by C. J. Miller
Her thoughts turned again to Declan and she swatted them away. He was trouble for her. River’s relationship with his new half brother had overarching complexities Jade didn’t fully understand. More than that, Declan was La Bonne Vie’s owner and as far as Jade could tell, that place brought nothing except problems, including becoming a hideout for their mother last month. Having lived through Livia’s lifetime of crimes, Jade wasn’t naive and sheltered, but Declan had a polish and sophistication she didn’t. Getting caught up with a man more mature and experienced would land her in trouble. Being in over her head in business was something she could handle, but not in her personal life.
Assigning blame wouldn’t help, but Jade believed her mother had a hand in her daughter’s inability to fit in. With the exception of Mac, father to Jade’s half brother Thorne and the man who had taken Jade and Claudia in after Livia’s arrest, Jade hadn’t had a guiding hand growing up. She hadn’t been close with her siblings and Jade hadn’t confided in them when she had problems at school. Same as it was now, except she didn’t make mistakes in school, it was her life and her business that took the hit.
Jade unlocked the stable door and entered. Her horses were all retired Thoroughbreds in need of rehabilitation. Most were three to five years old and had either retired from racing or had never competed because they weren’t fast enough, strong enough or had the wrong dispositions. When the horses no longer required her stable’s services, she would place them for sale. Since opening Hill Country Farm as an equine rehabilitation center two years ago, she had rehabbed, retrained and had found homes for three horses. In her long-term plans, she wanted to work with more horses at one time.
Rehabbing horses, depending on the condition in which she received them, required dedication and commitment. The horse showing the most problems was Tinker, a bay mare. She was nowhere near ready to be rehabbed or retrained. After receiving arthroscopic surgery to repair a leg fracture, Tinker had spent the last month in the pasture during the day and needed to relax and grow accustomed to the changes in her life. Lower protein, higher carbohydrate diet, easy, lazy time spent grazing.
When Jade entered the stable, she sensed the tension rolling off the mare. She spoke to Tinker quietly and calmly, same as she did every time she was near her.
Tinker had a faraway look in her eyes. Though Jade rarely received the complete history of a horse’s life, and no owner admitted to drugging or abusing the animals, she had the sense that Tinker had not been treated well. To date, she might be the most difficult horse she’d taken on, but Jade would not give up. Hill Country Farm would be a place known for sticking it out even when the times were tough.
Claudia had mentioned that some animals, as with people, were beyond repair. Jade heard her meaning, but she wouldn’t accept it. Their mother was a monster. Jade had written her off. But these horses deserved a better life.
Jade sensed someone watching her. If Livia had crept onto her farm to corner her, Jade was ready. Her adrenaline fired and her muscles were tight. Rational thought struggled against her fears. It couldn’t be Livia. Showing up tonight would be audacious, even for Livia. Jade whirled and her eyes landed on Declan.
“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to stare.”
Excitement and happiness danced inside her at the sight of him.
Tinker whinnied, as if sensing the energy in the air, and Jade reached to soothe her. Her heart thundered against her rib cage. “You surprised me. I thought I was alone.” Taking in a measured breath, she kept her cool for her animals. If she got too rattled, they would sense it and act out. Part of her therapy was teaching her horses that calm was okay. They didn’t need to be ready to perform at a moment’s notice anymore.
“You were talking to that horse in a way I’ve never seen before,” Declan said.
“You’re from Texas,” Jade said. Most of the people she knew loved horses: Mac and Thorne and her nephew, Cody, especially.
An uninterpretable emotion passed over Declan’s face. “I was born here. But I spent a good portion of my life in Louisiana.”
Jade mentally kicked herself. She had heard from Edith that Declan had been in foster care in New Orleans. Not knowing him well enough to pry, she didn’t ask how he had come to be in another state. She didn’t appreciate when people asked her invasive questions. Much of her childhood was filled with dark, twisted memories she hated recalling. “I love all my horses.” Stick to a topic she was comfortable with.
“How many do you have?” he asked, taking a couple of steps toward her.
She would give anything to have something more to do with her hands, to keep busy. “Eight. Which is max capacity for us. I just sold a horse last month.” Nine had been near impossible; only with Flint so close to finishing his rehabilitation had it been possible.
Declan tucked his hands in his pockets. He looked at the rows of stalls. “More room than for eight.”
Talking about her big plans made her nervous, almost as if admitting her pie-in-the-sky dream would get her laughed at. Her mother had laughed at her. Her teachers had expected her to fail. After her father died, only Mac had believed in her. Without him, she wouldn’t have had the courage to open Hill Country Farm. “I have room to grow, but I need additional staff to make that possible. Right now, I’m the only full-time employee. My brother, nephew and Mac pitch in from time to time, and I have a few part-time employees and volunteers, but the horses rely almost solely on me.” She was babbling. He didn’t need to know every detail of her business. Asking for his advice would be harder if he thought she was spacey.
“I’ve heard good things about this place,” Declan said.
A pleasant surprise and her pride touched up a notch. “People are talking about Hill Country?” Or maybe Edith or River had mentioned something.
“Shadow Creek is a small town. Doesn’t everyone talk about everyone else?” Declan asked.
He grinned and his smile felled her. Gorgeous and charming, he was sweeping her off her feet without lifting a finger. They had known each other a short time, yet she was drawn to him. “No one seems to know much about you,” Jade said. She regretted the implication that she had been asking around about him. She wasn’t exactly, only about La Bonne Vie. But she was curious about him now. She was hungry for more knowledge about the mysterious Declan Sinclair.
“There’s not much to know,” Declan said.
“I doubt that very much,” Jade said. In addition to his interesting real estate purchase, he was wealthy and good-looking and likely had experiences and interests to share.
“I can tell you my big secret,” Declan said.
Interest brought her a few steps closer. Confiding in her during their first real conversation, he must feel the pull too. “I’m a great secret keeper.” An understatement. Desperate to be brought into his confidence, she waited.
“I’m married to my job. My calendar is booked and I’m rarely sitting around, but it’s almost all related to work. So while I know there have been rumors about me and what I do and where I go, it’s all about my job.”
“All real estate, all the time?” she asked, not truly believing that was the whole story and wondering how La Bonne Vie fit into his plans.
He nodded. “The most interesting thing to happen to me today was meeting you and talking with you. I’ve seen you around town, but tonight you look especially beautiful. Maybe it’s how you look when you talk to your horses. There’s something so entrancing about it,” Declan said.
The reflection of her love for her horses must radiate from her every pore. She lived and breathed her work, much like he did. “Then I guess that’s something we have in common. My work is my everything too.”
But Jade did feel beautiful as Declan looked at her, and it had been a long time since she had felt this giddy with a man. She was happy she had taken the time to have her hair styled at Marie’s Sal
on and Spa and she had worn the dress Claudia had helped her select. Declan’s attention was flattering and the admiration she saw in his eyes as he looked at her stables made her proud.
The stables had been her design. Each stall was intended to be safe and comfortable. The wood was a lighter color, sanded and polished with materials safe for the horses. She had a place for the hay and food to be stored and prevented from rotting. Overhead, the loft held additional supplies. She had extra chaps, protective helmets and riding boots close to the hose bib for easier cleaning. Bibs and saddles, blanket bags, feeders, measuring scoops, extra water buckets and brushes had their places in an alcove of bins and hooks. Muck carts and cleaning buckets were ready; the ones she had used that morning were clean and drying across the way.
“You sound like me. All work and no play,” Declan said.
A man who looked and dressed like Declan, with those smoldering eyes and fit physique, had to date society women. He likely had his pick of companions when he wanted one. But maybe that was what he was telling her; he was only interested in brief affairs. Jade shook off the thought. She was overanalyzing, a bad habit she had picked up from trying to read her mother’s moods to know when to avoid her.
Jade kept her tone carefully casual. “Anytime you want to get away from your job and spend time here, you’re welcome. There’s plenty to do.”
Declan studied her and Jade found herself loving how he looked at her. Attention from men sometimes confused her and she wasn’t sure what they wanted from her. She wished she hadn’t had a totally manipulative psychopath as a mother. Though Livia had been great at tricking men into doing what she wanted, Jade wasn’t eager to use those methods and follow in her footsteps. She often wondered if she would unintentionally do just that, so she was careful not to coerce people. It had become almost instinct to speak what she wanted plainly and honestly.
“I may do that. This is a great place and the work you’re doing is good for the community. A positive endeavor,” Declan said.
Unlike her mother’s “endeavors,” which had been dark and twisted. “You’d have to dress differently.”
He glanced down at his suit. “You’re wearing a dress. Is a suit that much more overdressed?”
She laughed. “I don’t wear dresses most workdays.”
“You could start a new trend and look great doing it,” Declan said.
His compliment brought color to her cheeks. “If it fetched money to the cause, I’d do anything,” Jade said. Almost anything shy of illegal dealings to raise funds. Jade hadn’t meant to mention money, but it was on her mind. Working with charitable organizations to fund the horses’ care and veterinary bills were her top priority. Without it, she couldn’t keep Hill Country open. She didn’t make enough from the sale of her crops and horses to cover her costs.
“Consider it as a way to get your name out there.”
“My name is out there plenty,” Jade said with a helpless shrug.
Declan smiled. “Lead with the name of your cause. I saw a post on the table toppers in Big Jim’s for Honeysuckle Road. I had never heard of it, but while I’m not their target demographic, it got my attention. A picture of you with your horses with the cause would show people what a special place this is.”
Honeysuckle Road was Claudia’s boutique. Given his business success, Jade tucked the idea away for the future. “I’m devoted to making my farm succeed. My father was a great horseman. I inherited his love of horses.” The sadness and grief at her father’s passing never left her. It had been almost two decades since he had died and she still missed him every day. “He passed away when I was seven.”
It was something she rarely talked about with anyone, and she was surprised she mentioned it to Declan. When Jade was a child, Livia had made her feel bad for being sad about her father and had forbidden her from talking about it, even though her mother was responsible for her father’s death. Though she had gotten a few sympathetic looks from Claudia whenever it came up, the rest of her siblings had kept their heads down and their lips sealed. It was as if they knew Livia had done something wrong and they were too scared to say anything. That left Jade on her own. Growing up with a house filled with siblings, she had been utterly lonely.
Her father had been kicked by a horse, but the secret cause of his demise was one that Jade had kept for years. She had been terrified of her mother then and she was afraid of her now. Livia Colton was capable of true acts of evil. “Mac loves horses too, so I feel comfortable around them.” Better to keep the conversation light.
Jade hadn’t before had a friend who she could confide in about her family. To some extent, she could talk to her half siblings about their mother, but with varying degrees of success. Some didn’t want to speak of her; others seemed to turn a blind eye to the whole truth. Though her siblings’ feelings on their mother had changed in the last five months since Livia had escaped prison and began showing up in their lives, bringing more ugly truths to light, Jade hadn’t developed an open rapport with her family yet. But to have someone, anyone, in her life who she could speak to about Livia and about her childhood, would be therapeutic beyond measure. To open up to someone and not worry about them turning away from her would be a first.
Cheering and whistling from the party floated through the air. “We should get back to the party,” Jade said. Except she didn’t want to return. Talking to Declan had been the highlight of the night for her. He was open and easy to talk with.
Declan extended his elbow to her. “May I escort you back?”
She took his arm. “I’d like that, thank you.” When her hand set on the crook of his arm, she felt heat and a twinge of excitement.
* * *
Declan prided himself on having good instincts about people, business deals and properties. He had walked away from million-dollar deals because he didn’t trust someone’s motives. Since he’d been in Shadow Creek, seeing the Coltons around town was usually accompanied by the impulse to avoid them. The rule of thumb was that they could not be trusted: proceed with extreme caution.
That response presented a problem when it came to River. Edith wanted them to be friends and since Declan cared about Edith, he felt the obligation to try to get to know him better. Edith had strong opinions on the matter and, true to form, she wasn’t shy about telling Declan what she thought. Knowing their history, she thought they could move forward in a positive direction. Optimistic Edith.
Jade was the sole Colton who gave him no pause. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was more than that. He witnessed her caring for her family in the manner she worked the party and she was warm and kind to her horses. Yet he sensed she wasn’t on the inside circle of the Colton clan.
Declan shook off his strengthening emotions for Jade. His entire adult life, he’d held people at arm’s length. The engagement party was getting to him, his affection for Edith coloring the entire situation. He wanted to believe that the Coltons weren’t rotten to the core and that desire was influencing how he viewed Jade.
“There you are!”
At the sound of Edith’s voice, Declan turned, forcing a smile. Her happiness was of the upmost importance to him and tonight was special for her and River. Though he had reservations about how fast they were moving, he understood Edith’s unmet desire for a family. She wanted to belong to something and the Coltons had embraced her. If nothing else, Declan gave them credit for that.
Edith’s eyes sparkled with joy and excitement. River was standing next to her, decidedly more stoic. A few minutes before, he had been smiling when talking to his family. With Declan, he was serious and seemed almost wary. They had talked about what had transpired between their parents, but the brothers had not moved fully past the awkwardness. It took a long time for a lifetime of hurt and betrayal to cool.
“Congratulations, both of you,” Declan said. He reached into his pocket and withdrew t
he card he had brought for the occasion. Extending her hand, Edith took it. “Thanks, Declan. It was nice of you to come tonight.” She knew this wasn’t where he wanted to be.
He’d picked out a card and bought her a gift certificate for a spa she liked in Austin. His obligation was fulfilled. “For you, I’d go anywhere.” Having survived a rough part of his life with Edith’s help, Declan wouldn’t forget her strength and how it had kept him going. Her optimism had pulled him through then, and he relied on it now.
“I have an awkward question,” Edith said. “Since you’re the closest person I have to a brother, and you’re River’s brother—”
“Half,” he and River said at the same time.
Edith shot her fiancé a disapproving look. “Since you’re River’s half brother, would you give a toast?”
“No” was on the tip of his tongue. This night was to celebrate Edith and River. Declan had made his peace with the fact that they were getting married. But to stand up in front of the Coltons and give his blessing was asking him to dig deep for acceptance he didn’t have. “What would you like me to say?”
Edith touched her chest. “Speak from the heart.”
The pleading in her eyes got to him. Lying to a crowd of strangers wasn’t beyond him, but he wouldn’t do that to Edith. Already mentally composing what he would say, he nodded. “I can say something.”
Edith smiled at him and River nodded his appreciation. They would bond over their mutual affection for Edith.
Declan grabbed a glass of champagne from the bar. In the crowd, his eyes fell on Jade. She watched him and he read the burn of interest in her eyes. His interest had to be reflecting back to her.
Declan raised his voice. “Excuse me, if I could have your attention for a moment.”
Sixty pairs of eyes turned toward him and the conversation dulled to quiet.