“Can you cut that part?” Knox asked Mike, shifting uncomfortably.
Mike laughed. “Sure, man. We’ll cut anything that bothers you or doesn’t make you look good, I promise.”
Knox gave him a thumbs-up. “Thanks, bud.”
Mike nodded, smiling. At least the two of them seemed to be getting along. Ema had been worried with Mike always badgering her to date him and her interest in Knox. She hoped no one noticed that interest.
Knox glanced back at Ema. “You ready to try riding?”
“Yes, sir.” She jumped up, excitement coursing through her. “I’ve always wanted to ride a horse.”
“Really?” Knox stood and they fell into step together, walking down the patio steps, past the pool area, and around the side of the house toward where she’d seen the stables. “You’ll love it. Do you want to go on a long ride or just stay in the corral?”
“Long ride, please.” She glanced up at him.
“Sounds good.” He whipped around to face Mike. “You didn’t get any lunch,” he said, as if he’d suddenly realized Mike had filmed rather than eaten.
“It’s okay. I can eat later.”
“We’ll get some footage of the barn and Ema riding in the corral; then Nellie will take good care of you while we go on a longer ride.” Knox grinned as if the thought of having Ema to himself was a good one. She liked the idea too. As long as he stayed nice. Would he apologize again if they were away from the camera? What if he turned into the Beast when they were out on the ride and she had no escape? She couldn’t simply run and yell for a taxi.
They perused the spacious barn and met all the horses. Knox was sweet with his horses, and Ema liked that. The head horse guy, John, saddled two horses and followed them out to the corral.
Knox took the brown horse’s reins and gestured Ema in front of him into the corral. “Bubba is my gentlest horse. You’ll like her.”
“You named a girl Bubba?”
His beautiful full smile made its appearance. “You’ll have to blame Shelby for that one. The horse was named Bobbie Sue, but Shelby always calls her Bubba and it stuck.”
“I’d like to meet Shelby someday.”
Knox’s smile dimmed. “If you come over without Mike, I might be able to arrange that.”
Was he flirting with her? “I’m pretty good at ditching Mike,” she said.
“Hey, I heard that!” Mike called out.
Ema flashed the camera a smile. “Can you blame me? What woman wouldn’t want time alone with this guy?”
Knox stopped rubbing the horse’s nose next to her, and she turned to find him laser-focused on her. “Did you mean that, or are you just playing to the crowd?”
Ema met his gaze head-on and said evenly, “I’m not really sure, to be honest. When you’re not in beast mode, you’re a pretty nice guy, but I don’t really like beast mode.”
He studied her before saying, “My football fans like beast mode.”
“I’m not a football fan,” she shot back.
“And here I started thinking you were the perfect woman.”
Ema’s eyes widened and the air seemed to pulse between them. He reached out and took her hand and that pulse turned to a vibration. Ema swallowed, ready to tell him she really did enjoy football, but he cut off any response she might have made by lifting her hand to the horse’s neck and saying, “Rub her neck and let her get used to your smell and touch.”
Ema did as instructed, not minding the smell of the horse and liking her soft coat. “I thought you said Bubba was gentle.”
“She is, but it’s always a good idea to get to know your horse.”
Ema continued stroking until Knox said, “All right, I think we should be good. Let’s get you up on your horse.”
“I got this.”
Knox smiled softly at her. “Yeah, you do.”
She grabbed the horn and tried to lift her left foot enough to put it in the stirrup, but her pants were just a bit too restrictive. Straining, she managed an embarrassed whisper. “I can’t get my foot up there. My pants are too tight.”
Knox looked startled for a second, and then he laughed. “I guess to look as good as you do, you have to make some sacrifices.”
Ema shook her head, mortified that this was on film and Knox was laughing at her. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to ride a horse. Knox wrapped his large palms around her waist and plucked her off the ground like she weighed nothing. “Whoa!” Ema cried out. The horse shied away from them.
“Calm down, Bubba,” Knox soothed.
John hurried to their side and ushered Bubba back next to them. All the while, Ema was suspended in the air, Knox’s strong hands holding her. It was awkward and exhilarating. She liked his touch far too much.
“Grab hold of the horn again and put your foot in the stirrup,” Knox instructed. She did. “Now, are your pants too tight to swing one leg over?”
She ignored him and swung her right leg over the saddle, jamming her right foot into the stirrups.
Knox released his hold and smiled up at her. “See, you’ve got this.”
The way he said that reminded her of Claire. Did he and Claire share the same phrases, or had he heard his agent say that enough that he used it also?
Ema stared down at him, surprised how high she was up here. It was disconcerting to be on this huge animal’s back, staring down at a man who was easily six foot five. The ground was awfully far away and Ema felt like she had no control.
Knox took the reins and slowly led Bubba around the corral. He’d occasionally look back at Ema and give her a reassuring smile. She tried to sit tall, waving and smiling at the camera.
“You ready to go out for a ride around the ranch?” Knox asked.
“Yes, sir.” She wasn’t really sure, but she wanted to appear confident.
Knox walked them to the gate and John swung it open, taking the reins from Knox so he could mount his own horse.
“Daddy!” A beautiful little voice and a giggle rang through the air.
“Shelby?” Knox’s head whipped around and he sprinted away from the corral and across the wide expanse of grass, where an adorable child with blonde curls was running to him. An older lady was trailing behind her, calling, “Shelby, wait!”
Knox swept his daughter into his arms, and she laughed and framed his face with her chubby hands. “Daddy, I missed you!” She kissed him on the cheek.
Knox kissed her dimpled cheek and said, “I missed you too, baby. I’m almost done; then we’ll swim, okay?”
“Otay, but Genny won’t let me play outside until the peoples are gone.” She looked away from her daddy and toward Ema. “Hey! What’s that pretty lady doing on my Bubba?”
Ema had almost forgotten she was on the horse as she watched the tender interaction, wishing she could stay and swim with them. She waved quickly, then grabbed on to the saddle horn again. “Hi, Shelby. I’ve never been on a horse before and your daddy said Bubba was nice.”
Shelby giggled. “Bubba’s too slow, though!”
Knox’s face had changed from delight at seeing his daughter to remembrance of who was there. He sheltered Shelby with his body and glared at Mike. “You delete this footage immediately,” he growled.
Oh, no, the Beast was back. Ema wasn’t close enough to whisper that the sun was going down. Would it even help calm him?
Mike didn’t answer right away.
“Delete it now!” Knox bellowed.
“Don’t yell, Daddy,” Shelby said.
Mike lowered the camera and nodded. “You got it, man. No worries.”
“Thank you.” Knox’s shoulders sagged in relief.
The older lady reached them and put out her arms for Shelby. “You little sneak. You told me you were going to the bathroom.”
“Ah, Aunt Genny,” Shelby moaned, clinging to her daddy. “I can’t be stucka in my room all day. It’s my worst!”
Knox chuckled and nuzzled her neck with his nose, looking much more relaxed now the camera wasn�
��t filming. “Only another hour. Then we can swim, and Nellie told me she’s making us pizza for dinner.”
“Yeah, pizza! That’s my best. Do I get a cheese all to myself?”
“Yes, love, you do.”
Ema’s heart was melting. She understood why Knox didn’t want the world to see his beautiful daughter, but if they could glimpse this interaction, no one would ever call him a beast again.
“Go with Aunt Genny now.” He handed her off to the older lady.
“Otay, Daddy.” Shelby waved at Ema. “Bye, pretty lady. Have fun with my slow Bubba!”
“I will,” Ema returned.
Knox watched as Genevieve and Shelby made their way back to the house. He walked back to the corral and stopped next to Mike. “Thanks for being willing to cut that. I have to protect her.”
“Sure. No problem.” Mike pointed at Ema. “I’ll film you two riding away and get some footage of the lake and yard; then we should have plenty for the show.”
Knox pushed out a breath. “That’s a relief. Thanks. Then you can get some lunch.”
“Sounds great.” Mike grinned.
Knox walked to where John held the reins for both horses. “Thanks,” Knox said. He swung easily into the saddle and John handed him both sets of reins.
“Hey,” Ema protested. “I can hold my own, you know.” She wanted to ask more about Shelby, but it would have to wait until they were away from the camera.
Knox smiled. “I’m sure you’re ready for the Kentucky Derby, but let me lead you for a little bit.”
“Okay,” Ema conceded, secretly relieved that all she’d have to do was hold on to the saddle horn.
The horses started walking together away from the corral and toward the open field behind the house and outbuildings. Ema clenched her thighs to keep from swaying too much and clung to the horn. They rode by the lake and into the wooded section.
Ema glanced back and saw they were too far from Mike to be filmed any longer. They plodded along through the trees in silence for a while until she got the nerve to speak up about his daughter. “Shelby’s beautiful,” she said.
Knox glanced sharply at her. “Yes, she is.”
“I can see why you’re so protective of her.”
Knox pursed his lips and said, “You told me you researched me.”
She nodded. Last night, that had ticked him off royally. Should she try to turn her horse back? He was holding the reins, so she was stuck for the time being.
“So you know she’s Tyler’s daughter.”
She nodded again, relieved he seemed pretty calm.
“Tyler entrusted me with everything when he died, but the only thing that really matters is Shelby. I’ll protect her and love her until the day I die.”
“I pity the poor fool who tries to date her.” Ema bit at her lip. She shouldn’t have said that.
Knox’s brows drew together. “Nobody had better try.”
“At some point you’ll have to let her grow up.” Ema’s father had been ultra-protective, and their island small enough everyone knew she was the mayor’s daughter and reported everything she did back to him. One more reason she enjoyed living in the States.
Knox’s glare deepened. “Are we done talking about this?”
Ema raised her eyebrows, but a dose of fear pulsed through her. “Is the Beast going to come back if I push harder?”
Knox chuckled and his face softened. “Possibly.”
“All right. I concede.” She almost raised her hands up but didn’t dare release her grip. She didn’t want to meet the Beast again.
“How’s Bubba?”
“She’s a sweet old girl.” Ema smiled.
“Do you want to hold your own reins now?”
Ema took a deep breath. “Okay, I got this.”
“Yes, you do.” His gaze swept over her in a warm, appreciative way. Ema felt comfortable with him, for the moment, and she wished this wasn’t the end. He’d told her she could come back, sans Mike, and get to officially meet Shelby. Would she dare? Did she really want to?
It was Monday, and by Friday she’d be on to the next shoot while this one aired. Brady and Hailey Giles were her next assignment, and she was excited to meet the famous couple who had gotten so much exposure last year, what with their quick marriage and being stalked by a deranged housekeeper who’d been in love with Brady. Brady played for the Titans as well and Hailey was the owner’s daughter and a trainer for them. Ema would be in Dallas all week, so maybe she could come see Knox before she left, but it seemed pointless. Her career wouldn’t be slowing down anytime soon and she was usually in a different location every weekend. Even though Knox had been great since they’d come to his home and there was an obvious attraction between them, nothing could come of it.
They entered a large clearing, and Knox sidled his horse up close to hers and handed over her reins. Bubba skittered a little bit and Knox instructed, “Now, the important thing is to be firm. Hold the reins tightly and when you direct her right or left, do it like you mean it.”
“Firm,” Ema repeated, her breath quickening. She was now in charge of this massive animal. She pulled tightly and the horse backed up. “Whoa!”
Knox chuckled. “Not too tight. That means go in reverse.”
“Oh, gotcha.” She loosened her hold, but really she just wanted to sit still for a minute and get used to the reins in her hands. “Is your horse fast?”
“Flash? Yeah, he’s pretty fast.”
“With a name like that, he’d better be.” She looked around the open meadow. “I’d love to watch you, you know, ride fast.”
“Gallop?” Knox’s smile was mocking her, but his eyes were warm. “You just don’t want to move quite yet, do you?”
“You got it. Let me get used to holding Bubba’s reins while you put on a show for me, please.”
“Does anyone ever tell you no?”
“Besides you? Not usually.”
He grinned, kicked the horse’s flanks, and yelled, “Hiya!” His white horse flew across the meadow while Ema watched in awe. The horse and rider were both impressive—large, strong, and fast. She loosened her grip on the reins as she admired Knox’s skillful handling and rippling muscles.
A fly buzzed in front of her nose. Letting go of the reins, she swatted at it. She cried out in surprise when Bubba took off at a trot and the reins slipped to the ground. It was nowhere near as fast as Knox’s horse was going, but Ema wasn’t prepared and she had no clue how to keep her seat. She was jerked all over the place, and she bent forward to try to grab one of the reins that was bouncing up toward her.
She missed. Her body toppled to the side, and the ground rushed up to meet her. An explosion of pain ripped through the side of her face and everything went dark.
Chapter Eight
Knox and Flash were flying across the meadow. He loved the sensation of the ground flowing underneath him and the strength of his horse propelling him forward. He thought of Ema asking him to run for her, and smiled. Despite his desire to stay aloof, she was pulling him in. The only black mark on the day was when Shelby had come and Mike had filmed her, but the guy had promised he’d delete that. It would be okay.
The filming was done, and now Knox had a chance to be alone with Ema. How could he apologize for his grumpy, suspicious behavior last night? It still bothered him that her career was to exploit celebrities, him included, but she was a soft, bright light that soothed the beast inside of him. He wanted more time to bask in that.
He slowed and turned his horse to race back to Ema. Bubba was trotting toward him … with no Ema on her back! Knox searched the ground and saw her lying on the far side of the meadow, flat on her face. Not moving.
“No!” he roared, his mind conjuring up all the images of Tyler and his other friends—bloody, unresponsive, dead. His mom and sister in their caskets. “Go, Flash!” he urged, kicking his flank.
After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, he reached Ema and reined Flash in. Jumping to t
he ground, he dropped to his knees, his eyes taking in her torn shirt and the blood streaming from her temple. He pushed his fingers against her neck. Her pulse was there. It was too slow and weak, but at least it was steady.
“Oh, Ema,” he groaned. He wanted to lift her into his arms and fly back to the house on his horse and rush her to the emergency room in his Hummer, but he had to be smart about this. One of his security guys could bring the Hummer to them, but it seemed too risky to move her without EMTs helping. Ripping his phone from his pocket, he dialed 911.
“911. What’s your emergency?”
“I need a Life Flight helicopter to 19300 Lone Ranch Road immediately. Can you pinpoint my location? Can I share it with you? We’re at least a mile behind the main house.”
“Yes, sir, but can you tell me the nature of your call?”
“Get Life Flight on its way; then I’ll talk to you, not before!” he roared.
“Sir, I’m not at liberty to make that call—”
“Then put me through to someone who is.”
“I’ll have to have your name, sir.”
“This is Knox Sherman, and I don’t care what the cost is. I’ll pay cash, whatever you want, but this is a matter of life or death. My friend was just thrown from her horse. You get someone here, someone with lots of training, now!”
“Calm down, sir. I’ll get help coming. An ambulance.”
“No!” he bellowed. “Life Flight. Now!”
“Knox?” Ema’s sweet voice floated up to him and she rolled onto her side. Blood coated her temple and dripped down her cheek.
“Ema.” Knox almost choked on her name. He had to restrain himself from gathering her close, and had to settle for gently touching her arm. “Don’t move. Help’s coming.”
“Sir?” A different male voice came on the line. “I understand you are requesting Life Flight.”
“Can you get them here?”
“If at all possible, we would send an ambulance.”
“It’s not possible,” Knox argued. “My friend has been thrown from a horse. We’re in the woods behind my property; an ambulance can’t get in here. Get the helicopter on its way now!”
The Beastly Groom (Texas Titan Romances) Page 9