What in the world was going on? she wondered.
Then, with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she remembered the dinner party Brandon had decided to give in honor of a fellow ex-Olympian in town for a week-long dressage clinic. He had asked her to act as his hostess and she had agreed, then promptly forgotten all about it.
He’d probably expected her to take an earlier flight in order to get back in time. But she’d been so preoccupied, she hadn’t given it a thought. Nor had she mentioned it in the message she’d left on his answering machine. No wonder he hadn’t tried to reach her at Devlin’s last night. He must have been furious. More than likely, he still was.
She would have liked to slink off to her cottage, but she knew that would only make bad matters worse. An apology was in order, and one offered within his guests’ hearing might pacify him somewhat. He loved having his employees grovel at his feet in front of an audience. She only hoped he wouldn’t be too obnoxious about it. She didn’t want Alex going off in her defense like a loaded gun. Then the jig would most certainly be up.
She stood on the front porch, rang the bell and waited like the supplicant she had to pretend to be. Not surprisingly, Brandon took his time answering the door, and as she fully expected, several of his guests were crowded into the entryway expectantly when he finally did.
“Ah, you’re back. Better late than never, I suppose,” he drawled, his smile slight as he eyed her angrily.
Dressed in tailored slacks and a silk shirt, he looked as elegant as ever. And as insidious as she now knew him to be.
“I’m really sorry, Brandon,” she apologized hastily. “I completely forgot about the party. Otherwise I would have tried to catch an earlier flight.”
“Considering how ill your sister-in-law insisted you were, that’s understandable,” he replied, his seeming beneficence not for her benefit, but for that of his guests. “Although you look well enough now.”
“I’m feeling much better, thank you.”
“I’d invite you to join us, but I imagine you’re rather tired after your long journey. And, of course, you are rather rumpled,” he sneered. “We’ll have to make our announcement another time, won’t we?”
“Yes,” she agreed, barely resisting the urge to cower ignobly.
“I assume you’ll be up to a workout in the morning, though. Say seven o’clock?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t be late.”
“I won’t,” she muttered to the door quietly closed in her face.
Her cheeks burning with embarrassment, Kari walked back to her car. She had forgotten how adept Brandon was at making her feel insignificant. But he certainly hadn’t wasted any time reminding her.
Shaking with anger and humiliation, she drove the mile to her cottage. Set back from the road in a small grove of trees, the little place called to her in a welcoming way.
Switching on lights, she walked through the tiny rooms, feeling at home. She’d painted and papered the walls to her taste, hung curtains on the windows and added furniture she’d bought and paid for herself.
Calming down considerably, she tossed her bags on the bedroom floor. Sure that a cup of hot tea would settle her nerves even more, she turned to go back to the kitchen and found Alex standing in the doorway. She stared at him for several seconds, the grim look on his face and the rigid lay of his shoulders leaving no doubt in her mind that he’d overheard her exchange with Brandon. Then, with a soft cry, she flew across the room and into his open arms.
“It’s all right,” he soothed. “I’m here now.”
“Yes,” she murmured, clinging to him. “Yes.”
“Not as easy as you thought it would be, was it?”
She wanted to say she hadn’t thought it would be easy at all. But that wasn’t completely true. She had been sure she could handle whatever Brandon chose to dish out. Now she knew she had been wrong.
“No.” She sighed and rubbed her cheek against Alex’s chest, taking comfort in the warmth of his body, the steady beating of his heart, the gentle caress of his hands on her back.
“Want to call it quits? Just say the word, and we’re out of here.”
She was tempted, so very tempted, to say yes.
After working for Brandon only a few weeks, she had realized that she never wanted him as an enemy. He had let her know that he could ruin her career with a few casual comments if he chose, and there would be nothing she could say or do to stop him.
He had been so sure of himself, and with good reason. Riding on past accomplishments—literally as well as figuratively—he had set himself up in a position of power, and no one, including her, had ever dared to challenge him.
Now she finally had a chance to prove he was nothing more than a common criminal. A once-in-a-lifetime chance she had to take for her own peace of mind.
“No.” She sighed again.
“Well, then, I’d better change the locks on your doors.”
Putting his hands on her shoulders, Alex eased away from her. He met her gaze for a moment, bent and kissed her cheek, then picked up his backpack.
“I was just going to make some hot tea. Want a cup, too?”
“Sounds good,” he agreed.
She ended up making grilled cheese sandwiches, also, using the half loaf of bread she found in the freezer and the block of cheddar cheese in the refrigerator. They ate after Alex finished installing the new locks. Then they went to bed, but not to sleep. Not for a very long, very loving time.
Chapter 10
Late Tuesday afternoon, Alex stood in the shadows just outside the barn at Selby Stables, watching as the filly Kari rode circled the perimeter of the outdoor arena yet again. Under Selby’s critical eye, she had been working the skittish young horse for well over an hour, coaxing her to take progressively higher jumps despite the animal’s tendency to balk when first presented with something new.
Alex realized that Selby was pushing both Kari and the horse, but there was nothing he could do about it. Since Sunday, he’d had to stand by silently while Kari willingly submitted to her employer’s ceaseless demands.
Just doing her job as she’d always done, she had insisted when he’d voiced his concern. And if Selby expected more than usual from her, it was only right, since she had been away for a week.
Alex wasn’t so sure about that. The more he saw Selby in action, the more he began to think the man was driving Kari so hard because he wanted to see her get hurt. She had forgotten his little dinner party, and Alex was afraid that to Brandon’s way of thinking, she deserved to be punished.
She had put in twelve-hour days Sunday and Monday, and was already well on her way to doing the same today. Granted, she was strong and healthy, but she wouldn’t be able to keep up with such a punitive schedule indefinitely. Which was why Alex had called Kevin Wyatt earlier that afternoon with an ultimatum—either Raymond Fairchild met with Selby within the next twenty-four hours or all bets were off.
Wyatt hadn’t been enthusiastic about changing his original timetable. But after Alex reminded him of what had happened to Amanda Holcomb, he had finally agreed to push forward.
Out in the arena, Kari was guiding the horse to the first of a series of five jumps. She rode with a grace and confidence that made Alex smile with pride as well as pleasure. She was good, really good. Not only with the horses, but also with the kids she taught so patiently, and with their parents, as well. She would have no trouble at all finding another job. Any stable owner in his right mind would hire her in a minute.
Or she could easily start her own business. He had the perfect place—a place he would gladly allow her to use with no strings attached. He could also loan her the money she would need to fill the barn with horses. Knowing she was there, making a life for herself, would be almost as satisfying for him as if they were there, making a life together.
Much as he wanted to believe that would be possible, he knew better. Once Selby was behind bars, she would be able to think straigh
t again, and what he had told her about himself would finally begin to sink in. Then, wisely, she wouldn’t want anything more to do with him, and he wouldn’t blame her. He’d go away and stay away, as he had known all along he would have to do eventually.
The filly took all five jumps without hesitation. Unfortunately, however, she knocked down the top pole on the last of them. Slapping his boot with his riding crop, Selby strode toward Kari. Still mounted, she watched him approach, her shoulders slumping as he stopped to replace the pole.
Though too far away to hear all of what he had to say, Alex caught enough to know Brandon was berating her for her lack of concentration as well as her sloppy riding. Wordlessly, she heard him out, then nodded when he ordered her to go around again.
Straightening in her saddle despite her ah-too-obvious exhaustion, Kari urged the horse into a canter. Hands clenched at his sides, Alex held his breath, willing her to hang on. To his relief, the filly jumped flawlessly. That should have been a good way to end the session as far as Alex was concerned. But for Kari’s reward, Selby raised the poles another foot and instructed her to ride on.
She obeyed, and as had happened twice already, the filly balked at the added height. This time, however, Kari flew out of the saddle, sailing head over heels and landing flat on her back.
Alex had seen her fall often enough in the past, but never quite so hard. When she lay still, making no attempt to get up, panic zinged through him. Without thinking, he ran toward the arena, slipped under the fence and knelt beside her.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you greasy little bastard?” Selby bellowed from where he lounged against a railing. “Get away from her.”
Ignoring him, Alex touched Kari on the shoulder, whispering her name. She opened her eyes and stared at him in momentary confusion, then pushed up on her elbow.
“Do what he says,” she muttered.
“Not until I’m sure you’re all right.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him, though she didn’t look it. Her face was deadly white, her eyes shadowed with pain. “I just had the wind knocked out of me. Now, get away from me or he’ll fire you.”
Reluctantly, Alex stood and crossed to the horse, gentling it with a few words as Kari got to her feet and brushed the dirt off her riding pants.
“Give Ms. Gray the reins and go back to work,” Selby said. Then he turned to Kari with a sneer. “Try to pay attention to what you’re doing, will you? Otherwise we’re going to be out here all night.”
With a brief, cautioning glance at Alex, Kari took the reins and swung into the saddle, a barely audible groan the only indication of how much she must be hurting.
“Please, do as he says, Alex,” she murmured as she edged the filly past him.
He was on the verge of going after her, ready to haul her off the horse forcibly if need be, when the sound of a car coming up the driveway caught everyone’s attention. A shiny silver Mercedes pulled to a stop near the house, and a dapper man dressed in a tailored suit stepped out and started toward them.
“Ah, Selby,” he said. “Just the man I need to see. I hope you’ll be able to fit me into your busy schedule.”
“Of course, Mr. Fairchild. I’ll be right with you,” Selby replied. Turning to Kari, he waved a hand dismissively. “I suppose that will have to be all for today. But I want you on her again first thing in the morning.”
As the two men walked toward the house, Alex moved to the filly’s side, glancing up at Kari. “I’ll put her up for you,” he offered.
“Not yet.” Gathering the reins, she urged the horse into a trot. All too aware what she had in mind, Alex started after her. She looked back at him, her chin tipped up at a reckless angle, and added, “Stay out of my way.”
Heeding her warning, Alex stood off to one side as the filly relaxed into a steady canter. Her mouth set in a grim line, Kari took the horse over first one jump, then another and another, until they’d cleared all five without a single mishap. Then she trotted over to him, slid out of the saddle and tossed him the reins as if he really were a stable hand.
“Cool her down for me, will you?”
“Sí, Señorita, ” he growled as she limped off.
What he really wanted to do was shake her for scaring him half to death. But on the off chance that their employer was watching, he led the filly back to the barn and set about doing as he’d been told.
He understood why Kari had taken the horse over the jumps. He also knew that under normal circumstances he would have had no right to try to stop her. But she was in the midst of a dangerous situation. And until Brandon Selby was completely out of the picture, she was going to have to realize that the minor risks she was used to taking on a daily basis could easily become much more deadly.
By the time he finished with the horse and did his share of the evening chores it was almost dark, and Raymond Fairchild was gone. He had stayed almost two hours. Out in one of the paddocks when he’d left, Alex had glimpsed him exchanging a businesslike handshake with Selby before he’d climbed into his car. Alex could only hope that meant Selby had taken the bait.
As he had the previous night, Alex went to the bunkhouse—actually a long, low shack divided into six small, airless rooms furnished with little more than cots—where he and the other three stable hands were allowed to live rent free. He hung around for a while, keeping to himself, while the others took turns using the one shabby bathroom and the tiny kitchen. Then, as they settled into their rooms for the night, he drifted off into the shadows.
He made his way to Kari’s cottage via a path he’d come across in the woods. She’d left the light burning above the kitchen sink, but otherwise the place was dark. Worried that she might be more badly hurt than she’d let on, he went in search of her. He found her in the bedroom, wrapped in a light cotton robe, lying still and silent on her bed.
“Alex?” She stirred as he sat down beside her, the mattress shifting under his weight.
“Si, Señorita.”
“I’m sorry I was such a witch.”
“De nada,” he assured her, using the Spanish words for “it’s nothing.” Then he added, “How are you feeling?”
“Not too good. I soaked in the tub for a while, but I’m so sore. I haven’t been tossed like that in a long time.”
“Got any liniment around?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She pushed up on one elbow, switched on the lamp and gestured toward the nightstand. “Right there,” she said, then flopped down again with a groan.
“Ah, the good stuff.” He eyed the bottle with approval, knowing from experience that the concoction it contained would ease her aches considerably. “Just let me get cleaned up and I’ll give you a rubdown like you’ve never had before.”
In the bathroom he peeled off the black wig and scraggly beard, removed his contact lenses, shucked his dirty jeans and chambray shirt, then showered quickly. Dressed in khaki shorts and a white T-shirt, he returned to the bedroom to find Kari dozing. He hated to disturb her, but unless he worked some of the soreness out of her muscles now, she’d be in bad shape in the morning.
“Come on, love, slip out of your robe and roll onto your stomach,” he said, sitting down beside her again.
Used to being around him without any clothes on, she did as he asked, displaying not the slightest shyness. Stretched out on the bed, she looked so damned inviting that he couldn’t stop himself from bending over and nuzzling her neck. She sighed and murmured his name, shifted toward him, then winced.
Mentally cursing himself for even thinking of making love to her when she was so obviously in pain, he sat back and reached for the liniment.
“Where do you want me to start?” he asked, pouring a generous measure of the menthol-scented lotion into the palm of his hand.
“Shoulders,” she instructed. “Then down the backs of my legs.”
Working slowly from her shoulders to her ankles, Alex massaged the liniment into her muscles as she lay quietly, he
r face buried in a pillow.
When he finally finished, she turned to look at him, an odd light in her sleepy eyes. “You have magic hands.”
“Does that mean you’re feeling better?”
“Much better.” Smiling, she sat up. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He held out her robe so she could slip into it more easily. “Now, about that little stunt you pulled out in the arena—”
“What little stunt?” she demanded, interrupting him indignantly.
“Taking those last jumps when you were not only in pain, but also on the edge of exhaustion, for no other reason than to ease your hurt pride. I know all about getting back in the saddle after a fall, but Selby has been running you ragged for three days now. If you keep playing into his hands by letting him get to you with his criticism, you’re going to end up like Amanda Holcomb.”
She looked as if she was about to argue with him, then seemed to think better of it. Twisting her hands together in her lap, she lowered her gaze.
“You’re right,” she admitted after several moments of silence. “It was a dumb thing to do. But he made me so mad.”
“I know. But you can’t afford to let your emotions get the better of you. Not if you want to stay alive. We’re dealing with a ruthless bastard who knows he has a hell of a lot to lose if he’s found out. And there’s a good chance he suspects you’re aware of what he’s been doing.”
Alex wished there were some way he could take the sting out of his words. Yet he had to get his point across. Otherwise she could end up saying or doing something without thinking, and endanger herself even more.
“I’ll try to do better,” she vowed in a small voice.
“Has he said anything more to you about his marriage proposal?”
“Not since he made that comment Saturday night about postponing our announcement.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered as if she’d caught a sudden chill. “But that suits me just fine. He’d send me packing if I said no, and I don’t think I could force myself to say yes even if it meant he’d end up getting away with murder.” Looking away, she shivered again. “The thought of having him put his hands on me the way he would if I agreed to marry him makes me sick.”
The Lady And Alex Payton Page 18