by Ward, Alice
“My message was from Lucas,” he told her. “There’s a rodeo in New Mexico next week and he wants me to ride with him. I’ll message him later and tell him I’m too busy.”
Renee and Daddy easily accepted that our simultaneous messages were unrelated, and we walked the rest of the way to the barn in silence.
***
We spent the next three hours hauling David and Steve, the men from the security company, around the ranch on the ATVs. Daddy and Renee took David on one ATV, leaving me, James, and Steve on the other. James and I did our best to keep up the appearance that we were a happy blended family. But inside, I was a nervous wreck. I couldn’t imagine that James felt any better.
“Well, you have a beautiful place here,” Steve said as James slowed the ATV to a stop in front of the house. “But it’s a daunting bit of ground to cover, security wise.”
Daddy pulled his ATV up next to ours and Renee called out a game plan. “Why don’t we all go inside and talk about our options over lunch?”
David and Steve were both overweight and drenched with sweat. It was obvious that they weren’t used to being outside for extended periods of time and they looked relieved that it was time to retreat to the air conditioning. I’d have gladly stayed out in the hot sun if it meant having a few minutes to myself, but I knew Daddy expected me to sit in on the rest of the meeting. We piled out of the ATVs and walked into the house. As much as I wanted to be anywhere else, I had to admit that the cool air felt good against my wet, hot skin.
“The wash room is just down the hall, if you’d like to mop up a bit,” Renee told the salesmen.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Steve replied. He stepped into the room and closed the door while David waited in the hall for his turn.
I walked into the kitchen, poured myself a giant glass of iced tea, and sank down into a chair. James grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and sat down next to me. Daddy took his usual seat at the head of the table while Renee put together a platter of sandwiches.
“I love your home, Mr. Rogers,” Steve said as he walked into the room. “I assume we’ll be installing camera’s here as well?” He pulled out a chair and sat down across from me.
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Daddy confessed. “I’m more concerned about the livestock, Willow’s horses, specifically.”
Steve nodded and pulled a yellow legal pad and an ink pin from his well-worn briefcase. “That’s understandable. From what I hear, the value of your animals is increasing every day. What do you think Mondo’s chances are at Preakness?”
I cleared my throat. “I feel pretty confident that he’ll win. Denver’s Pride and Jupiter’s Starlight are both sitting the race out. Their owners decided to rest them for Belmont since they’ve already lost their chance for the Triple Crown.”
Steve shook his head. “I hate when they do that. In a way, it seems like cheating.”
“I know,” I agreed. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. And I think Mondo’s chances will still be pretty good at Belmont, even though it’s the longest race and he’ll be up against rested horses. He has more endurance than any other horse I’ve worked with.”
Steve raised an eyebrow. “So you think he’s got a shot at the Crown? I read a pretty in depth article that claims that’s now an impossible feat. The last time a horse won all three races was 1977, wasn’t it?”
“1978,” I corrected him. “And people have always insisted that the Crown is an impossible feat. But every now and then, the perfect trainer, the perfect jockey, and the perfect horse meet, and the impossible happens.”
“Are you talking about racing?” David asked. He walked into the room and sat down next to Steve.
“Yeah, Ms. Rogers says this Mondo is really something special,” Steve answered. “We may have to place a few bets this weekend.”
“We may indeed,” David agreed. “In the meantime, let’s figure out the best way to keep those champion horses and the rest of the livestock safe.”
David pulled a stack of glossy papers from his briefcase, and we spent the next two hours going over the pros and cons of various security equipment. Fortunately, my horses were the easiest to protect since their barn led directly into their pasture. Protecting the rest of the livestock would be much more difficult. Three thousand acres was a lot of ground to cover, and the security cameras weren’t cheap. To make matters more difficult, most of the pasture land didn’t have access to electricity. We finally agreed to put cameras on the houses, barns, and different access points around the perimeter of the ranch. Monitors would be installed in my barn and the main house.
“We’ll have the installation team out tomorrow,” Steve said as he and David packed their briefcases. “They’ll have everything up and running by Wednesday.”
We all rose to our feet and exchanged handshakes.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Daddy told the salesmen.
“Let me,” I insisted. “I’m heading to the stables anyway. I’m going to ride up to Eagle Point and make sure the plants are all still alive.”
“I’ll join you,” James offered quickly. “Seven could use some exercise.”
“Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Parker, the two of you must be doing something right,” Steve said with a smile. “I wish my son and my wife’s daughter got along half as well as your kids.”
I blushed and looked down to the floor. I’m sure everyone else thought I was being modest about the compliment, but all I felt was embarrassment.
If you only knew…
Daddy and Renee beamed back at him, their faces full of pride. “Thank you,” Daddy said. “We’ve had a few bumps in the road, but I think we’re all starting to feel like family.”
James shifted his weight and gave me an impatient look. I knew he was as anxious to leave as I was, so I started walking towards the front door. Steve and David took the hint and followed me, with James bringing up the rear. We walked the men to their company truck, exchanged goodbyes, and then continued on to the barn in a tense silence.
***
“Willow, you’re going to have to talk to me eventually,” James insisted. He stood in front of the stall and watched as I strapped Mayhem into his headstall and slid the bit into his mouth.
“Please, James, I can’t do this right now,” I told him, feeling my face grow warm with the effort not to cry. “I just need a few hours to myself. Is that too much to ask?”
“Lucas didn’t text me this morning,” he continued, completely unfazed by my pleas. “And I don’t believe for one second that your message was from an old college friend. We have to talk about how we’re going to deal with Bradley.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, because there’s nothing we can do,” I argued. “We’ll meet him tomorrow and find out what he wants. We can’t make any plans until we know what we’re up against. And who knows? Maybe he won’t ask for anything too terrible. Maybe it will be easiest to just give him what he wants.”
James narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice, gritting out, “Willow, the best defense is a good offence.”
“Don’t quote sports clichés to me,” I hissed as I pushed open the stall door and moved past him. I walked to the opposite wall and heaved my saddle over one shoulder.
“Let me do that,” James insisted. He grabbed the saddle by its horn and lifted it with one hand. He carried it into Mayhem’s stall, placed it gently on his back, and knelt down to fasten his girth strap.
“Don’t clench it just yet. He holds his breath,” I warned.
James looked up at me, his eyes still angry slits. “I know how to saddle a horse, Willow.”
Mayhem finally exhaled and James tightened the strap. “I saddled Seven this morning, so don’t think you’re getting out of here without me. There’s got to be a way to get out from under Bradley’s thumb. I’ve been thinking about it and the most obvious way is to just tell the truth ourselves.”
I was horrified by the suggestion. “You know we can’t do that,
” I gasped and then took a deep breath. “It could completely ruin my reputation.”
James led Mayhem out of the stall and handed me his reins. I put my left foot in the stirrup, but James put a hand on my shoulder and anchored me to the ground.
“Willow, there’s no guarantee Bradley won’t share those pictures, even if we do go along with his little game. The truth won’t be nearly as shocking or scandalous if we tell it ourselves. If we get ahead of the story, we’ll be sympathetic. If we let Bradley tell it, we’ll be sexual deviants.”
He doesn’t care about getting ahead of the story. Regardless of who tells it, the result will be the same. I’ll be the laughingstock of the racing industry and everything I’ve worked so hard for will be destroyed.
I was insulted that James thought I wouldn’t see through his plan. “You don’t care about my reputation at all,” I hissed. “You just want to tell everyone and get it over with so we can be together. You don’t care what it costs me.” I pushed his hand off of my shoulder and stood up in the stirrup.
Before I could swing my right leg over Mayhem, James wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me backward.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I asked. I tried to wiggle free from his grip, but I quickly discovered that my efforts were futile. I shook my foot loose from the stirrup and fell into his arms. James spun around, set me on my feet, and pinned me against the wall. He held my hands against my sides and covered my mouth with his.
I tried to fight him and kept my lips sealed tight against his probing tongue. But it felt so good to have his body against mine again, to breathe in the air he exhaled. His intoxicating scent blended with the sweet aroma of the horse’s hay, and I melted. Thoughts of my reputation and Bradley’s threats left my mind and I let my mouth fall open.
James let go of my hands and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Kissing James felt like coming home and I never wanted the feeling to end. He moved his mouth to my earlobe and whispered, “This is all I’ve been able to think about for days.”
As James’s lips explored my neck, I grabbed a handful of his hair and wrapped one leg around his waist. He leaned into me, pressing his stiff, denim covered cock against my thigh.
Mayhem let out a loud whinny, snapping me back to reality. I was suddenly very aware of our surroundings and the probability of a ranch hand or, God forbid, Daddy and Renee walking in on us. I put my foot back on the ground and pushed James away.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I screamed at him. I rushed back to Mayhem and jumped into the saddle before James had a chance to grab me again. “Anyone could have walked in and saw that.” James held Mayhem by the headstall and looked up at me. I was irritated that he wouldn’t let me leave, but relieved that he hadn’t climbed on Seven to join me.
“Would that really have been so bad?” he asked softly. “You still want me. That kiss proved it. Don’t let Bradley turn this into something shameful. Let’s tell the truth and take the wind out of his sail.”
I pulled gently on the reins and Mayhem took a few steps back. James let go of him and reluctantly backed up against the wall. “I can’t live like this, Willow. Wanting you and not being able to have you will drive me crazy. I’ll end up doing something stupid… or someone stupid.”
He knew just what buttons to push to hurt me the most. I looked down at him, willing myself to keep it together until I was out of the barn.
“Is that some sort of ultimatum?” I asked. “Either I risk everything for you, or you’ll go back to screwing the buckle bunny of the week?”
He stared back at me, his eyes cold and emotionless. “It’s not an ultimatum… more of a prediction of the future if we do this your way.”
I knew I had no claim on James. I’d ended things between us, leaving him free to do whatever and whoever he wanted. But it killed me to think about him in anyone else’s arms. He knew that, and the fact that he’d used it against me hurt more than anything.
I cleared my throat after a few moments of silence. “This is what we’re going to do. We’ll meet with Bradley tomorrow, see what he wants, and play along. The first opportunity I have, I’ll delete the pictures. He won’t have anything to hold over our heads, and this will all be over. I can get on with my life, and you can screw whoever you like.”
James clenched his jaw, his eyes smoldering. “Fine, if that’s what you really want.”
“What I want is to go for a ride by myself,” I spat.
I gave Mayhem a swift nudge to the flank and let him gallop out of the barn.
CHAPTER 3
The next morning, I woke up early and made my way down to the thoroughbred barn before anyone else arrived. I craved the peaceful quiet I’d taken for granted before we’d hired the new employees. I brewed a pot of coffee and walked around the stalls, greeting each horse with a smile and a bucket of sweet feed. The solitude didn’t last long. Matt arrived fifteen minutes after me, followed closely by Mason, Harrison, and John. Beau and Cody, the local men we’d hired, weren’t set to start their training until after we returned from Maryland.
The new workers were more than capable of handling the day to day chores on their own, but I was determined to have them trained to my way of doing things before I left for the race. The day flew by. I worked through lunch and was surprised when I looked up and saw Bradley’s truck at the main house. I panicked, pulled my phone from the bib pocket of my overalls, and checked the time.
Shit, it’s already a quarter to four. I should have been at James’s cabin five minutes ago. Please, please God, don’t let Daddy or Renee see him. I don’t want to have to explain why he’s here.
I wiped my hands on a rag and set off for the main house, dialing James’s number on the way. He answered on the first ring.
“I’m at the cabin.”
“He’s here,” I said, half whispering. “Shit! Daddy just stepped out on the porch. This may take awhile.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
I ended the call without saying goodbye and stuck my phone back in my pocket. Bradley climbed out of his truck just as I reached the top of the driveway.
“Hi, Willow. Are you ready for our little meeting?” he asked under his breath, somehow keeping the broad smile on his face. I didn’t have a chance to reply.
“Bradley,” Daddy bellowed cheerfully from the porch. “It’s good to see you. What brings you out today?”
Bradley smiled back at him as we walked up the steps. “Good to see you too, Cole. I came to hang out with James and Willow for a little while. I feel so awful about what happened in Kentucky, I thought it would be nice if we could have a fresh start.”
“That’s awfully mature of you, son,” Daddy told him. “But I’m afraid your timing could be better. We’re all meeting with the Reverend and Mrs. Hawthorne at five-thirty.”
“Oh really? Are you going over the wedding plans? Dad said you’ve set a date,” Bradley replied. The fake charm in his voice was almost more than I could bear.
“Actually, we’re having a little premarital family counseling session,” Daddy answered. “Nothing serious, just making sure we’re all on the same page before the big day.”
The corner of Bradley’s mouth curled up in a smug, amused grin. “That sounds like a great idea, really smart. You wouldn’t want a nasty secret to sneak up on you after the wedding.”
“Daddy’s right, we can’t really hang out today,” I interrupted. “But I think James is at his cabin. Why don’t we walk over and you can say hello real quick?” I had to get him away from Daddy before he destroyed everything.
“Sounds great, Willow,” Bradley agreed. “Cole, I’ll see you soon.”
“Tell your dad I said hello,” Daddy said before disappearing back into the house.
I turned and walked back down the steps. Bradley followed, positively bouncing with excitement.
“I have to tell you, Willow, there are no words for how much fun this is. You’re going to a family counseling session? That has to be
the most hilarious thing I’ve heard in months. Are you going to confess your sins to the good Reverend and his wife?” he taunted me.
I can’t react. I can’t give him the satisfaction. And no matter how badly I want to, I can’t punch him in the face.
“I have plenty of sins to confess, but not the ones you have in mind,” I said patiently as we walked around the house. I was relieved to see that James was already on his porch. He crossed the yard and met us halfway to the cabin. I appreciated that he didn’t leave me alone with Bradley any longer than absolutely necessary.
“Are you okay?” James asked me once he’d reached us.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
“You two are so damn cute,” Bradley sneered. “Or at least you would be, if you weren’t so revolting.”
James put himself between Bradley and me and we silently walked to his cabin.
“We’re here, just like you demanded,” James said as he pushed open the front door. “So tell us what you want and then leave. We have somewhere else to be.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard all about your group therapy session,” Bradley said as he stepped into the cabin. “This won’t take long.”
I sat down on the recliner and wrapped my arms around my chest, bracing myself for what was to come. James slammed the door shut and leaned against it while Bradley made himself comfortable on the couch. James and I waited for Bradley to speak first, but he seemed perfectly content to look back and forth at us with a devilish smile plastered across his face. Finally, he cleared his throat.
“You know, etiquette says you’re supposed to offer me something to drink,” he told James. “I thought your mom was raised in the South. Don’t they have manners there?”
James’s nostrils flared with anger, but he held his tongue. He walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and hurled it in Bradley’s direction. It bounced off the coffee table and landed on the floor next to his feet. Bradley picked it up and took a long drink before explaining the reason behind his visit.
“Okay, I guess I’ve kept you in suspense long enough. I don’t know if either of you know this. You’ve been too wrapped up in yourselves to notice that other people have lives too. Dad has started teaching me the executive end of the farming business. He’s ready to retire, and it’s time for me to take over.”