Worth Winning

by Tricia Johnson

  “I don’t care how she feels. I dumped her.”

  “What?” She couldn’t have heard him right. The last she knew, he was picking out a ring, one that screamed “taken.”

  “You heard me. I told you I made some serious changes. Change One was quitting my job. Change Two was dumping Gina.”

  He was too young for a midlife crisis, so he had to be going insane or something. His mother was a little cuckoo. Maybe this came from her side of the family. “How many changes did you make?”

  “Three.”

  “Do I want to know what number three is?” No, she really didn’t. And her mind went back to the fact that he was now single. So single. Hot and single. A weekend of unattached Drew was worse, because he was still unobtainable. Damn him, his changes were screwing up her life.

  He hesitated, and Sarah didn’t like the way she could almost see him thinking, as if he had a lot to plan. Drew with a plan was almost as scary as Drew without a plan. “Just clear your schedule. We’re taking a road trip.”

  ****

  Drew picked her up at eight the next morning, looking way too handsome for his own good, or hers. His dark hair was a little longer than he usually wore it, and it tousled in the late autumn breeze. He wore his usual weekend attire—jeans and a sweater. The charcoal-gray sweater looked suspiciously like the one she gave him for Christmas last year, and it looked so good on him.

  “You ready to go?”

  “In a moment.” How could she go somewhere for an entire weekend with him? If it weren’t for Festivo, they wouldn’t be going anywhere at all.

  “You look wonderful, Sarah.”

  Did she? She looked cleaner than usual—her newer jeans, a cream sweater she’d never wear to the barn, paddock boots to keep it dressy yet horsey. She was able to ditch her usual ponytail and let her hair down. Seeing strands of her hair hanging over her shoulder was odd and liberating, all at the same time.

  His gaze swept her from head to toe, and he frowned slightly. “Too thin, though. I think Todd’s working you too hard.” He grabbed her bag and paused to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ll take this to the car.”

  Sarah swallowed, hard, and watched him go out the door and down the front stairs. Too thin? He dated pencils, for Pete’s sake. And what was with the touching? Granted, he’d done that to her a zillion times since she’d met him; her hair was always a mess. It had to be bothering her because he was now single, and her hormones were on overdrive, hoping to score. Well, they needed to calm way, way down. Into hyper sleep.

  She met him at the car. “Where are we going?”

  Todd wouldn’t tell her a single thing about their destination, only to have a great time and not to do anything he wouldn’t do. That left the bar sky high, because Todd wasn’t romantically involved and didn’t have a problem with getting whatever he needed in an overnight fling. That he’d insinuate she’d be more than friends with Drew was unsettling. And odd. And…tantalizing.

  Drew smiled at her, a wicked, devilish one. “You’ll see.”

  She slid into the car, a new black convertible sports car, one that was worth a whole herd of Primas. “You could sell this car to get your capital, you know.”

  “Cheeky,” he murmured. He revved the engine a bit, just because he was a guy and he could. “Maybe I have her on the market, and I just want to drive you in it before she goes.”

  “Lucky me.” She glanced out the window, and he drove out the driveway and down the road.

  “Music?”

  “Whatever you wish.”

  “It’s not like you to be agreeable, Sarah.”

  “I don’t want you to pull the dominant card, Drew.”

  He laughed, and any pent up tension and anger she held against him fled. His laugh was so contagious, and she found herself smiling despite her better judgment.

  “Well, you’ll recognize this.” He hit a button on the car’s display, and music filled the car.

  Sarah listened to a few bars and then gaped. “How did you know?”

  It was the canter portion to the musical ride she’d been working on for Prima’s first musical freestyle. The New Age music was hauntingly beautiful as well as upbeat, and she had fallen in love with it the minute she heard it. The melody filled the car, the sensuality of the music taking on a whole new meaning. When she first heard it, she’d though of Drew and her love for him. Now he was here, listening to it with her, and her heart ached just a little.

  “What?” Drew’s brow furrowed. “You’re not happy? I thought you’d like this.”

  “I do, but how do you know about this? It’s the music from the musical kur we’re introducing next show season.” She gestured to the display. “I don’t even think Todd knows about this.”

  “What’s a kur?”

  “A freestyle ride to music, basically.”

  “Oh.” He nodded. “I heard it one day in the lounge. I had come in, looking for Todd. You were lying on the couch, listening to this, obviously exhausted. I don’t think you even heard me come in. Later, you had gone, but the tape was still there. I liked it, so I put it on the music list.”

  “Oh.”

  “What does it mean to you?”

  “It’s from a musical ride we’re choreographing for Prima.”

  “It’s beautiful.” He looked like he wanted to add something to that, but he smiled softly and turned his attention back to the road.

  “So, where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.” He looked at her. “I hope you cleared your schedule for the weekend.”

  It wasn’t a question. So bossy, even when not ensconced in a skyscraper looking down on Manhattan. “I did. Todd gave me his blessing.”

  “You haven’t had a weekend off in eons. Todd said you’ve been working nonstop since Prima was injured.” His thumbs tapped the steering wheel, his mouth set in a disapproving line. “You could have come to me for more money, you know.”

  No, she couldn’t have, because she would have been in his debt. She already felt that way to some extent, for all he’d done for her and Todd after their parents’ deaths. She had very little to give in return. “I know,” she whispered.

  “You can always come to me. Don’t you know that?”

  No, not the way she wanted to, especially right now, when he looked at her that way, his blue eyes so dark. Fear tightened her throat, because this look dredged up the desire she’d held at bay for so long. “I didn’t want to burden you.”

  “Sarah, you’re never a burden.” He frowned, and the music changed. His features softened. “I know you like this song. Remember, you put it on the player you and Todd gave me for my birthday a few years ago.”

  Yes, she remembered, too well. The tension lifted between them, and bass from the dance music brought back different memories. He’d been so much to her over the years—big brother, truant officer, friend. Never more, though.

  This weekend would build yet another memory of her being less than more.

  ****

  “Sarah. We’re here.”

  She jumped, startled, and found herself staring into Drew’s blue eyes, crinkled at the corners. She stretched in the leather seat and rubbed her eyes, feeling suspiciously refreshed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

  “You were tired. No worries. You’ll have more energy now, so you can keep up. We have a busy day ahead.”

  “Where are we?” The last she knew, they were heading north. She glanced out the window and realized where they were—the huge fairgrounds, the field lot filled with mud, trucks, and cars. Lots of trucks, with trailer hitches and the names of barns on the sides. She’d been here many times, but not for this event.

  “We’re at the Horse Symposium, aren’t we?” The Horse Symposium was a huge gathering of everything horse related that took place every November. Clinics, demonstrations, lots of horse shopping, breed demonstrations, and fair food. At night, there was a huge show all centering on horse acts from diffe
rent aspects. Some classical, some funny, others breathtaking.

  “Have you been?”

  “No. I’ve never been able to take time off.” She took her light jacket from the backseat, trying to hide her growing excitement. “Is Festivo here?”

  “Yes. He’s part of the breed representation for the Andalusians. I have no idea what that means, but that’s what Doreen, his owner, said. I think he’s doing a demonstration of some sort as well. I have a time schedule. I thought I could treat you to the Gala performance tonight. I scored tickets.”

  She closed her eyes and wished she could still the sense of excitement laced with panic. A weekend of Drew had been a scary thought. A weekend of Drew in her world, doing horse things, learning about her… Terrifying. But this was business—his goal to convince her to breed Prima. Surely, she could handle it. “Thank you. That would be wonderful.”

  A smile played at his lips. “And you can feed me fair food. I haven’t had fair food since we went five years ago.”

  She’d just turned twenty-one, and Drew had been between girlfriends. They’d gone with Todd, eaten way too much, and listened to bad country bands. And on the way back to the car, Drew had held her hand for the briefest of moments as she negotiated her way over a stone wall, a short cut back to the parking lot. Unfortunately, Drew graced way too many of her memories. “You got candy apple in my hair.”

  He shot her a mock glare. “You ate all my cotton candy.”

  Yes, she had. But she’d fed him some, and he’d bit her finger playfully. She wondered if he remembered that as well, because his eyes darkened just a bit. “If they have some here, I guess I owe you.”

  “I think you do.”

  They arrived at the entrance, already crowded with participants waiting to get in. Drew paid, though Sarah protested. Besides her horse and an occasional movie, she couldn’t remember him paying for anything. Inside the gates, the crowd thickened, filled with eager horse people carrying whips, manure forks, buckets, and one a saddle that must have purchased at one of the booths, some returning to their cars to stow items, some stopping to lean against the picnic tables for a break. Drew placed a hand on the small of her back as he steered her to a quiet spot, away from the crowd. “Let’s look at the schedule.”

  They looked at the paper filled with time slots. His forearm brushed hers, and he shifted his hip until those brushed, too. But she looked up and saw another couple wanting to squeeze onto the picnic table, so she allowed the contact despite how much she craved it. Contact was bad. Very bad.

  Festivo was featured at three o’clock in a breed demonstration. They had those throughout the day, highlighting the features and qualities of different horse breeds. There was an interesting seminar by a professional she knew well covering suppleness in dressage horses and another about sidesaddle—she’d always wanted to try.

  But she looked up at Drew and realized he’d probably be more entertained watching money dry after it had been run through the washer. “You’re a good sport, bringing me here. Even if you do have an ulterior motive.”

  “I like horses.”

  “You like to look at girls in tight, white breeches while Todd events,” she corrected with a smile. Drew had gone to a few of Todd’s shows and was competent enough to hold a horse when needed. He also knew what a flake of hay was and could be trusted feeding some out in an emergency. But this was as far from Drew’s world on Wall Street as he could get. She couldn’t see him interested in more than the view, since the horse world was dominated by women.

  “I like looking at you in tight breeches, though I don’t think I’ve seen you in white.”

  She blushed. “White is formal. If you had come last August to see Prima’s competition, you might have gotten a chance to see me in them.” No way was she telling him the white ones failed to hide any flaws. If you had a dimple in your butt, the world knew. “And if you’re trying to flatter me, Davenport, I’m immune. Too many years living with you.”

  “No flattery.” He held up his hands in surrender, and she missed the warmth of that large palm on the small of her back. “Just the truth.”

  She sighed and looked at the schedule again. That’s what this was about—butter her up so she fell in love with Festivo and agreed to breeding Prima. His hand returned to the small of her back, and she longed for more. What would she give to be here on his arm for real, his hand in hers, an arm around her shoulders, maybe a lingering caress in a dark corner…

  Stop. Not Prima, not a foal. She had nothing else to give.

  They made a plan to hit the various booths first. Sarah had a list of items Todd wanted her to bring home. Then lunch, Festivo at three. To the hotel if they wanted, then dinner and the Gala at eight. It settled her to know Drew hadn’t changed entirely. He was a planner, and that he’d road-mapped the entire day was a comfort. Maybe he wasn’t so crazy after all.

  The fairground was huge and consisted of assorted brick buildings to house different venues. The horses representing each breed were in one, another housed horse trailers of all shapes and sizes, as well as tractors and some trucks. One building was all shopping-oriented, another was a mixture of informative products and shops. Food vendors hawked everything from fried ice cream to loaded baked potatoes in the crowded roadways between.

  Drew took her hand, and she glanced up, surprised.

  He gripped her fingers tighter, as if afraid she’d pull away. “I don’t want you to get lost.”

  She rolled her eyes. Drew tended to be overprotective and had been since he’d lived with them for six months after their parents died, and on and off since then.

  “I’m not going very far.” The crowd was large, but not that large. But she relished how her hand felt in his larger one and wished hers wasn’t so calloused. He didn’t seem to notice as his thumb grazed the back of her hand in a gentle caress.

  He leaned in, as if disclosing a secret. “I’m afraid of crowds.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You work in Manhattan.”

  “Maybe that’s why I secretly quit—my fear of crowds drove me to the country.”

  Sarah snorted. Drew wasn’t afraid of anything, except maybe commitment on the relationship front. And not getting what he wanted.

  Two tack shops later, Sarah had finally purchased all but one item from Todd’s list. She paused at one jewelry stall when a necklace caught her eye. It reminded her of her mother’s. They’d buried the delicate silver chain and intricate heart with her.

  “Oh.” She looked at the price. Way too much for her.

  “It looks like your mom’s,” Drew murmured.

  She sucked in a breath and glanced up at him. “How do you know?”

  “I practically lived at your house, remember? I was there when you and Todd gave it to her for her birthday.”

  “Yes, you were,” she whispered. She fingered the necklace fondly and turned away, fighting her tears. It still hurt, remembering. She’d been almost eighteen when her parents had died. She should have been old enough not to need them, but she’d felt the void then, still felt it now.

  “Hey,” he whispered and pulled her away from the crowded main aisle to a quieter corner. His arms wrapped around her, and she buried her face in his sweater, fighting for calmer breaths. He smelled so good, his aftershave calming, his masculine scent familiar. He kissed the top of her head and rocked her. Thankfully, the tears remained put, and she fought a ragged sigh.

  “I’m sorry, Sarah.”

  “Why? You didn’t do anything.”

  “But if I could have made it not happen…” He kissed her forehead again. “You suffered. It nearly broke my heart to watch you go through the suffering. You were so angry. That’s why I moved in that summer, you know, why I took the semester off in the fall, to help Todd. He was helpless with a farm to run and you—you were a handful.”

  “I hated you.” Drew had gone from family friend to protector overnight, and she’d hated the rules, the fact that he wouldn’t leave her alone in her
misery, the fact that he was there and she couldn’t touch him even then. Looking back, though, it had probably been for the better.

  “You hated everyone,” he corrected gently. “If it didn’t have four legs and a whinny, you hated it, and you let the world know. Thank God for horses. I was so afraid of what you would do to yourself.”

  Maybe it was Sarah’s imagination, but he seemed to hug her just a little tighter then.

  “I’m sorry.” And she was. She’d been a bitch to everyone. Todd had run the farm, and Drew had been her personal supervisor. She had hated him, because he made her follow the rules when she wanted him just to be her boyfriend. But now she was grateful. He had kept her out of trouble. She had flirted with alcohol during that time, but he’d put his foot down with Todd’s blessing. If Drew hadn’t moved in, she wouldn’t be where she was today.

  “Do you hate me now?”

  No, she loved him. With all her heart. But she wasn’t telling him that. “Sometimes. Like when you threaten the dominant card.”

  He laughed. “I promise not to threaten it the rest of the weekend, okay?”

  “Okay.” But the dominant card was a part of Drew, and she doubted he could fold that easily. She pulled herself reluctantly out of his arms and glanced at her watch. “I think it’s time for lunch.”

  ****

  After a lunch of New England clam chowder in a bread bowl, Sarah dragged Drew over to the dressage seminar she had wanted to see. The area had bleachers that were filled to capacity already. The temporary metal fencing surrounding the sand arena was also lined with spectators.

  Sarah was able to squeeze into a small spot ringside, and Drew placed his hands on her hips and leaned in close, watching over her shoulder. She grit her teeth against the contact—too warm, too close, way too exciting—and concentrated on the horses. The riders were of different levels—none at her level—but there were two lovely lower level bays and a Prix St. Georges chestnut gelding.

  “Is this what you do?” Drew asked softly in her ear.