns. Quite a few of them, she later learned, were there only to be broken and basically trained to take a saddle. Others came for advanced training and dressage. Some were even learning how to do the tricks Jack taught. There were always new foals being born, and prize-winning stallions being bred. The ranch turned out to offer a little of everything, it seemed to Hailey. It was truly a working horse ranch. She was slightly skeptical at first, thinking it was a gimmick, but no, as it proved to be so much more than that. A thriving, busy, productive establishment with many different hands and skilled employees working there, from Jack and Joey to the ranch hands and farm workers who tended to the acres of alfalfa pastures and fruit orchards.

  While watching and listening for the next twenty minutes, she learned a little about Ian and Shane, and their responsibility and interaction with the ranch as the other two Rydell brothers.

  She noticed that all of the horses Jack worked with looked like the same breed. They were slightly smaller, spryer, and something about them seemed similar.

  “What kind of horses are these?” Hailey nodded towards the small mustang that Jack was now riding.

  “They are the only descendants of the last surviving population of wild horses in North Dakota. In the 1980s, the two Kuntz brothers started buying up the remainder of the breed after they were being methodically rounded up by the National Park Service. The intent was to get the wild herds out of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The NPS was routinely selling them off to slaughterhouses when the Kuntz brothers intervened and started to buy as many as they could to protect the last remaining ones from extinction. They even created a registry for them and gave them a name—they called them Nokotas. Only a few private breeders and a handful of owners possess the pure-blooded Nokotas nowadays. They are known for their extreme intelligence, stamina, smaller bone structure, and strong legs and hooves. Jack was instantly intrigued by their history and the scarcity of them. He designated part of the ranch to their continuing welfare and propagation. He registered it as part of The Nokota Horse Conservancy, a collection of concerned citizens who seek to educate, preserve, and promote this small breed.”

  “So these horses are Jack’s passion?”

  “Yes. But since we all ride, we prefer them too.”

  “Fascinating. I never knew… well, anything about horses.”

  Hailey was blown away by the magnitude of the operation Joey described. Not only did they have their personal stable of horses, numbering over two dozen, but also a huge volume of other peoples’ horses, which they trained. The owners included locals from up and down the west coast of Washington, as well as many from up into Canada even. She also learned that there was a long wait list now for their services; even boarding requests had to wait months. They were accountable for a staggering amount of horses, and it was one impressive operation they ran there. Joey stood taller, smiling more as Hailey became visibly wowed by all his information. There was just no way for anyone not to be.

  Eyes on the show, he asked, “What do you do when you’re not here?”

  Hailey smiled, realizing he knew so little of her life, although she had witnessed quite a bit of his. “Nothing like this. I work as the admissions coordinator for a private school. That’s why I can stay here for the entire summer.”

  “I didn’t picture that.”

  “What did you picture?” Tilting her head, her gaze absorbed his.

  “Not sure, actually. Just not that.” He paused, then asked, “How old are you? You seem pretty hung up on age.”

  “Thirty-eight.”

  “Yeah? Jack’s forty-one and Erin’s thirty-two; what’s the big damn deal? Look at them. They aren’t exactly ‘old’ or mismatched, now are they?”

  She glanced at the couple as they moved and seemed to converse their thoughts with only looks and gestures. Speaking very few words, they remained completely in sync. Hailey drew in a deep breath and wondered, Have I and Brent ever been in tune? Like they were? So much so that anyone else could witness it? No. So hell no. And why the comparison to Erin and Jack? Joey didn’t mean it as a question towards her, or did he? Was he suggesting it shouldn’t be a big deal between them? As in, Hailey and Joey? Shuddering, she began to blush so she kept her gaze pinned on the now bowing couple. Holding hands, they leaned over at their waists and graciously bowed in response to the outstanding ovation of the crowd to their show. And it was a show, no matter what she may have expected. There were no fancy neon or strobe lights or loud music or announcements, just the horses and their trainers. Their skills and unique abilities spoke for themselves, and the audience’s response was thunderous. Hailey clapped as hard as she could.

  It temporarily distracted her from the moment when Hailey almost wondered if Joey were making some kind of comparison between the Rydells and them. No. She turned her head to keep her eyes from staring at his. Nonetheless, his very presence was more than enough to make all of her nerve endings tingle with delight. Her stomach was filled with butterflies and her skin felt overly sensitive to him even though he did not touch her.

  Attraction. Hailey was feeling intense, physical attraction to a man, and in a way she had not felt for decades. That was mostly because she was married and stopped looking for passionate love. She wasn’t looking now either; but she could not help being struck by an unusually beautiful, perfectly sculpted man who symbolized the epitome of youth. On top of all that, he was extremely nice. And interesting without being annoying or pedantic. Just so nice.

  She had to admit there was a bit of an attraction. She wasn’t dead, after all, just divorced. It was perfectly harmless for her to look, feel and enjoy that sensation… right?

  “Hey, Mom? Charlie invited us down to their beach; they’re doing a barbecue, can we go?”

  Glancing at her kids, she instantly noticed that even Brianna was now standing near Cami and Charlie. She actually seemed interested in going, which was huge. And she was not hanging on Joey.

  “Uh… is it okay?” Hailey’s eyes looked at Joey.

  He smiled and added, “Of course. We have a private beach that’s away from the resort. It’s downriver. Anyway, yeah, we were going to have a bonfire, roast some hot dogs, nothing very healthy, then play some beach volleyball, swim, and whatever. Of course, your kids are welcome, and Charlie and Cami could use the fun. And you could too. You should come along too.”

  Hailey retorted sharply. “Isn’t it reserved for your family? Not the guests?”

  He laughed and rubbed at his neck. “Hailey, we don’t treat the guests as if they have leprosy. If we like someone or a family, they are not guests, they’re friends. Plus, I invited you, so come.”

  Hailey. Hearing her name from his lips felt like he’d taken a feather and caressed her skin, it was so nerve provoking, and almost sensual. She nearly shook herself back to reality, because it wasn’t really. It was a casual statement and a casual invite.

  But hearing how much her kids wanted to go, and seeing Brianna interested in anything new was bigger than huge. “Sure, we’ll come. And thank you.”

  ****

  Joey sat on the log with his gaze pinned on the thirty-eight-year-old woman. She was laughing, throwing her head back, and flashing her teeth at something her son must have said to amuse her. She leaned closer to him and ruffled his hair as he tried to duck away from her affectionate gesture. Joey felt a tightening in his body parts as he watched Hailey mothering her son. Yet he could not pry his eyes off her. And he was thinking entirely unmotherly thoughts about her.

  There was something that drew him inexplicably to her like a magnet. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It was very real and most intriguing, especially since it had never happened to him before. He’d always had a natural ease with women ever since he was a teenager. He rarely had to work at capturing their hearts or getting his way with them. Yet none o
f them ever particularly sparked his interest for very long.

  Even with Erin all those years ago, it was just something to do. An easy sexual encounter. Sure, he liked to have sex, and did it often with pretty girls. Not rocket science, nor surprising. But during the last year or so, it had become totally pointless to him and beyond boring. There were plenty of daughters and single women at the resort who didn’t hesitate to make their interest in him known. But Joey never dipped into the guest pool. That was just sordid and wrong in a place of work and business. And although he’d taken a few years to mature and develop his work ethic, he didn’t abuse his job. He was left with the women around the area and none of them mattered or interested him. He hadn’t had sex in… well, hell. So long, he wasn’t sure. Months, for sure. A year? Possibly. Crap. Maybe not quite that long. He honestly wasn’t sure, but it had been a damn long time. Finally something was stirring in him now.

  A growing feeling of something more was becoming undeniable. What that was, however, he wasn’t sure about. He definitely loved the control and autonomy of running the resort. He liked the diverse activities and different kinds of people along with any problems that popped up. He also liked learning more about the horses from Jack. It was damn fine to be back in his brother’s good graces for the first time in a decade. Jack was just that good and inspirational and learning what he did was something special that Joey wanted to be part of.

  Still, there was something missing for Joey. A personal life. Not a sex life. Not a dating life. A personal life. He didn’t know what he wanted, but it was not what he currently had or did in the past.

  How ironic that the first woman to spark anything… his attraction, and the desire for conversation, was a guest. She was off limits just for being a guest, not to mention she was older. Not as old as she seemed to believe, but yeah, older. Plus, she had a horny daughter from hell whose sights were still set on him, which she made way too obvious. She “accidentally” rubbed a few too many times against him during the beach volleyball, and pretended to be accident-prone whenever she bumped into him, or fell near him, causing her body parts to rub or touch him. Joey finally put Charlie between them, but she just tried to pretend Charlie wasn’t there. Brianna didn’t do anything special for Joey.

  It was her damn mother.

  He sighed, admitting the attraction, the spark, and the chemistry. She might have felt it. Then again, she might not have. He was so unsure. Maybe that was part of the draw; she didn’t deny her attraction or put up any red flags towards him. There was nothing easy about Hailey though. He wondered what would happen if he even tried to… what? Make a move? Date her? Kiss her? Sleep with her?

  None of that sounded right, yet he wanted to do it all. But a strange, new hollowness filled him when he thought about sleeping with her and having her just leave afterwards, like it didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t just be sex. Her first time since the divorce? He wasn’t sure, but suspected it was, judging by her unease whenever she caught him looking at her. And look at her he did. A lot. But again, he wondered if she comprehended how often he looked at her. There was something about her that never ceased to appeal to him. She was cute as hell, from her straight blond hair swooshing over her shoulders to her obsessively hiding from the sun in a ball cap and sunglasses almost every time he caught a glimpse of her. Her clothes were casual, athletic, and she wore minimal makeup, giving a fresh softness to her look. She didn’t seem to put a lot of thought or time into her outward appearance as far as he’d witnessed, but she always looked nice. She had a glow about her that mesmerized him more than if he were looking blatantly at her other body parts. Joey was fascinated by the whole package of her.

  Joey had never looked at another woman in that way. It was an odd, almost scary sensation to him. He already felt somewhat vested in Hailey, and yet… There wasn’t one single reason for him to be. They shared a mere smattering of conversations and a few hours together and yet, all he wanted was to share more of his time with her.

  The heat of the day extended over the land even after the sun sunk beyond the hill across the river. It left a streaming, vaporous white color to the twilight and a subsequent orange glow lingered over the surface of the water. Its ripples, bumps, and dips eventually turned black against the waning light.

  They played a vigorous game of beach volleyball that included Joey, Jack, Shane, AJ, Ben, Charlie, Jacob, Brianna, Cami, Allison, Marcy, Kate, and Erin. Hailey, however, hung back. Embarrassed for crashing their family night, Joey easily read her hesitancy to even be there. He introduced her to everyone: his brother, Shane, and his wife, Allison, and their daughter Rosie. Rosie toddled around, adored by all from the adults to the kids and Charlie took care of her like she was his little sister.

  AJ was the foreman who had married Jack’s half-sister, Kate, and lived in the house opposite the main gate of the ranch. AJ and Kate created a green oasis from the two previously dusty acres full of sagebrush. The property sat at the base of the mountain that overlooked the ranch. They even planted a circle of birch trees that would someday grow up to be shady umbrellas. They began with a triple-wide, brand new manufactured home that AJ added decks and porches to. Now, in any kind of weather, they could sit out on the covered porch in comfort and gaze over the entire valley, ranch, and resort. Those were just a sliver of their 360-degree view. He also built a barn, and fenced in some land he irrigated to create a pasture. He had two horses of his own now. Cami was nearly a fixture at the ranch, hanging with Charlie almost every single day.

  Everyone there had someone. The men all had girlfriends or wives. The kids were a happy foursome, continuing their adventures from earlier. But Joey was all alone. Even freaking Ben, who was all of twenty-one years, had a wife. Always-there-Joey, the accessory, and tag-along. Usually, he was off messing with the younger kids because… well, why the hell not? He had no one to look after. He enjoyed the young teens and Rosie now too. No adult was interested in Joey as all the women here were with his brothers or nephews. Oh, hell, even the freaking ranch foreman. Nope, there was no one for Joey, and sadder still, he never had a real girlfriend.

  He was beginning to think he wanted that now.

  After the game, the teens all jumped into the water and the yelling-splashing fest started. As it began to increase in vigor, they were utterly soaked and having a water fight. Hailey didn’t have her swimsuit on, so she waded along the edge up to her knees. Her legs had achieved a nice tan in the time she’d been there. Joey watched her move, and while bending over, he saw a few dimples along her upper thighs. All of his subsequent thoughts involved him rubbing his hand right where her shorts rode up. They returned to respectability, however, when she stood up straight again. She wore her hat and glasses so he couldn’t read her facial expression although he dearly wanted to as she watched the frolicking teens.

  He sat on the log, sweaty as hell from the volleyball game. His side won. In the end, it became a blood bath between AJ and him. They sometimes fell into a bit of a competition. It used to be that way between them at all times, but was now only a residual edge from AJ. He did not like how Joey used to treat him. AJ was a beast of a man, strapped in massive muscles, but Joey had the speed, agility, and athletic strategy to match him in most contests. Sometimes, the ball became more like a nuclear missile between the two. Tonight, Joey won. And maybe that was because he may have laid it on a little thick in response to knowing that Hailey’s eyes were fastened on them… him.

  Allison and Shane commandeered a raft and put Rosie between them as they paddled out towards the center of the river. Erin started swimming and Jack followed her out and stood waist deep, hanging near her. AJ and Kate sat talking on a log. Joey sighed and decided to join it all. He was sick and tired of hanging with the goddamned kids. He couldn’t seem to shake the image and belief from everyone that he was one of them. Of course, he wasn’t. Not at all. Not anymore.

  Rising to his feet, wearing only his swim shorts, he quickly and most stealthily launched hims
elf in one fluid moment, landing behind Hailey. In no time at all, he picked her up from behind and carried her out to the deep end of the swim hole before she consciously had a chance to realize what was happening. She went from calmly standing there with her face raised toward the sky and smiling at seeing her kids frolicking, and the next moment, she was suddenly submerged beneath the water. Joey had courteously snatched her hat and glasses off, hastily tossing them onto the beach before he scooped her up in his arms.

  Screaming out in genuine surprise, followed by general dismay, Hailey came up spitting and coughing while treading water. Her blond hair turned a few shades darker and was slicked back, sticking to her scalp. Her tank top, a ribbed light pink, unfortunately turned transparent when wet. Her white bra wasn’t the only thing that showed clearly through as the fabric exposed quite a bit of her chest and midsection. Joey had a maniacal grin when Hailey screeched in outrage after emerging from the depths of the cool, clear water. The teens were all laughing and cat-calling as he passed by them and Hailey glanced up to acknowledge them. She even faked a smile and waved. “Yeah, yeah… he got me. Quit laughing at me, Jacob Starr. Or I will make the rest of your life miserable.”

  Then Hailey turned to Joey and said in an accusatory tone, “Joey Rydell! What the hell?”

  “You looked a bit too hot, Mrs. Starr.” He smiled innocently, even shrugging with an aww, shucks, blameless expression. While addressing her so formally and proper, he could tell she was only pretending that she wanted him to speak to her that way.

  She almost hissed at him for making the innuendo. “Oh, you are so funny.”