by Cindy Stark
Where the hell was she, she wondered and then laughed. The Japanese would freak if they knew how much open space was sitting unused.
The road quickly turned from pavement to dirt, and she slowed her speed to accommodate, watching plumes of dust swirl up behind her. To the right and left of her, deep ditches shouldered the road. Beyond them, beautiful horses grazed in the fields.
Her good mood remained as she traveled the rest of the way until the dirt road led her to a paved circular drive that wound around a pond filled with ducks and led to the front of a massive wooden cabin. House? Structure? It was definitely not what she had pictured when Betty had said "cabin".
She parked near the front double doors, not seeing another vehicle or person in sight. Betty had said she'd let Luke know she was coming. Maybe he really didn't want to see her. But then why had he said what he'd said about their kiss? Thoughts of that man really messed with her head.
She turned and headed for the large wooden building and knocked. No one answered. She twisted the handle, not surprised to find it unlocked.
Inside, the splendor of the furnishings took away her breath. A huge, great room opened up before her. Large wooden columns drew her gaze upward to a second level of rooms that surrounded the perimeter. It was opulent, luxuriant, and not at all what she would have expected to find in this little country town. Perhaps it was one of those properties Betty rented to outside vacationers.
The wall of windows at the back of the house and the deck beyond called to her. She headed outside, warm sunshine greeting her. She leaned against the log railing. The cabin sat on a hill, so what appeared to be the main level of the house on the front side, ended up being the second level on the backside. A panorama of rolling hills and luscious trees spread out before her. Nothing but beautiful, fresh nature.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head upward, letting the sun's warmth hit her full on. She inhaled a breath and released it. It wouldn't be hard to get used to this lifestyle.
"Lily."
She opened her eyes to find Luke sitting atop a gorgeous black horse on the grass below the deck, a quizzical expression on his face. "What are you doing?"
She shrugged, embarrassed at being caught. "Enjoying the slower pace of life, like you taught me."
A smile crept across his lips, and he nodded. "Good." The muscles in his back and biceps worked as he dismounted his horse and headed toward the stairs that led from the lower level to the deck. Lily's pulse increased with each step he took, until he stood before her. Without her high heels on, he towered above her even more.
"You brought the keys?"
She dug in the pocket of her jeans and pulled them out. She was very aware of her close proximity to Luke as she laid them in the palm of his hand. "I didn't see your truck outside," she stammered. "I didn't think anyone was here."
"I was riding when you came through the gate, so I continued on over here."
"Is the horse yours?"
"One of many."
"They're all your horses? They're gorgeous."
"Some are mine. Some belong to my family. Others are being stabled here." He regarded her with a simmering gaze, like he wanted to reach out to her, but wasn't quite sure how she'd react.
She regretted that she'd put that hesitancy there, but what choice had she had? There had to be some middle ground where she could be friendly to him without causing problems between her and Hannah. She shifted her weight to one foot, not knowing where to begin.
He raised his brows in question.
This was awkward. "I wanted to apologize for the other night, or at least explain."
"Which is it?"
He wasn't going to make this easy, was he? She rolled her eyes and bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Look, I'm a pretty good judge of people. I've also heard rumors. I know Hannah has some hidden issues with this town, things that somehow involve you, but I think they may not be what she's portraying them to be."
His expression said she'd hit pretty close to the mark. "They? Them?"
"Okay, mostly you." Although Hannah did seem to have some issues with her mom, too.
He tilted his head, allowing her to see his eyes better. "What exactly are you saying?"
She fidgeted, afraid if she said what she intended to say and watched his expression, she'd be lost. "I'll admit there's some chemistry between us." Serious chemistry if anyone asked her. She snuck a glance at him.
His expression remained cautious. "I'm sensing a 'but' though."
She sighed. This was the hard part—the part she didn't want to say. "There is. You seem like a nice guy, but I don't want to put myself in the middle of whatever is between you and Hannah. I owe Hannah too much."
He leaned against the wooden rail. "You're taking her side without even giving me a chance."
"I'm not taking anyone's side." She blew out a tense breath. "I came to see you to hopefully fix things between us. I like you. I like to see you, to talk to you. And this is such a small town. You know we're going to run into each other, like today at Betty's. Can't we be friends?"
His tempting eyes shot off a dark, sensual look. "What if I don't want to be just friends?"
A shiver rushed through her. That was exactly what she shouldn't want to hear. She'd give anything if they could pick up where they'd left off that night under the stars, but they couldn't. It wouldn't be right. And she knew too well what it felt like to be on the painful end of someone's wrong choices.
She reinforced her determination. "The only thing I can offer is friendship, Luke. My stay here is temporary, and I don't want to create more drama between everyone."
"This isn't fair, Lily. Some days I'd like to damn her for what she's done."
"What did she do?"
He started to speak, and then stopped. "No. That would only give you two sides of the story and no real answers. Like you said, I'm not going to put you in the middle of this. She needs to come clean. To me. To you. To this whole damn town. She's the only one who can fix this."
"What if she doesn't? What if she just leaves again?"
"Not much I can do about it, then. At least things are better when she's not here. People forget, forgive."
Lily turned her gaze to the rolling green hills in front of her. What a mess. "Then I guess we're back to friends."
He shut his eyes for a brief second and then focused on her. "Yeah. Sure. Friends."
She nudged him with her elbow, trying to defuse the tension. "If we dated, you probably wouldn't like the real me, anyway."
Another tense moment passed before his frown lifted, and her mood followed. "You're probably right."
"Are you going to show me your horse?"
His body relaxed, and she felt like she could breathe again. "If you'd like." He held out a hand, indicating that she should proceed down the stairs first.
"Ever ridden?" he asked as they reached the bottom.
She widened her eyes and gave a nervous laugh. "No." Though the thought intrigued her. "I've seen some horses in a parade before, but never one up close and personal."
As they drew closer to the glossy black horse, Lily inhaled a sharp breath of appreciation. It was magnificent, with contrasting white feet and a white star between its eyes. The horse looked up. Lily slowed her steps as the animal studied her with intelligent brown eyes.
"Come on." He grabbed her hand, tugging her forward. "Don't be afraid. He's not going to hurt you."
"He's so big." Her chin barely crested his back. "And so beautiful. What's his name?"
"Hades." Luke nudged her closer. "Hold out your hand and let him sniff you."
Lily hesitated. "He won't bite?"
"Nah." Luke held out his palm and the horse nuzzled it. "See?"
Lily followed suit, the horse's whiskers tickling her hand. She reached up with tentative fingers and petted his neck. He swung his head, and she jumped back.
Luke laughed and stepped forward. He ran a hand down the horse's neck and patted him. "Want to ride h
im?"
"What? No way." The thought of climbing up on the majestic stallion both terrified and excited her. "I'm sure he'd buck me right off."
"He won't." Luke sounded pretty positive, and she really wanted to try. He took her arm and pulled her close to him and the horse. Excitement sparked inside her like crazy. "Put your foot in the stirrup, grab the saddle horn and haul yourself up."
"This is crazy." She couldn't have erased the stupid grin on her face if she'd tried. She held on to his arm, appreciating the tightly-corded muscles as she tucked her Nike into the stirrup. She gripped what she assumed was the saddle horn and pulled. Halfway up, Luke placed a strong hand on her butt and gave her an extra boost. She swung a leg over the other side of the saddle.
She was up and nervous as hell.
The horse shifted his stance. She gripped the saddle horn, afraid she'd be right back on the ground face first if she made any sudden moves. His horse was big, but she hadn't expected to feel so far off the ground. Giving control over to Hades would take some getting used to.
"Relax." Luke petted the horse's neck. "He can tell if you're tense."
"Great. Now you tell me this." She tried to loosen her muscles, but too much adrenaline squirted through her blood.
Luke removed her foot from the stirrup and adjusted it. He walked to the other side of the horse and did the same. He untied the reins from the deck and handed them to her. "How does it feel?"
"Wild." The horse had to weigh a thousand pounds, and she was completely dependent upon him exhibiting good behavior. "At the risk of sounding crude, it's a little unnerving to have so much power between my legs."
He laughed out loud. "That's an interesting way to put it."
She shook her head and grinned, loving this new experience.
"Take him for a turn around the house. Keep the reins taut and give him a little nudge in his ribs to get him to go. When you want to turn, tug the reins the opposite way. If you want to stop, pull back on both reins, but not hard."
"Oh, God. I have to make him move?"
"That's the point of riding."
She exhaled a huge breath. "Okay." She tapped her heels against the horse's side, and he started to walk. An embarrassing squeal escaped her lips, and she gripped the reins tight. She wanted to glance back at Luke, but she didn't dare take her eyes off the ground in front of her. Which was silly because watching the ground didn't give her any semblance of control.
The horse sauntered around the edge of the house, and she panicked slightly when she left Luke's sight. The horse's hooves clipped on the short amount of pavement right in front of the cabin, and then she was on the grass again, going down the slight incline and into the backyard.
She forced herself to relax. Wow. She, Lily Chandler, was riding a horse. Who would have thought?
Before she knew it, she and Hades had gone full circle. Luke stood, his thumbs tucked into his pockets, watching her with a smile on his face. A sharp twinge of longing shot through her, and she reminded herself again that he was on the bad boy list.
"You look good up there. A natural."
He looked better down there with his dark hair curling from beneath his hat and his silver earrings glinting in the sunshine, giving him a dangerous, sexy appeal. Something about a man in a hat made her salivate.
"Ha. I doubt that." Every muscle inside her was stiff and rigid, and she had to look like a total novice. Not that she cared. This was great.
"No, you do." He walked toward her and grabbed the horse's bridle, bringing Hades to a stop. He placed his other hand on the horse's side, next to her knee. Tilting his head, he looked up at her from beneath his cowboy hat, once again stealing her breath.
"How do you feel about extending your ride? I have another horse that could really use some exercise, and there's a cool place I'd love to show you that you can only get to by horseback."
She hesitated. She really wanted to but….
"Just going as friends," he said, reading her mind. "I promise I won't ravish you out in the backwoods."
She laughed at that. Of course, he wouldn't. Hannah might have her issues with him, but he seemed to be a decent guy, even if he went through women like there was no tomorrow.
Friends she could do. Besides, she had a whole evening full of nothing spread out before her. "Okay. I'd love to." She really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to see a different side of life that she'd never experienced. Who knew if she'd ever get the chance again?
"Make room for me, then. We'll ride down to the barn together, and I've got a gentle little mare who would love to be ridden." He slipped her foot from the stirrup and replaced it with his own. In one smooth move, he gripped the saddle horn and hauled himself up behind her. He bumped her leg as he removed his from the stirrup, and all she could think about was how they were sitting pretty much ass-to-crotch, and all the erotic feelings that position stirred inside her.
She stiffened as he wrapped his arms around her waist, not expecting him to hug her. "You gotta relax, girl." His voice was so close to her ear.
"I know." She exhaled, trying to ease some of the tension inside her. "I will." Her voice was embarrassingly breathless. "I am. I'm good."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lily gave the horse a gentle nudge, and Hades started moving. "Am I going to those buildings out across the field?"
"Yep," Luke answered. "That's the main barn at the ranch. This cabin is my mother's attempt at generating extra income by offering higher quality lodging than people can find in town for the rich, out-of-towners who come looking for a world-class fly fishing experience. I handle most of the details for her, along with Betty's help."
"Where's the river?"
"You'll see soon enough. In fact, why don't you give me the reins, and we can get there a little quicker?" He took the leather straps and tightened his arms around her. "Hang on tight to that saddle horn."
He kicked the horse into a gallop that stole her breath as he masterfully guided Hades over the lumpy grass terrain, racing toward the structures in the distance.
* * *
Luke brought the horse to an abrupt stop in front of his barn. The large wooden structure had been standing for as long as he could remember. The yearly coat of whitewash helped to keep it in good repair. He slid from the horse and held his arms up for Lily. A blush graced her cheeks from their brisk ride and excitement beamed in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he swung her down from the horse.
He stepped away before he was tempted to hold her longer than he should. But not before he caught another whiff of the honeysuckle scent of her hair. Damn, she smelled good. He pictured himself lying next to her, his face buried in her glorious blond curls.
What the hell had he been thinking, climbing up behind her on a horse? The dash across the fields had been his desperate attempt to save his sanity. She'd said "friends" so why the hell was he torturing himself this way?
"Wow," she said, still breathless. "That was wild."
An ache pierced him, and he wished he'd never heard the name Hannah Morgan. "I thought you might enjoy it."
"Your horse has so much power…and speed. That was…awesome." Her words burst from her in bubbles of excitement. "You just can't see the landscape the same way from a car."
"You're starting to understand my point of view, aren't you?" Which didn't help matters one bit.
"I believe I am. A week ago, I might have argued the point, but not now. Maybe I'm really a country girl at heart."
He could totally imagine her staying in town. He'd eventually win her over. Then it would be him and Lily lying in a field of grass, a soft breeze rustling through the nearby trees, while the sun warmed their naked bodies. There would be no Hannah, no nasty, destructive rumors.
Just—no, he couldn't let his mind go there. He needed to figure out a way to redirect his blood back to his brain and think of a logical way to get beyond this mess Hannah had created. The more he thought about it, the more he believe
d Lily might be right. Hannah would probably leave before she'd ever admit what she'd done. Lily would leave, too, and if he didn't stop his attraction to her right now, she'd leave him with a broken heart.
He'd considered moving to the south part of the county many times over the years in an effort to escape the rumors. Instead, he'd dug in, not wanting to appear a coward. He wasn't about to be run out of town by Hannah's lies. Maybe that was just dumb thinking. He could easily move farther south and take over his family's oil rig operations in that area. Wayne was close to retirement anyway. It was enough distance that he might escape the damned rumors that seemed destined to haunt him until he died.
It was funny. He could forgive Hannah for starting the vicious gossip in the first place. Why couldn't she forgive him for something he hadn't even done and let them both move on with their lives? Why did she feel compelled to keep the damned lies going?
His mistake had been not denying what she'd said in the first place, and now it was too late to change everyone's mind. He'd originally taken the brunt of the gossip to allow her to save face in their small town.
Damn, that one had bitten him in the ass, hadn't it? If he let things continue, it would gnaw him until there was nothing left.
Maybe it was time to move on.
It didn't take Luke long to saddle a horse for Lily. He'd picked Charlee, his favorite chestnut-colored mare, and soon they were on their way again. He led the way down a small bluff. Lily caught up to him in a grassy field, a wide grin on her face. "Can this horse run?"
Luke nodded. "She can, but I think you need a little more experience before you go off galloping on your own."
"Okay." Lily smiled, but he could tell she was disappointed, and the thought that he'd caused it didn't sit well with him. But he couldn't very well let her get hurt.
"What happened to the tentative girl who climbed onto a horse for the first time thirty minutes ago?"
She shrugged. "She's gone. Been replaced by the girl who wants to try new things and see a side of life she's never seen before."
He liked the sound of that. He only wished he could be one of the new things she'd try. "Sounds like a good plan. No sense being afraid of life." Something he needed to remember.