Expelled

by Claire Adams

  “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Eric asked, flashing his glittering dark eyes my way. It was hard to look at him without swooning a little. You could tell by the way he carried himself that he was very popular with the ladies. I could definitely see why that was. “Cause I’m so much fun and he’s such a stick in the mud?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh when he did. I might not have described their differences in such a blunt way, but that was pretty close to accurate. My cheeks reddened at poking fun at Cash like this. He’d really opened up over the last few weeks during our nightly dinner ritual. He was intelligent and funny once you gave him the time to come out of his shell on his own terms. I didn’t want to tell jokes at his expense, even if he’d never hear them. It felt like a betrayal.

  “I wouldn’t go quite that far,” I replied. “But you are polar opposites. It’s just surprising that you’re so close.”

  “We have our ups and downs,” Eric said with an easy shrug of his broad shoulders. His blond hair was radiant in the sun. He never seemed to wear a hat, not that I blamed him. He had a gorgeous head of hair. I was including that along with a few other things about him in one of my character sketches for the new novel. It was only a matter of time before I’d be ready to roll on the new project. I definitely wanted a hot, smartass cowboy with a heart of gold as well as a quiet, harder cowboy who’d only warm up under the right circumstances…like when a strange woman arrived on his property whose very life depended on his silence and help. I got excited every time I thought about it. Maybe not as excited as I got when I woke up after a steamy sex dream featuring my favorite Clint Eastwood look-alike, but…

  “But I consider him like a brother to me. Better than family even, cause we picked each other way back in grade school. My momma says we balance each other out. I’m 10 miles away from being serious, and Cash can barely manage a laugh he’s so busy worrying over every little damned thing. We end up pushing each other a little closer to the middle where we probably should’ve been to begin with.”

  “That’s a good thing,” I said. Without even noticing, we’d gone around the rear of the barn and back out front again. “I’m doing it!” The moment the words left my mouth, a wave of nerves hit me again, causing my back to go ramrod straight in the saddle, but Eric cut into that, bringing his horse closer to mine and drawing my attention to him.

  “See, this isn’t too bad, is it?” he asked, lifting a sandy eyebrow, his smile brighter than the glimmer in his dark eyes. Looking at him up close, he seemed almost too handsome, if that was possible. “Almost like riding a big old living bicycle.”

  I laughed at that, and a little more of the anxiety left me, allowing me to relax into the rhythm of Buck’s moderately slow steps. There was nothing to this, right? If Eric could do it at 3, I could definitely find a way to make it work at almost 27.

  “Cash said you travel a lot,” Eric said as we were heading back around the barn again, with Lettie slightly in the lead. “I don’t get out of the state much myself.” He shook his head and seemed disappointed to admit that. “Where all have you been?”

  “Oh, all over.” I loosened my death grip on the reins as I relaxed a bit more. This wasn’t so bad. I was actually really enjoying myself, both just being outside and having Eric as company (and eye candy). I was looking forward to getting even better at this. Even if I stopped now, I’d at least be able to accurately describe what it felt like to be on a horse in the new novel. “All over the country and overseas. If I could make traveling all the time my job, I definitely would.”

  “What’s your favorite place?” he asked.

  I had to think about that for a moment because I’d been on so many great trips over the years, not just for research, but while I was growing up as well. I’d also studied abroad for a semester in France, which had given me another opportunity to spend more time with Marie-Laure. “That’s really hard,” I finally said, because I’d been silent for way too long going through the details of all the trips I’d taken since childhood. “I’ve been to many places, and each one has been great in its own way. I was born in New York, which is a really diverse state, but even as a kid I knew I wanted to get outside of my comfort zone and see how other people lived. We didn’t live in the middle of the city when I was younger like I do now, but we were pretty much right there. I guess one of the trips that stands out for me is when I was able to travel to Kyoto, Japan to do some research for one of my books. That was amazing. So different from every place I’ve ever been. I’d love to get the opportunity to go back.”

  “You really been to Japan?” Eric asked, eyebrow cocked high and smile twitching off his face for a second before it came back again at full power.

  I nodded, a smile forming on my own lips. “It’s a beautiful country. I was lucky enough to stay there for about three weeks. I did a lot of traveling and just immersed myself in the culture as much as I could. I still stuck out like a sore thumb, but it was great.”

  Eric’s smile turned impish the way it seemed to every time he was around Cash or me. “I bet Wyoming seems more exotic than Japan ever did!”

  I giggled again, and he slapped his leg as he laughed. The horses didn’t seem to mind either way. They were in their own world.

  “You might be right about that,” I replied, still smiling. “I’ll have to reserve judgment for another few weeks until I get my bearings here. Both places are definitely different from Manhattan.”

  “You realize you’re relaxed and haven’t been looking around like you expect ole Buck to launch you off his back for about 10 minutes now, right?” Eric pointed out.

  Actually, I hadn’t realized that. But now that I had, I also realized that I was loving this. It was so relaxing to be out here on the land riding a horse. I never expected to think anything like that in my life, but it was true. I could see why Eric and Cash adored being out here as much as they were. It was something I never could have imagined in my insulated life in the city. I knew there was a big, wide world out there—I’d seen a great deal of it—but instead of finding it daunting, I found comfort in the fact that I still had so much to learn. Traveling as often as I did, I’d always been lucky enough to find diverse and willing teachers. I counted Eric and Cash among that rank of people.

  “This is great,” I said. “I’d really like to keep riding to see how good I can get at this before I head back to the East Coast.”

  Eric’s dark eyes met mine, something companionable passing between us that made me like him even more than I already did. He was a showboat and a jokester, but he was also sweet and funny and someone I wouldn’t mind spending more time with while I was in Jackson.

  “I’m happy to take you out whenever you like,” he said. “You got a hand for riding. No use letting it go to waste. I’m sure they got horses out where you’re from that you could ride too.”

  “Now I just need a cowboy hat,” I said, and laughed.

  His grin expanded and he scratched his blond, hatless head. “Not necessarily, but, damn do I love the look of a woman in a cowboy hat.”

  I laughed again.

  “What do you say about going out on an actual ride away from the barn?” he asked, lifting his light brows in invitation.

  My heartbeat picked up at the thought, which I found both terrifying and appealing, and I nodded before I could change my mind. What the hell, right? I was out here to have an adventure, not do more of the same shit I’d been doing my whole life.

  “I’m scared to death, but let’s do it!”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” he said, and got Lettie moving a little faster.

  I took a deep breath and followed him, Buck doing exactly what I asked without any fuss.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cash

  Mid-August, Morning

  I’d just finished up my morning chores by the time Eric showed up. I was on my way to the tack room at the back of the barn when I heard his truck pulling up the dirt driveway—he drove an enormous pickup despite wor
king in town and not really needing it—and came outside to see why he was out here so early.

  I stepped out into the sun, wiping the back of my neck with a handkerchief and squinting at how bright it was just in time to see Eric stepping down from his truck, his boots kicking up dust. He walked over, already grinning, and hooked a thumb over his shoulder back in the direction of his truck.

  “Brought that wood you asked for,” he said.

  “I appreciate it.” I’d asked for the wood about three weeks earlier, and he was just now getting around to it. I didn’t mention it, though. He’d brought it out here for free, and that was a price I just couldn’t beat anywhere else.

  “Where’s Hailey?” he asked, looking past me like he expected her to come striding out of the barn.

  That rubbed me the wrong way, but I didn’t show it. He was asking after her a lot more since he’d started taking her out on horse rides, each session longer than the one before it, both of them coming back giggling over some private jokes that didn’t include me. Fortunately, he kept so busy in town that he hadn’t been able to drop by here again to invite himself to dinner. I’d have put my foot down then, not within earshot of Hailey, of course. I enjoyed our time together and wasn’t about to have him ruining our conversation on a nightly basis.

  “Nah, she’s still sleeping. She don’t get up before noon most days.” That rubbed me the wrong way too, but she stayed up much later than I did and couldn’t very well be expected to be up in time to greet the sun every morning the way I was. She told me it was normal for her to be up until just about dawn. I didn’t know how she did it. Early morning was my favorite part of the day. But Hailey seemed to feel the same way about the middle of the night. I guess you could live that way in New York City, where things stayed open until the odd hours. I didn’t plan to find out for myself. Her need to travel was a sensation I’d never before experienced in my life. If I could read about it, that was good enough for me.

  “Let’s get this wood out of the truck bed,” Eric said. “I got business to attend to in town at 10.”

  It was 8:30 now. I nodded and followed him around the back of his truck without a word. It was piled high with more wood than I’d actually need to fix some of the fence line, not that it’d hurt to have some extra. There was always somewhere that ended up needing it eventually.

  We started pulling the wood out and carrying it around back of the smaller barn that I used to house my tractor and other machinery I used on the farm. I’d leave it in a pile until I figured out where to put the extra. I had a place in mind—the rear of the barn, behind all the equipment—but I’d need to clear it out first. Eric didn’t have time to hang around this morning while I got that done.

  “Hailey’s taking to riding horses like a champ,” Eric said, starting up the conversation again as we piled the wood against the rear wall of the barn.

  “Yeah, she seems like a natural, even if she is a New Yorker,” I agreed. I’d gotten a chance to take her out once and was surprised at how well she handled old Buck, especially considering that she’d only been out with Eric a few times.

  Eric laughed and pushed his light hair back off his forehead. It was constantly falling out of place. Keeping it trimmed shorter and putting a hat on over it would solve that problem, but he’d never been one to cover up his haircut. I never met a man who took such pride in the way his hair looked. I couldn’t care less. My hair was covered 90 percent of my day, and that was just fine by me.

  We headed back out to the truck. It would only take about five more trips to get it completely unloaded.

  “She might’ve fit right in here on the farm if not for being born on the wrong coast,” I commented.

  Eric pulled some of the wood off the truck and piled it into my waiting arms. “I’m not so sure about that. She’s a traveler, said she’s loved it since she was young. She’d probably still want to go off on her trips even with being born in the country. Some things about folks just don’t change no matter where they hang their hat at the end of the day.”

  I had to laugh at that, the sound barely escaping my throat. “You act like you’re her best friend or something. You barely know this girl. I’ve been talking to her just about every night for a few hours at a time. I think she’d fit into the country life just fine if she decided to give it a try. She has a stillness about her that even you don’t have, and you’re from here.”

  He laughed too, dark eyes shining as he loaded up with his own armful of wood. “You ever hear someone compare the quality of something to the quantity?”

  I didn’t know what he was getting at, and so didn’t bother to answer. He’d get to where he was going just fine without my help. Always had, always would.

  “That’s how things are between Hailey and me. We might not have spent as much time together as the two of y’all, but it’s been quality time. Not to mention our emails before she even arrived. I know her a lot better than you think.”

  That got my annoyance flaring again. I pressed my lips together to keep from answering, just simmering in my rising anger. Eric kept going on about how well he and Hailey were getting along and that she wanted to go on a tour of Jackson one afternoon with him. He planned to take her to buy a cowboy hat and other western wear, which she was excited about. He went on about some of her hopes and dreams that were news to me. I just piled the wood against the barn and let him talk. About the third time he mentioned how well he was getting along with Hailey, a realization hit me like a hoof to the stomach. I turned to look at him, trying to keep all traces of irritation off my face.

  “It sounds like you’re interested in Hailey,” I said. “Is that what’s going on?”

  Eric grinned, and that was all the answer I needed, but he answered too, coming right out with it, which was his way. You had to respect the man’s honestly, even if what he was saying rubbed you the wrong way.

  “I think I am falling for her a little bit. She’s a sweet girl, and damn if she isn’t smoking hot to boot. You don’t meet many girls like her in Jackson.”

  I dropped my hands to my hips and stared hard at him, hoping the challenge was clear in my eyes. It must’ve been, because he squared off too, his smile becoming more challenging. I wanted to wipe the look off his face.

  “I mean, not that I wanted to step on your toes or anything, Cash, but you had your chance. She’s been here for weeks, and you haven’t done a damned thing about it. Now that I’ve gotten to know her even better than I did before, I decided I’d like to take my chance.”

  “Hell, I’m not going to just stand by while you step in on what I have going,” I said, and spit into the dirt.

  “You have something going now all of a sudden?” Eric asked, his smile sharpening as his eyes flashed with a challenging look. “That’s news to me. I told you a hundred times to go after that girl, and you kept saying no. Now that I’m interested you suddenly have a plan?”

  “What the hell business is it of yours?” I asked. “She’s my guest on my property.”

  “She’s only your guest on your property because I found her. I’ve been showing her around because you’ve been too damned busy. It’s not like she got here yesterday. She’s been in town for weeks. The only reason you’re having dinner with her is because she reached out to you. Don’t act like y’all have some great relationship now that another guy is sniffing around.”

  “I’m telling you that I’m interested. Don’t that mean something? You need to back off.”

  He smiled again, and I could see all the anger leave his features in an instant. I hated his ability to do that, to just let shit go that easily. I was the kind of guy that held a grudge for days. I had to sweat out whatever was bothering me. After a full day of laboring, I’d be better for it, but even then I could sometimes still feel the annoyance simmering inside me.

  “Hell, let’s have some fun with this, Cash,” he said, his grin so wide it threatened to swallow the bottom of his face.

  My face collapsed in
to a scowl. “What?”

  “If you like Hailey too, go after her. I’ll do the same. She can pick the better man. Leave it all up to her. She’s an intelligent woman who knows what she wants.” I could see by the shine in his eyes that he expected her to choose him.

  I didn’t like the sound of any of what he’d just said. This wasn’t some damned game, but Eric clearly meant to try his best to get Hailey to go out with him. I may have loved the man like a brother, but I didn’t condone the way he sped through the women he dated. He was having fun, and so were they, but Hailey didn’t seem like the type of person who wanted that kind of relationship. She was serious, smart, and funny. She didn’t seem like the type to just jump in and out of bed with a man. At least, I didn’t think so.

  “You afraid to let the best man win, Cash?” Eric asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with the flat of his hand.

  I spit into the dirt again. “Hell no. That just means I’ll be the one coming out on top.”

  Eric laughed. “We’ll see about that.”

  We went for another load of wood, not bringing Hailey up again, though my mind was racing with thoughts of her. I had the advantage, considering she was living in my house. And it sometimes seemed like she was interested in me, but it was hard to tell. It had just been too damned long since I’d been with a woman. I needed to make a move, and I thought it best to try sooner rather than later. Dinner tonight might be too soon, but she was due to go riding with Eric again tomorrow, so that might be my one chance to get to her before he did. It was ridiculous to be thinking about her like this. I just wanted to enjoy her company and keep getting to know her like I had been over the last several weeks. But this shit with Eric made that impossible.

  I had to act now, or risk losing her forever.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hailey

  Late August, A Week Later