Bourbon Springs Box Set: Volume II, Books 4-6 (Bourbon Springs Box Sets Book 2)

by Jennifer Bramseth

  But Pepper wasn’t exactly happy. More like settled.

  Her mother was doing reasonably well at her new home, although Pepper had seen more signs of decline in Glenda’s health. Her mother was weak and tired, and Pepper was becoming more concerned about her physical condition, although she was comforted that she had skilled care. She’d brought Glenda to the farm a few times to see it, which had been mostly enjoyable outings, but the last trip had exhausted her mother. Pepper had resolved not to bring her to GarnetBrooke again until there were horses on site and the weather was warmer.

  But the main reason she couldn’t be more than moderately satisfied with life was because of Jon.

  He’d called and tried to reconcile, but she’d rebuffed him and he’d eventually given up. She’d been sickened by his lack of candor, and realized that she didn’t need the complication of a relationship, especially with him, her best friend. Someone she’d thought she could trust.

  Or former best friend. They’d pretty much ruined whatever relationship they’d enjoyed by going at it like rabbits for that twenty-four-hour, lust-fueled period, only to be capped by her discovery of his less than honest behavior.

  So she was lonely, disappointed, and sad.

  And extremely horny.

  Because not only had Pepper lost her best friend, she’d lost the best sexual partner she’d ever had. Pepper had been totally honest with Jon: she had never sexually responded to a man like she had to him. No one had even come close. As a result, Pepper’s body had been much more willing to forgive Jon’s transgression than her heart.

  Her body had lost that argument. She wasn’t willing to let it take over her common sense again.

  Yet if anything good had come of the short-lived affair, it was that Pepper was able to bring herself to climax. She could get off now, but only because she thought of Jon as she pleasured herself. At first she hadn’t realized she needed that fantasy of him to make her come, and her attempts at self-satisfaction after their breakup had been unsuccessful. But when she’d started to think about him, and imagined that it was his hand inside her or pressing against her clit instead of her own, she’d easily built toward a peak and come hard. Just like she had that morning in her bed, whispering his name as she shuddered with pleasure.

  It was the physical memory of that sensation as well as the memories of her time with Jon that preoccupied her as she sat with her second cup of coffee looking out the windows of the nook. She only snapped out of her funk when Roland Bingham, her new farm manager, burst into the kitchen without warning.

  “They just called,” he said, panting and striding into the kitchen from a side door that led to the garage and outside. “They’ll be here in fifteen minutes. I can’t wait!”

  Pepper stood and beamed at Rolly, as everyone called him. He’d worked at the other thoroughbred retirement facility and was the first person to tell her he wanted to come to work at GarnetBrooke.

  A rangy, nearly bald man in his late fifties, he was retired from the Lexington police force and had worked for the other facility as its farm manager for the past five years. When he contacted Pepper personally after learning she’d bought GarnetBrooke and was making inquiries about taking the horses from the other facility, they immediately became buddies. He was instrumental in recruiting a handful of the key staff members to make the move to GarnetBrooke. Because of Rolly’s good work—which had been born of a true love of the horses—the farm was on its way to becoming a viable operation and a safe haven.

  “That’s great.” She offered him a cup of coffee and something to eat, both of which he refused.

  “No, gotta go get ready for our friends. Just wanted to tell you.” He shuffled to the back door and put his hand on the knob.

  “What’s left to do?”

  “Hell if I know,” he said, a little wild-eyed. “But I’m sure there’s something!”

  After Rolly departed, Pepper called Hannah; she’d promised her new friend that she’d give her the heads-up when the horses arrived in case Hannah wanted to come see them. Hannah had said she felt like the world was righting itself: horses returning to GarnetBrooke, a Bourbon Springs native owning the farm, and the gates of the farm once more opening to the public.

  “Oh, squee!” Hannah cried when Pepper told her the news. “I have a tour in a few minutes, but I’ll ask Bo or Goose to do it instead. I’ll be right there!”

  “You sound like you’re feeling better.” Hannah’s pregnancy had moved into a stage where she was experiencing a lot of morning sickness and had little energy. She still hadn’t revealed it, even to family, and Pepper was thinking that Hannah wouldn’t be able to keep the secret for very much longer.

  Hannah also had been going in later and missing work. Pepper knew this because Hannah had asked her on more than one occasion to come over to the distillery and help out with the morning tours. They’d passed this off as Pepper getting to know more about the distillery since Old Garnet and GarnetBrooke were about to enter into the joint venture. But Pepper wondered when others would start to suspect something else was afoot.

  “I’m a bit better,” Hannah said. “I did make it to work on time this morning—so that’s good. But I think we’re going to tell this weekend,” she revealed. “I’m almost through the first trimester and despite the sickness, Miranda says everything is normal. No worries.”

  Hannah promised she’d be there soon, and Pepper said she’d alert the front gate.

  Although Hannah had taken Pepper into her confidence about her pregnancy, Pepper had not reciprocated to reveal her fling with Jon. Pepper suspected Hannah had sensed something was up in those days after the breakup at the distillery. She had remained mostly in her room for the better part of two days, moping and crying and wondering whether she should call Jon. She’d explained her sudden antisocialness on dealing with her mother’s move into the care facility, but had felt that Hannah found that explanation lacking.

  Pepper got her boots on and a barn coat (two absolute farm necessities Rolly had advised her to acquire the day he’d met her), and went outside to await the horse van.

  The wind was cold and the sun bright, and immediately upon exiting her house Pepper regretted not grabbing her hat and sunglasses. As she was about to return for these useful things, she spotted Hannah’s gray sedan heading up the drive. Pepper shaded her eyes with one hand as she waved with the other, observing that in addition to a driver, there was a passenger in the car. She didn’t mind Hannah bringing a guest since she expected it would be Bo or Goose.

  The car drew closer and pulled up into the driveway of the two-car garage (which housed only one car, Pepper’s new electric sedan). Hannah exited the passenger side and Pepper waited to see who would emerge as the driver.

  The smile Pepper presented to Hannah evaporated as she watched Jon exit the driver’s side.

  Their eyes locked briefly and she looked away first. Pepper hadn’t seen him in nearly a month since that horrible day at the distillery. She’d known the moment would come when she’d spot Jon somewhere, most likely at the grocery store or perhaps in Over a Barrel. She had been expecting that unhappy encounter to be painful yet short.

  But Pepper hadn’t expected him to show up on her property, and she wasn’t going to tell Hannah why she didn’t want him there. She was equal parts sad and enraged; she wasn’t emotionally ready for the situation, and she felt that Jon had probably finagled the invitation when he’d learned Hannah was headed to GarnetBrooke.

  Nor had she expected to be so happy to see him. He looked incredibly handsome that day—his short blond hair looked recently cut, and he was wearing what appeared to be a new black leather jacket over jeans.

  Hannah walked toward the still-stunned Pepper.

  “Brought Jon along here,” she said, gesturing to her driver. “Hope you don’t mind. He was at the distillery this morning on business and I dragged him along. Thought he ought to see the place with the horses since he’ll be doing the legal work on our end for
the agreement on the joint tours.”

  “I’ve actually not seen the farm at all,” he said, staring at Pepper.

  She wasn’t pleased with the remark since she knew it would invite questions. But Hannah happily misinterpreted the comment.

  “Jon, you need a life if you’re working so hard that you can’t spare a little time to come see your friend’s new place,” Hannah said.

  Pepper offered Hannah her arm and led them around the house to the backyard to await the arrival of the horse van and soak up the scenery.

  Putting her hand on her chest, Hannah gasped at the sight of the fields unfurled before them.

  “Oh, my… I’d forgotten how truly gorgeous this place is. The farm is beautiful from Ashbrooke Pike, but to be surrounded by this landscape…” Hannah trailed off, overcome by the scene. “It’s like being smack in the middle of the heart of Kentucky, isn’t it? Bluegrass all around you and bourbon across the road.”

  “That’s the view from my kitchen table,” Pepper said proudly, “as well as my bedroom window.”

  She glanced at Jon, wondering whether he’d respond to her deliberate mention of the word bedroom, but he was enjoying the vista along with Hannah. In fact, he was smiling as he soaked up the perfect picture of Kentucky, a vision of green fields crisscrossed with the ubiquitous plank fencing and dotted with barns. He turned to Pepper as she was still gazing at him.

  “Beautiful,” he said.

  Her mouth dropped open just a little bit as his eyes lingered on her. Pepper started to feel like she had in those minutes leading up to the moment Jon first kissed her—scared and excited.

  “Look at that! A gazebo! And a picnic table and a koi pond!” Hannah exclaimed and pointed to their right. “And I thought I had a great view from my back porch.”

  “You do have a great view, Hannah,” Jon assured her.

  “How would you know? Have you been there?” Hannah asked.

  “Of course I have, and as recently as—I—um—helped Pepper move there, remember?” He dropped his eyes as he fidgeted with a button on his jacket.

  “Oh, yeah.” Hannah tapped her temple with a forefinger. “Can’t remember a thing now that I’m—”

  “And over here,” Pepper interrupted, pulling Hannah by the hand before she inadvertently revealed her pregnancy, “is the cemetery.” Hannah gave Pepper’s arm a little squeeze in understanding and gratitude as the group picked across the backyard.

  They examined the small collection of markers which designated the graves of several well known thoroughbreds. The site was small because most horses were not buried whole; only the heart, head, and tail were placed in the grave. Rolly had recently told her that most farms were now going to full cremation, except in the case of an unusually famous horse.

  “Wow…,” Jon whispered and pointed to a marker, “…it’s her.”

  “Garnet Girl,” Hannah said and swallowed. “GiGi.”

  Two small pots of flowers rested to the sides of the marker where GarnetBrooke’s champion rested in peace.

  “I put those pansies there,” Pepper said as she joined her guests in front of the grave. “Her grave was so plain. It just needed something.”

  Hannah recounted a story of how she’d come to see GiGi with her family over twenty years earlier. The Davenports had known the owner of the farm at that time; he’d been the man to name his filly in honor of his farm and the venerable bourbon brand created across the road.

  “It was the week before the accident,” Hannah said morosely as she looked down at the marker. “We were some of the last people to see her before… before they stopped the tours and closed up the farm,” she said, brushing away some tears with her fingertips. “Wow! I get choked up at a pretty view and thinking about a horse that’s been dead for twenty years! I’m useless!” She thanked Jon as he pulled a clean handkerchief from a pocket and handed it to her.

  Hannah dabbed at her eyes as Pepper pulled Hannah’s hair from her face and shoulders before putting an arm around her waist.

  “If you’re useless, so am I,” Pepper laughed, sniffing and blinking back some tears of her own. “I get choked up every time I come out here or look out the window. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Why?” Jon asked, surprising both women.

  “Because this is home. Doesn’t everyone get a little choked up when they see it or think about it?”

  “They’re here!” called a voice from behind.

  11

  The trio turned, and Rolly was standing several yards away, waving his arms excitedly. After quick introductions, the group gathered at the edge of the yard along the pavement.

  Up the driveway came a blue pickup truck pulling a long silver trailer—a horse van.

  Rolly motioned to the driver and directed him to drive to the nearest barn, an enormous white structure trimmed in dark red and blue with a pitched roof and three cupolas on top. The entire farm was dotted with these behemoths as well as a number of smaller, simpler barns which were painted white, blue, and dark red, the racing colors of the former owner. Pursuant to state law, the horses had to go into quarantine in one of those barns for a few weeks before they could mingle with others. Pepper wasn’t exactly sure what the regulations required in the event the horses were being transferred from one site to another, and had left the specifics to Rolly to handle.

  Pepper told them to stop before heading to the barns.

  “Lead them out here. I want to meet my new friends.”

  Rolly called to the driver as Pepper directed. The van stopped, the workers got out, and the horses were led out of the van down a ramp.

  Captivated by the sight—at last!—of thoroughbreds on her land, Pepper approached the gentle giants.

  “Careful,” Rolly said. “I’m advised both have a tendency to bite.”

  He was holding the harness on one of the beasts, a gorgeous gray. Another worker held the other horse, a handsome bright bay.

  “Ah, you underestimate me, Rolly,” Pepper said.

  From her coat pocket she pulled a few chopped carrots, and her farm manager nodded with approval.

  With the carrots in her left hand, she offered the treat, palm up, to the gray. After one brief sniff, the horse scooped up the tidbit into his mouth.

  “What’s his name?” Hannah asked.

  “This one,” Rolly said and nodded toward the gray, “is Rulebreakinagin.”

  Smiling widely, Jon pointed to bright bay.

  “And this one is Bourbon Bubba! I recognize the blaze on his forehead! I won the trifecta with this guy at Keeneland several years ago.”

  Pepper slowly brought a hand to Rulebreakinagin’s muzzle and gently stroked him. The horse leaned into her touch, then snouted her playfully.

  “You’re a natural,” Rolly said. “You’re gonna do fine.”

  “Was there ever any question?” Pepper walked over to where another worker was holding Bourbon Bubba. “Hey there, BB,” she said softly.

  Pepper reached into her pocket and fed Bourbon Bubba a few carrots. The horse grunted in appreciation, and Pepper turned to Hannah to give her the remainder of the carrots.

  “Are you going to call him BB?” Jon asked. “Isn’t that the nickname for those drinks we had at Bo and Lila’s wedding—Bluegrass Bubbly?”

  “And that drink is made with bourbon, so his nickname is appropriate,” Pepper declared.

  “Better get these boys into the barns,” Rolly said after Hannah fed BB.

  Rolly and the horses departed, and Pepper invited her guests inside for coffee or tea.

  “Have any cocoa?” Hannah asked as they entered the kitchen.

  “All you want,” Pepper said and opened a pantry door. “Jon, what about you?” She blinked at him, and kept her right hand on the handle of the pantry door.

  She had caught him in midstare at her. No hiding his look of longing. And there was no hiding her blush.

  “Cocoa, yeah,” he said distractedly. “Need any help?”


  “No.” She removed a box of instant cocoa packets from the pantry and turned her back to him.

  Within the next fifteen minutes, the three of them were sitting at her kitchen table, sipping cocoa and nibbling on ginger snaps. Hannah marveled at the house, and said how nice it would be when the weather was warmer. “I hadn’t noticed until we sat down that you’ve also got a screened-in porch,” she said and pointed toward the other room.

  “If it had a pool, it would be ideal,” Pepper said and stole a glance outside. “It’s perfectly flat right outside the house in the back, but I’m not sure I want to put one in.”

  “Why?” Hannah asked.

  “The cemetery,” Pepper said. “I don’t want to disturb the horses already there and since this is a retirement facility for them, the remains of others will eventually go out there. I dread that day,” she said, thinking about the first time she’d have to say good-bye to one of her old friends.

  Hannah took a few sips of her cocoa and turned an alarming shade of gray-green.

  “Where…?” Hannah asked weakly.

  “That way,” Pepper said, pointing to the bathroom. She watched with concern as Hannah rushed from the table.

  “That’s the reason I’m along,” Jon said, still looking down the hall where Hannah had disappeared. “When she said she was coming over here, Bo pulled me aside and asked me to tag along. Said she’s been sick lately and he’s worried about her.”

  Pepper smiled into her cocoa, and Jon saw it.

  “What? What’s funny about that?”

  “Nothing.” Pepper brought the mug up to hide her face.

  When she put the mug back down, she kept her eyes on the table lest she give away Hannah’s secret.

  “Why are you blushing?”

  “None of your business.”

  Jon turned back to look down the hall and then presented Pepper with a goofy grin.

  “Wait… is she pregnant?”

  “Shush!”

  “You didn’t deny it! Hannah Davenport’s pregnant!”

  “And even her family doesn’t know yet, okay?”