Wilde Horses

by Jannine Gallant

  “She went back to the house to shower.”

  “Strange. I didn’t see her leave your bus.”

  “Damn it, Pris, can you get the hell out? I have to pee, and I don’t feel like parading around naked.” Blake practically growled the request.

  Surely Pris would get a clue and leave sometime soon. Preferably while there was still oxygen beneath the covers.

  “Fine. You don’t have to snap at me. Excuse me for worrying about your health.”

  He let out a long sigh. “Sorry, but—”

  “I can take a hint. I’m going.”

  The door slammed.

  “Jesus.” Blake let out a long breath.

  Eden flipped back the blanket and gulped in some much needed air. She smiled at the dark scowl drawing his brows together. “Actually, I don’t think she can take a hint.”

  “No kidding. I was tempted to whip the covers off you just to shut her up.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t. I’d rather my name wasn’t the headline in some celebrity gossip magazine.”

  He stroked a strand of hair away from her cheek. “Are you embarrassed to be dating me?”

  “Not in the least, but I don’t believe who I choose to sleep with is anyone’s business but mine and the man involved, no matter how famous you are. I’d prefer to keep our…affair, or whatever it is we have going on here, private.”

  Bending, he dropped a kiss on her lips then lingered for a second. “I respect that and agree completely. For the record, I’m not interested in an affair. I’d rather have a relationship.”

  “So would I, but I can foresee a gazillion complications.”

  “Then we’ll just have to work through them.” He slid his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “I guess we’d better get moving. I need to check the revised filming schedule, and didn’t you say you have to retake yesterday’s scene with Max this morning?”

  She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. “Yes. Honestly, I’d rather go work with my horses and tell John to take a flying leap.” She squinted up at him. “But he’s a little scary when he’s mad.”

  “You aren’t the only one who’s afraid of our illustrious director.” Blake rolled his eyes. “I think he enjoys his reputation as a tough son of a bitch. But, since the man gets superior results, I’m willing to put up with his moods.”

  “He doesn’t yell at you the way he does at the rest of us peons.”

  “You’re not a peon. Right now you’re irreplaceable since Kara can’t do those stunts herself. If you’re late this morning and John doesn’t like it, tell him too bad.”

  “I just might.” She climbed off the bed when he moved out of her way, then walked over to the couch where she’d left her bag open on the far end. “Screw taking a shower. Makeup is just going to cover me in tanning lotion again.” Grabbing underwear, shorts and a T-shirt, she spun around. “I’d better get over there…” Her voice faded as she met his glittering gaze. “What’s wrong?”

  He swallowed then shook his head. “Nothing. Except I want to take you straight back to bed. Do you know how hot you are wandering around naked?”

  She gave him an up and down perusal, pausing midway through her inspection. Her cheeks heated. “Pot, kettle, Blake.”

  He glanced down and shrugged. “Your fault entirely.”

  “Well, we don’t have time to do anything about your problem.”

  “Fine. Get dressed, and we’ll go grab some breakfast.”

  She bulled on a pair of blue panties then stuck one foot through the leg of her shorts. “No, we won’t.”

  A frown pinched his brows. “Why not?”

  “Because Pris is waiting for you.”

  He let out a long breath. “Damn.” Turning away, he rummaged through a drawer. Jeans in hand, he dropped down onto the edge of the bed. “Why the hell did I invite her to come out here? Do you remember?”

  Eden fastened her bra and pulled her T-shirt over her head then stepped closer to pat his cheek. “Because you’re a nice person, and she was hurting. Pris may be irritating and clingy, but she’s a fixture from your past. You would no more walk away from her completely than you’d run off a stray dog seeking shelter in a storm.”

  “You make me sound a lot more noble than I am.”

  “I don’t think so. If you weren’t such a great guy, I’d find you a whole lot easier to resist.” Her gaze lowered. “Despite your other obvious assets.”

  He grinned. “Since we don’t plan to do anything about my assets, quit distracting me so I can get dressed. Then I’ll go find Pris while you sneak out of here.”

  She sighed. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to get involved with you. Skulking around like a teen breaking curfew isn’t my style.”

  “Then we’ll walk out together, and to hell with what anyone thinks.”

  “No, we won’t. You’re not the one who’ll be judged. I hate that there’s a sexual double standard, but there is. If you were just a regular guy I met at a party, no one would care if we hooked up. But you’re Blake Benedict, and your one-night stands are news.” She fisted her hands on her hips. “I go to the grocery store. I’ve seen the headlines on those celebrity rags in the checkout line.”

  “What we have isn’t a quickie with some groupie, for Christ’s sake. Not that I’m in the habit of indulging in meaningless flings. Anyway, I’ve always tried to be discreet when I was involved with a woman, for the very reason you mentioned.”

  “Which is why I’ll slink back to the house, then show up at makeup with my costume in hand so Pris doesn’t get all bent out of shape and speculate about what we’ve been doing together.”

  “Fine.” He pulled on briefs and his jeans then slipped a T-shirt over his head. “I’ll brush my teeth and be ready in a minute.”

  She stopped him with a hand on his arm. “You seem fine this morning. Does your head hurt at all?”

  “Not much. I may pop an aspirin or two, but I think I can safely lose the bandage.”

  “Bend down and let me take it off.” When he did as she asked, Eden carefully loosened the tape and pulled off the pad. “The wound looks good, and there’s barely a bump now. They didn’t cut much hair around the gash.”

  “I made it clear there’d be hell to pay if they shaved the area. Good God, can you imagine John’s reaction if I came back half-scalped?”

  She smiled. “Maybe they could work an attempted massacre into the plot.”

  “Right. Give the writers a challenge. Thankfully, it shouldn’t be an issue since the nurse was careful with the scissors.”

  “Go brush your teeth while I pack up my bag.”

  Instead, he pulled her in for a hug and held on tight. “Thanks for being here for me, Eden. I appreciate it. I appreciate you, and I really do want to make a relationship work between us. I can’t remember the last time I met someone as terrific as you are.”

  She leaned against him, enjoying the contact, wishing she felt half as positive as he sounded about their chances. “I want that, too. I guess all we can do is give it our best shot and see what happens.”

  Pulling back, he smiled. “Good things will happen. I’m certain of it. After cutting my leg open and getting kicked in the head by a horse, my luck had better be on the upswing.”

  As she held on tight, a shiver slid through her. She could only pray he was right.

  Chapter 14

  Blake left his bus to walk toward the corral as evening shadows crisscrossed the barnyard. In the driveway, Eden stood next to a horse trailer hitched to a silver pickup. She shook hands with an adolescent girl sporting fiery red hair and freckles, then with a big man who had the same ginger coloring. The man clamped a cowboy hat on his head and waited for his daughter to climb into the cab of the truck. After a final comment to Eden, he settled his bulk on the seat, slammed the door and drove away. Eden rested her hands on her hips as her gaze followed the trail of dust left in the wake of the trailer.


  “Friends of yours?”

  “Huh?” She spun toward Blake and smiled, but a hint of sadness lingered in her eyes. “No, I just sold Jezebel. She went to a good home. The girl, Robin, has been out a couple of times to ride her in the last week, and Jezebel behaved beautifully. It was time.”

  He reached out to touch her cheek. “My guess is that doesn’t make letting her go any easier.”

  “No, it doesn’t.” A long sigh slipped out. “I shouldn’t let myself get so attached, but I can’t help it.” Her eyes darkened. “Makes saying good-bye all the harder.”

  He slipped an arm around her waist and hugged her to his side. “You still have the other horses, right?”

  “For now. A couple of buyers are coming at the end of the week to check out the Pintos. Apollo is the only one of the group who isn’t ready to adopt out yet. That big brute still has major attitude.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t sell him.”

  She glanced up to meet his gaze. “Once in a while, when we need another work horse, I do keep one of my Appaloosas, but Apollo doesn’t have the right temperament for herding cattle.”

  “Does he have to be useful? You can’t keep him around just because you like him?” A teasing edge entered his voice.

  She gave him an up and down inspection. “I guess I could. Wouldn’t be the first time I was attracted to a good-looking male without much else to recommend him.”

  “Funny.”

  “I have my moments.” She took a deep breath. “Not as often as I’d like.”

  Tilting her chin with one finger, he looked into her eyes. “Is something wrong other than giving up Jezebel?”

  “Yesterday, John mentioned you’d finish filming at the end of the week.”

  Blake nodded. “As long as we don’t have any more setbacks to slow us down, we’ll roll out of here on Sunday.” He squinted against the setting sun. “It’s been days since my mishap on Flint. Seems like whoever wanted to injure me gave up trying.”

  “Or he already accomplished his primary goal.” She pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and strolled past the barn toward the open prairie. “My dad bumped into the sheriff in town this morning, and he admitted they’re no closer to identifying the person responsible for putting the glass under Flint’s saddle than they were when it happened.”

  “My guess is the local cops aren’t exactly a high-tech crime team.”

  “No, but they’re competent. Howard, however, isn’t one for speculation. He likes to have hard facts before he makes any moves.”

  Blake ambled along at her side, content to go wherever she was headed. “Howard is…?”

  “The sheriff. He used to play baseball with Sawyer in high school. The man isn’t a big fan of guesswork.”

  “I doubt a lot of cops are.”

  She smiled up at him. “Maybe not, but I love playing ‘What if?’”

  “That’s right. You came up with a list of suspects while I languished in the clinic after the horse kicked me. I take it you have a new theory?” He paused as they drew close to a herd of Hereford cattle, tails swishing as they grazed to the chorus of sparrows chirping in the dry grass. “Want to share?”

  “Maybe we’ll never know for certain what happened, but I’ve made a few astute observations over the last week.”

  He grinned. “Oh, really? Do tell, Sherlock.”

  “I’m more like Nancy Drew, so I guess that makes you Ned.” She gave him an amused glance before her expression sobered. “Max has been awfully busy lately. Not only did he double for you in the scene where he had to scoop me off the ground, but there was also the one where you got shot and fell off your horse.”

  Blake kicked at a clump of switchgrass. “I could have done that stunt.”

  “But John wouldn’t let you risk another injury. To my way of thinking, Max gained the most from your concussion.”

  “So, he’s your top suspect?”

  “Yep, but not my only one.”

  “I still don’t believe Max would try to hurt me, but I can’t think of anyone else who benefited.”

  She turned to gaze toward the western mountains as the sun sank behind them, tinting the sky pink. “Have you noticed Kara and her husband haven’t been fighting lately?”

  “Now that you mention it, Kara does seem a lot happier.”

  “We’ve been hanging out together pretty regularly since the day you got kicked in the head.” When Eden leaned against him, he wrapped an arm around her. She tilted her chin to smile up at him. “You may have kissed me a time or two in public. Maybe Hayden decided you aren’t interested in his wife, after all.”

  “Unbelievable. So, your theory is he stopped trying to kill me because I can’t keep my hands off of you?”

  “Yep. Doesn’t really matter if it’s Max or Hayden because either way, their motivation for hurting you is gone now.”

  “What about Zane? We discussed him as a suspect once before.”

  “Something’s definitely going on with him. Lately, he’s been abrupt to the point of rudeness, and he’s had a couple of private meetings with my dad.”

  “What does your father say?”

  “He’s not talking. Still, if Zane tried to kill you out of jealousy, it seems unlikely he would have given up.” She turned in his arms. “As you pointed out, you have a hard time keeping your hands off me. And your lips.”

  “True.” He bent to kiss her then nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. “Since you refuse to sleep in the bus, I have to take what I can get, when I can get it.”

  “We talked about this.” Her voice held an undertone of warning.

  “I’m not complaining.” He kissed her again, stretching out the moment, then gave her a teasing grin. “Not much, anyway.” Taking her hand, he turned to walk back toward the ranch. “I feel like we got totally off topic with all this speculation about who wants me in a body cast—or maybe a body bag. You mentioned filming will end this weekend. Our month here is almost up.”

  She nodded. “I’m going to miss you…maybe even more than I’ll miss Jezebel.”

  “You don’t have to.” He squeezed her hand. “You can come back to L.A. with me. I have a beautiful, private beach house in Malibu where we can get to know each other better without feeling like our every move is under constant scrutiny.”

  “That sounds wonderful, but I have my horses to deal with.”

  “You just told me they’re all ready to go to new homes.” He held up his free hand when she opened her mouth. “Screw Apollo. He’ll still be waiting for you when you get back.”

  “True.” She swung their entwined fingers between them. “I need to think about it. My brothers’ double wedding is coming up at the end of the month.”

  “We’ll fly back before that. You told me I could be your date.”

  “Let me discuss the idea with my parents. My ranch responsibilities aren’t limited to my horses. We have a couple of impending projects I intend to help with, but we might be able to work something out.”

  Happiness filled him. At least she hadn’t totally shot down the idea. “Good enough for now.” When they reached the barn, he stopped and cupped the side of her waist. His fingers splayed upward across her ribs to caress the underside of her breast. “What do you have planned for this evening?”

  “I promised my grandpa I’d play cribbage with him. He almost always beats me, but we have fun.”

  “Then I won’t keep you. I was going to—”

  “Spend the evening with me.” The hard tone of the comment fell like a rock between them to shatter the peaceful evening.

  “Shit.” The word hissed beneath his breath before Blake turned to face Pris.

  The side door to the barn slapped shut as she headed toward them. “I hope you didn’t forget we made plans to have a talk tonight. When you weren’t in your bus, I went looking for you.” Her gaze settled on Eden. “Seems like you two were
having…a moment out there in the pasture.”

  His hand fell away from Eden’s soft curves. Pris had asked him something at breakfast, and he’d absently agreed. Apparently a cozy chat was what he was in for since he hadn’t paid attention. “Uh, no, I hadn’t forgotten. I needed to discuss something with Eden first.”

  Pris bit her lip. “If you’re finished…”

  “Yep, all done for now.” Eden’s smile held an edge. She reached up and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “See you later.”

  “Later?” His brows rose as hope stirred.

  “Sure, later. We can wrap up our discussion.”

  Heat suffused him as their gazes locked. Visions of getting wrapped up in Eden flitted through his mind. “Sounds good.”

  With a final smile, this one filled with promise, she strolled away.

  He let out a long breath and tore his gaze away. He needed to deal with Pris. It was past time to put an end to her expectations, which seemed to have grown all out of proportion over the last couple of weeks, and send her home. He took her arm to lead her toward his bus. “Let’s go have that talk.”

  She was silent for several long moments as they walked toward his bus. When she finally spoke, her voice was thick with tears. “I suppose you want to rush through any conversation with me so you can go find Eden again.”

  His lips tightened as he held open the door and waved her inside then followed. “Have a seat, Pris. I think we need to clear up a few things.”

  Her eyes widened, and her breath whooshed out as she sat opposite him on the padded bench with the table between them. “I didn’t mean to criticize you. But I’ve been thinking about Josie, and…” Her hazel eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  He would not feel guilty. “And what, Pris?”

  She hunched her shoulders. “I don’t get it. You loved Josie, and Eden is just so different. Sure, she’s pretty, but—”

  “Yes, she is. Eden’s also smart and funny, confident and forthright. I actually think Josie would have been a lot like her if she’d had the opportunity to mature into an adult.”

  “Those are just fancy words for saying the woman is pushy. Josie was never pushy. She always looked to you for guidance…like I do.”