by Luna Starr
“Man, lucky break there, Posh,” Tom said as he climbed in the truck. “I wasn’t sure Peter would have any of that fancy shit of yours.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Lucky me.” Then I glared at him, irritated that he’d involved himself at all. “Look, I don’t need your help.”
He frowned. “Uh, kind of looked like you did.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and squeezed them tightly. “I was handling it just fine.”
“Hmm, didn’t look like it to me.”
“Well, I was.”
We were quiet for a few seconds before he glanced over at me. “A thank you would have worked fine, Summer.”
I glared at him. “A thank you? For what?”
“Yeah, a thank you for getting involved on your behalf.”
Even though it was my embarrassment that was making me pissed, now that he was acting like he’d done me a favor, I was even madder. “I didn’t ask for you to get involved on my behalf and I didn’t want you to!”
He threw his hands up as he frowned at me. “You’re impossible.”
I shook my head, so furious at how dense he was. I didn’t say anything as he backed up to the dock and we waited for Peter to load the truck. We both sat there in silence and a few minutes later, Tom pulled away.
I stewed silently and didn’t even want to think about what I was going to do when this hay ran out. I was terrified to even introduce Aria to the alfalfa even though it would cut my feed bill completely. Aria just wasn’t used to alfalfa, though, and who knew how she’d respond to it?
Tom drove the two blocks to the highway and then it was just a few more minutes until we were back to the ranch. As soon as he parked, he killed the engine and then glanced over at me.
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
I was surprised to hear him apologizing when it was clearly me who was in the wrong. “You don’t need to apologize,” I said, finding that I couldn’t meet his eyes. “I did need the discount. I just...” I sighed. I hated having to admit that I was wrong almost as much as I hated needing help. “I’m sorry. I’m still trying to figure all of this out.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything. Peter’s kind of a dick—er, jerk—sometimes and I didn’t want him taking advantage of you just because you’re new in town.”
I didn’t really want to get into this because I knew I was wholly in the wrong but there was just something inside of me that didn’t want to admit that to Tom. But I knew I had to so I swallowed the tiny bit of pride I still had left. “Thank you, Tom. I’m sorry I was acting like a spoiled child earlier.”
“It’s okay, sexy butt,” he answered with a smile.
“Sexy butt?” I responded as I faced him quizzically and shook my head as I wondered where he came up with this stuff.
He shrugged. “Hey, if you got it, flaunt it!”
I couldn’t keep the laugh from my lips. There was just something about Tom that threw me off guard, something about him that was so boyish, sweet, and innocent somehow. Yet, he was as far from innocent as it was possible to be.
He held out his hand. “Truce?”
I took his proffered hand and watched as his fingers closed over mine. He held my hand, his warm eyes nearly hidden beneath the brim of his hat. We didn’t shake, he just held my hand in his and stared at me with an intensity that was more than a little unnerving.
“Truce,” I answered as I took my hand back and had to force myself not to act like anything about that was strange. My heart was pounding against my ribs and my pussy was aching, almost like it was totally ready for another fingering session. Something which caused my entire face to flush.
Chapter Twelve
Summer
Life at Springhill Ranch quickly began to take on an easy feel, like slipping on a broken-in pair of boots. Rue was letting me cook breakfast more often and the boys were smart enough not to complain.
One morning, as I was filling the sink with soapy water after breakfast, Tom and Brady stood up from the table and Tom brought a stack of plates over to the sink, giving me a broad smile. I’d made eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy and it hadn’t come out too bad. Well, according to my cooking skills anyway. The eggs had been a bit dry and the sausage was charred on one side but the gravy had been remarkably okay.
“Thanks.” My hands were already covered in suds, so I pointed with my elbow to the counter. “Just set them there.”
“Do you want to come out at lunch and work Jenny with me?” he asked. “I noticed you haven’t had lots of riding time lately.”
“I doubt I’ll have time,” I answered, trying to force myself not to notice his beautiful eyes.
“You will,” Rue said, while bringing over more of the dirty dishes. “Brady and I have to run into town right after lunch, so that will actually work out perfectly. We don’t have a lot left to do for today.”
I glanced over my shoulder as I slipped a pile of dishes beneath the water. “Okay then.”
Tom tipped his hat and disappeared with a smile. Rue didn’t say anything, thank God, but I could feel her curiosity about Tom and me all the same. I’d noticed the way she watched us during meal times and she’d joked with me more than once about how handsome Tom was and, also, how available. Of course, I never went for the bait but I was fairly sure that Rue knew enough to know that I couldn’t get Tom off my mind.
The day seemed to fly by as we were knee-deep in chores and before I knew it, it was lunchtime.
“Why don’t you take something out to Tom?” Rue asked with a knowing smile. “Brady and I will grab a bite in town.”
I shifted uneasily as she handed me a stack of towels and I put them away. Bringing Tom lunch suddenly seemed so intimate, even though I cooked for him all the time now. But I’d never made a meal just for him alone. “What should I take him?”
She shrugged and tucked the laundry basket beneath her arm as we walked back down the hallway to the kitchen. “Make a couple of sandwiches maybe? Or take him that rosemary chicken from last night. It’s his favorite,” she continued. “He must ask me to make it every week.”
“Sounds good,” I answered.
After she left, I grabbed the leftover chicken and mashed potatoes from the night before, and set them in a plastic bag along with a fork, napkin, and a jug of iced tea. Then I headed for the barn. Tom was down by Aria’s stall, and at first, I couldn’t figure out what he was doing, then it hit me as soon as I saw him toss a bright green, compact flake into her feeder.
“What in the hell?” I stomped my foot as I yelled at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Tom turned toward me and smiled. “Hey, Posh. Just feeding your horse. Ready to ride?”
“What? No! You can’t feed her alfalfa! You know that! Why do you think I went to all that trouble to get her hay? I can’t believe you!” I was so mad I could barely spit all the words out and my thoughts were a giant jumble. I couldn’t believe he’d gone behind my back and done this on purpose.
“Why not?” He tossed a flake to Breezy. “This keeps you from having to feed her so much of that expensive stuff. I fed a few of the other horses also.” He shrugged. “No big deal to do it for her too.”
“It’s not good for her and you should have checked with me before you started feeding her… that!” I finished as I looked at the bag in his hands with disgust.
“Who told you it wasn’t good for her?” he demanded, frowning at me.
I jammed my fists into my hips. “This isn’t my first horse, you know? Just because I didn’t grow up on a ranch doesn’t mean I haven’t been around horses my entire life. I know how to take care of Aria. I know what’s best for her.” I poked him in the chest. “Not you.”
“Yeah, well I’ve got news for you, honey, I’ve been feeding her since the day she got here. Maybe next time you could just say thanks.”
He pointed at the bag still dangling from my hand. “Did you bring that for me?”
I glared at him but didn’t answ
er. He strode up to me and raised his brows as if to repeat the question. I just nodded and thrust the bag at him. He took it, shrugged and, with a sigh, walked away.
“You’re impossible to please,” he called over his shoulder.
Tears stung my eyes and I wanted to scream, but then something started to dawn on me. If he’d been feeding Aria alfalfa since we’d arrived, I hadn’t noticed a single change in her behavior. And that had to mean that he was right—there wasn’t anything about it that was bad for her. But, damn it all, I didn’t want him to be right! Not after he’d been so brazen to feed my horse without ever first asking me! Regardless, I was more than sure he hadn’t meant any harm and he probably thought he was doing me a favor. I stood there until my blood pressure mellowed out and then I set off to find him.
I had no idea where he went, so I strolled to the end of the alleyway of the barn and then found him sitting on a hay bale in the corner of the barn, chowing down on the leftovers I’d brought. He didn’t look up as I walked over.
“Are we going to ride, or not?” I demanded, thrusting my hands on my hips.
He snorted and took another bite of chicken, then talked around it. “I don’t know, are we?”
I glared at him as a spike of pain shot down my jaw until I unclenched my teeth.
“You said we were.”
“Guess we are then.” He finished off the chicken and mashed potatoes without another word or glance in my direction. Obviously, he was pissed off. But I’d be damned if I was going to apologize for yelling at him. He was the one who needed to apologize for feeding my horse alfalfa without ever asking me if it was okay.
He stood up and brushed past me. “Jenny is pretty solid. She’s not quite ready to be a guest horse, but she’s a good listener and tough to spook. She’d be good for you to ride if you ever have to come out with us.”
“Why would I need to ride Jenny? I have Aria.”
He laughed but frowned at the same time. “There’s always something happening on the ranch that requires extra hands. And I don’t know Aria’s temperament but I can tell you that our horses are bred to stay level-headed all the time, no matter what comes their way.”
Whatever. I just wanted to get this over with and go stew in private. We could stand here all day and debate whose horse was better suited to their tasks but I had other things I still needed to do.
He pulled Breezy out of the stall and pointed toward Jenny. “Grab her and we’ll figure out which saddle fits you best.”
I did as he told me without comment and quickly brushed Jenny’s coat. She was so short and petite that I was done quickly. He waited for me in the tack room and handed me a simple leather strap with a ring snaffle. I held it up. “That’s it?”
“Figured you’d rather be two-handed.” He grabbed a simple shank snaffle. “Or you can do this one, but you’d have to ride her one-handed so I can train her for guests.”
I took the ring snaffle and hooked it over my shoulder, then scanned the wall full of clunky western saddles. “Which one?”
He leaned over like he was checking out my butt. “You’re what, a fifteen and a half?”
I frowned and crossed my hands over my chest. “Fifteen.”
He pulled one down off the top rack. “Try this one. I think you’ll like it.”
It weighed a thousand pounds but I didn’t complain. Meanwhile, he grabbed a massively thick pad and tossed it on Jenny’s back.
“That’s it? One pad?”
“She’s fine. Put the saddle on.”
I frowned and tried to throw the saddle up and on Jenny but it was seriously a million times heavier than my English saddle. Tom arched a brow at me at the same time that he grabbed the saddle and put it on Jenny like it didn’t weigh a damn thing.
I sighed and shook my head as I watched him get Jenny ready for me. “Now what?” I demanded.
“Get them bridled and climb on!” he said as he did exactly that.
I hesitated. “Right here? You’re getting on right here? Don’t you need to warm them up?” I strapped my helmet on, still frustrated that he wasn’t willing to wear one.
“They’re fine.”
I swallowed, not entirely sure I was ready, but he was turning Breezy and heading out of the alley, not seeming to care if I was behind him or not. I petted Jenny’s neck and talked softly to her. “Please don’t buck me off.”
Her ears flickered back and forth, and I took a deep breath as I swung up into the saddle. It felt so strange, especially when I shoved my boots into the clunky massive stirrups. I eased Jenny forward, delighted at her responsiveness. She jogged out of the barn and we caught up with Tom.
He reached over and stroked Jenny’s forelock. “I want to take you around the property instead of hanging in the arena so you can get a feel for how she works.”
“Fine.” I still wasn’t happy with him, but I didn’t want Jenny picking up on my anger, so I tried to let it go. I reached down and stroked her neck. “She seems nice.”
“She is.” He lifted his arm and pointed past the arena. “Let’s head out that way and we’ll work in the front pasture, ride the fence, check the irrigation ditch and then come back.”
I eased my fingers up on the reins, but he shook his head. “Just contact. I want her to neck rein.”
We rode this way for the next hour, me doing things like I ordinarily would have on Aria and him telling me I was doing it all wrong. It got really old really fast, but I understood that she was a different horse and this was a very different type of riding. So, for now, I was playing the part of the student. Of course, he didn’t have to be such a jerk about it.
Bob bounded along with us but Jenny didn’t seem to mind or care that the dog was weaving around her legs or cutting her off. I could definitely see where that sort of chilled attitude would be important out here. And Aria didn’t have it, that was for sure.
We made a giant looping circle back to the barn and then Tom left me to go work on other things with Breezy while I unsaddled Jenny and then turned to getting dinner started. He never apologized for feeding Aria behind my back, but as I headed back to the house, I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that the alfalfa hadn’t had any sort of effect on her at all. Meanwhile, I was shelling out good money for something that—dare I think it—maybe she didn’t need?
Chapter Thirteen
Tom
I rode away because I couldn’t stand to be around Summer any longer. She drove me up a wall, and made me question myself constantly. She was just so damned set in her ways and more than a little spoiled but, even so, I still couldn’t seem to get her off my mind. And she was a damn good little rider, a total natural.
Regardless, I couldn’t be around her because I was ready to blow a gasket, so I took off before I did something stupid like kiss the spoiled girl right out of her. I had no idea when Brady was coming back or even what he and Rue were doing in town, but I sure hoped they were back before dinner so it wasn’t just Summer and me working our way through another awkward conversation. Of course, I could always rely on Ned and Elliott to break the uncomfortable silence. Or not, considering neither one of them said much.
I kicked Breezy up into a lope and rode out to check the windmill and water trough in the north pasture. I spotted several herds of deer and a fox family, but they did nothing to quiet my mind. At this rate, it was going to be a long summer. No pun intended.
Everything looked fine and appeared to be working at the windmill, so I splashed some cold water on my face and neck and washed off a layer of dirt. Life here before Summer was so uncomplicated, but now she had me curious... beyond curious. There was a fire in me that was burning fast and furiously, wanting to know her secrets, why she was here, what her story was.
I sighed, more than a little troubled that I was so caught up in a woman who was all kinds of wrong for me. An afternoon thunderstorm rolled in while I was out in the pasture and I barely made it to the barn before it turned into a downpour. These springti
me showers came on so damn fast.
“Whew.” I dismounted and slapped Breezy on the neck as soon as we were back at the ranch. She was a good mare and sure made work easier.
I slapped my hat against my thigh, then smashed it down on my head and stomped across to the house. Something smelled good and almost covered up the smell of something else that was burning. Summer wasn’t much of a cook, but her eggs were decent enough this morning so as to be edible and that was my only qualification. I was a simple man.
She looked up as I strolled into the kitchen, smiled, then turned back to the oven.
“Hi.” I headed to the sink and washed my hands, realizing for the first time how tight the space was in here.
“Hey.” She stepped away like she was just becoming aware of it too. Sighing, I decided I didn’t want this awkwardness to exist between us for a second longer. I’d thought we were at least working toward being friends.
“Something smells good.”
She snorted. “I thought Rue was going to be back an hour ago, so I put the chicken in and then accidentally burned it.”
“How bad can it be?” I asked with a shrug.
“Bad,” she answered with a shake of her head. “Like black and charcoaled bad.”
“Okay, so?”
“So, I’m starting over again. I started peeling some potatoes, when Rue called and said they were running way behind.”
I frowned. “That’s weird.”
She looked up, alarmed, a pot holder dangling off one hand. “It is? Should we be worried?”
I hoped not, so I shook my head and tried not to make a big deal of it. “I have no idea what they were doing, but I’m sure it’s fine.” I turned off the faucet and dried my hands on a towel then leaned my hip against the counter.
“Well, I wish I could say the same thing about your dinner.” She blew a puff of air that caught her hair and moved it across her forehead. There was a smudge of butter on her cheek and most of her hair had fallen out of her ponytail.