by Toni Mari
After forty minutes of creeping forward, we finally started moving steadily. So much for life treating me well. I had texted Cory my status. As we approached normal speed, we passed two tow trucks on the side of the road and three smashed-up cars, front and back. An accident, that’s what held us up. I frowned, hoping no one was hurt, and then turned back to the road to focus on making good time.
With a sigh of relief, I finally turned into the driveway. I eased my car through the huge metal entrance posts and cruised past seemingly endless black wood plank fencing. The pastures rolled on and on, green and lush. Three horses were grazing together to my right. To my left, two horses, a gray and a smaller bay, meandered around the pasture side by side. Both raised their heads to watch my car as I passed. I stepped on the brake—wait a minute! Those were the two horses Cory brought back from the rescue. I rolled down my window. “Fairy princess and wild Indian. Woohoo! Remember me?” The gray mare’s tail went up as high as her head. She whirled and took off, with the little guy right on her heels. I followed them around to the back of the giant plantation-style home, complete with wraparound porch and towering shade trees. The mare and colt had stopped in front of a huge, modern barn with attached indoor riding arena. I glided into the parking area, admiring the state-of-the-art complex. The building looked brand new, the surrounding yard clean and landscaped artfully. The windows and doors matched the plantation style of the big house. This place was the fanciest luxury barn I had ever seen.
My eyes fell on a man who was bent over at the waist, spraying his head and naked torso with the hose. All I could see were the seat of his Wranglers and his bare, muscled back. Nice! I tore my eyes away from his state-of-the-art build in time to avoid a barking Australian shepherd. I parked and turned off the car.
The man straightened and shook his head like a dog, spraying water everywhere. I grinned when I realized that fine body was Cory. He gave a sharp command to the dog, and it ran to his side. I watched him approach, shirtless and smoothing down his wet hair. His shoulders seemed broader, and I couldn’t take my eyes off his six-pack abs, his belly button peeking out the top of his jeans. His beauty rolled over me in waves, leaving me flustered and shy. Over the last couple of weeks, he had made a better effort at keeping in contact with me, but since he wasn’t much of a chatterbox, I was unsure exactly how warm his reception would be. As to his attack on Shawn, I hadn’t mentioned it and neither had he.
He leaned down to peer in the driver’s side window. “How can I help you?” he asked in his professional courtesy voice.
I couldn’t find my voice. The butterflies that lived in my stomach all woke up at once.
Cory squinted to see in the window. “Jane!” he said, surprised. He looked over my car and glanced at his watch. “I didn’t recognize the car. Rental?”
I opened the door and slid out to stand. “Graduation gift.” I was still mesmerized by his flat, hard belly; I wanted to touch it. I finally looked up at his face.
Cory ran his fingers through his wet hair. I watched as he bit his lip and swallowed. “I wasn’t sure when you would arrive. I haven’t showered or anything yet.” He waved a hand toward himself. “Sorry.”
My eyes followed his hand gesture and roamed over all of that exposed skin. Who cared about a shower, I just wanted to touch him. After my rather leisurely inspection, I lifted my arm and touched his abdomen with my fingertips. Cory’s hand dropped to his side, a slow, cocky grin tugging at his lips. “Missed me?”
Before I could nod, a booming voice interrupted us. “Hello! You must be Jane. I am glad to see that you made it here safely. There are always pile-ups on that highway.” A burly man with close-cropped dark and silver hair held out his hand to me. “Barry Green.”
I shook his hand. “Hello, sir.”
“We held dinner for you up at the big house.” He glanced at Cory.
“I need to grab a quick shower. We’ll come up in a few minutes.”
“You run and take a shower, I’ll bring Jane up. She probably needs a drink after traveling for so long. Hurry up!”
Disappointed in missing out on a private and more heated hello, I kept my eyes off Cory as I handed him my bags.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “I couldn’t say no when he offered.” I nodded and let Mr. Green lead me away. My breathing and brain function became closer to normal the farther I got from Cory.
Mr. Green talked about Cory and how great he was doing with the horses. He talked about his farm and his plans. He lead me through the house to the kitchen, which in itself was probably the size of Cory’s mom’s whole trailer at home. A woman and a girl buzzed around the counters and set food on a long maple table.
The woman laid down a serving dish and came over to us. “Hello. I was worried you would be stuck on that highway forever. It was on the news, a four-car pile-up, couple people in the hospital, no fatalities so far. That is the worst stretch of road—always some kind of accident. Ooh, sorry.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “Ellie.” When I held out my hand, she chuckled and gave me a quick hug. “That’s our daughter, Hannah.”
They sat me down, gave me a drink, and asked all kinds of questions about my “English” riding. When Cory came in wearing a button-down shirt and clean jeans, they treated him like a family member.
Dinner was delicious and the Greens were wonderful people, but I couldn’t wait for it to be over. All I could think about were the buttons on Cory’s shirt and how I’d like to pop them open and get a peek at those abs again. I’m not sure if I added much to the dinner conversation. I apologized on the way out, claiming travel fatigue.
As we walked down the driveway toward the barn and Cory’s apartment, my shyness came back. Cory took my hand. “Sorry about that. I talked about you so much, they couldn’t wait to meet you.”
“You talk about me?” He didn’t talk to me, but he talked about me?
“I’ve been waiting months for this weekend. It came up a few times.”
Typical Cory. Understated and overwhelming in the same sentence. I let out a shaky breath.
Technically, in our relationship, we had been apart more than we had been together. And we had never spent an entire night together, let alone two. Anticipation and fear fluttered around in my stomach with those familiar butterflies.
He squeezed my hand. “Wait till you see my place.”
I let out a louder, shakier breath. His place, where I was staying with him for two nights in a row.
“It’s in the barn, but trust me, it’s great.”
I nodded.
He squeezed my hand again. “It’s not a dive, I promise.”
That was not what I was worrying about. We entered the barn aisle, and Cory opened a door next to what was obviously the feed room. He led me up a set of stairs that opened into his apartment. I set my purse down on the couch, taking in the hardwood floor, walls, and ceiling. A kitchen area was to the right with cool, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The living room area to the left had a couch arranged in front of a television, and the wall behind it was filled by a picture window. There was a hallway, and I assumed the bedroom and bath would be in that direction. The surfaces were spotless, not a stalk of hay or a stray piece of clothing anywhere.
“Really nice,” I breathed, turning to Cory, “and surprisingly neat.”
He chuckled, deep and sexy. “I cleaned for you.”
I stared at him. A simple thing, really, but it made me warm in all the best places. Cory wasn’t a man of many words, but the ones he said were usually the right ones.
“Something was bothering me throughout that whole dinner.” I took a slow step toward him.
“I’m sorry to throw you into the fire like that. I thought you would get here early enough to relax with me for a while before we had to go up to the big house.”
“That wasn’t what was bothering me.” I took another step.
Cory did that thing again where he reached up for the hat he wasn’t wearing. Withou
t a hat brim to hide behind, I could see him bite his lip and swallow as he searched for the right thing to say. “I’m sorry.”
I laughed. “You should be. It was these buttons—I wanted them undone, out of the way of my view.” I took the last step forward and reached up to fumble with his shirtfront.
Those incredible blue eyes warmed as delight dawned on his face. “Happy to help, darling.” He put his hands on both sides of my face and kissed me. “Real happy,” he whispered as his arms embraced me and pulled me closer.
#
Chapter Thirty-Two
I woke up and scooted into the bathroom. I splashed my face with water and patted some on my hair to tame it down. I straightened my jammies and walked barefoot out into the living area. My primping was a waste of time because Cory wasn’t out there. The view of the farm through the picture window snagged my attention. Soft morning sun lit green pastures. The fields rose and fell in gentle hills, and dark plank fencing sliced them into sections. I smiled as I spotted the gray mare dancing in circles, with the little bay walking purposefully after her. Then Cory appeared with his arms full of hay. The gray mare was looping around him, shaking her head. He did a couple dance steps, playing with the mare.
What a lovely view. I went in the kitchen to look for something to drink. A yellow sticky note that said “Coffee” was stuck to the machine. A cup, a spoon, and the fixings were laid out on the counter. I made a cup and settled onto the couch, enjoying the scene through the window.
Cory came in after finishing feeding and made us breakfast. I quirked my eyebrows. “I’m impressed. You cook, you clean, you have a beautiful place, this view is great.”
“It is great.” Cory stood up and carried our plates to the sink.
“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in there?” I picked up the coffee cups and followed him.
He leaned a hip on the counter. “It is great. The Greens treat me really well, as you can see. They have quality horses and respect my management decisions. I like it here.”
“But . . .” I prompted, tugging his belt loops and pulling him close.
“But,” he tipped my chin up with an index finger, “you aren’t here.” He kissed me.
Whoa! I wrapped my arms around his waist to hold on. I had no response to that statement. I still had the Championships. I was starting college in the fall, which, although it was an hour closer to here than home, was still not close enough for us to be together often. I kissed him harder, missing him already.
“Dress to ride. Barry let me clear my schedule and I thought we could go out all morning. I’ll show you the farm.”
I met him downstairs with breeches and paddock boots on. Cory was grooming a powerful-looking bay quarter horse. The horse stretched his nose toward me and nuzzled my hand as I stepped near.
“His name is Bandit.” Cory placed a western saddle on him and tightened the cinch. “I have a horse in mind for you, if you’re game. Follow me.”
We left Bandit standing in the cross ties and climbed the fence into the paddock with the gray mare and the little bay. Both horses lifted their heads from a pile of hay and watched us approach.
“The mare?” I asked, excited by the idea. Something about her buoyant attitude and mischievous antics attracted me. She flicked her tail and jogged away from us, but the little bay stood still, allowing us near. Cory rubbed the middle of the colt’s chest and the little bay lifted his head, enjoying the attention.
“I named him Lakota, because even though he lets me come right up to him now, he’s still a wild Indian when I work with him.” Cory towered over the little guy. He draped his arms over the skinny back, patting Lakota’s other side. The colt accepted this contact as well and chewed his hay, calmly watching Cory out of the corner of his eye. He nickered softly, and then I felt nibbly lips on my arm. The gray mare had come up behind me. Cory smiled. “Typical woman, has to be her idea.”
I turned and rubbed her neck. She still was pretty thin and her coat was rough, and my hand came away covered in white hair. “Are you sure it is gonna be okay to ride her. She still seems so skinny.”
“Light exercise is good for her, and we’ll take it easy. I rode her, and she loves going out on the trails. I’ll warn you though, she’s a ball of energy.”
I stroked her neck and let her sniff my hand. “I think I can handle her.” She was only about fourteen hands, and her back was even with my shoulders. Windsong was seventeen hands, a whole other foot taller, and I couldn’t see over his back when I stood next to him. Cory had untangled her mane and tail, and they were long and flowing, adding to her feminine looks. I could have eaten her up she was so cute.
“She’s actually really nice. Let’s go to the gate, they’ll follow us.”
I kept glancing behind me, and sure enough the two horses followed. Cory lifted a halter and lead rope from the ground where he had dropped them. He slipped the halter easily onto her delicate head.
“Have you named her?” I asked, impressed with her cooperation. She must like Cory, but then again, who wouldn’t.
“Fairy Queen. I call her Queenie.”
“It suits her perfectly. Won’t Lakota get upset when we take her out?”
Cory handed Queenie’s lead rope to me and picked up a smaller halter and lead. “He’s coming with us. I’m not ready to separate them until he gains more confidence in this as his home. She’s a great teacher, you’ll see.”
We cross-tied them in the aisle. Bandit stood waiting patiently, one hip cocked. Cory handed me brushes and coat-conditioning spray and I got to work on Queenie. She enjoyed the attention, watching me out of the corner of her eye the whole time. Cory worked on Lakota, who accepted the brushing. When Cory tried to pick up his feet to pick them out, he jumped around and pulled them away. Queenie turned her head and nickered her concern.
Cory brought me a western saddle to put on Queenie. I needed help with the cinch because it was different from the one on my dressage saddle and I had never done a western girth before. We mounted. Cory held Lakota’s lead but let him walk in between Bandit and Queenie. The colt kept up, showing no signs of trying to go anywhere else.
The western saddle was comfortable, but the big seat and leather leg flaps were odd. I couldn’t feel Queenie’s sides with my calves. It wasn’t a problem for Queenie because she went like a motorized scooter with power steering and an endless supply of gas. She motored forward, responding to my light directions. I felt short next to Cory, whose horse was about sixteen hands and towered above us.
The farm was one hundred and twenty acres, Cory explained to me. The Greens had only eight horses of their own, but there were twelve on the farm, including these two rescues. Cory was responsible for the care and training of all of them. A guy came on weekends to work, and that was especially helpful when Cory took horses to shows.
“This farm is beautiful. Do you think he will get more horses? This place could hold a lot.”
“He just wants the show animals, he doesn’t plan on having a huge herd.”
Cory adjusted his hat with the hand that wasn’t holding Lakota’s lead.
“So, you like it here?”
“Yeah, you’ve got it made, cowboy.” I smiled coyly at him.
“Well, I had an idea, and Mr. Green approved. You could bring Windsong here and stay with me for the summer. Plenty of room, like you said.”
I responded immediately. “That would be so cool if I didn’t have the Championships! Kate and I are going to train hard when I get back. She is going to work with me two or three times a week and we’re going to schedule a few clinics. Besides, I wouldn’t want to move Windsong to a new barn this close to a big event.”
Cory tipped his hat down. “Yeah. It was just an idea.”
I helped Cory with feeding after we untacked and bathed the horses. I showered first and pulled on shorts and a tank top. While I was waiting for Cory to shower, I texted Megan: “havin amazing time.”
She texted back. “bet u are. c u soon.”<
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As I slipped my phone into my purse, it vibrated in my hand, causing me to drop it. It landed on the floor and I accidentally kicked it under the table as I grabbed for it. I got down on my hands and knees, crawling forward and pushing the kitchen chair aside. By the time I got my fingers around the phone, it had stopped vibrating. I swiped in my code and stabbed the missed call icon. Erica. I pushed dial.
“While I like the view, wouldn’t the couch be more comfortable for a phone call?” Cory teased.
“Ha, ha! I dropped it. Oh, hello, Erica?” I wiggled out from under the table, eliciting more male noises of appreciation. I rolled my eyes and poked Cory in the belly.
“Jane, I just called you.”
“I know, sorry. I didn’t get to the phone in time.” Cory grabbed my waist and bit my shoulder. I squeaked.
“Are you okay? Can you talk? I have an idea.”
“Yeah,” I grunted as I tried to squirm away from Cory. “I’m at Cory’s. The mare and the little gelding he took home are doing great. I rode the mare, she is dynamite.” I remembered who I was talking to. Erica rode only the best horses in the country. She might not think Queenie was all that special. “Not a world-class dressage horse, but really sweet.”
“That is wonderful to hear. Tell Cory I am working on a home for the mare, and I have a possible candidate. I really appreciate him holding on to her.”
I covered the phone and relayed the news to Cory. He frowned and didn’t reply. I waited a beat, and then just answered for him. “He says great and no problem.” I made a face at Cory.
“Tell him he’s wonderful. Okay, here’s my idea. Next week, Shawn is going to come to my place to stay, and we are going to train every day until the Championships. I thought that you could do the same. Bring Windsong, stay here, and train with us. I have plenty of room.”
“With you? And Shawn?” When I said Shawn’s name, Cory’s already tense face got tighter.
“I don’t know what your plans are, but Shawn can come get you and Windsong with my trailer. I know this is a lot, but talk to your parents and get back to me. I’ll already be working with Shawn, so it will be easy to teach you both.”