Blaze of Glory

by M. Garzon

  “You do realize this is precisely what I was worried about, don’t you?” He kept his voice low, but I was upset by his anger. I had gotten used to Jaden comforting me right away when I was troubled or hurt. I spun around and stomped away. Jaden fell into step next to me; he put his hand on my good shoulder but I shrugged him off. I was marching to the house as fast as I could, yet he kept pace with me casually.

  “Why don’t you leave me alone,” I snapped.

  “I want to check your shoulder,” he replied easily. He was already over his fit of pique.

  “And you happen to have an x-ray machine in your pocket?” I grumbled. I wasn’t really angry anymore, though. My shoulder hurt, and I wanted to be alone to lick my wounds.

  “You know I’ve had some experience with shoulder injuries.”

  “Fine,” I conceded with poor grace.

  We went to the upstairs bathroom and inspected my shoulder; it didn’t seem serious, but something was definitely pulled. Only afterward did Jaden notice I was still wearing gloves.

  “Don’t freak out,” I said pleadingly as I slowly eased them off.

  He winced when he saw my hands, but to my relief, didn’t say anything. I started running cold water over the skinned and bleeding parts of my hands — I’d forgotten to wear gloves while riding Hades, and the braided reins had done some damage. Jaden rummaged in the medicine cabinet. When I was done washing, he applied ointment and bandages more gently than I would have thought possible. He didn’t say anything until he was done.

  “Why didn’t you pull up when you got hurt?”

  I felt the weight of guilt pressing down on me at the thought of my broken promise.

  “It didn’t happen until the end.”

  “Liar,” he said without heat. He started to pull my chin up, looking for my eyes. I jerked it away, annoyed.

  “Why do you always do that?”

  “Because,” he said with perfect confidence, “your eyes can’t lie to me.”

  Which was entirely true. I just wished he hadn’t noticed.

  “It happened right after that first line — you know, when he almost yanked me out of the saddle in the corner,” I admitted.

  “I was with your students, remember?”

  “Liar,” I said softly. I looked up at him. “I saw you watching my round.” A small, tender smile grew on my face. His own softened in response and his hand brushed my cheek, seemingly oblivious to the open bathroom door.

  “And you kept going because...” he prompted.

  “Come on, Jaden,” I said, gently reproving. “We’re both athletes. You can’t tell me you’ve never pushed through pain before.”

  He watched me stubbornly for a minute, then sighed and gingerly took my hand.

  “All right, I have. But I find the thought of you doing it frankly disturbing. Besides which, it was entirely unnecessary today. That wasn’t even your own horse, you didn’t have anything to gain.”

  “I gained six hundred dollars, doesn’t that count as something?”

  “Money is nothing compared to your safety,” he stated emphatically. He was starting to look decidedly huffy again. “Anyway, if you need money you can always come to me, Téa. You know that, don’t you?”

  I shook my head. “Thanks, but I don’t want your money, Jaden.”

  He closed his eyes. “Is it really necessary to argue with me about everything?”

  It was my turn to sigh. I’d upset him enough; it was time to be honest, no matter how it rankled. I placed my hand on his cheek and he opened his eyes reluctantly.

  “You were right,” I said sincerely.

  His expression brightened. I had to smile a bit at his reaction.

  “I can’t tell you how it thrills me to hear those words coming from your lips,” he said, “but about what, precisely?”

  “Pretty much everything,” I conceded. “That horse was too strong for me. I didn’t have enough time to work with him before going into the ring. It wasn’t safe...”

  For a second, he seemed to be trying to contain his delight at my admission. Then, to my shock, he leaned over, closed the bathroom door, and locked it. He then sat me on the counter, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me. Deliberately. Inside the house. The shock quickly gave way to other, warmer feelings, but when I wrapped my legs around him he pulled away.

  “Why don’t you stay here and rest your shoulder,” he suggested, “and I’ll go back to the barn and help the kids.”

  The horses’ shipping bandages needed to be taken off, they had to be fed, and the equipment had to be put away.

  “Thanks,” I said. I leaned forward and stole a quick kiss before sliding to the floor. “But it would make Dec suspicious if I didn’t go back.”

  “Why? Aren’t you going to tell him what happened?” He frowned.

  “Well, there doesn’t seem to be much point... I mean, it’s done with now, it would only upset him unnecessarily.” I looked at him hopefully.

  “You know, querida, if you and Dec are going to develop a new dynamic, at some point you’re going to have to start trusting him.”

  “I know. And I realize that he won’t react the way he used to, but he’ll still be mad and I’m too tired to deal with that tonight.”

  “All right,” he said, resigned. “I won’t say anything.”

  I knew he disapproved, but he didn’t show it. I thought about that as we made our way to the barn. Jaden had trusted my judgment today, twice. He was changing, growing into our relationship. I wasn’t sure I could say the same.

  I managed to keep my injuries inconspicuous while we were in the barn. However, we had barely sat down to a late dinner when Dec noticed my bandaged hands.

  “What happened to your hands, kiddo?” he asked, taking one of them and turning it over to view the damage.

  I didn’t look at Jaden. I kept my eyes squarely on Dec and told him matter-of-factly.

  “I got a catch-ride at the show today. The horse was a bit strong for me and I didn’t have gloves on. He tugged on my bad shoulder a bit, too.”

  Dec looked startled, though whether by the information or my candor, I didn’t know. To my right, I could feel Seth stiffen. Gran was shaking her head and tut-tutting.

  “But... why’d you take it, if the horse was too much for you?” Dec asked.

  “Mostly because I miss the jumper ring,” I said. “But I thought it would be easy money, too.”

  He frowned at me for a moment, his eyes appraising. There was an edge to his voice when he spoke again. “We’ve talked about this, Téa. Karen wasn’t there to advise you — you should have been with your students, not out taking risks on strange horses.”

  I nodded. “I know. It was bad judgment on my part,” I admitted.

  Dec couldn’t hide his surprise this time, but after surveying me with raised brows for a minute he turned to Jaden, frowning again.

  “Where were you while she was engaging in this foolishness?”

  “He was with the kids,” I answered quickly. “He didn’t know what I was doing.”

  I allowed myself a glance at Jaden. His eyes held mine for an immeasurable moment, but I couldn’t fathom the expression in his. Whatever he was feeling, though, it was powerful.

  I turned back to Dec.

  “So how did you do in the class?” he inquired.

  He was perfectly calm. His tone was conversational, curious. I blinked in surprise before answering.

  “Um, not bad... we were third. Out of thirty-four.”

  “And the money?”

  “Six hundred dollars.” I grinned.

  Dec nodded thoughtfully. “Just make sure this is the last time, Téa.”

  “Yes, please be more careful, dear. You’ve been injured quite enough,” Gran added worriedly.

  “Okay,” I told them as normally as possible.

  Seth kicked me under the table and gave me an ‘I can’t believe you pulled that off’ look. Jaden’s face, though, was still inscrutable.

 
; After dinner I went to check on the horses we’d brought with us that day. They were all content, munching their hay and relaxing. Even though it was already dark, it was a balmy evening and several boarders were still in the aisles, so I didn’t pay attention to the footsteps until hands came from behind me and caught my shoulders.

  “Just wait until I get you alone,” Jaden breathed into my ear.

  My stomach wobbled.

  “I’ll be in the shed,” he added. I listened to his footsteps fade before turning around.

  I waited a minute before following. When I peeked through the front door some boarders were standing next to their cars chatting, and I fidgeted anxiously while waiting for them to finish. It seemed to take forever. When they finally drove away I hurried over to the shed, looking over my shoulder, but no one else appeared.

  I slipped through the door. Before I turned around I felt his hand on the nape of my neck; I had barely faced him when his lips found mine. He pulled me close, and for a minute kissed me so lovingly that I felt like I would melt and form a puddle on the floor. When he stopped I opened my eyes slowly. He was looking at me with the same intense expression I’d noticed at the dinner table.

  “I’m proud of you,” he said, caressing my cheek.

  I leaned into his hand. “Tell me, was the kiss my reward for good behavior?”

  “You could say that,” he allowed with a smile.

  “I told the truth about my shoulder too, did you notice? Though I didn’t have to...” I hinted.

  “Hmm, that’s right,” he murmured.

  The heat in his eyes made my breath catch. He cupped my chin in one hand and used the other to brush the hair back from my face. He kissed my forehead, and I closed my eyes. I was already trembling in anticipation. The kisses followed my hairline, but from my temple, all of a sudden, his mouth was at my ear, hot, whispering my name.

  “Téa...”

  I exploded.

  I threw my arms around his neck and crushed my lips against his, pressing my body into him as hard as I could. Fortunately he lifted me up; I think I would have climbed his body otherwise. My legs wrapped around his waist. My lips parted, and when his didn’t follow suit right away, I traced the tip of my tongue along them until he succumbed with a moan. After a few minutes, he sat me on the workbench and we leaned together.

  “Ow.” The throbbing pain in my shoulder intruded on our moment, and I rubbed it ruefully.

  “Querida, I’m so sorry, I forgot,” he said, immediately contrite.

  I chuckled. “I’m the one who practically assaulted you,” I reminded him.

  He kissed my shoulder, looking worried. “Let’s get you inside and get some ice on it.”

  “I’d rather stay here with you.”

  In answer, he set me carefully on the ground, took my hand, and headed for the door.

  Between repeated applications of Jen’s homeopathic remedies, a treatment from Stephanie, and a week of rest, my shoulder was well enough for me to play in one chukker of the next weekend’s practice game. It was a casual, slow chukker, and at one point Mateo took a wild swing, completely missed the ball, and almost whacked his pony in the head.

  “Hey Mateo,” I yelled, laughing, “como se dice ‘that shot really sucked’ en Español?”

  He turned and galloped straight at me; before I knew it he had yanked me off Schweppes and was cantering off the field with me. I was getting really tired of polo players with forearms like iron bars — I was going to have bruises on my ribs. We were both laughing, though, as he conceded to bring me back to my pony.

  I suspected Jaden would have something to say about the incident, but his comment wasn’t what I expected.

  “Have you been learning Spanish from Mateo?” he asked casually after the game. I could see the effort he expended not to seem bothered.

  “A little, here and there,” I replied carefully. In fact I’d been learning as much Spanish as I could, both at the club and online.

  Jaden faced me. I froze as he held me with that powerful, unwavering gaze of his.

  “I can teach you Spanish, Téa.”

  “I know you can, querido, but you have far more compelling things to teach me,” I reminded him. “You’re showing me things I can’t learn from anyone else.”

  His eyes went from worried to molten in an instant; it looked as though a lesson would take place that very second. I felt myself flush in response and was about to throw myself at him when I remembered where we were. Still on the polo grounds, surrounded by witnesses. I restrained myself with difficulty. I was already growing weary of all the subterfuge.

  * * *

  A few days later, Seth dropped a magazine on the kitchen table in front of me. It took me a second to realize why he did; it was one of those magazines you see in supermarket checkout stands — the kind I never read. My eye was caught by the small picture inset on the cover, under the headline, “The Hot Men of Polo, p. 24”. It was a picture of Jaden.

  I flipped quickly to the article. It gave only a superficial rundown of the sport but gushed at length about the men who played the game. It was followed by a short biography of ten top players, including a picture and some vital stats. Jaden was the only one I knew.

  He got back from the club soon afterward and found Seth and me in the living room.

  “Jaden, can I talk to you for a minute?” My jaw was clenched; the words came out distorted.

  “Uh-oh,” Seth advised Jaden under his breath, “I’ve seen that look before. I’d run if I were you, bro.”

  Jaden punched him on the shoulder. “Thanks for the confidence,” he said drily.

  He motioned me to the door, letting me lead the way to the shed. I turned on him the second the door was bolted.

  “Don’t you think a little heads-up was warranted here?” I demanded, brandishing the magazine.

  He shrugged. “I forgot about it.”

  “You forgot you were interviewed, photographed, and going to be featured in a magazine?” I said incredulously.

  “Yes,” he replied a touch impatiently, “I forgot. We did the photoshoot months ago, and in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve had other things on my mind.”

  He held his hands out, palms up, and tilted his head a bit, a heart-stopping smile on his face. I could feel the charm being turned on; it was an almost irresistible magnetic force, drawing me in, but I held fast. I crossed my arms, eyes narrowed, and glared at him. He sighed.

  “Téa, I don’t understand. It’s just an article, it’s not my first, and it probably won’t be the last. What’s the problem?”

  “The problem,” I hissed, “is that under ‘status’ it says ‘single’. As if you don’t have enough groupies flinging themselves at you already!”

  “You have a few groupies of your own,” he pointed out, frowning slightly.

  “My groupies are all girls!” I almost shouted.

  He flashed his wicked smile. “So are mine.”

  “Oh, this is so not funny!” I growled at him.

  “I think it is, actually.” He closed the distance between us, grinning. I spun around, turning my back on him. I wasn’t ready to be appeased yet. He held my shoulders, pulling me back against him, and spoke low in my ear.

  “I thought I was the jealous one.” It sounded like he was still smiling. He ran his hands slowly from my shoulders down to my wrists and back again. His hands left a trail of heat on my skin, I could feel myself softening, melting back into him.

  “It’s just... those girls are so beautiful. I know you must get propositioned all the time, and now everyone will think you’re available and it will get even worse,” I tried to explain.

  He wound his arms around my waist and started kissing my neck. I tilted my head to give him better access before I caught myself.

  “Stop cheating,” I protested feebly, “this is no way to fight.”

  “I don’t want to fight,” he murmured against my skin between kisses. “I want to remind you that you have nothing to
worry about, from groupies or anyone else.”

  He was kissing my jaw now, and moving toward my ear. Little shivers of pleasure were making it hard for me to concentrate.

  “And why is that?” I managed to ask eventually.

  “Téa.” My name came out in a sigh. He turned me around so I was facing him. “Don’t you know me better than that by now?” His tone was gently chiding. “Sometimes the attention is flattering, I won’t deny it. But that’s not why I play. I’m yours, Téa — yours only — and I’ll be yours for as long as you want me.”

  His eyes were intense, willing me to believe him. Relief washed through me. Hearing him state things so plainly erased all my doubts — Jaden wouldn’t lie to me. I knew that the way I knew the sun would rise in the east.

  “You weren’t done reminding me, were you?” I murmured, pulling his face down to mine. He resisted for a minute, teasing me, gliding his hands slowly up and down my body.

  “Don’t make me come up there,” I threatened.

  “First jealousy, now threats,” he chuckled. “I’m seeing a whole new side of you today.” He sat me on the workbench, smiling at the worried look on my face. “I like it,” he whispered against my cheek.

  I wrapped my arms and legs around him, pulling him as close as I could. He spent a few more minutes being very, very convincing; by this point I was breathless and wanted more. I lifted my shirt, then his, just enough so I could feel the bare skin of his hard stomach against mine. To my chagrin, he tensed and pulled away almost immediately.

  “You know what the feel of your skin does to me,” he reminded me, disapproval clear in his voice.

  “Yes, I do,” I agreed angelically, “and thank goodness, otherwise you’d have all the power.”

  * * *

  The following week we went to play club chukkers, and the ride gave us some private time to talk. Dec had just finished a big project, but he’d immediately taken on another contract, and was away a lot during the week.