An owl hooted. Something scurried past and she jumped, rattling the gravel, barely able to contain her frightened squeak.
“Thought I heard you out there,” Slim said. “Come on.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, sucked in a resigned breath and prepared to step out. At least he didn’t sound angry.
A plaintive meow sounded. A cat. Slim was talking to his cat. Claws scrambled on the steps, the door slammed and she sagged against the wall, too weak with relief to move.
***
Dino savored his beer as he studied the form of the speed horse in Echo’s race. The fleet California filly, Country Zip, would be her main threat. If the two hooked up on the front end, the pace would be suicidal. Echo could close but preferred to stalk. A lot would depend on post position. God, he hoped she didn’t draw the rail.
A knock sounded on the door, too tentative for a horse emergency. He frowned and checked the kitchen clock. Nine-thirty. Stephanie maybe? She often dropped by to watch race video although she was never tentative. He eyed his case of beer. Only three left, and he wanted them all.
He rose from the chair, tossed the Form on the table and swung open the door. Took an involuntary step back. Becky in mugger clothes?
“May I come in?” she asked, her voice oddly husky.
She looked like a night pixie, her hair swathed in a voluminous dark scarf. A black shirt was tucked into some sort of pajama pants, and a belt cinched her small waist. Her eyes were brown slashes in a pale face, and her pockets bulged with grass.
He grinned. “Did Martha have a masquerade party?”
Her smile was so brittle, he thought her face would crack. “Come in and sit down,” he added quickly. “There’s beer or I can make you a cup of coffee. Or maybe you’d prefer tea?”
“Okay,” she said.
He guided her to his big chair close to the kitchen. She moved stiffly and he lingered, reluctant to leave her. “What’s wrong, honey? Is Martha okay?”
“She’s fine.”
“Good.” He paused then crossed to the kitchen and grabbed his coffee pot. Three hours old, relatively fresh. He remembered she liked milk and checked the fridge. Gave the carton a cautious sniff before splashing some in her cup. He passed her the mug, hooked a chair with his foot, pulled it close and waited.
She sipped the coffee as though unaware of his scrutiny. Her tension seemed to be easing though, until she glanced down the hall. Her face filled with dismay. “Did I interrupt you? I meant to check for another vehicle but forgot.”
“I’m alone. You refused my dinner invite, remember?” He smiled but she didn’t smile back. Didn’t even react. He grabbed her hand, shocked by its coldness. “What’s wrong?”
“I think Ted and Slim know each other.”
“Okay.” It didn’t sound like a big deal, and his gaze drifted to her lips. She had such a sexy mouth when she pulled back her hair. Of course, her mouth was always the same, but it was far more noticeable when she tied her hair back. More distracting too.
“Ted said he didn’t know Slim. But he was at Slim’s house tonight. He must have stopped by after dinner with Martha.”
“I see,” Dino said, absorbed by the movement of her lips. Her top lip had a fascinating arc. It had looked pale when she first arrived, but now the pink color was returning.
“And I think Slim may have had Echo in the hot walker instead of Chippy.” She raised her head, staring at him like she’d just announced a state secret.
“Slim said Echo was in the walker. That’s not unusual.” He dragged his attention off her mouth. Obviously she was upset about something, although the raw fear he’d sensed earlier had faded.
“But what if Echo was forced to walk around all night?” She wrung her hands in dismay. “Wouldn’t that make her too tired to race? Wouldn’t that explain why she laid down?”
“Becky, nobody would leave a horse on a walker all night, and Slim wanted that race. He needs the money as badly as I do.”
“But there’s also that horse, Ebac, the one I don’t know, the one who was marked on the clipboard.” Her words came out in a rush. “Ebac could stand for Echo Beach and Arctic Chip. That would explain why Slim didn’t want me around the barn, even though I couldn’t tell them apart.”
“I never heard of a horse called Ebac,” he said. Her chest heaved, and her shirt tightened over her breasts. He yanked his gaze back to her mouth but then was distracted by the dark smudges on her nose. “Did you put black cream on your nose? Were you spying on Slim?”
“Of course not. I don’t spy on anyone.” But she averted her head as she struggled to pull off her scarf. Her evasiveness was obvious.
“I’ll ask Slim about this tomorrow…now, if you prefer. We’ll straighten it out. But please, don’t go walking around in the dark.”
“Tomorrow’s fine,” she said. “Thank you.” But her tremulous smile tugged at his chest.
He didn’t like to see her scared, didn’t like that pinched expression. Pieces of grass had fallen from her pocket, and he picked a stalk off the floor. “Were you ignoring the ‘Keep Off The Grass’ signs,” he teased. “Want to go back and pick some more?”
She grabbed his fingers, and he stopped talking. The trusting way she looked at him, the way she clung to his hand sent his thoughts careening back to that kissable mouth. “Or maybe we should just stay here,” he said gruffly, sliding his left hand under her chin.
She stared up at him, her mouth slightly parted. Such a sexy little mouth. He tilted her head and lightly kissed her, brushing her soft cheek with his thumb. When she didn’t pull away, he slid his tongue in, savoring her sweetness. Her hands crept around his neck. He tugged her closer, cradling her bottom, swinging her around so she straddled him.
God, she was all rounded curves, and he was surprisingly aroused. He deepened the kiss, holding her head still with one hand and pressing her against him with the other. Not that she seemed to want to go anywhere. Her legs were spread over his thighs, her breasts nice and accessible, and her hot mouth made him throb.
He slipped his hand under her shirt, exploring her velvety skin. Sweet, soft and—thank you, God—willing. A quick twist, and he unhooked her bra. Her tongue entwined with his, turning him on with her little gasps, shortening his breath. He slid his hand along her rib cage, sighing with pleasure as he cupped her breast.
Her nipple pebbled between his fingers. God, he wanted two mouths. No way was he moving his lips away from such a hot kisser but her breasts cried for attention. He pried his mouth off hers, shocked by his ragged breathing.
“Take your shirt off, honey,” he murmured, keeping his hand filled with the firm roundness of her breast.
She’d stiffened before his mind made the connection something was wrong. A second later she stumbled from the chair, leaving him with a blast of frigid air and a raging hard-on.
He squeezed his eyes shut, didn’t want to reveal how badly he wanted her. “What’s wrong?” he finally asked, opening his eyes but not moving from the chair.
“You want me to take my clothes off.” Her voice was shrill with accusation, and she stared at him like he was a criminal.
“Of course I do,” he said. “That’s generally what people do when they have sex.”
“But I don’t want to have sex.”
Could have fooled me, he thought, but she looked so distraught, he nodded and straightened in the chair. “Fine, Becky, we won’t. It’s not a big deal.” His gaze drifted ruefully to the bulge in his jeans. “Although for the record, I think it’s an excellent idea.”
“I didn’t sneak down here for sex. I’m not interested in that. It’s just…not right.” Color flagged her cheeks and she stared at the floor, her mouth trembling so much he thought she might cry.
“Hey, honey.” He rose and gently pulled her to him. “It’s okay. Don’t get all shy on me again. Sex is just sex. It’s not a big deal if we do. It’s not a big deal if we don’t. Nothing’s different.”
But
she felt stiff in his arms, and he sensed something was very different. “Come on back to the chair. Relax and tell me about Slim.” He guided her to the chair and pulled her on his lap, determined to restore her balance. “It’s all right,” he said when she tried to pull away. “I’m just going to rub your back. You’re tighter than a drum.”
She relaxed under his slow massage and when he finished, she was cuddled against him like a kitten. He redid the clasp of her bra, pleased when she didn’t move, didn’t stiffen.
“You’re finished with the backrub?” she asked with obvious regret.
“For tonight.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m meeting with Slim tomorrow morning at six. I’ll ask him about the hot walker and your mystery horse. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said. He heard her suck in a deep breath. “And I’m sorry about earlier. I have a thing about taking off my clothes.”
“Why’s that?”
She shrugged, but her face was tucked into his shoulder and he couldn’t read her expression. He slid his hand beneath her hair, using his thumb to massage the base of her neck, sensing she was close to some sort of confidence. “Why’s that, honey?”
“I’ve only had one boyfriend. He…understood things.”
“And I wouldn’t?”
She raised her head, eyes wide and vulnerable. “We were together a long time. Three years.”
He nodded, waiting for more, but she pulled away and scrambled to her feet. “I have to go.”
“Okay.” He reluctantly rose to his feet. Lifted his arm to hug her but her wary eyes reminded him too much of a deer poised for flight, so he jammed it back to his side, oddly uncertain. “I’ll be around, you know.” He cleared his throat. “If you need anything. Anything at all.”
Chapter Seventeen
Becky cracked her eyes open and stared at the clock, fighting a lingering reluctance to wake. Last night’s events ran in a relentless replay, and she groaned. Dino, Slim, Ted—none of it good.
She’d knocked on Dino’s door, dressed in strange black clothes. He must have guessed she was spying, trying to check out his most recent woman. And she’d pretty much jumped his bones when he kissed her. But gosh he’d been a marvelous kisser. She allowed herself a sinful shiver of pleasure.
Luckily her naked phobia had prevented a disaster. She’d hate to join the ranks of his pillow friends. Knew her pain would be unbearable if she saw him with someone else. It would have made working together achingly hard.
Even now things would be uncomfortable. She squeezed her eyes shut, analyzing every gesture, every comment from last night. He’d assumed she’d come to spy on Slim, so that was some relief.
And the kiss had been a mutual thing. To Dino, sex was like shaking hands, not a big deal. So maybe he didn’t know she was infatuated. At least he’d promised to speak to Slim.
But that was a thorny issue too. Accusing Slim of switching horses was a serious charge. Yet she believed he was doing something shady, and her chilling sense of danger when she’d watched from the dark had been bone deep. And real.
She hoped Dino would be tactful. It was seven-thirty now so their meeting might already be finished. She thrust the covers back and scrambled from the bed. Dino would probably call if Slim admitted anything.
She showered, dressed and hurried to Martha’s sitting room.
“Martha is awake and full of energy,” Deb said with a yawn. “She’s making a list of things to do. Want me hang around?”
“No, I’ll be here all morning.” Becky gave an involuntary shudder. No way was she going to the barn today, not until she knew what was going on with Slim…and not until she was sure Dino was gone. She slipped into Martha’s bedroom.
“Oh, hello, dear.” Martha gave a preoccupied smile as she jotted something on a sheet of writing paper. “The hairdresser is coming today. I’m trying out a new girl. Same one Greta used. If there’s time, she might be able to squeeze you in.”
“No, thanks,” Becky said. “The great thing about long hair is that there’s no need for regular cuts.”
“I see.” Martha nodded, scratching another notation on her list. “I also want to drive down to the barn and see Hunter before he’s shipped to Lone Star. Tell me though, why is Dino using an outside shipper when we have a perfectly good trailer?”
Because Dino doesn’t trust Slim. Becky stared at Martha’s bent head, so small, so fragile, and prayed Dino would be able to sort things out. Martha would be devastated if she discovered Slim had been disloyal, would take it as a personal betrayal.
“Slim’s probably busy,” Becky said, “and Dino wants to ship today so Hunter can train on the track.”
“But it’s part of Slim’s job to ship.” Martha frowned over her glasses. “It also gives him some variety. Malcolm always worried about Slim. He doesn’t have many friends.”
Becky busied herself, straightening the row of medication. “Maybe Slim and Ted are friends?”
“No. Ted has no interest in visiting the barn or the horses. I don’t expect to see him soon either. He may phone though, wondering how I’m doing.”
Becky’s hand tightened over a container, but she kept her tone casual. “Martha, do you remember Ted’s phone number?”
“Of course not. I rarely call him. But Jocelyn would have it. She talks to him all the time.” Martha’s eyes twinkled. “She said you were in Malcolm’s study trying to pry open a private drawer. Was quite indignant about the whole thing. Why didn’t you ask me for the key?”
“Didn’t know I needed one. Lyric’s file wasn’t with the others, and the only place I couldn’t check was the bottom drawer.” Becky gestured over her shoulder. “Lyric’s pictures are still in the baby box.”
“It’s doubtful the missing file is in Malcolm’s drawer, but the key is kept in my jewelry box.” Martha’s voice turned fretful. “I do hope that file isn’t lost. It’s difficult to obtain replacement papers. The Jockey Club is very strict about that sort of thing.”
“I’ll check again when you’re having your hair done,” Becky said.
“We’ll see.” Martha’s voice firmed. “But I would like you with me when the hairdresser comes. She’s new and…well, I might not be comfortable.”
“I’ve never seen you uncomfortable with anyone. But I’ll stay if you want.”
“Very good.” Martha nodded with satisfaction. “Now let’s have breakfast and then we can drive down to the barn and see Hunter before he leaves. Dino said the shipper was coming at nine.”
Becky’s head jerked up. “You talked to him?”
“I was busy, but he left a message with Jocelyn.”
“What did he say? Did she write it down?” At Martha’s narrowed gaze, Becky paused. “I’m just wondering if he entered Echo for Friday,” she added weakly.
“Yes. He did enter the filly. He also suggested you come to Lone Star tomorrow and watch Hunter gallop. Of course,” Martha added, “you don’t have to go. Lone Star is a bit of a drive, and I’ve been asking you to do a lot of work with the horses.”
“Oh, no,” Becky said quickly. “That’s fine. I want to go—” She quit protesting when she caught Martha’s knowing smile.
***
“We have to be back by eleven.” Martha stared at the barn as Becky parked the car beside Slim’s truck. “I don’t want to miss my hair appointment.”
Becky nodded and pried her damp hands off the steering wheel, grateful Martha was with her. This would be her first encounter with Slim since Dino had confronted him with questions about hot walkers and the ‘horse’ called Ebac. It was bound to be awkward.
They headed toward the yawning door. “Slim is probably getting Hunter ready,” Martha said, oblivious to Becky’s nervousness.
A gray horse emerged from the barn and pranced past them. “Hello ladies,” Stephanie called from his back. “Going to ride with me today, Becky?”
“How about Wednesday?”
“Sure. I have more time this week with Chippy gone an
d Hunter leaving.” Stephanie motioned with her head as she guided her horse toward the training track. “Slim’s in the barn wrapping Hunter. He’s not in a great mood.”
“Hunter or Slim?” Becky asked but Stephanie only laughed as if the question was a joke.
They entered the barn, blinking as their eyes adjusted to the light. Martha’s grip on Becky’s arm loosened, and she straightened and walked unaided toward Hunter’s stall. Becky squared her own shoulders, determined to banish her guilt. After all, she hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Hello, Slim.” Martha stared over the stall door to where Hunter was tied to the wall. The colt stood with an air of resignation as Slim wrapped one last hind leg. “How’s our boy?”
“Feeling good.” But Slim’s gaze shot to Becky, and she recoiled at the venom in his eyes. He rose and walked toward them. “I met your nephew last night, Miz Martha. He dropped off some horse papers that belonged to Malcolm.”
Becky’s breath caught and she stared at the neatly wrapped legs, each one a perfect stovepipe pattern. No doubt about it, Slim was good at bandaging horses. Pretty good at making up stories too.
“How was your meeting with Dino?” She forced herself to speak up, to talk as confidently as Martha always did. “I had a few questions, a few concerns. Was everything cleared up?”
Slim nodded grudgingly and stepped from the stall. “Everything’s fine now.”
Becky tugged at her lip. Maybe Dino hadn’t asked about the hot walker. She would see him tomorrow and could hear all the details then. Best not to say anything else. Best to avoid conflict.
“Did you discuss the horse on the hot walker?” she heard herself ask.
Slim’s head shot around. “I told Dino, like I told you, a horse was colicy. And there’s no horse here called Ebac. I was checking cheap bedding on eBay, trying to save everyone money. Now, I hear a truck and trailer outside. Miz Martha, do you want to give your colt a treat before he leaves?”
Racetrack Romance BOX SET (Books 1-3) Page 86