by Gina Wilkins
Jason managed to maneuver himself close enough to Madison to hear her say candidly, “I’ve ridden friends’ horses and I’ve been on a few trail rides, but I wouldn’t call myself an expert rider. I should probably have a horse that’s fairly easy to handle.”
Mickey, a grizzled, middle-aged man with a protruding tummy, nonexistent butt and bowed, stork legs nodded and motioned toward a pretty bay mare. “You should take Sweet Pea. I think the two of you will get along just fine.”
Madison dimpled as she admired the horse. “Oh, I’m sure we will. She’s so pretty.”
“A pretty horse for a pretty rider,” Allen proclaimed loudly, making the others roll their eyes at the blatant flattery.
Jason felt like doing the same, even though he grimly admitted that the very same thought had crossed his mind.
He found an ignominious satisfaction in watching Madison politely rebuff Allen’s assistance in mounting the bay. Instead, after taking a moment to greet the horse with head strokes and murmured compliments, she moved to the left side and swung herself easily into the saddle. She fumbled a bit getting her other foot into the stirrup but recovered quickly, looking rather proud of herself for the easy mount. Oddly enough, Jason was proud of her, too.
“You look like you know your way around a saddle,” Mickey commented, giving Jason a once-over.
“I’d better, or all those years I spent hanging around my uncle Jared’s ranch were wasted,” Jason replied with a chuckle.
Mickey motioned toward young Seth, pointed, then looked back at Jason while Seth led up a sturdy black gelding. “This is Pablo. He likes the trail rides as long as you keep him interested, don’t just sit on his back like a lump.”
Jason laughed. “I’ll do my best. Hey, Pablo.”
He held out his hand for sniffing, then rubbed the horse’s muzzle and forelock, speaking quietly to let Pablo get used to the sound of his voice. The horse blew out a breath, bobbed his head a few times, then nuzzled Jason’s washed-soft denim shirt as if granting his approval.
Mickey nodded in satisfaction. “You’ll do. Pablo don’t care for posers. Won’t let anyone wearing fancy new boots or a shiny fringed shirt get anywhere near him.”
Mickey had spoken in a low voice obviously intended for Jason’s ears only, rather than risk being overheard by one of the other guests in their new boots and shiny shirts. Jason laughed, then was surprised to hear an echoing laugh from close by. He and Mickey both whipped their heads around to see Madison astride her horse, having wandered close enough to have overheard the cowboy’s dry comment.
“Uh, no offense to any of your friends, ma’am,” Mickey said quickly, looking chagrined by his imprudence. Jason suspected the man had been reprimanded a few times for being less than diplomatic with the dude ranch guests.
“None taken,” Madison assured him. “And don’t worry, I won’t repeat what you said.”
He nodded in relief. “Can I help you with something?”
“Gayla said we should ask you for any assistance,” she explained, glancing at Jason as if apologizing for the interruption. “I think my stirrups need to be adjusted a little.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mickey started to move toward her, then hesitated when Gayla called him from a few yards away. “Mickey, can you give me a hand over here?”
“Go ahead,” Jason said, clutching Pablo’s reins loosely in one hand. “I’ll help Madison with her stirrups.”
Trusting that Jason knew what he was doing, Mickey nodded and loped away toward the other side of the arena, where Gayla seemed to be having difficulty pleasing one of the other groomsmen in selecting a mount.
Looping Pablo’s reins around his arm, Jason smiled up at Madison. “Nice horse.”
Madison patted Sweet Pea’s neck. “Yes. She and I have already become friends.”
“What’s the problem with your stirrups?”
“They seem a little short to me. Of course, it’s been a while since I’ve ridden, so maybe they’re fine. I just thought…”
Her voice trailed away when he placed a hand on her leg, just below her knee. Intensely aware of that touch, himself—and unable to forget how it had felt to touch that same leg in the pool, all bare and wet and supple—he kept his gaze focused on the stirrup.
“It does seem a little short. You’re longer-legged than you look. Take your foot out and I’ll adjust it for you.”
She obliged, making no response to his comment about her long legs. “You seem to be familiar with horses,” she said instead.
He grinned up at her from beneath the brim of his hat. “If you’re asking if I know how to adjust a stirrup without endangering your safety, the answer is yes.”
Her lips twitched with an answering smile, just a hint of the teasing they had shared before. “That doesn’t surprise me. Every fearless adventurer knows how to handle a horse.”
He grimaced a little as he tugged on the leather strap to make sure the stirrup was fastened securely before moving around to the other side. Should he admit that his adventures had been limited to summers and weekends on his uncle’s ranch, or continue their frivolous pretense that he was some larger-than-life movie hero? Because it was so rare that he got to be anything other than a routine-bound, responsible family physician, he opted for the latter—at least for a little while longer. “So we do.”
Jason patted Sweet Pea to keep from startling her as he circled around her; even the gentlest horse would occasionally kick when surprised, he’d discovered the hard way as a kid. Pablo followed cooperatively with only a light tug on his reins. Pablo lowered his head to sample a clump of grass while Jason removed Madison’s foot from the other stirrup. “Nice boots.”
“Thanks. I used to have some real Western boots, but they wore out years ago and I didn’t have time to replace them before this trip.”
“These work fine with the narrow toe. At least you didn’t wear sneakers or heels. Or worse, clogs,” he said with a shake of his head. One of the other women guests had worn open-back shoes, despite the guidelines everyone had been sent for the day’s activities. Though she’d pouted a bit, she would be riding in the wagon with Lila and a couple of older guests during the trail ride, since clogs were hardly safe in stirrups.
“I knew better than that. A friend of mine from my high school days owned horses, and I went riding with her fairly often. I always loved riding.”
He smiled up at her again. “So do I.”
Their gazes held for a few heartbeats, and his fingers tightened spasmodically on her denim-covered calf.
“How does that feel?” he asked her.
She blinked a couple of times before saying briskly, “Oh. The stirrup. That’s much better, thank you, Dr. Jones.”
Amused, he let his fingers trail down the side of her leg. “You’re most welcome, Madison.”
He found that he liked the sound of her real name on his lips more than the teasing nickname he’d given her before, even though he still grinned every time she called him Dr. Jones. Maybe that was because she was exciting and interesting enough on her own, whereas he required a disguise to change into someone more interesting than an ordinary family practitioner?
Her laugh was as warm and easy as the ones they had shared before, making him hope he was right that she was just being discreet in front of the other wedding guests. Surely there would be a chance sometime that day for them to have a few minutes of privacy, he thought optimistically.
“Problem with your stirrups, Maddie?” BiBi called out from atop the sorrel she had been assigned. Carl and Corinna sat in the saddles of a paint and a gray, respectively. The women, Jason noticed in amusement, looked much more at ease on horseback than Carl, who was known to have a weakness for sports cars and motorcycles.
“I can help
you, Maddie,” Allen Burleson offered quickly, nudging his chubby chestnut toward her. “I know how to adjust a stirrup.”
“Thank you, but Jason’s already fixed them for me.” That quickly, Madison’s manner had changed again. The smile she gave Jason was impersonal and her tone was identical to the one she had used with Allen when she said, “Thank you, Jason. That feels much better.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome.”
He could be circumspect, he reminded himself again as he turned to swing himself into Pablo’s saddle. If that was the way she wanted to play it, he was up for a little stealthy dalliance. That just made it all the more fun, all the more refreshing from his usual routine. Smiling to himself, he touched the brim of his hat in a courtly gesture to her and rode off to join a couple of his acquaintances at the other side of the arena. He would see Madison again later.
Madison was somewhat relieved that Jason rode some distance behind her during the trail ride. While it might have been nice to watch him—he really did look sexy as all get out on horseback—it would probably have been too hard to keep her attention on her own riding, and on the conversations going on around her.
The ride took them through a softly rolling pasture where the green grass was just fading into autumn tan, across a shallow, babbling creek no more than a couple inches deep and which the horses had obviously crossed dozens of times before. They went through a stand of trees filled with birds and squirrels and into a pretty clearing where the chuck wagon was setting up for the alfresco lunch. During the leisurely trek, the well-trained horses were sometimes single-file, occasionally side-by-side. The placid horses assigned to the inexperienced riders plodded docilely along the trail, intent on their destination, resisting any attempts to guide them onto a different path. The more spirited horses responded somewhat better to their riders’ handling of the reins, but Madison suspected that the truly experienced riders, like Jason, quickly grew bored with the slow pace and firmly established path.
The casual noon meal was served with the efficiency of a formal banquet. Folding stools appeared from a wagon so the guests wouldn’t have to sit on the ground. Two long folding tables held a variety of foods for carnivores and vegetarians alike. Madison filled her metal tray with a selection of grilled veggies and a grilled chicken breast, added a dollop of spicy mustard sauce, then carried her food and a plastic tumbler of lemonade to a cluster of stools where BiBi, Carl, Lila and Tommy were already seated. They invited her warmly to join them, and she pulled up a stool, joining their conversation about the wedding plans and the Polanski’s impending parenthood.
Madison rather hoped Allen would find another place to sit. She’d just as soon eat in peace without having to respond to his constant overtures. He wasn’t obnoxious or pushy, just somewhat wearisome, she thought a bit guiltily. Or was that only because she simply wasn’t interested in him in that way?
Her internal radar kept track of the man who had grabbed her attention in that way. Jason made no effort to join her for lunch, choosing instead to sit with a group of men who appeared to be telling hilarious jokes judging from the boisterous bursts of laughter coming from that direction. Mickey, the ranch employee who’d seemed to bond with Jason, joined that group and was soon adding to the noise level with his own barking laugh.
“Sounds like a party going on over there.”
There was just enough wistfulness in Carl’s voice to make BiBi’s eyebrows rise. “Would you rather go eat with the single guys?”
“No, of course not, honey,” Carl answered quickly. “I’d much rather be talking about wedding dresses and diapers here than swapping dirty jokes with that bunch of miscreants over there.”
BiBi laughed, as did the others, and shook her head indulgently. “You are so full of it, Carl Burleson.”
He pressed a hand to his black denim shirt, just over his heart. “Full of love for you, soon-to-be BiBi Burleson.”
While Tommy groaned and Lila and Madison laughed again, BiBi was distracted by the name. “Maybe I should rethink keeping my maiden name. I’ve always thought I’d take my husband’s name but BiBi Burleson just sounds so…so alliterative.”
“I think it’s a pretty name,” Lila said. “I took Tommy’s name, you know. It just seemed more efficient somehow for me and Tommy and our kids to all have the same last name.”
Madison listened quietly while the others discussed the pros and cons of changing names, all agreeing that either choice was quite acceptable these days. Still, the guys seemed to approve their mates’ decisions to swap. Madison thought of her own siblings, both of whom had married in the past couple of years. Her older sister, Meagan, who had already established a career as a general surgeon in Little Rock when she’d married Seth Llewellyn, had kept her maiden name. Jacqui Handy, the woman who’d married Madison’s brother, Mitch, had chosen to take the name Baker. Both had their reasons for their choices and no one in the family had given those decisions a second thought.
Madison had never really considered what she’d do in that situation. Though she had dated during college and medical school, having a couple of relationships that were somewhat serious for a time, she’d never even come close to marriage. She’d told herself there was plenty of time for that sort of thing after she finished her training and was established in her practice.
Another burst of laughter came from the group behind her, and it was easy for her to pick out Jason’s voice from the others, even though his was certainly not the loudest. That odd radar again—sensing him even when she wasn’t looking his way. Why on earth was she so focused on him? It wasn’t as if he were the only good-looking single guy there. It wasn’t as if she were looking for a single guy at all. That wasn’t why she was here this weekend.
Carl directed their attention in a different direction. “Looks like your little sister has made another conquest,” he observed to BiBi. “Brandon McCafferty can’t seem to take his eyes off her.”
Madison glanced toward the younger couple, who had already eaten and were standing by their tethered horses, chatting animatedly. Madison didn’t know Brandon, but she believed he would be serving as an usher for Sunday’s ceremony. A friend of Carl’s family, she thought someone had said. She didn’t think Carl was exaggerating Brandon’s fascination with Corinna. Nor did she blame the young man; Corinna looked great today, her glossy black hair tumbling down her back, her body slim and lithe in her jeans and boots, her pretty face painstakingly enhanced with cosmetics. It was obvious, as well, that Corinna was enjoying the attention. Madison suspected Corinna’s bruised ego needed those strokes.
Rather than looking pleased that her younger sister was having a good time, BiBi frowned. “I hope she’s not going to let herself get into a rebound thing,” she said in a low voice meant solely for Madison. “It’s so obvious that she and Jason are avoiding each other. I wouldn’t want her to throw herself into another relationship just to prove something to Jason.”
“Your sister is an adult, Beebs,” Madison replied in that same quiet tone, their heads close together to keep their conversation private while Carl and the Polanskis talked about something else. “I think she can decide for herself who she wants to spend time with this weekend.”
“She wants to spend time with Jason,” BiBi countered. “But she’s going out of her way not to make a pest of herself with him. At least he didn’t bring a date to the wedding or anything like that. He’s staying clear of Corinna, but he’s not pushing some other woman into her face.”
“Surely you gave him the option to bring a date.”
“Of course I did,” BiBi answered almost indignantly. “But he isn’t seeing anyone right now, and I guess he decided not to bother with finding someone. Or maybe he just thought it would be kinder to Corinna not to, after their talk a couple of weeks ago. He’s that kind of guy, you know, always looking out for other people’s feelings. His
sister Carly has always called him Saint Jason behind his back—or to his face when she’s in the mood to annoy him.”
“You and Corinna make him sound like a virtual paragon,” Madison quipped. She couldn’t help thinking how different the man BiBi described sounded from the charming rogue who had so smoothly stolen a kiss in the courtyard last night.
“Well, he’s not perfect. That overactive sense of responsibility makes him sort of bossy at times. A little too certain he knows what’s best, you know? And his commitment to his family and his patients makes it tough to have a relationship with him. His ex, Samantha, once said she sometimes felt like she was dating the whole D’Alessandro/Walker clans as often as his phone rang or their plans were interrupted by urgent summons for him or their weekends involved some family gathering or another.”
“And Corinna is still interested?” Madison asked lightly.
BiBi shrugged. “Corinna understands close family connections and work obligations. It doesn’t faze her. Much.”
“Hmm.”
BiBi had no trouble interpreting Madison’s noncommittal murmur. “I know. Whatever she thinks about his schedule, he’s still not interested in her.”
It seemed like a good time to redirect the conversation. “Lunch was really good, BiBi. I think I’ll have one of those oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert. Want me to get one for you?”
“Umm, Maddie?”
Something about her friend’s tone made Madison’s eyebrows rise. “Yes?”
“I’ve seen you talking to Jason a couple of times. And when he was helping you with your stirrups, you seemed pretty chatty. Corinna thought Jason was smiling a lot with you, too. He didn’t, uh—I mean, you wouldn’t—”
Madison sighed gustily. “Jason’s a great-looking guy, but I’m not looking to hook up this weekend, remember? And even if he were, I’d consider him off-limits just because of the awkwardness.”