The Perfect Man

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “Makes sense. So Rocket Fuel had to stay behind because of me?”

  “Yes, but you can make it up to him with a good grooming session.”

  Right then a horse with a white blaze down its face stuck its head over a stall door and stared at them. Those big brown eyes looked friendly.

  “Is that Rocket Fuel?” Valerie asked. If so, he wasn’t quite so scary.

  “No, that’s Saucy Lady.”

  “Why isn’t she out in the pasture?”

  “She foaled yesterday, so we’re keeping them both close for a while.”

  “A baby horse?” Now, that was more like it. She could deal with a baby any old day. “Could I brush the foal, instead?”

  “Maybe another day you can. Saucy Lady doesn’t know you yet, and she’s protective of her foal. We’ll be better off with Rocket Fuel.”

  “Understood. Do you think she’d let me peek in the stall?”

  “Sure, if I’m there, she should be fine. Hey, Saucy Lady, I have someone here who wants to admire your son. Want to show him off a little?”

  The horse lifted her head and snorted.

  “Is she saying yes or no?”

  “She’s saying maybe, if I happen to have a piece of carrot in my pocket, which fortunately I do.”

  Valerie was fascinated by Adam’s indulgent tone. He might be a billionaire, but this horse was more than a moneymaking animal to him. He obviously loved her.

  She hung back as Adam walked over to Saucy Lady. He murmured softly, saying things Valerie couldn’t hear as he stroked the mare’s nose and scratched behind her ears. Saucy Lady nuzzled him as if returning the affection.

  “Come on over,” he said as he dug in his pocket. “I’ve told her she can trust you. Just stay relaxed and don’t make any abrupt moves.” He fed the horse a chunk of carrot and continued to murmur sweet nothings in her ear.

  Valerie approached slowly. “Have you always loved horses?”

  “As long as I can remember.” He pulled another piece of carrot from his pocket. “Hold out your hand. Keep it flat and let her take it from you.”

  “Will she bite me?”

  “Not on purpose. So keep your hand flat and don’t get your fingers in the way.”

  Valerie would have preferred not to feed the horse, but she was here to conquer her fears, so she accepted the carrot and held it in her palm, fingers as straight and flat as she could manage. Saucy Lady lowered her head and soft lips played over the surface of Valerie’s hand. The sensation gave her goose bumps. Then the carrot disappeared, and the horse chewed, crunching it between her enormous teeth.

  “Perfect.” Adam’s voice was warm, and close. “Now that you’ve made a friend, take a look at her foal.”

  Valerie had been so intent on offering the carrot without getting bit that she’d temporarily forgotten why she was doing it in the first place. Sticking her hands in her pockets in case Saucy Lady mistook a finger for a carrot, she peered over the stall door.

  There, lying curled up in a bed of straw, was a baby horse. He was coal black except for a white blaze like his momma’s. He was so precious that she couldn’t help sighing with pleasure. “Does he have a name yet?”

  “Absolutely. He’s a registered quarter horse. Officially he’s Saucy Lady’s Naughty Boy, but we won’t use the entire handle around the barn. We call him Bubba.”

  “Bubba? He’s too little to be a Bubba.”

  “He’ll grow into it.”

  “Is his daddy black?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Do you own the father, too?”

  “No. Saucy Lady was pregnant when I bought her, which sent the price up considerably. I was more than happy to pay it, though. She’s a proven brood mare. And a sweetheart, besides.”

  Valerie had a million questions, most of them revolving around his decision to chuck his former career and go into the horse-breeding business. But asking those questions would reveal that she’d checked up on him before coming out here, and she wasn’t willing to let him know that.

  Instead she settled on making comments that might encourage him to talk about it. “I can see why raising horses would be appealing. They’re beautiful, and this little guy is adorable.”

  “I can’t even begin to describe how much pleasure I get from owning this ranch and working with quarter horses. It’s satisfying work and I love it.”

  Which seemed to say that he didn’t consider his former job satisfying. She gave him points for figuring that out and doing something about it. Not many men would give up a position as head honcho of a family empire in order to pursue a different dream.

  And he was also donating his time and resources to the rehabilitation cause. “By the way, I think it’s great that you’re donating your time to help Will’s patients.” She’d asked if the ranch visits would cost extra, but apparently Adam wouldn’t take money for any of it.

  “Don’t make me out to be too noble.” Looking uncomfortable for the first time since they’d entered the barn, he stepped away from Saucy Lady’s stall. “I get a tax deduction out of the deal.”

  “For me, too?”

  He smiled. “No, not for you. Just the vets.”

  “So I should be paying you for this if I’m not a deductible expense.”

  “No, you shouldn’t. You’re a special case. I’m the one who pushed you in Will’s direction, and if he thinks hanging out with my horses will help you, I’m happy to see what I can do.”

  The idea of being a special charity case didn’t sit well with her. “I can pay. I’m a lawyer and I make decent money.”

  He nodded as if she’d just confirmed something he’d been puzzling about. “I figured you’d have a job that took brains.”

  “Why did you think so?”

  “The way you spoke to me outside the bar. You had a commanding presence. It makes perfect sense that you’re a lawyer.”

  “You should know. I’m sure you’ve worked with your share.” That comment had slipped out, and she wanted to bite her tongue.

  His silver gaze sharpened. “Been checking up on me, have you?”

  She started to apologize. No, damn it. She had a right to know who she was dealing with. “Yes, I have.”

  He crossed his arms over his impressive chest. “That gives you quite an advantage. I know next to nothing about you. I’m guessing you found a boatload of stuff about me.”

  “Maybe that’s because you’re more interesting than I am.”

  “Not by a long shot. I’m just more visible.”

  “And newsworthy.”

  He stared at the floor for a moment before looking into her eyes. “None of it matters for what you and I need to accomplish.”

  “Not necessarily. I checked you out because I need to know whether I can trust you.”

  He studied her for several long seconds, his expression unreadable. “You can,” he said at last. “I give you my word on that. But I suspect you’re not into trusting guys these days.”

  She thought of Justin, the man she’d dated for a few months and even slept with. When the chips were down, Justin had left her to save his own skin. But was she any better? She’d run out of the bar the other night without considering the welfare of her best friends.

  The threat hadn’t been real, but at the time, she’d thought it was. She needed to forgive Justin, but still, she wished he’d stayed to help protect her. “I have been disappointed,” she said, “but courage is sometimes hard to come by.”

  His voice was gentle. “I know. I’ve had to fight for every ounce of it I have. But for the record, I admire you for coming here when you clearly didn’t want to.”

  “You’re right. I didn’t want to come. But you know what? I’ve fed a carrot to a horse. Now I have a little sliver of courage I didn’t have before. I’m already ahead of the game.”
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br />   He smiled. Even his eyes smiled. “Valerie, I do believe we’re going to get along.”

  She liked that smile. A little tug of awareness caught her off guard, but she quickly suppressed it. She wasn’t in the market. “I’m sure we will.”

  Three

  Adam felt the subtle shift that told him she’d just retreated a little. She was protecting herself, and he understood that completely. He’d learned from Will that people reacted to personal trauma in many different ways.

  Some tried to block the fear through mind-numbing substances. Others used sex for the same purpose. Apparently Valerie’s coping mechanism involved hiding in a carefully constructed shell. They were alike in that.

  And it boded well for her success here at the ranch. Once she conquered her anxiety about horses, she’d love how they calmed her jangled nerves. He certainly did.

  He glanced at her. “Ready to groom Rocket Fuel?”

  “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “Lead on.”

  “He’s down at the far end on the left. You go on ahead. I need to grab the supplies.” He’d sent her by herself on purpose. Rocket Fuel was the friendliest horse in his stable, which was why Adam often used him for the first session. Discovering that the horse wanted to greet her without Adam coaxing him into it should boost her confidence.

  He took his time fetching one of the plastic caddies they used to hold brushes and currycombs. Then he grabbed a lead rope. They’d be doing this outside.

  When he finally made his way to the far end of the barn, the sight of her tentatively stroking the gelding’s nose tugged at his heart. She was talking to him, too, although her words were pitched too low for Adam to hear. But Rocket Fuel’s ears had swiveled forward to catch the sound of her voice.

  That was another thing Adam liked about her. When he’d first laid eyes on her, she’d screeched at him, which hadn’t been pleasant, but her normal voice had rounded, bell-like tones. He enjoyed listening to it.

  She appealed to him more than any woman he’d met since his divorce. Hell, no woman had appealed to him since his divorce. Will had accused him of shutting down his libido, and apparently he had.

  In any case, it was wide-awake now. Valerie made a sweet picture as she got acquainted with Rocket Fuel, but she was also sexy as hell in those tight jeans. Slim as she was, she still had curves that sent a message straight to his groin.

  He stopped staring at her cute little ass and focused on the interchange between her and Rocket Fuel. “Looks like you’ve made a friend.”

  She ran her slender fingers down the chestnut gelding’s nose. “I’ll bet he flirts with all the girls.”

  “He does, but he likes some better than others. He seems quite happy right now.” Adam would be, too, if she stroked him like that. He mentally gave himself a shake, exasperated by his one-track mind. This wouldn’t be an easy situation, not easy at all.

  “His coat already looks shiny.” She moved away from the horse. “Are you sure he needs grooming?”

  “If you were to ask him, he’d tell you he wouldn’t mind being groomed twenty-four-seven. Horses enjoy being touched as much as people do.” But until this very moment, he hadn’t realized how deprived he felt in that regard.

  Like most men, he’d counted on sex to satisfy the need to be touched. Because he wasn’t having sex these days, he’d cut out that opportunity for human contact. He’d put his sensual needs on ice, but apparently they were starting to thaw.

  She glanced at him, apprehension shining in her green eyes. “Will I be grooming him in the stall?”

  “No.” He should have explained that from the get-go, but he’d been distracted, damn it. “I’ll lead him out back and tie him to the hitching post. That gives you more room to maneuver.”

  “Oh. Good.” She still didn’t seem relaxed, but some of the fear had left her eyes.

  “You can carry this.” He handed her the caddy for the grooming tools. “I’ll bring him out for you.” Eventually he’d like to have her feel comfortable going into the stall with the horse, but that would be for another day.

  She backed away as he unlatched the door and walked inside, all the while talking to the gelding. Rocket Fuel was such a great horse, up for anything. Adam had bought him for sentimental reasons because nobody wanted a gelding that couldn’t race anymore. But Rocket Fuel had turned out to be perfect for working with PTSD patients.

  Adam clipped the lead rope to the horse’s halter and led him out of the stall. Valerie stood clear across the aisle. She’d put on her hat and tucked the earpiece of her sunglasses in the neck of her T-shirt. She held the caddy in front of her like a shield. Apparently petting Rocket Fuel when he was safely confined in a stall was a whole other thing from confronting him up close and personal.

  He decided a little coaching might be in order. “I’ll walk on his left and you can walk on his right.”

  “How about I just follow you out?”

  “When working with a horse, it’s best to walk beside them. They can see you then, and they like that better. Horses are prey animals, and we’re predators. They have more reason to fear us than we have to fear them.”

  She nodded, although her expression told him she didn’t really buy that. She followed his suggestion and walked alongside, but she put as much distance between herself and the horse as possible. Rocket Fuel’s hooves clicked rhythmically on the cement floor.

  “Is it true they can smell fear?”

  Poor woman. She was really frightened. He could hardly wait until she realized how gentle this horse was. “I don’t know about that, but I’m sure they pick up on our moods.”

  “Will I make him nervous?”

  “Don’t worry about Rocket Fuel. He’s the steadiest horse on the planet. Believe it or not, he seems to know it’s his job to help people get used to him. You two will be buddies before you know it.”

  “You think?”

  “I know. I’ve seen it happen.” He led the gelding into the sunshine and over to the hitching post.

  Valerie followed, but maintained her distance.

  “I suggest starting with the brush.” Adam kept his voice nonchalant. “I like to go front to back, neck to tail, kind of like washing a car. Then you can come around and repeat the process on the other side.” He tied the lead rope to the cross rail of the hitching post.

  “Have you ever washed a car?”

  It was a fair question. Guys like him usually didn’t wash cars. She was a smart cookie who knew that. “Matter of fact, I have washed a car. Will’s, not mine. We used to hang out at his house because . . . I guess because we could do things like wash his car in the driveway. It was a novelty for me.” He rested his hands on Rocket Fuel’s back and gazed at her. “Ready to get started?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.” She set down the caddy and pulled out a brush before slowly approaching the horse. “Would you mind staying right there for a little while? Just until I get the hang of it?”

  “Be glad to.”

  With the brush in her left hand, she stroked Rocket Fuel’s neck so lightly that it probably tickled him. He snorted, and she drew back. “I’m doing it wrong.”

  “Use a little more pressure. He’s a big guy. He can take it.”

  “Okay.” She stepped closer and put some muscle into it. She had a cute habit of poking her tongue into her cheek while she concentrated on her work.

  “That’s great. Perfect. So you’re left-handed?”

  “No. This is the arm that was broken, and my physical therapist told me to use it whenever I could, since my natural tendency is to use my right.”

  “Broken?”

  She hesitated. “Maybe I should tell you what happened. It’s not a big secret or anything.”

  “You’re not required to.” Although he did want to know. Some of the soldiers didn’t want to talk, which he understood, but kno
wing the nature of the trauma helped him work with them. The horses, instinctive creatures that they were, didn’t need to know a damned thing, but Adam was only human.

  “It might help if you know where I’m coming from.”

  Will had cautioned him not to counsel without a license, and to be up front about that with the people who came to his ranch, so he delivered the usual disclaimer. “Just remember I’m no therapist, just a guy with a ranch and some horses.”

  She glanced up at him, a gleam of humor in her eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She returned her attention to the horse. “Should I do his legs?”

  “Sure. Brush everything except his privates.”

  A quick smile put a dimple in her cheek.

  She was a beautiful woman, and a plucky one, too. She crouched down to brush Rocket Fuel’s fetlocks, putting herself close to his hooves. Maybe she was beginning to believe this horse wasn’t out to hurt her.

  When she didn’t continue with her story, he thought maybe she’d decided against telling it, after all.

  But then she spoke. “Remember the fire that broke out during a concert a few months ago?”

  His heart stalled. “You were there?”

  “Yes. I got caught in the crush and knocked down. I was lucky that I only ended up with a couple of broken ribs and a broken arm. But it scared the bejeezus out of me. People were . . .” She swallowed. “Crazy.”

  He had the impulse to walk around the horse and hold her, but he didn’t think that would be a wise move. “I guess you must have gone alone.” He’d met her two friends, and they would have fought that crowd tooth and nail to make sure they all got out unscathed.

  “I went with a guy.”

  Adam sucked in a breath. He tried to remember if anyone had died in that mob scene. He wasn’t sure. “Did he . . . was he . . .”

  “Oh, he’s fine.” She brushed Rocket Fuel’s foreleg again and again. “He used to run track, so he vaulted over people on his way to the exit. I tried to follow him, but that didn’t work out.”

  “He left you?” Adam’s muscles bunched in an instinctive response to that horrific news. Good thing Mr. Track Star wasn’t standing here, or he would no longer be fine.