by J. K Harper
“And?”
“And we agreed to a friends-with-benefits type of arrangement while we’re here.”
“Please tell me you’ve already cashed in on this arrangement,” Duke said.
Brody didn’t normally kiss and tell, but he couldn’t hold back.
“Last night she walked into my room like she owned the place. She tied me up with my own damn belts. Can you believe that? It was wild, man.”
“Holy shit, Brody.” Duke let out a whistle. “Congratulations. But I didn’t think you did one-night stands.”
“I don’t.”
“But you did this time. So why her?” Duke asked.
“Ask my bear,” Brody said. “The beast hasn’t been able to stop harassing me about her since I met her. I thought he was going to claw me from the inside out.”
“So she’s a shifter too?”
“No. That’s the thing. Somehow she found out about this class even though it was only open to shifters,” Brody said.
“Does she know?”
“No. And I don’t think she’d appreciate knowing that a thousand-pound grizzly can come ripping out of me at a moment’s notice,” Brody said.
“That’s crazy. Too bad, because your bear never chases after women like a bitch in heat. It’s pretty surprising that he picked her,” Duke said.
“Oh, hold up right there. He didn’t pick her. He just wants us to sleep with her.”
“No way. Your bear doesn’t do that. He’s not like the rest of us. He doesn’t want to roll around with any willing woman. Your bear is looking for a mate,” Duke said.
“A mate?” He pictured Donna’s perfectly coiffed hair and painted-on face. “I hate to break it to you, but she’s nothing like the kind of woman I want to marry.”
“Why? What’s wrong with her?” Duke asked.
“She’s high-maintenance, self-absorbed. She’s a princess without the crown. Although she does have $100 million, so I guess she’s more like a queen.”
“What?” Duke sounded like he spit his beer out. “Say that again.”
“She’d divorced. Apparently her ex-husband was loaded.”
“Maybe you should get to know her better,” Duke said. “That money would go a hell of a long way toward making sure Lizzie would be taken care of if anything happened to you.”
“You’re supposed to take care of her if anything happens to me,” Brody snapped.
“I know, and I will,” Duke said. “You have my word. But damn, $100 million? And she’s smoking hot too? Have you lost your mind?”
“She doesn’t want a relationship. She’s still getting over her divorce.”
“Well then, you just need to do your best to convince her that she needs a big strong man to carry her off into the sunset,” Duke said. Although he tried to sound serious, Brody could hear the humor in his tone.
“Anyway, how are the horses?” Brody asked, eager to change the subject.
“Stella’s recovering well. I’ve been walking her and making sure she’s eating. Her appetite is still not that great, but she’s doing better. The others are doing great. Packer is as ornery as ever. He even tried to buck me yesterday. Damn horse.” Duke laughed. “But nothing to worry about here. So just keep your eye on the prize over there and keep me posted on your rendezvous with Princess Loaded-Hottie.”
“All right. I’m taking off. I promised my bear we’d go for a run. I think he’ll turn me into ribbons if I don’t get outside right now,” Brody said.
“See ya,” Duke said.
After disconnecting the call, Brody pulled an old pair of sweatpants on. He slipped into a jacket, but didn’t bother putting a shirt on. He’d have to leave his clothes in the woods while he shifted, so there was no point in putting a bunch of them on since he was about to take them off anyway.
“I hope you’re happy, bear,” he muttered as he hurried out into the freezing woods.
He walked well into the tree line. Although he highly doubted she’d be walking around the forest alone, he didn’t want to take any chances. To be on the safe side, he sniffed the air. He detected her scent drifting over from near the lake. Perfect. She was a safe distance away.
As he shifted, fur sprouted from his skin. His bones snapped and twisted, elongating and forming into a long, strong back and huge, furry paws. When the shift completed, he roared. His bear took over, bounding through the woods with excitement.
Before he could register what the beast was up to, he burst through the tree line. He skidded to a stop and sniffed the air. In the distance, Donna stood at the edge of the lake. Fortunately her attention was directed at the water, not at him.
He battled against his bear’s will in an attempt to get him to return to the forest. He only managed to make him lumber into the tree line so she wouldn’t spot him.
After plopping down on his butt, his bear gazed at her with a forlorn expression. Regardless of how he or his bear felt about Donna, he couldn’t tell her that he was a shifter. It was completely against the shifter rules. Aside from that, he couldn’t imagine the look on her face if she ever found out. She’d be horrified and probably disgusted too.
As he turned to walk back into the forest, his bear grumbled.
She’s our mate.
Impossible, he told his bear.
The creature had to be confused. There was no way that she could be their mate. She wasn’t even a shifter. She knew nothing about their kind and she’d be in danger if she ever found out about them. They could never be in a real relationship, so there was no point in thinking about her as anything other than a sexy diversion for the rest of the week.
Chapter 6
After spending the morning walking around the lake, Donna strolled through the B&B’s property. She’d just stepped into the shadow of the big, red barn when she heard a commotion coming from the other side. Curious, she edged her way around the structure. When she reached the other side, her eyes went wide.
Logan Grant, one of the brothers who owned the ranch, was trying to block the broken gate to the horse paddock. Several horses had already escaped, while a few grazing horses remained in the paddock.
Two horses stampeded by. The whites of their eyes showed fear as they raced past her, almost knocking her over. Apparently they weren’t used to freedom. She knew the feeling.
She ran over to help Logan.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
“Just go back to the house. It’s too dangerous out here with those two on the loose,” he said.
“Do you want me to help you catch them?” she asked.
“No,” he said gruffly. “I need you to get out of the way so you don’t get hurt.”
She frowned and turned back toward the B&B. On the other side of the barn, she spotted one of the loose horses. When the chestnut mare whinnied and tossed her head, Donna held her hands up to show the horse that she wasn’t going to harm her.
But the horse wasn’t having any of it. She reared up and snorted as the other horse came tearing around the corner. Logan raced over. He froze as the horse bucked and whinnied.
Move! He mouthed. She shook her head no. She knew she could help. This wasn’t the first time she’d encountered an equestrian escapee. Back on her ranch, they’d had a problem with one of their fences and thirty head of horses took off through the valley.
When the horse stopped to paw at the ground, she made her move. She inched closer, carefully watching the horse’s ears. The moment they flicked forward, she paused. When they relaxed, she took another step closer.
“Nice, horsey,” she whispered. “Are you gonna be a good girl and let me ride you?”
“Donna,” Logan hissed.
As the horse whipped her head around to look at him, she closed the distance and grabbed a thick handful of her mane. The horse almost immediately bolted, but not before Donna had hopped up onto her back.
“Holy shit,” Logan said.
She ignored him and focused all of her attention on the furi
ous horse. The beast galloped across the field, but she held on with every ounce of strength in her arms. And who said yoga didn’t do anything?
As the horse slowed to a trot, she patted the side of the mare’s neck.
“That’s right, girl. Calm down,” she murmured.
Logan carefully advanced with a lasso. He captured the other horse and led him back to the paddock.
She dug her heel into the horse’s flank just enough to get her moving again. She used her mane as reins and steered her back toward the pasture. Logan hurried over to open the gate. After walking past Logan, she dismounted. She brushed the horse’s hair off of the inside of her thighs.
“Well, that was enough excitement for me for one day, how about you?” Logan pulled his Stetson off to wipe his brow.
“Absolutely.” Donna patted the horse’s shoulder before exiting the paddock.
“Thank you for your help. I have to say, I’m really impressed. I never expected you to hop up onto Brownie’s back like that. I thought you’d be too afraid to break a nail.”
“I may look like a delicate butterfly, but underneath all this?” She flexed her biceps. “Pure steel.”
He laughed.
“I’ll give you a holler if these guys bust out again,” he said.
“I’m happy to help.”
She brushed a lock of sweaty hair out of her face. Her jeans were completely covered in dirt, but she didn’t care. This was the most fun she’d had—other than the time she’d spent in Brody’s bed—in a long, long time. She missed her horses. When she got home, she’d be sure to do more riding.
While Logan explained the fine art of fence-mending, she spotted Brody striding toward them. His curious gaze darted back and forth between her and Logan. Although he smiled politely, tension tightened his jaw. Was he jealous?
“Hi Logan,” he said before turning to greet her. “Hey there. Are you getting ready for some riding lessons?”
“Nope,” Logan replied. “She just helped me catch a couple of strays. The horses got loose again. I can’t get this damn gate to hold, so I’m wiring it shut until I can replace it tomorrow. Believe it or not, underneath all that hairspray and makeup, she’s a real cowboy at heart.”
“See?” She grinned at Brody. “I’m not always a high-maintenance princess.”
“I can testify to that firsthand,” Logan said. “She’s one hell of a wrangler. I’ll catch up with you guys later. I’ve got the horses penned in for now, but I need to run up to my place and see what I can come up with for a new fence.”
After they’d said their goodbyes, Brody reached through the fence to pet the horse’s muzzle. He cast her a thoughtful look.
“I didn’t know you had experience with horses,” he said.
“I live on a ranch, so it’s part of the deal. Of course I don’t do all of the day-to-day dirty work, but I do enjoy riding them from time to time. They’re such beautiful creatures,” she said as she smiled at Brownie.
“That they are,” he said. But he wasn’t looking at the horses; he was looking at her.
“I don’t mind getting dirty every now and then, as you already know,” she said in a sexy tone. “But I’m not averse to working. I can only sit around painting my nails for so many hours before I get bored. I’m just blowing your mind here, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, a little bit,” he admitted. “I thought you said you didn’t have to work? I mean with all that money… I don’t see why anyone would.”
“I didn’t have to, but I’m not totally inept. I have a cosmetology license and I sit on the boards of a few charities. They really just want me for the money, but I don’t mind if it’s for a good cause. Lounging around doing nothing all the time doesn’t appeal to me, so I try to give back to the community as much as I can.”
“Really?”
“Don’t sound so surprised,” she said. “I’m not a ditzy socialite who sits up on her high horse while blowing money for the hell of it. I try to find meaningful ways to use my wealth. I can only own so many Prada bags, you know.”
“There are a lot of good, small charities in the area. We’ve got one close to where I live. When my sister was growing up, we used to take her to a ranch not too far from ours that specialized in hippotherapy. Spending time there changed her life.”
“Hippotherapy?”
“It’s a special kind of therapy,” he said. “At the ranch, special needs and physically disabled children work with horses to do all kinds of things to improve their lives. It helped Lizzie build up her muscle tone, improve her flexibility, and it even fixed her posture. For autistic kids, just being able to touch the horses helps them express themselves better.”
“I had no idea that was even a thing. And it really helped your sister out?” she asked.
“Yep. She improved so much after she started going to the ranch. All of her psychological, physical, and physiological challenges improved over time. Before she started therapy, she was very shy. She had trouble with spatial judgment and awareness of her own body. She fell a lot. But after she started the hippotherapy, she blossomed into a happy kid and she’s been amazing ever since. I owe that ranch so much.” His voice hitched and his eyes shimmered with moisture.
“You really love your sister, don’t you?” She grasped his hand and squeezed.
“Yep. That’s why I have to do right by her.”
Brody’s love for his sister tugged at her heart. She loved the way his eyes lit up when he’d explained how hippotherapy worked. If they could do that much good in one child’s life, how much good could they do for others? A sudden desire to see the ranch overcame her.
“Where’s this ranch located?” she asked.
“It’s about halfway between West Yellowstone and Big Sky,” he said. “I volunteer there whenever they have projects that require manual labor. It’s my way of saying thank you for helping Lizzie.”
“I’d really like to go visit,” she said.
“Really?” Brody stopped short. “Well… maybe we could do that sometime in the future.”
“I’d like to go now.”
“Uh, it’s over an hour’s drive from here and we’re supposed to be in the kitchen for the next lesson in an hour,” he said.
“We’ll tell Madison we’ll be back for dinner. And don’t worry about the drive time. I’ll just call my driver.”
“You have a driver?” he asked.
“Better. I have a helicopter.” She winked as she turned and pulled her cell phone from her back pocket.
* * *
From inside the helicopter, Brody scanned the winter wonderland below. As they followed the winding Gallatin River, he glanced at the incredible woman by his side. Just when he thought he’d known who she was, she’d surprised him yet again. He didn’t know what to make of her anymore. But he didn’t have to. She’d made it really clear that she wasn’t interested in anything other than a week of mindless fun. He just couldn’t understand why he spent so much time thinking about her.
After landing, they walked toward the main barn. The Hooves and Hands sign he’d installed last summer hung over the doors. He’d spent hours carefully crafting the wooden sign and he loved seeing it displayed right out front. Pride swelled his chest for a moment before the pitter-patter of claws against his belly soured his stomach. He had no idea how Donna would react to the therapy center. Maybe this was a huge mistake.
Evelyn, the director of the program, pushed open the door. She grinned when she spotted Brady.
“Sugar, what are you doing coming up over here on such short notice? I would have laid out a spread for lunch had I known you were coming,” Evelyn said. She was in her late fifties with short, bob-style brown hair. She sported her signature look, a well-worn pair of jeans and a sky-blue polo shirt. “And who’s this?”
“I’m Donna Bluestone.” She extended her hand, but Evelyn pulled her into a friendly hug.
“Honey, any friend of Brady’s is a friend of mine,” Evelyn said as she turned t
o give Brady a bear hug strong enough to crush his ribs.
“Oh, okay,” Donna said. She flashed a crooked smile at Brady as if unaccustomed to affectionate greetings.
“Welcome to Hooves and Hands Equestrian Therapy. I’d be delighted to show you around,” Evelyn said.
“That sounds fun,” Donna said.
“I like the new ‘do,” Brady said as they walked into the barn. “What made you cut it?”
“I thought it was time for a change.” Evelyn laughed, running her hand over her brown hair. “I’ve had the same ol’ hairstyle for over thirty years. Johnny always tells me I still look like the same young girl he married when we were only twenty-two, but I’m starting to feel the years.”
Evelyn began the tour in the horse-petting area within the stable.
“This is where we introduce the kids to the horses.” She swept her hand toward a small ring. “Some of the kids are paralyzed, so we lift them onto the horses and help stabilize them.”
“I had no idea this type of therapy existed,” Donna said. “What made you interested in it?”
“When I was in grad school for physical therapy, I was looking for a new way to interact with patients. I landed an internship in a hippotherapy treatment center and I absolutely fell in love with it. I met my husband on the ranch and I never looked back.”
Although Brody had heard the story several times before, his heart warmed. Evelyn and Jonny were almost like second parents to him. Their happiness gave him hope that he could find the love of his life one day too.
They moved outside to an area dedicated to outdoor training rings. In the center of one of the rings, a young teenage girl sat in a wheelchair with a scowl on her face. The trainer spoke in a gentle but firm tone.
“Ashley, we’ve been sitting out here for thirty minutes and our time is almost up. I promise you won’t fall. I’ll be with you the whole way.”
“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Evelyn opened the gate to the ring and walked over to Ashley. She bent down to talk to her.
“Honey, it’s okay. Sunshine is a very calm horse. She loves to be ridden and I think she’d love to have you sit on her for a minute. Why don’t we try to lift—”