by Jeannie Watt
Dani stopped, waiting for Lacy to relax, and then when the horse’s ears went forward again, she approached the mare. There was a slight quiver when she placed the pad on the horse’s back, a bunching of muscles when she settled the saddle, not out of the ordinary for the first tack-up—but nothing to prepare her for the explosion that occurred when the cinch touched the horse’s belly.
Lacy threw herself backward while twisting sideways, lost her footing and landed on her side as Dani scrambled out of the way. For a moment she lay there, the saddle half under her, nose in the air, held in place by the taut halter rope. Dani dashed forward and yanked the rope, tied in a quick release knot that had nevertheless tightened when the mare fell. She yanked again and the rope came free, allowing Lacy control of her head. The mare let out a groan, then heaved herself up to her feet. Dani caught the rope before Lacy took off, and for a moment they stood facing one another. Both of them were shaking. Gus hovered nearby, whining his distress until Dani shushed him.
She took a slow step forward and Lacy snorted and tossed her head. Dani stopped and waited for the mare to lower her head again. Lacy had reacted, as horses would, to a stimulus, but now she needed reassurance, so Dani moved forward to slowly touch the lower part of the mare’s neck. Lacy quivered but stayed put, allowing Dani to stroke her. Dani continued to rub the mare’s body, working her way over the taut muscles, still holding the lead rope in one hand, not wanting to risk tying her up again.
After fifteen minutes of slow massage, Dani released Lacy, who shook her head and started toward the water trough, Gus ambling along by her side as if offering his own brand of reassurance. Dani leaned her forearms on the fence, then slowly lowered her forehead to rest on her arms. She didn’t know what to do. As a trainer, she was facing a problem that should be dealt with. As the guilty owner of a horse that wouldn’t have been abused if she hadn’t sold her, part of her just wanted to let the mare live in peace.
She’d bought Lacy to give her a home, not to ride her, although a small part of her had hoped that would be possible, despite what had happened to the last owner. What was the best thing to do here? Attempt to rehabilitate a fifteen-year-old mare, or just let her live out her life grazing with the other horses and playing field tag with Gus? If she chose to let the mare be, she had to commit to keeping her forever—but that had been her plan anyway.
What a week. Chad, Marti, Lacy—by themselves not all that significant, but added together...yeah.
Dani raised her head, staring out over the field, thinking it was time to count her blessings instead of her crosses. The problem with living alone was that there was no one to distract her from the things weighing on her mind. No one to unload a few problems of their own, make her feel as if she wasn’t the only one carrying a bit of a burden.
No one to keep her from noticing Gabe striding purposefully along the path that led from his house, across her property, to the river. She climbed down off the fence and went back into the house, paced a few times, then decided it was a great time to tackle the upstairs floors. But instead of sweeping she stopped at her bedroom window, broom in hand, and stared out toward the river, where Gabe had disappeared in the willows.
“Gus,” she called a few minutes later as she trotted downstairs. The big dog lifted his head then slowly hefted himself to his feet as she said, “Let’s go for a walk.”
Time for a little distraction.
CHAPTER EIGHT
GABE HAD KNOWN that something was coming through the brush long before Dani emerged from the thick willows that edged the river. He’d hoped it was a deer or cow and not a bear. Having that something turn out to be Dani was a pleasant surprise.
“You found the swimming hole,” she said as she walked toward him, dressed in cutoff jeans and a loose tank top that seemed to emphasize her breasts rather than conceal them.
“I guess so.” He smiled at her, noticing that there were faint circles under her eyes and her mouth tipped down at the corners. Stress? Exhaustion? “I followed the path from the house across your fields. It’s kind of narrow, but well used.”
“It’s a deer and coyote path,” she said moving a few steps closer. “I don’t think the Staleys ever used the swimming hole. They weren’t swimming-hole kind of people.”
“I’ve seen the deer,” he said. “But no coyotes.”
“They’re a little shyer, but they’re around.”
“Guess I’ll take your word for that.” He nodded at the towel she held. “You really are going swimming.”
“I’m thinking about it.” She shrugged. “Or it might have just been an excuse to have someone to talk to. I saw you walking this way.”
“Spying on me?” His tone took on an amused note—he knew she was probably the last person who’d take up spying on him.
She shrugged again. “I was sitting on the fence and saw you head toward the river. I decided I’d see if you found the swimming hole or were just wandering the banks.”
“I might wander later.” He sat down on a bleached log, but Dani remained standing where she was.
“Rough day?” he finally asked.
She shrugged carelessly. “I’ve had better.” She glanced over at the opposite bank, then back at him. “I had kind of an incident with Lacy. I decided to saddle her and, well, it didn’t go well.”
“What happened?”
“She exploded when the cinch touched her belly. She was tied to the rail and went down and I was lucky to get the rope loose before she choked herself.” She rubbed her fingers over her forehead. “I shouldn’t have had her tied when I saddled. I just hadn’t expected...” She exhaled “But I guess I should have, knowing she’d been abused.”
“How close did you come to being hurt?” he asked gruffly.
She looked at him as if surprised that was a concern. “I was out of range when it happened.”
“Out of range.” Now it was his turn to let out a long breath. “What now?”
“That’s what I’ve been wondering. Do I rehabilitate or just let her be?”
“Keep her as a pet?”
“Yeah.”
“Kind of an expensive pet.”
She cocked her head and her hair spilled over her shoulder. “Not logical?” she asked in an I-dare-you-to-say-yes voice.
“I’m not touching that one.”
She gave a small snort. “Don’t worry. My sister Allie agrees with you.”
“Why’d you sell her in the first place?”
Dani sighed. “It was part of the pay-for-college plan. My dad was a fantastic rope horse trainer. Lacy was out of his favorite mare. We planned to train her, sell her, help pay for college.”
“A rope horse brings that much money?”
“A good one. One of Dad’s friends used her for a year on the rodeo circuit, won some good money on her. I used her in high school the one year we could afford to rodeo.” Dani leaned back and looked up at the sky. “I sold her because it was part of the plan my dad and I made before he died. He said rope horses of her caliber only went to people who cared for them.” She continued to stare up at the sky for another moment, then dropped her chin. “It was a good fairy tale.”
An awkward silence followed, which Gabe eventually filled by asking, “How’s Molly coming along?”
Dani glanced at him with a half smile, as if glad he’d offered up a friendlier subject. “She’s smart and quiet. She’ll be a good present for whomever she’s going to.”
“My best friend’s ex-wife.”
Dani gave him an uncertain smile. “I probably won’t ask any more questions.”
Gabe laughed. “She’s also my assistant, but at the moment she’s on vacation. Or she’s supposed to be. She’s as good at vacations as I am.”
“A horse seems like a very generous present.”
“You have no idea how much she does for me.” Another dubious look and he added, “She’s my right-hand woman. I depend on her when she’s not on vacation.”
“Will she be
joining you here in Montana?”
“I guess I should have said she’s more of a virtual assistant.”
“Ah.”
“And she and my best friend are still friendly. They just had trouble being married.”
Dani finally sat down on the other end of the log, her smooth legs stretched out in front of her. “I wish things were friendly between my sister and her ex, but no.”
“Divorces tend to be that way in the beginning.”
“Have you been divorced?” He shook his head. “Are you married?”
“Nope.”
“You never know,” Dani said, looking off into the distance.
“Been hit on by a lot of married men?”
“Not many, but I’ve seen it happen,” she said without looking at him.
“And you wanted to make sure I wasn’t one of them.”
“Like I said...” She gave an eloquent shrug.
“The deputy came to see me.”
Dani sent him a sharp look. “He didn’t hassle you, did he?”
“Thanked me for looking out for you.”
She gave a small snort. “He said he was going to check you out, as if you might be a suspect in the standpipe assault. I told him not to. Of course he did as he damn well pleased. As always.” Her mouth tightened before she said, “He couldn’t care less if you looked out for me.”
“And I imagine you don’t particularly like being looked after?”
“I don’t mind an ally, of my choosing.”
He smiled and gazed into her eyes. “Well, you know where to find me if you need me.”
* * *
LOOK AWAY.
But it was so damned hard not to stare at those amazing gray eyes. Closer to the color of storm clouds than steel, with flecks of pale gray and white, yet somehow conveying a sense of warmth. No, make that heat. Dani cleared her throat. “Would you let me know if he stops by again?”
“Sure.” Gabe picked up a weathered stick and idly drew a line in the sand near his feet. “Is he territorial or something?”
“He’s still getting over losing the ranch. He thought he was going to get a piece of it in the divorce settlement. When that didn’t happen, he got—” her mouth curved wryly as she met those gray eyes again “—cranky?”
Gabe gave a soft laugh. “Very tactfully put.”
“He took one of Dad’s old tractors. We’re still waiting for him to bring it back.”
“Think he will?”
“Allie just contacted the lawyer, so, yes. Eventually.”
Dani decided against telling him that she and Allie were fairly certain that Kyle had been behind the broken standpipes. She didn’t think he was a danger—just a man prone to tantrums. She liked Gabe, but she didn’t know him. Didn’t know if he was any good at keeping a secret—although instinct told her he was.
“But you two got along all right?”
Dani smiled a little. “He always treated me like I was twelve. Or stupid. I could never decide which. He acted as if I needed the guidance of someone older and wiser. He treated Allie the same way. For a long time we viewed his behavior as protectiveness, but eventually we all realized he was a control freak. And a lazy one at that.”
“Probably didn’t do the marriage a lot of good.”
“No,” Dani agreed softly. It was time to change the subject. Her sister’s failed marriage wasn’t something she needed to discuss. She let out a breath and tossed a small pebble in the water a few feet away, watching the ripples.
“I can leave if you want to swim, although it’s not good to swim alone.”
She laughed as she said, “Yes. This river is almost four feet deep in places.”
“You might get a leg cramp.”
“And need to be rescued?” she asked wryly. He shrugged a shoulder, his eyes holding hers in a way that told her he was game for a good rescue. A low, slow burn started deep inside her, telling her that she was just as game.
“You could go swimming, too.” She couldn’t believe she just said that—or maybe she couldn’t believe the tone she’d just said it in.
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
If he thought she was going to ask him to skinny-dip with her, he was about to be disappointed, because Dani was making a Herculean effort to get herself back under control. Not that she would have minded seeing him naked, but it would only complicate matters right now. She couldn’t, on one hand, say that she wasn’t interested in getting friendlier than they already were, and then on the other to invite him to swim in the nude.
But maybe if she turned her back until he got into the water...
Dani gave herself a mental shake. “Next time come prepared,” she said.
“I will, now that I know this place exists.” He looked at her, standing next to the water and feeling more awkward by the second, then glanced over his shoulder at the house. “I do have work to do. Got a new project.”
“I bet that’s a relief for a workaholic.”
“You can’t begin to imagine.” He hesitated for one more long second, then said, “Be careful.”
Dani couldn’t help laughing. “I’ve been swimming here for over two decades. It’s safe. And if it wasn’t Gus will rescue me.”
The big dog lifted his head at the sound of his name, as if to assure Gabe that he wasn’t unconscious and was up to lifeguarding.
“See you around, Dani.”
“Yeah, see you,” she echoed. She stood where she was at the water’s edge until he disappeared from sight and only then did she shuck out of her shorts and shirt. Slowly she waded into the water, letting it cool her overheated skin. And since it wasn’t a particularly hot day, she had no illusions as to why she was warm.
* * *
DANI WAS AN ATHLETE. The muscles of her legs and arms were long and smooth, her backside well toned, as was to be expected from someone who rode horses for a living. What he hadn’t expected was his inability to stop thinking about how good she’d looked in cutoff jeans, with her hair hanging loose around her shoulders instead of in a braid down her back.
She’d sought him out at the river, brought along a towel as a prop, yet had openly admitted she’d followed him there. However, she couldn’t bring herself to swim until he’d left.
Mixed messages. She didn’t know what she wanted and right now, neither did he. He had a job to do: he needed to broach the subject of a sale. In his head, before meeting her, he’d thought that he’d get to know her in some capacity, find out what had tipped the scales, kept the sisters from selling before, then address that issue.
So far he hadn’t even managed to discover why they had been on the brink of selling and then backed off. And it wasn’t all because Dani was cautious and he didn’t want to spook her. It was because...
Honestly, he didn’t know.
And that bothered the hell out of him.
The phone rang about an hour after he’d returned from the river, while he was staring blankly at his project, waiting for some kind of inspiration.
“How’s it going?” Stewart asked without a hello.
“Slowly.”
“Not the answer I was expecting.”
“I need time to lay more groundwork.”
“I thought that was what you’re doing.”
“I am. Danica is not a very trusting person and I don’t want to send her running in the opposite direction by making the suggestion of a sale too soon.”
“Serena says she’s training a horse for you.”
“It provides a good reason for contact.” Although he was beginning to see that he didn’t really need a reason. He was well on his way to seeing her simply because he wanted to, because it made him feel good to be around her.
“And that you’re threatening Serena with that same horse.”
“Hey, everyone needs a pet.”
Stewart laughed, but it turned into a cough. “Just...get this done. All right? I don’t mean to push you, but I want this deal settled before fall.”
>
“You know I’m going to give this everything I’ve got.” Because it was important to the old man, it was important to him.
But after Gabe hung up, he found it impossible to shake the dark, rather guilty feeling enveloping him. He wasn’t being totally honest with Dani, but she needn’t ever know. It wasn’t as if he was doing her harm. In fact, until a couple months ago, she’d wanted to sell. He just needed her to come around to that way of thinking again—to understand that selling would give her a better life. She and her sister could afford that arena, they wouldn’t have the property tax bill that had to be eating them alive and they’d be able to afford furniture.
If she agreed to this sale, everyone would come out a winner. And that was the thought he was going to hold on to.
* * *
GABE SHOWED UP at the Lightning Creek Ranch at four o’clock the next day, the time Dani said she’d be working Molly. Sure enough, she was leading the mare into a round corral just as he drove up. She unsnapped the lead rope, leaving the horse alone, and crossed the gravel to meet him halfway.
“Properly dressed, I see,” she said, smiling down at his new cowboy boots, the ones he’d bought for the horse sale where he’d “bumped into” Dani for the first time.
“When in Rome...”
She flashed a smile at him and a jolt of gut-level attraction shot through him. Oh, yeah. This was good...if he wanted to let Stewart down. If he could just settle this damned deal, then he could move on to other matters with no conflict of interest. Yeah.
“I used to work her first thing, but I shifted her in the rotation so she goes last.” The dimple appeared next to her mouth as she said, “So you can get some sleep before you come over.”
“I appreciate that.” Gabe fell into step with her as she headed back to the pen. “I’ll have you know, though, that I fell asleep at midnight last night.”
“And got up at...?”