All the King's Horses

by Lauren Gallagher

  Chapter Seven

  Amy

  Sleep wasn’t happening tonight. Not while I kept replaying that short, uncomfortable conversation with Dustin.

  He saw the bruise. No way he missed that. Shit, I should have known better than to go outside without covering it up, especially when the barn lights were on, but I’d figured it would just be one of the boarders finishing up a late-evening ride. If they’d noticed or asked, I could have just brushed it off as an occupational hazard from working around horses, or—

  And why couldn’t I do that with Dustin?

  Groaning, I rubbed my eyes, making sure to avoid the vaguely tender spot just below my left one. Why would he have been any more likely to see right through me to the truth than one of the boarders? And why the hell did I care? I wasn’t trying to impress Dustin.

  At least, I didn’t think I was.

  Whether or not I was, I was pretty sure I’d failed miserably. Whatever his initial impression was of me or my damned bruise, I could only imagine what he thought of my hurried exit yesterday. Even I wasn’t sure what to think, or why I’d just needed to get away from him, especially after he’d apologized for the exchange that had had me making an extra effort to avoid him all day long.

  No doubt about it, madam—you have gone certifiably insane.

  Like there was any question about that these days.

  Naturally, morning showed up before I’d had a chance to grab more than an hour of sleep. Insane or sleep-deprived or all of the above, there was still work to be done, so I trudged through my daily to-do list. I’d just turned a couple of mares out into the pasture when my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, and thank God, it was just Mariah.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey, you,” she said. “Just had a quick question for you.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Has Jade always thrown a fit when you try to bit her up?” Mariah asked. “I swear, every time I put the bit in her mouth, she throws her head and acts like I’m torturing her.”

  “Which bit are you using?”

  “The O-ring snaffle that was on her bridle.”

  I stared at the brown grass at my feet as I strolled down the path between pastures. “Hmm. She’s never had a problem with that one. Has Kelly been pulling hard on her mouth lately? Because she was starting to get a little rough with the reins in some of her lessons.”

  “I’ll have to watch her when she comes for her lesson tomorrow. I hadn’t noticed, but that could be it.”

  “Definitely keep an eye on her. She’s got quiet hands most of the time, but if she gets frustrated? Not so much.”

  “Good to know.”

  Cringing inwardly, I asked, “So other than that, how are things going at the farm?”

  “They’re going,” she said. “Don’t worry about it, all right?”

  “Is something going on? Anything I should worry about?”

  “No, no, everything’s fine. I’ve got the training schedule under control. In fact, I’ve been letting Dena take on some of the horses, and she’s really been shining.”

  “Oh, good.” I smiled. My niece was a fantastic rider, so if Mariah brought anyone in to help out, I wasn’t going to argue with her choosing Dena. “Always knew she had it in her.”

  Mariah laughed. “Yeah, well, Curt’s not too happy about it.”

  I snorted. Our brother liked to think he was a business big shot himself, so I could only imagine him trying to step into Sam’s shoes and run the joint. “Tell him to get over it. Dena’s twice the rider you or I were when we were seventeen, so it’s not like she’s some green kid just out of walk-trot or something.”

  “No kidding. You’d think the man could be supportive of his own niece, but I think he’s just so butthurt about the whole situation, he—”

  “Wait, what?”

  Mariah sighed. “I’m not going to lie, baby. Curt’s furious that you’re gone.”

  “What does he care?” I rolled my eyes and absently grabbed at some long stalks of grass as I walked past. “You and I had things under control before I left, and you’ve got it under control now. What more does he want?”

  “He’s convinced this is irreparably destroying the farm’s image,” she said, almost groaning. “That it’s making you look flaky. And he hasn’t out and said it, but I’m pretty sure he’s this close to admitting he thinks everyone is here for your expertise, not mine.”

  I winced. “Ouch.”

  “Oh, well.” Every ounce of bitterness made it down the line.

  “He’s just been drinking Sam’s Kool-Aid for the last few years,” I said. “You know that. All that bullcrap about our image, and our brand, and whatever. All business.”

  “God, no kidding,” she muttered. “I’m surprised those two didn’t start installing cubicles and fluorescent lights in the barn.”

  I laughed dryly. “Exactly.”

  “All right, well, I’d better go,” she said. “Take care of yourself, will you?”

  “I will. I promise.”

  Horses in, horses out. Story of my life these days. That, and once or twice a week, I was supposed to go around the farm and check the fences for any damage. Broken boards, faulty wires, loose posts, things like that. Whatever I found, I was to mark with an orange ribbon so it could be found easily. Then I’d go through—with John’s help if it was a two-person job—and repair all the problem spots.

  On my way out, as I neared her stall, Star had her head over the door, and when she saw me, her ears perked up. She nickered softly, watching me hopefully as I came down the aisle.

  “I know I made myself clear,” I heard Dustin warning me about the abused horses.

  But for as timid and nervous as Star was, she wasn’t an unfriendly horse, and if there was one thing I wanted to relearn how to do while I was here, it was to not walk past a horse who just wanted some attention. I’d stopped noticing those innocent bids for a little interaction a long time ago, and damn it, now that I’d noticed this one, I wasn’t ignoring it.

  I threw cautious glances up and down the aisle to make sure I was alone, then went to Star’s stall. The filly searched my palm for treats and inspected my sleeve with her nose and mouth. I gently pushed her muzzle away from my arm before she decided to nibble my shirt; better to remove the temptation than startle her with a correction.

  I smiled to myself as she tried to sneak in a little nip; she was mouthy but not nasty about it. Mostly lips, no teeth, and probably just curiosity rather than being grabby or aggressive. Some babies were like that. Granted, Star was almost three, but somehow I doubted she’d had a lot of healthy, constructive handling in her early days to help her mature past some of her baby habits. With someone as patient as Dustin working with her, she’d probably get over them with time.

  I scratched the side of her muzzle, then turned to get back to work. I hadn’t gone ten steps from her stall when Dustin’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

  “Amy?”

  I spun around. “Oh. Hey.”

  The ever-present black hat put a shadow across his eyes but didn’t quite hide the slight lift of his eyebrows as he asked, “You have a minute?”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Oh God, I was so busted. He must have seen me with Star just then. How the hell did I explain myself? Especially after we’d had that discussion about Chip. I was just petting her, but he’d been clear about those horses and… Crap. Good thing I didn’t have too much to pack…

  He cleared his throat. “How much experience do you have with horses?”

  I chewed the inside of my cheek. “I’ve, um, worked with them. A lot.”

  “Define ‘a lot’.” He held my gaze, and I swore his intense blue eyes saw right through me.

  I fidgeted and couldn’t keep myself from breaking eye contact. “I’ve worked with them all my life in one capacity or another.”

  “Ever done any training?”

  I looked him in the eye again, and something in his told me he already knew the
answer somehow. “Yes,” I said softly. “Some.” I paused, but then his knowing expression pulled a barely whispered, “Quite a bit, actually” out of me.

  Dustin gave a single, slow nod and said nothing for a long moment. About the time I was going to ask if there was anything else, he went on. “Listen, I was wondering if you’d be interested in working with Blue and Star.”

  Okay, apparently I was sleep-deprived to the point of auditory hallucinations now. I cocked my head. “Come again?”

  He hooked his thumbs in his pockets in a failed attempt to appear casual and relaxed. “I’ve been thinking since last night. And, um…” He paused, clearing his throat again. “Look, I’m scheduled into the ground, and there’s no way I can give them the attention they need. I can pay you more.”

  I stared at him, my expression probably making him wonder if I’d suddenly lost the ability to comprehend the English language.

  He shifted his weight. “I guess I was just thinking,” he said. “After I saw you with Chip.” A little bit of color appeared in his cheeks. “Maybe I jumped the gun.”

  “Well, you did tell me to stay away from him, so…”

  “I did,” he said with a slight nod. “But you must have done something right, because if I understand what I saw correctly, you had him eating out of your hand. And not taking your arm off.”

  “Aside from the bite that started the whole thing, yes.”

  “Exactly. He bit you, which means he was threatened, but then you turned him around so he was quietly eating out of your hand. While you were in his stall.” Dustin shook his head. “Even I won’t go in there while he’s eating.”

  “Was he starved or something?”

  “No, the show horses usually aren’t,” he said. “But for some reason, this one’s territorial anyway, and when you put food in front of him?” Dustin whistled. “I’d put bars or a stall guard over his door if that didn’t make him wig out even more.”

  I loosely folded my arms across my chest. “So, if I’m hearing you right, now that you’ve seen me not get myself killed in Chip’s stall, you want me to work with your other two abuse cases?”

  “If you’re interested,” he said quietly. “And maybe Chip too. Eventually. He’s got a long way to go before he can be saddled, let alone ridden, but…” He swallowed. “I’d have you work with some of the others first, but I owe it to my clients to work on the ones they’re paying me to train, not the rescue cases.”

  “Right. Okay.” I paused, still trying to accept we were even having this conversation. I looked at Star, who watched us over her stall door. Maybe this was what I needed. The chance to rekindle my long-dead love of horses. And for that matter, if Dustin trusted me with this, with his most vulnerable animals, then maybe I’d jumped the gun with him.

  I turned to him and nodded. “Yeah. I can work with them.”

  Dustin’s shoulders dropped just a little. “You have no idea how much this will help me. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” I said. “Thanks for…um… Thanks for the opportunity.”

  He offered a slight smile and started to turn like he was about to leave but stopped. “Oh, and tonight, we’re…” He dropped his gaze for a second before looking me in the eye again. “The folks and I, we’re going into town this evening. To a country club.” He paused again. “Do you want to go?”

  “A country club?” Something told me this wasn’t the same kind of country club I’d been to in my other life. Something else told me my heart shouldn’t have started racing like this, and my knees shouldn’t suddenly be this unsteady. I smiled, hoping it didn’t seem too forced. “Um, sure. Yeah, I guess. Sounds like fun.”

  His eyebrows jumped. “Really? Great.” He smiled, though I couldn’t decide if it was forced or nervous. Maybe both. “We’re leaving at six thirty, so just meet me in front of the house.”

  “Sure,” I said. “I’ll be there.”

  He left the barn and left me standing there wondering just who the hell he was and what he’d done with Dustin King. First he was looking down his nose at me and telling me to steer clear of certain horses, and now this? Offering to let me work with his horses and inviting me out this evening?

  Shaking my head, I went back to work. I wasn’t so sure about socializing with Dustin, but now that the offer was on the table, I did like the idea of getting off the ranch for a little while. I’d made all of two trips off the property since I got here, once to the grocery store in town and once to run an errand for John. Apparently, it was possible to get some cabin fever when the cabin in question was thirty-five wide-open acres of horse country.

  After I’d brought the horses in from their pastures and made sure everyone was fed, I went back to my side of the duplex to get cleaned up. It occurred to me as I looked through my clothes in the old oak dresser that I should have asked Dustin what people customarily wore to this place. I hadn’t been to any country bars before—I assumed that was what country club meant in this context—and for all I knew, this could have been a jeans-and-a-cowboy-hat place, or the women could be wearing giant square-dance skirts. Not that I’d feel any less out of place either way.

  And whatever the dress code, I hadn’t packed many clothes to begin with. Most of what I brought with me was for wearing around the farm. Jeans. T-shirts. Heavier clothes in case I was still here when that bitter Eastern Washington winter rolled in.

  At least I’d grabbed a few favorite earrings and bracelets; they had some sentimental value, and I guess I must have been afraid someone would take off with them if I left them in the house. And I did have the foresight to bring a handful of button-up blouses on that off chance I decided to go someplace that didn’t involve dust and mud. But were any of those appropriate for the place we were going tonight?

  I glanced up at the mirror above the dresser and laughed. Was this really me? Fretting over having nothing to wear? Wow. That was new.

  But then, so was going out with someone who was this confusing. And attractive. And unreadable. And…attractive.

  I grabbed a pair of jeans and a halfway decent white blouse. Once I’d showered, changed clothes and covered up the fading bruise on my face, I scrutinized myself in the mirror again.

  “Is that really what you’re wearing?”

  I bit my lip, and something in my stomach twisted as I avoided my reflection. There was nothing wrong with this, was there? I mean, it was a country-western bar. Jeans and boots would be fine.

  “Amy, I really think you should—”

  Shut up, Sam. Just shut up.

  I put back my shoulders and stared down my reflection. This was as good as it was going to get tonight, so hopefully it was good enough for Dustin.

  That thought made me jump, and I held my own gaze in the mirror.

  Good enough for Dustin? Since when did I care?

  But then I thought about how he might look tonight, cleaned up and clean shaven, all straightened up and pressed in that way good-looking cowboys did so damned well, and yes, yes, I did care. If only for tonight, even if it meant I really had gone irretrievably off the deep end, I cared.

  But if he didn’t notice or care or approve, it still wouldn’t break my heart. I looked fine. If Dustin or anyone else had a problem with how I looked, so be it. I wasn’t concerned with my image or anyone else’s tonight. I just wanted to go out, have a couple of drinks and maybe even dance a little, and just once in my life, I wanted it to be okay not to care what anyone else thought.

  Though it wouldn’t hurt if Dustin looked twice, so I undid my blouse’s top button.

  Through the thin white fabric, I could see the dark V of the leather string hanging around my neck. The ring itself wasn’t visible, but I swore I could feel the cold metal against my skin, and every time my nerves registered its presence, I heard Sam asking me again if this was what I was really wearing, if I was really leaving that button open, if I really thought I should do this tonight.

  Screw it. I reached under my blouse and took
out the leather string that held my ring.

  “I’m sorry, Sam,” I whispered as I pulled the necklace over my head. “I need to be okay tonight.”

  I set the ring and necklace on the dresser, gave myself one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath and then went outside to meet Dustin.

  Chapter Eight

  Dustin

  I was just closing my front door when Amy stepped outside.

  Our eyes met from across the porch as the storm door banged shut behind her.

  My God, she looked good. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders just right to screw up my blood pressure, and there were few things in this world I loved more than a woman who wore a blouse like that with jeans. And then there was that top button she’d left open. The V of skin didn’t plunge far enough downward to expose more than the faintest shadow of cleavage, but showed enough of her collarbones to drive me insane. They didn’t stick out like she was emaciated or anything, but protruded just enough to draw my attention and make me wonder what it would be like to kiss—

  “Dustin?” Amy tilted her head. “Something wrong?”

  Not with you, I wanted to say. On the other hand, my ability to speak, or think, or move…

  “No, of course not.” I smiled. “You ready to go?”

  She returned the smile, but her expression wasn’t without some uncertainty or apprehension. Nor was her voice when she quietly said, “Ready when you are.”

  “Great. Let’s roll.”

  Amy looked around. “Aren’t your parents coming?”

  “They already left,” I said. “They’re picking up some friends on their way into town, so we’ll be going separately.” I paused. “Is that okay?”

  “Sure. Fine by me.”

  Together but a somewhat comfortable arm’s length apart, we walked down the steps, our boots thunking in near unison on the wooden slats. She climbed into the passenger side of my truck, and I got in on the driver’s side. I started the engine, pretending that the whole time I’d been showering and getting ready to go, my stomach hadn’t really been wound up in knots. Forty-five minutes. In the truck. With Amy. Alone. Wouldn’t this be an exercise in not making an ass of myself. Or in being able to steal a glance without running off the goddamned road.