by Rhavensfyre
“So what? Who cares?”
“I care, and there’s no ‘our team’ so just stop.”
Shyann rolled her eyes at Ro, grinning mischievously. “Yeah right, Ro. You can keep trying to fool yourself, but you and I both know the real deal. At least admit that she’s hot, even if you aren’t interested.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll give you that. Yes, she’s hot.” Rohanna threw up her hands. “Are you happy now?”
“More than you will ever know, dear cousin.” Shyann wobbled left and bumped into Ro’s shoulder.
“Hey, watch it!” Rohanna rubbed her shoulder, then gave her cousin the stink eye. “Tell me again why you came out today to support me?”
“Support you?” Shyann’s eyebrow’s climbed up her forehead. “I’m not here to support you. I’m here to make sure you have fun outside of that damn arena!”
“Hmm. Your kind of fun usually makes it hard for me to do well in the arena,” Ro pursed her lips. “I seem to remember a particularly bad morning after a night of cheap whiskey.”
Shyann’s mouth fell open. “One, I never ever let cheap whiskey pass by these lips, and two, you didn’t even drink that much. It’s not my fault you’re such a lightweight. That’s embarrassing for a MacLeod, I’ll have you know. Your ancestors must have turned in their graves.”
“Hmm. Just because I can’t drink like a fish like you do, doesn’t mean I can’t hold my liquor.”
“I’ll take that as a challenge, then, later tonight.” Shyann turned her attention back to the other woman. “It’s too bad, though. She looks like someone who knows how to take charge. Maybe she’d be good for you, Ro, if you’d just let go and relax for once.”
“I’m just fine, Shyann. Even if I was interested, which I’m not, I don’t have time for romance. I have the farm to think about. I can’t afford to get distracted.”
Ro hated lying to her cousin. Her attention was drawn back to the laboring blacksmith. Her gaze slid intimately along Alex’s bare arms, the cut muscles rippling and flexing rhythmically with each hammer stroke. Her skin was damp with perspiration and flushed from the intense heat of the forge fire.
Alex turned away from the anvil and plunged the glowing metal into a bucket next to her, creating white steam that hissed and danced around her body. The steam carried the acrid smell of hot metal with it, reminding her of the last time she had seen Alex at her forge—and the dream that followed. Her body responded to the memory of the dream by tightening things low in her belly, sending a surge of adrenaline along a path that started between her thighs and raced up her spine, settling at the base of her skull and making it hard to think.
The sound of someone clearing their throat brought Ro back to reality. Shyann narrowed her eyes and stared at her suspiciously. Rohanna groaned.
“Uh-huh, so that’s how it is.” Shyann crossed her arms, tapping one finger expectantly.
A slow red flush started to creep across Ro’s neck and cheeks, making her look feverish. Shyann had a feeling that her fever had nothing to do with the heat of the day, and everything to do with the look in her eyes. Ro was trying awfully hard not to stare at the tall woman at the end of the aisle.
“How what is?” Rohanna asked as innocently as possible. She was in for some merciless questioning if she couldn’t satisfy Shyann’s curiosity now.
“If I didn’t know any better, Ro.” Shyann started to tease her cousin, then stopped when Rohanna turned and refused to meet her eyes. “Oh, shit.”
Shyann looked back at the blacksmith again and made the obvious connection. Although she was secretly thrilled at her cousin’s audacity, she couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. Her intended prey for the evening was now off-limits. There’s no way I’d ever poach someone Ro’s interested in. Goddess knows, it's taken her long enough to find someone. That it was a tall, dark, and handsome blacksmith was just too deliciously ironic.
“Come on, Rohanna, you’ve got to throw me a bone here,” Shyann begged, trying to get her to admit to something, anything she could report back to Maeve.
“Her name’s Alex. She’s the farrier I told you about, the one that took care of Galileo yesterday.”
“Alex, huh? Seems she’s more than just a farrier,” Shyann teased, tipping her head towards Alex’s booth. “And from the look on your face, she took care of more than just Galileo yesterday.”
“Now wait a minute,” Rohanna said, turning on Shyann and making her step back. “Nothing happened.” She paused, worrying her lower lip. “Well, nothing important, anyway.”
“Oh, really?” Shyann drawled, “Then why are you so pissed at me? I tease you all the time. Why are being so sensitive now?”
“It’s complicated, Shyann. I really don’t want to talk about it. Not now.”
Shyann allowed herself one last lingering gaze at the blacksmith’s incredible body. There wasn’t an ounce of softness in that impressive musculature, except where a slight curve and swell made it obvious that she was all woman. The blacksmith looked up from her work and looked directly at Shyann as she stood admiring her.
Shyann gasped. The blacksmith’s dark hair and deep tan had made her assume she would have dark eyes as well, not the electric blue ones boldly assessing her now. Unable to look away, Shyann felt as if she was being appraised, her soul stripped and laid bare for inspection. The blacksmith’s gaze slid away from her then, dismissing her with a slight frown before shifting her focus towards Rohanna. A slow, lazy smile slid across her face. That is so not a nothing happened look, Shyann thought. Oh, Ro…what did you get yourself into?
A woman leaned over the rope separating the blacksmith from the crowd and touched her arm. The smile disappeared in an instant, and while Alex was polite to the customer, she was definitely cool with her. The hammer was put away, and someone else took Alex’s place at the front of the booth.
Ooh, so we don’t like to be touched without permission, eh? Shyann watched the scene unfold with some amount of frustration. They were too far away to hear what was being said, and Shy was too damned curious for her own good. She headed down the aisle, dragging Ro along with her and blessing her good luck that the barns were in the same direction she wanted to go.
With a purposeful swagger, Alex turned and walked away from her forge, disappearing into a crowd that split before her, a stream of humanity changing course to avoid a stronger force of nature. Shyann’s mouth dropped open. They didn’t even realize what they were doing. They simply moved out of her way then closed ranks around her, continuing on their way as blithely and ignorant as a herd of cattle.
There was something wild and untamed about the woman that sent warning bells off in Shyann’s head. There was no doubt in Shyann’s mind that when Alex held out her hand, whomever she was calling would come to her, eager and wanting. Even Rohanna.
Shyann shook her head, trying to rein in her concern. Rohanna had lived her entire life with a single-minded purpose—the promise of finally inheriting the farm was the only passion she ever allowed herself.
Shyann had asked Maeve about this once, after Rohanna had found the Faerie stone. It seemed plausible that Belinda was behind Ro’s disinterest in anything but the farm, since it was her talent that kept the place running. Even when she was sent away for school, she returned each summer, faithfully inspecting the new colts and assigning handpicked trainers for the ones they wanted to keep as prospects.
She had hoped that whatever influence Belinda had would weaken after Ro placed the Faerie stone around her neck, and it did, just not the way Shyann had expected. Whatever drove Rohanna now was of her own making. The Faerie stone had freed Rohanna’s tongue and her mind, but it had also freed a simmering hatred for the woman who had married her father. Ro had no idea how dangerous this was, but Shyann had been told in no uncertain terms that she was not allowed to interfere, only to observe.
“Shy? Earth to Shyann. Shy? Hey, we’ve got to get going. I’ve got to get Galileo warmed up.”
“What? Okay.” Shyann stumbled ove
r her words. “You gonna win today?” she jibed, poking at Rohanna’s ribs to distract her from her lapse. She had let her thoughts wander where they shouldn’t when she was around Ro.
“Of course!”
Shyann barked a quick laugh. “Only because I’m not competing,” she boasted, following close on Rohanna’s heels as she headed for the barns.
“You think so?” Rohanna fired back, as cocky as ever. “That reminds me, I need to see my young man. How does he look? Is he ready?” Rohanna fired off several quick questions at once, a sure sign of her excitement.
“He’s fine, Ro. But if you want to see him, you have to go to the stallion barn. Which, by my watch, you don’t have time to do right now,” Shyann said. Galileo’s younger brother was all grown up. The mare Rohanna chased the night she returned from college had thrown an elegant and well-conformed black colt later that summer. Now he was almost three and ready for the world to see. Both Rohanna and Shy had high hopes for the warmblood stallion. Even as young as he was, he was showing great promise as a future stud prospect. Belinda didn’t know about him because Rohanna didn’t want her to, which is also why he stayed with her grandmother. After the farm was hers, he would come home and be an amazing asset to her breeding program.
“Fine. Later tonight, then?”
“Of course. Then maybe we can go out and see what this town has to offer for a night life, hmm?” An exaggerated wink accompanied her less than innocent suggestion.
“You’re never going to grow up, are you?”
“Not if I can help it. Perhaps someday I’ll wake up old and grey, but until then…I’ll live my life to the fullest.” Shyann grinned broadly. The exchange was old and well worn, but it never failed to amuse her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Rohanna scanned the field in front of her. Her eyes were only partially shielded from the bright summer sunlight by the hard brim of her riding helmet, but she refused to squint against the glare and ruin the perfectly smooth expression on her face. Her hands held Galileo’s reins before her, perfectly still and at just the proper angle. The reins vibrated beneath her fingertips as the gelding fidgeted ever so slightly. Galileo tolerated the forced immobility because he was required to, but that didn’t mean he liked it.
The merest hint of a smile touched the edge of her lips. She was sympathetic to the gelding’s desire to enter the ring, to compete—and to win. These things were dear to her and Galileo was a kindred soul in that regard. Galileo’s ears perked up when Ro’s name was called, and horse and rider walked boldly into the arena. Galileo stepped out proudly, knowing that all eyes were on them as they approached the grandstand.
Once caught up in the familiar motion of their routine, Rohanna forgot about the people in the bleachers. The world shrank until she was only aware of the sand in front of her, the cadenced beat of Galileo’s hooves, and the creak of well-oiled leather between her knees. Fierce joy swelled in Rohanna’s breast as it always did when she rode. The thrill of competition fed her soul like nothing else in the world. Beneath her, Galileo outdid himself like normal. Arching his head gracefully, he placed each hoof carefully, elegantly, in a manner that was both art and design. Stopping in front of the judge, Rohanna sat quietly and awaited the judge’s notice. A quick nod gave her permission to leave the arena.
She was called to the arena a second time, this time for the awards ceremony. For Rohanna there had never been any doubt. Her score lay well above the other competitors. She smiled broadly as Galileo was presented with the blue ribbon and leaned forward to pat the bay gelding’s neck affectionately. As she passed by the other riders, she noted that among the well-wishers and cheers was the occasional surly nod, as well as one outright hostile stare. Rohanna’s stomach knotted. The look was all too familiar, and difficult to ignore.
Rohanna disliked the power that hate had over her. Living under the untender tutelage of Belinda had attuned her to that particular emotion, in both herself and others.
Rohanna twisted around in her saddle to see if the rider was still glaring at her. She wasn’t; now her ire was focused on her mount. Rohanna sighed. The other rider was the worst sort of competitor, a pouting rich brat that expected to win because her father could afford an expensive horse. From her expression, she obviously blamed the poor horse and not her inadequate riding skills for her failure. Ro’s sympathy for the poor gelding ignited into outrage when the rider jerked her mount about by the reins.
A plow horse didn’t deserve that kind of rough treatment. A nice looking animal like that didn’t deserve to be owned by someone who couldn’t appreciate what they had. As if hearing her thoughts, the big bay rolled one liquid brown eye back towards Rohanna. Rohanna sensed mischief a second before the bay acted on its impulse, tossing his head violently enough to yank the reins out of his unsuspecting rider’s hands. The horse barreled past Rohanna and Galileo in a full on gallop and she swore the animal was smiling. The leather reins that were supposed to control 1100 pounds of hoof-powered muscle hung loosely from his bridle, eluding the desperate grasps of the rider as she tried to cling to his back.
Everyone in the arena froze. Not a single rider moved. Rohanna rolled her eyes and tapped Galileo with her heels. Galileo jumped at the chance to run, quickly overtaking the out-of-control horse. Leaning over, Rohanna reached out and grabbed one of the reins, then turned Galileo into the other horse, forcing him close to the fence. The other horse slowed down to a trot, then a walk. He was blowing hard, foamy sweat coating his chest and dripping down his legs.
“Are you okay?” Rohanna asked. The woman nodded, her head bobbed in quick short movements that mirrored her tense posture. The gelding danced beneath her and her eyes widened even more.
“Right. You need to relax. Your horse can tell you’re nervous, and he won’t calm down until you do.” Rohanna dismounted, talking softly to the nervous horse while she moved around him.
“Here, take the reins,” Ro said. “But for God’s sake, be easy on them. He’s got a soft mouth. You don’t need to be so heavy handed.”
Another nod, but this time the woman didn’t jerk around like a marionette. “Good. Relax and he’ll relax.”
Ro walked the gelding out into the ring a bit while his rider got herself together. Galileo stayed put, content to watch until she returned to him.
“Ms. MacLeod?” A small voice called out behind her as she led Galileo away.
“Yes?”
“Thank you, and congratulations.”
Well, how about that? Rohanna thought. Galileo snorted and tossed his head. Evidently, he agreed with her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Alex stood next to the bleachers, carefully leaning against a wood wall that was covered more in peeling paint chips than paint. The layers of the years showed through curled edges, following the times like a wilted rose shedding stiff acrylic petals. Just the slightest breeze or finger-brushing would liberate thin leaves of old color that eagerly clung to any new surface it found…and so far they seemed attracted to every bit of black clothing Alex wore.
Eyes forward, she scanned the arena, looking for Rohanna. She stood up straight and paid attention when the judge called her name, eager to see how she would do in the competition. Rohanna was so intent on putting Galileo through his paces that she didn’t even notice Alex despite passing a scant few feet away from her. Alex found her attention split between the rider and horse. Galileo was fine, his shoes had held and he wasn’t tripping up at all after the corrective work she had done back at her place. “Very good.”
Now that she knew Galileo was good, she could concentrate on the woman who had piqued her interest enough to search her out. Alex had to admit that Rohanna was impressive in the saddle. She had a gentle but firm way with her mount, never pushing him but always getting the most out of him. In return, Galileo stepped proudly, obviously responding to the crowd and enjoying every moment of their time in the limelight. Alex had learned a long time ago to pay attention to how people treated the a
nimals around them. A human capable of cruelty to animals was rarely capable of compassion elsewhere in their life, and Alex would have nothing to do with them. Rohanna and Galileo were a team and that pleased her.
I wonder why Rohanna dreamed that he was misbehaving. Was it some secret fear or just nervousness on her part?
Alex stiffened and tipped her head slightly, catching the soft sound of footfalls on the grass right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to confirm what she already knew. The woman Rohanna had been walking with earlier was coming up behind her.
“Well met, Shyann,” Alex called out over her shoulder.
Shyann jumped at Alex’s unexpected greetings but recovered quickly. “How did you know?”
“Is there something I can help you with?” Alex said, choosing to ask her own question rather than answer Shyann’s.
“Well, I’m not quite sure. Maybe you could tell me what’s going on between you two. Ro was quite tight lipped about it.”
Alex laughed heartily. The woman was bold as hell. “I confess I’m confused. From the look of things earlier, you seemed to be working quite hard to beg Rohanna off me. In fact, I got the distinct impression that you had other ideas floating around in that devious little head of yours.”
“No. Why would you think that?” Shyann sputtered.
Alex smirked at her. She was so damned obvious it was hysterical. Still, she couldn’t help but tease the woman a bit before letting her off the hook.
“Perhaps it was the way you looked me up and down, or maybe it was how long you stared at this, hmmm? Alex asked, lowering her voice to a more intimate tone. She raised her left arm, displaying the wide leather bracer. The air shimmered around Alex like waves of heat coming off summer blacktop. Shyann swallowed nervously, stepping back from her and putting space between them. She shifted her gaze to the side, half expecting to see the poorly maintained wall behind them covered in melting paint.