As Dan takes the horse over a couple easy jumps, he tries to keep his mind on his job, not on whatever just passed between him and the handsome Californian. By the time he’s over the third jump, the visitors are out of sight on their way back the barn, and Dan is able to focus on what he should be doing.
After he gets Monty listening to him, Dan cools the horse off and heads into the barn. He’d been about to have lunch when the Kaminskis arrived, so he’s starving. But Karl and Molly are waiting for him by Monty’s stall, and he has a feeling it could be a while before he gets any food.
He turns the horse in and takes his halter off, then slides the door shut and turns to look at his employers. Karl speaks first, his anger clear. “What did you say to them, exactly?”
Dan doesn’t really appreciate being put on the defensive. “When? I didn’t spend any time with them that you weren’t right there.”
Molly takes over. “When you talked to Jeff, or when Evan got you alone. Did you tell them not to buy Monty?”
Dan just shakes his head. “Come on, guys, do you really think they need to be told that? Jeff’s obviously got a good eye. He could tell that Monty was taking over! And that was just going over a few arena jumps, not even a cross-country course.” He turns and hangs Monty’s halter on the stall door. “If they decided not to buy him, it’s because they could tell he’s too much horse for the kid, not because I told them not to.”
Molly doesn’t look convinced. “Oh, and you don’t think they could tell what you thought? You don’t think that your bad attitude came through clearly?” She glances at Karl before continuing. “Really, Dan, you should know why we need extra money! I just can’t understand why you would sabotage us like this… you, of all people!”
Dan doesn’t appreciate the attempted guilt trip. “Me of all people? You mean because I’ve only been getting every third paycheck for the last year? Or because I’ve been working overtime without claiming for it, trying to get these horses into the best condition they can be in for your buyers? Is that why I should be aware of how much you need money?” He looks at the couple before him, whom he’d been encouraged to think of as parents. “You know what I can’t understand? I can’t understand why the two of you wouldn’t see a problem with letting a kid risk her life on a horse she can’t control.” He backs away from them, and his voice twists in bitter mimicry. “You, of all people!” Then he turns and strides angrily out of the barn. He’s worked every single day for almost three weeks; he’s going to take the afternoon off.
Chapter 2
DAN LIVES in an apartment above the barn, so his storming out isn’t all that satisfying. He really just wants to sit on the couch, have a few drinks, and sulk a little, but he isn’t feeling quite churlish enough to be able to do that if he knows that Karl and Molly are right downstairs working away without him. So instead of going home, he climbs into his battered pickup and heads over to Chris’s place. Chris will be at work, but Dan knows where the Hide-A-Key is, and he knows he’s got a change of clothes over there. This isn’t the first time Dan has wanted to hide out from Karl and Molly, although it is the first time he’s been so angry about it.
By the time Dan gets to Chris’s, it’s already mid-afternoon. He rummages around in the fridge and takes a slice of pizza and a beer into the shower with him. Well, he leaves the pizza on the bathroom counter, but the beer goes right in. One of the best things about Chris’s house is the window in the tub enclosure, with its wide sill, just right for holding a drink.
Getting clean calms Dan down a little, and once he’s out of the shower he calls Chris at work. Chris is an up-and-coming young lawyer at the biggest firm in Louisville. Dan’s understanding of these things is that Chris should be slaving away day and night, but somehow the man always seems more than ready to take off work early. This day is no exception, and he agrees to meet Dan at JP’s in half an hour. Dan wishes he could afford to go someplace else, but he works a couple shifts a week bartending at JP’s, and he can usually get a substantial discount when he goes in on off hours. Chris could probably afford to go to any restaurant in the city, but he knows enough about Dan’s financial situation not to suggest a change—and enough about Dan’s pride not to suggest that Chris pay for both of them.
So, JP’s it is. Dan pulls jeans and a black T-shirt out of the duffel bag in Chris’s closet, and reflects that it’s just as well they’re going somewhere casual. Kentucky may not be the Deep South, but it’s far enough down that people believe in dressing for the occasion. And Dan is going to be dressed for a neighborhood bar, not a fancy restaurant. A quick look in the bathroom mirror confirms that, as usual, he could use a shave. He has fair skin and green eyes, and his hair is dark brown, so when he’s got stubble, it makes his eyes stand out—glow, practically. He used to think that growing a beard would help make him look older, less vulnerable, but he’s come to realize that for him, the opposite is true. Still, he can’t be bothered to shave. He’s just seeing Chris, after all.
He throws his riding clothes in Chris’s washing machine, hoping he remembers to pull them out to go in the dryer when he gets back. It’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll be sleeping in Chris’s spare room. He definitely intends to drink enough to make driving a bad idea, and a cab ride out to the barn would cost a week’s salary. Not that he sees his salary most weeks, he reminds himself. But the anger’s gone, and he’s left mostly with a sense of confusion. He knows things are tight for Molly and Karl, but are things really so bad that they’re willing to risk their reputations or even a kid’s life?
He decides to walk to the bar. It’s not that far, and it’s a nice afternoon. Besides, things will be easier the next day if his truck is already at Chris’s place. He arrives just as Chris pulls into the parking lot, and he waits at the door for his friend. Chris is driving his brand new truck, and Dan suppresses a little twist of jealousy. Just one more thing Dan’s career choices don’t pay for.
Chris nods as he gets out of the truck. “Hi, Danielle.”
“Christine, you’re here.”
Chris grins. “I’ve been calling you Danielle for five years, and this is the first time it occurred to you that I have a girl’s name too?”
Dan shrugs nonchalantly. “I was saving it for when the time was right. And somehow, just now… it felt right.”
Chris just nods. “Well, in honor of the auspicious occasion—you can buy the first round.”
They go inside, and Dan waves to the bartender and waitress. Chris is here often enough that he knows most of the staff almost as well as Dan does. They find a table near the back, and the waitress brings their drinks without waiting for them to order. “Are you guys gonna be eating too?”
“Yeah, probably. But not for a while.”
The waitress nods and heads off to another table, and Chris and Dan sit back with their drinks. They’ve each got a beer and a glass of Wild Turkey. Dan looks at his glass thoughtfully, while Chris watches.
“Trying to decide what kind of night it’s going to be?” Chris asks. “Shoot it or sip it?”
“Yeah.” Dan regretfully picks the glass up and takes a sip. “I got stuff to deal with tomorrow. Better take it easy.”
Chris looks a little interested, although he’s also paying a good bit of attention to a blonde in a halter top over by the bar. “Dealing with stuff, huh? Anything I should know about?”
Dan shakes his head. There’s no point in dragging Chris into things. Chris grew up across the road from Karl and Molly, so he might have some insight, but he might also have divided loyalties. Besides, Dan wanted to get away from the barn to clear his head, not to dwell on things. He asks about Chris’s family, instead, and gets updated on all the goings-on of the Foster clan. The conversation flows easily, more drinks come, and food is eventually ordered and eaten.
There’s a bit of a pause in conversation during the meal, but as Dan is mopping up the last of the gravy with a French fry, Chris breaks the silence with, “So, Danny—what are yo
ur feelings on threesomes?”
Dan takes a moment to carefully swallow his fry, and washes it down with some beer. “Just to be clear, are you one of the three?”
Chris grins and shakes his head. “You wish, sweetheart.” He nods somewhat discreetly over Dan’s shoulder. “There’s a couple over there, about your four o’clock, both guys, and they’ve been eying you up since they got here.”
Dan shakes his head. They’ve been through this a few times before. Chris seems to think that he can give Dan permission to start dating again, or at least to start having sex. Dan has tried to convince him that Chris doesn’t really have that authority, but he hasn’t shown any interest in Dan’s opinion on the matter.
“I’m just saying, man. If I were that way inclined, I would be inclining all over these two. One of them’s kinda grizzled looking, in what I imagine might be a sexy sort of way, and the other is fucking built. Tall, like I know you like ’em….” Chris stops, apparently realizing that the last comment might be a bit over the line.
Dan is too preoccupied by Chris’s description to be upset by the reference. He frowns, and turns to look over his shoulder, then turns back to his friend.
“Chris, you idiot, they’re not checking me out. They know me. They were looking at a horse today.” Dan cocks his head. “And what makes you think they’re a couple?”
“What, if they know you, they can’t check you out? The two aren’t mutually exclusive, you know.” Chris shakes his head in mock dismay at his friend’s lack of self-esteem. “And, trust me—they’re a couple. You know my gaydar’s better than yours, so don’t even try to argue.”
Dan has to admit that Chris is right about their gaydar. Dan’s is terrible, and Chris’s is shockingly good for an alleged heterosexual. “Don’t feel bad, baby,” Chris continues. “It’s just because you’re so pretty—you don’t have to seek out the boys, they all flock to you like bees to a flower.” Chris smiles beatifically, and then his grin turns wicked. “And they’re checking you out again. I swear, the younger one just licked his chops!”
“Jesus, Chris, keep it down! I might have to deal with them again sometime, you know!”
Chris leans back triumphantly in his chair. “You might have to deal with them right now. They’re coming over.”
Dan groans. If Chris hadn’t started all this, it would be a perfectly natural, casual meeting between acquaintances. With Chris’s wild speculation playing through his head, though, Dan knows he’s going to feel awkward. And then he’s going to try to act natural, and that will make him feel more awkward, and the whole thing will just turn into a nightmare for Dan, and an endless source of amusement for Chris.
Chris’s eyes shift from Dan to the new arrivals, and Dan turns to acknowledge them.
“Dan, hey. We thought it was you,” Evan starts almost shyly.
Dan doesn’t really understand that comment. They were twenty feet away—are they both so shortsighted they can’t recognize someone from twenty feet? Or was it meant to be an insult, based on him not being memorable? But that doesn’t make sense—they’d both been totally pleasant that afternoon, and even if they didn’t like him they didn’t seem like the kind of assholes who’d walk across the room to make their disdain clear.
Apparently Dan’s rumination has gone on a little too long, because Jeff and Evan are looking at him somewhat strangely as Chris leans across the table with his hand outstretched. “I’m Chris. Sorry about Dan, he’s… drunk? Or just socially awkward. Possibly a little of both.”
Dan rolls his eyes. “Sorry, yeah. I’m not all here.” He pulls himself together. “You’re out without your sister?” he asks Evan.
“Yeah, well… I’m not her favorite person right now.” Evan makes a face.
“You told her no on Monty, then?” Dan looks from Evan to Jeff, who nods.
“Yeah. And I wanted to thank you for that.” Evan smiles. “I can be a bit bullheaded, and I didn’t want to just take Jeff’s word for it. So it was helpful to have a second opinion to back him up.” Evan looks tentatively at Dan. “He reminded me… well, he made it clear how dangerous eventing can be.”
Dan really doesn’t want the conversation to go in that direction. “Well, I hope you give some of the other horses some thought. Like I said, Sunshine would be great, I think. She’s a Hanoverian, too, so she’s a similar type, but she’s a bit less headstrong. She’s not quite as athletic as Monty, but I don’t think that should matter, at Tatiana’s level.”
Jeff nods. “Yeah, we called out this evening and arranged to see her tomorrow. If Tat’s done sulking by then.”
Evan grimaces. “It’s too bad Karl and Molly built Monty up so much. I mean, they’ve got Tatiana thinking that she and that horse are soul mates or something.” Evan shakes his head. “It’s frustrating, really. I mean, I’ve met so many great people around horses, and then something like that comes up, where they clearly know it’s not suitable and push it anyway….”
Dan breaks in. “Well, it was a judgment call. We can disagree with them without thinking they’re evil or something.” He might not be too happy with his employers, but he can’t just sit around and listen to someone run them down.
Evan looks abashed. “No, of course. You’re right.” He grins apologetically. “See, like I said, I can be bullheaded.”
Jeff puts a gentle hand on Evan’s neck and shakes him ever so slightly. Even Dan doesn’t miss the way Evan leans into the touch, and Chris looks like he wants to do a victory dance. Dan doesn’t look forward to the gaydar-bragging that is sure to follow.
“Well, anyway, we’ll let you get back to your evening. I just wanted to thank you again for helping us out today.” Evan smiles sincerely before continuing. “Tatiana may not thank you, but—”
“She’ll be grateful when she’s calmed down a little,” Jeff breaks in, “and when she’s riding a horse that she can control properly.”
Dan nods. “Well, I hope it works out. And I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, if you’re going out to the barn again.”
The two say goodbye to Chris and head for the door. After they leave, there’s a pause, and Dan braces himself.
“Well, they seem nice,” Chris starts. It’s innocuous enough, but Dan knows there’s more coming. “Yeah, a really nice couple. Really, one of the nicest gay couples I’ve met in a while.” Dan starts laughing. “And you know what, Dan? If I was right about them being gay, which, for the record, I was….” Chris nods proudly before continuing. “If I was right about that, then you should admit that I was also right about the other part… they were totally checking you out!”
Dan just laughs and shakes his head at Chris. Reality has never been much of a factor in Chris’s decision making process, Dan knows, and sometimes there’s just no point in arguing with him. “Yeah, okay, ‘me, Jeff, and Evan, sitting in a tree….’”
Chris claps his hands triumphantly. “That’s right, baby!” Then a more serious expression comes across his face. “But, in a tree? Really? I mean, I’m not an expert on the gay sex thing, but I think the first time at least you should be on the ground….” And the evening continues on as expected.
Chapter 3
AS HE’D planned, Dan spends the night in Chris’s guest room. Robyn is responsible for the feeding and day-to-day chores at the farm, so technically he can sleep in a little if he wants, but he finds himself waking with the sun out of habit. He has a quick shower and some leftover Chinese for breakfast—it tastes even better reheated than it had the night before when they’d ordered it. Dan pulls his work clothes out of the dryer and gets dressed, then heads out the door. Chris is still sleeping.
Dan isn’t really looking forward to running into Karl and Molly, so he’s relieved that they are nowhere to be found when he gets to the barn. It’s peaceful there in the early morning, just the sound of horses happily munching their hay. Calm eyes follow him as he walks down the aisle, and when he stops at Monty’s stall, the big gelding puts his head over the door in greeti
ng, although he doesn’t stop chewing while he does it. He’s gotten a piece of hay stuck in his forelock, and Dan pulls it out and playfully tries to insert it in Monty’s mouth.
Robyn comes down the aisle with an armful of lead ropes, her red curls already pulling out of the ponytail she’s trying to control them with. “Admit it, Dan, you love that horse. You sabotaged the sale because you want him for yourself.”
He knows Robyn is only joking, but it stings a little anyway. “What is all this ‘sabotage’ stuff? If they want to sell Monty to an inexperienced kid, they should find someone with a blind trainer.” Dan runs his hand along Monty’s muscular neck. “Jeff wasn’t going to let the sale happen no matter what I said.”
Robyn raises an eyebrow. “‘Jeff’, is it? You guys pretty close? And what makes you think the buyers would listen to him anyway? We’ve seen how well our bosses listen to you!”
“Well, I’ve got a feeling Jeff might have a few ways to convince Evan to pay attention.” The words aren’t much, but Dan puts a suggestive note in his voice, and Robyn picks up on it.
“Really? Does that mean what I think it means? And is it confirmed, or are you just guessing?”
Dan knows he shouldn’t be gossiping, but he’s worked with Robyn long enough to know that she has no malicious intent—it’s just a way to make her boring job a little more interesting. “Let’s call it an educated guess,” he hints, and takes a couple lead ropes from her. “You taking the big boys out first?” He checks to see which horses are done eating—they always hang their heads over their stall doors as soon as they’re finished with their meals, waiting to go outside.
Robyn looks like she would be shrieking if she didn’t know better than to make a fuss around the horses. “Wait, wait… how educated are we talking, here?” Dan just grins at her, and puts the halter on Monty. Robyn stares at him. “You left early yesterday… your truck wasn’t here this morning, so you didn’t spend last night at home….” She grabs his arm. “Dan, please… just how educated is your guess?”
Dreamspinner Press Year Four Greatest Hits Page 29