Riding High

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  Drake didn’t respond at first. “I get that,” he said at last. “The thing is, I’m here.”

  “Here?” Regan’s grip tightened on the phone and he glanced toward the gate as if expecting Drake to come walking through it. “What do you mean, here?”

  “In Jackson Hole. Not too far from that little town you always talked about, Shoshone.”

  “What the hell are you doing in Jackson Hole?”

  “Two things. I needed some time to think, and I needed to see you.”

  “Can’t imagine why you need to see me.” The anger he thought he’d tucked away came boiling to the surface. “We have nothing to discuss.”

  “You said that six months ago, too. You may have nothing to say to me, but I have plenty to say to you. I’d like that opportunity, Regan. For old time’s sake.”

  “Old time’s sake?” He realized he’d gotten loud, and he walked farther into the shadows and lowered his voice. His heart was pounding like a snare drum. “I can’t believe you can say such a thing. Old time’s sake? You don’t give a shit about old times, Drake. Don’t pretend like you do.”

  More silence, followed by a sigh. “Okay, forget about that. Don’t agree to talk with me because of our former friendship. I suppose that’s not important. Something else is, though. You’re still furious with me. I can hear it in your voice.”

  “What if I am? That’s my business.”

  “True. But this situation isn’t good for either of us. We’re both festering, Regan. You’re a doctor. You know wounds like this have to be lanced. Let’s get together and take care of that. If we end up beating each other to a bloody pulp, so be it. At least we’ll get it out, drain off the bad stuff.”

  While a part of him longed to get into a fistfight with Drake, he’d have to actually be in the same room with the guy to make that happen. He had no wish to do that. “Sorry. You’ve caught me at a bad time. I’m too busy to play your silly reindeer games.”

  “That’s good, at least. It’s good to be busy.”

  “Yes, it is. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to what I was doing.”

  “Yeah, okay. But if you change your mind, I’m going to be here for a couple of months.”

  “A couple of months?” In spite of not wanting to prolong the conversation, Regan couldn’t resist asking about that. “It’s the middle of the damned thoroughbred racing season! How can you afford to be out here instead of back at the clinic? Or even more to the point, how can you leave your parents and their cronies in the lurch like that?”

  “I have someone covering for me. If he gets overwhelmed, there are plenty of vets in the area who will be glad to have the business.”

  Regan wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “You don’t care if your parents are pissed? You don’t care if your business goes down the tubes because you needed a long vacation?” That wasn’t the Drake Brewster he knew.

  “No, I don’t. Those things aren’t a priority right now. I have two goals—getting my head out of my ass and talking things out with you. Since the first one will probably take at least two months, I thought I’d make a start on achieving the second one.”

  “Good luck with that. I have no interest in seeing you.”

  “Just think about it. I know you, Regan, and you will think about it. The cabin where I’m staying is just outside the boundaries of the Last Chance Ranch.”

  “How the hell did you know to go there?”

  “That’s where you had me forward your mail, Regan. The cabin’s owner said the Chance family knows where the place is, so they can direct you if you decide to pay me a visit.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Your choice.”

  “You bet it is. Goodbye, Drake.” He disconnected the call and stood in the darkness, adrenaline pumping through his system. Damn Drake Brewster to hell and back. Regan began to pace in a tight circle, keeping to the shadows.

  This sucked. Right when he was starting to mellow out and enjoy life again, specifically life with Lily King, and forget about that nasty chapter in his past, here was Drake to remind him of it. Worse yet, the guy intended to stay in that little cabin for two friggin’ months.

  Sure as anything, Regan would run into him at the Shoshone Diner, or at the ice-cream parlor, or...wait. The most likely place would be Spirits and Spurs. Shit! Now Regan wouldn’t be able to go in for a beer without worrying about Brewster riding a bar stool and polluting the atmosphere by his very presence.

  Regan wanted him gone, but it was a free country. He couldn’t make Drake leave. His only recourse was to convince him, one way or another. And that meant going over to that blasted cabin. Damn it!

  “Regan?”

  He turned, and there stood Lily looking worried. No wonder; he’d been pacing and muttering to himself like a crazy man. “What?”

  “I came to ask you something, but...you’re obviously upset. What’s wrong?”

  “I...” He took off his hat and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. His head hurt. His whole body hurt. He crammed his hat back on. “Never mind. It’ll take too long to explain.” With a supreme effort, he dredged up a smile. None of this was Lily’s fault. “What’s the question?”

  She hesitated. “Is this problem something I need to know about?”

  “Eventually. Not right this minute. What’s up?”

  “Dominique’s offered to make up a poster showing each horse, just the face, and their name underneath. She can do it tonight, no problem. But should we include the lifers on there? And if so, how should we label them?”

  “Not lifers.” That made him smile for real. This past week he and Lily had started calling the permanent six by that nickname. “Sounds like we’re running a prison. How about calling them permanent residents and the others temporary guests?”

  “That works. I’ll let her know.” She paused. “Sure you can’t tell me what’s got you so upset?”

  “Drake called.” Just saying those words made it more real. His chest felt as if someone had wrapped a steel band around it and pulled it tight.

  Her eyes widened. “Why?”

  “He’s here in Jackson Hole. Staying in a little cabin near the Last Chance boundary for two months. He wants to talk.”

  “Wow.” She regarded him silently for a few minutes, her eyes full of compassion. “Well...maybe that’s good.”

  “Good? How can that be good? I came here to get away from the bastard!”

  “I know, but...if you could clear the air...”

  He stared at her in disbelief. Apparently she hadn’t been paying attention. “Sure, why not? Then everything will be fine. We can sit around a campfire, tell jokes and sing ‘Kumbaya.’”

  “I’m not saying it will be easy, but if he’s holding out the olive branch, don’t you have an obligation to take it after all you meant to each other?”

  “No! I don’t have a single obligation when it comes to Drake Brewster!”

  She didn’t respond to that, but he could tell from her expression that she didn’t agree with him. She thought he should make nice with his former best friend, mend the fences and forge a new relationship. Bull. Her advice sounded familiar, though. His parents had counseled him to do the exact same thing the last time he’d talked to them.

  “I’m not going to engage in some damned sensitivity session with Drake so that he can feel better about himself, Lily. I have no obligation to ease his guilty conscience. He did what he did, and now he can suffer the consequences. End of story.”

  She seemed about to say something, but then she didn’t. “Okay, fine. I’ll go tell Dominique how to label the horses.” She walked away, clearly disappointed in his reaction.

  He wasn’t too happy with hers, either, but he shouldn’t be surprised. She was the softie, the one who couldn’t help but say yes, the
one who hadn’t been firm with the horses because she hadn’t wanted to damage their fragile egos. Naturally she’d want him to smooth things over with Drake. He wasn’t about to do that. Not even for her.

  * * *

  THE CHANCE FOLKS left around midnight. Earlier tonight Lily had looked forward to them leaving so she could spend some quality time with Regan. Now the issue of Drake hung between them. She could sweep it under the rug and pretend it didn’t matter while they frolicked in her bed, but that wasn’t her style.

  If she’d been in this relationship only for the sex, she might have considered ignoring Regan’s attitude toward Drake. But wonderful as the sex had been all week, the friendship they’d created was even more important to her. And friends didn’t let friends go off the rails, at least not without making some attempt to help.

  They stood together on the porch waving as the last of the Chance trucks pulled away. Lily felt good about the preparations. The horses were better disciplined, and Peaceful Kingdom looked like an organized rescue operation instead of the helter-skelter project it had been a week ago.

  She turned to Regan. “Thank you for all you’ve done. The adoption fair is going to be awesome.”

  “It should run smoothly.” There was a reserved note in his voice that hadn’t been there a few hours ago.

  She hated that, but judging from his cautious mood, she couldn’t have coaxed him into mindless sex even if she’d thought it was a good idea. They’d become so close in the past week, but they didn’t have a firm foundation that would allow them to postpone an important discussion while they blew off steam. The discussion had to come first.

  Earlier this evening she’d put on a fleece hoodie to ward off the chill of an early June night. Regan was wearing a denim jacket for the same reason. She decided to take advantage of that and suggest they stay out here and talk. For one thing, the porch was about the only place they hadn’t made love. It could be their neutral zone.

  “How about sitting on the steps here for a little while before we go in?” She visualized a positive response, the way he’d taught her to do with the horses. She’d discovered sometimes it worked with people, too.

  He blew out a breath. “That’s probably a good idea. I want to explain a few things.”

  “Good.” She sat down on the top step. “I’m all ears.”

  He sat next to her but not close enough to touch. That in itself was telling. Usually when they were alone, he couldn’t get close enough. “I told you nobody knew the details of that Christmas Eve but the three people involved. I want you to know them, so you’ll understand.”

  “Okay.”

  Resting his elbows on his knees, he laced his fingers together. She wanted him to reach out and take her hand, but he didn’t choose to do that. “Let me give you some quick background. Drake was the first friend I made my freshman year at UV. We did everything together. He introduced me to Jeannette, and then the three of us hung out a lot, sometimes adding whatever girl Drake was dating at the time. He never stayed with any very long.”

  “Could he have been secretly in love with Jeannette?”

  “No.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yep. And before you ask, she wasn’t secretly in love with him, either. We were together a lot. I would have picked up on it.”

  “Guess so.” Lily wasn’t totally convinced, but she let it go. This wasn’t about what she thought.

  “After graduation, Drake and I went into practice together. His parents own racehorses and so do many of their friends, including Jeannette’s folks. With contacts like that, we couldn’t help but succeed. To no one’s surprise, Jeannette and I got engaged.”

  “Right.”

  Regan cleared his throat and stared into the darkness. “As I said the other day, I’ve thought about that engagement a lot lately, and I’ll admit I wasn’t the most attentive guy. I let work interfere too much. In fact, I’d expected to spend that Christmas Eve delivering a foal, but it turned out to be false labor. So I got to go home to Jeannette. Instead of calling to say I was on my way, I decided to surprise her.”

  Lily’s stomach lurched. Poor Regan.

  “When I saw Drake’s SUV sitting in front of our town house, I figured he’d pulled his usual trick of shopping on Christmas Eve. He’s famous for that. I thought he was delivering our last-minute gift.”

  She put her hand on his arm because she had to touch him. His muscles stiffened, but she kept her hand there. “I’m sorry. So, so sorry.”

  “I walked in, thinking they’d be in the living room, or maybe back in the kitchen, because Jeannette had promised to make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. Then I heard her upstairs. She was...moaning with obvious pleasure.”

  Lily sucked in a breath and laid her head on his arm. “Horrible.”

  “They said it was the first time they’d had sex, and the thing is, I believe that’s true. But once was all it took for me to realize that I never wanted to see Drake Brewster again.”

  She squeezed his arm and gazed at his profile, which looked as if it had been carved in granite. “I don’t blame you.”

  His shoulders relaxed a little. “Thank you. I figured if I told you the whole story, you’d understand.”

  “I do. Oh, Regan, I do. But...”

  “But?” He looked squarely at her. “Surely after hearing my side of the story, you’re not going to tell me I should meet with him.”

  “Not for his sake.”

  “Damn straight! Then why go?”

  “For your sake, so you can put this behind you.”

  “I have put it behind me!”

  “No, you haven’t. If you had, then you wouldn’t care if Drake showed up here. But he did, and you’re beside yourself. You need to go see him, Regan, and make peace with the situation.”

  His jaw worked as he stared straight ahead. “You’ll be happy to know that I do have to go see him. But I’m only doing it because it’s how I’ll get him to leave. I won’t be going to make peace with the situation. I’ll be going to get his ass out of my town.” Standing, he walked into the house.

  She didn’t have to ask if he was moving his things back into her bedroom. She knew the answer. Clutching her stomach, she leaned over and rested her forehead on her knees. The pain of letting herself fall for Regan O’Connelli was about to start.

  16

  REGAN COUNTED the adoption fair a modest success. They’d adopted out only five horses when he would have preferred six or seven, but two of the five had been Rex and Strawberry. Molasses had also found a good home. That left sixteen horses for twelve stalls, but with the paddock available and the two most assertive geldings gone, it was workable.

  He and Nick had finished dismantling the bleachers and strapped them onto the flatbed provided by the Chances. Regan took off his gloves and held out his hand. “Couldn’t have done this without you, buddy. You and the rest of the family.”

  “Glad to. It’s a great cause and I want Lily to succeed at this.”

  “Yeah, me, too.” Thoughts of Lily were extremely painful at the moment, but he didn’t want Nick to know that. Working with her all day and exchanging only clipped words had been horrible. The past few hours ranked as some of the worst of his life.

  “So you think you’ll be staying on here? Not that we don’t love having you at the ranch, but those boys arrive tomorrow, and the second floor won’t exactly be a quiet haven anymore.”

  Regan had no idea what he was doing at this point. “I have to talk to Lily,” he said. “She might be ready to kick me out.” He made it sound like a joke.

  “I sincerely doubt that.” Nick had a speculative gleam in his eyes, though, as if he was catching something bubbling under the surface. “Whatever you decide is fine. Just warning you about those boys.”

  “T
hanks. I’m sure I could handle a few adolescent boys.” His problem was one thirty-year-old man who was currently living way too close to the Last Chance for Regan’s comfort. “I, uh, need to ask you about something.”

  “Sure.”

  “I hear there’s a log-cabin rental just outside your fence line.”

  “Matter of fact, there is. We became better acquainted with that place a couple of winters ago when one of our hands chased a runaway horse over in that direction. He had to take refuge there. Do you want to rent it? I can put you in touch with the owner.”

  “No. I just need directions.”

  “Okay. Do you mind if I ask why?”

  He hesitated. If he couldn’t convince Drake to leave, word would get out sooner or later. The guy was bound to come into town. “Drake Brewster, my... former business partner, is staying there. He wants to see me.”

  Nick stroked his chin. “I see. I’m not sure it’s safe to let you go over there by yourself, cowboy. I’d hate for you to get arrested for assault.”

  “Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind, but he’s not worth it. He’s here because he wants to salve his guilty conscience. If I can convince him he’s wasting his time, I’m hoping he’ll pack up and leave.”

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  Anger tightened Regan’s gut. “I’ll think of something else.”

  “Let me know what happens. Jack is friends with the owner of the cabin. If we put our heads together, we might come up with a way to get the guy evicted.”

  Regan smiled for the first time today. “Thanks. I always like a backup plan.”

  “Or, if the eviction idea isn’t possible because of legal issues, Jack can send a work detail to that area with a few chain saws. They don’t have to cut anything down, but they could make a hell of a noise. We could set up some battery-operated lights and start work around two in the morning.”

  “I like it.” Regan chuckled. “Only thing is, if you drive a rat away from one hidey-hole, he’s liable to take up residence somewhere else.”

  “Not in our town, he won’t. Had I known about this cabin-rental deal, his sorry ass wouldn’t be plunked down there, either. At the very least he’d be staying in Jackson, or even farther away in Cheyenne.”