“What’s that?”
“We could stare at the basket of food till you are hungry again, or we could go for a ride,” he said.
“Ride?” she faltered. What was it with guys and wanting to go for rides? With his horse in the parking lot, she was pretty sure he wasn’t offering her a motorcycle ride. Her stomach lurched at the very idea.
“When you say ride, do you mean, like, on horseback?” she asked.
A twinkle of amusement came to his bright blue eyes. “No, we ride cows around here.”
Nathan laughed when he saw her confused expression. “Kidding, of course. I meant horses. I’ll wait for you outside,” he said confidently and headed to the door.
Chapter 3
Nathan walked out the door and down the stairs, his boots thudding on the steps. The horse greeted him with a whinny. JD retreated to her bedroom, pulled on her black and white running jacket and her coat. Sitting on the bed, she pulled on her work boots, then thought better of it and traded them for her running shoes, hoping that she wouldn’t have to stand in the snow for any length of time.
If it hadn’t been for the holiday and the fact that she was feeling particularly lonesome, she probably wouldn’t have gone with him. In fact, she wouldn’t have gone horseback riding at all. But, Nathan made her curious. She could not deny that he was very good-looking, almost as good-looking as Matthew. She quickly reconsidered. Nathan was good-looking, but in a different way. He seemed more mature perhaps and definitely more refined. JD swallowed her anxieties and trepidations and went out the door to see Nathan sitting astride the horse without the saddle and bridle.
“Don’t you need a saddle?” she asked fearfully.
Nathan shook his head. “Nope.”
He motioned her to come down the stairs. JD took the stairs slowly, debating whether or not she was really brave enough to go through with this. Nathan held out his hand to her and she reached for it. He pulled her up easily behind him.
“Hold on tight,” he instructed.
She wrapped her arms around his middle. He was just as solid as Matthew, perhaps a bit more trim in the waist. JD shut her eyes and the horse moved. She groaned, feeling her full stomach churn uneasily. Nathan chuckled and patted her hands which were gripped tightly together.
“It’s all right,” he said, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She believed him. She didn’t know why. She didn’t have any reason to trust him, but she knew he’d make sure she’d be all right and that comforted her enough to loosen her death grip on him.
Nathan clucked at the horse as she felt his thighs squeeze the horse’s side. The horse turned onto the main road and headed south. It walked slowly and steadily. For all she could tell, Nathan was controlling it with his legs. Nathan’s right hand rested on the horse’s neck with its mane wrapped around a couple of his fingers.
“I didn’t know you could ride without equipment,” JD commented as she peered over his shoulder.
“Tack,” he corrected.
“What?”
“It’s called tack. You know, saddle and bridle,” he explained.
“Oh,” she said.
“And yes, you can ride without it,” he said and then clucked while flexing his thighs, the horse picked up its pace. “In fact, you can gallop like this, too.” She could hear the smile in his voice. She clung to Nathan, burying her head between his shoulder blades.
He held her hands against his chest as they rode faster and faster. At first, it was a jarring trot, that made her feel like she would fall off, but Nathan seemed solidly seated and kept her secure. JD noticed that he moved with the horse. She quickly understood from his example to not fight the movement of the horse, but to go with it. Leaning against him, JD allowed the natural movement to rock her as she let go of the tension out in her legs and torso. As she felt herself flowing with the gait of the horse, she felt a thrill shot through her. They were galloping, and it felt like they were flying. She could not detect any contact between the hoofs and the ground as they raced along. It wasn’t until she began to feel lightheaded, that she realized she was holding her breath. She drew in a sharp, deep breath, and that’s when Nathan slowed the horse to a walk.
“Wow,” she exhaled.
Nathan chuckled. He didn’t seem to be exerting any control over the horse as it walked briskly along the road and turned west on a snow-packed road. Fence posts lined the road every ten feet or so, with barbed wire strung between them. Scrub oak and sagebrush dotted the rolling landscape on either side of the road.
In the distance, she could see sheer, red cliffs topped with snow, like a great big raspberry swirl cheesecake with fluffy whipped cream on top. She grinned to herself, as her appetite flared to life. For the first time in weeks, she felt good. It felt wonderful to be doing something not related to work. She drew in another lungful of cool air, relishing the rush of the ride – so different than the growl of an engine beneath her.
JD spied vague shapes of homes hidden among the foliage, some colored to blend in with the landscape. They turned onto a nondescript road with an open, yellow metal gate and rode along for half a mile or so before the road dipped suddenly into a small, unseen valley that led into a copse of pinion pines. Here and there through the stiff bristles of the pinions she could just make out the shape of a modern, contemporary-style home the same color as the reddish cliffs behind it. The crisp, ice-blue sky arched above, cloudless.
They skirted the home and headed for a large barn behind it. Entering the large, warm stable other horses whinnied their greetings. Nathan reached behind him and gave JD a hand down, the touch of his hand around hers felt so familiar, it took her breath away. Nathan scooted back, swung his other leg over and jumped down.
As JD stood off to the side, Nathan gave the horse a rub down with a large brush. When he was finished, he gave it a little nudge and the horse trotted off to its stall. Nathan followed and closed the door behind it, making sure it had feed and water. JD walked along the row of stables and saw that several of the stalls were occupied with several gorgeous horses, some black, but most were gleaming white.
“What kind of horses are these?” she asked.
“Andulucians,” Nathan replied. She had never heard of the breed, but they were stunning, powerful-looking creatures.
“Come on in to the house,” Nathan invited.
She followed him, thoroughly curious about this man who made her feel so calm and peaceful whenever she was near him. She followed him out of the stable and across the backyard. There was a large children’s playground set complete with three swings and a winding slide. Children lived here, she realized. Her heart warmed to the idea, which surprised her.
“Are you all right?” he asked noticing her hesitation as she looked at the playground.
“Yes.” JD smiled, passing a hand over her forehead to brush aside a stray lock of hair. Her scar had faded some, but there was still an ugly, raised ridge. Her fingertips had grazed over it. She flicked her hair back over the scar to hide it.
They passed through a set of French doors that led into a large family room with high ceilings. Dark-brown, leather couches divided the room from the kitchen and dining area. A large, square coffee table dominated the family area.
Wall hangings depicting Celtic designs brought a cozy feel to the room with a fireplace that dominated the wall across from the doors they had just entered. Bookcases made of dark-red, cherry wood adorned the length of wall to her right, interrupted only with another set of French doors that led to a home office and a second door that was closed. All of the books on the shelves appeared to be very old and where there were no books, antiques filled the spaces; a small handheld telescope, a bronze mask, a stone figurine and other interesting objects that seemed related to Native American décor.
To her left was a kitchen with knotty alder cabinets and antique brass fixtures. A staircase ran the length of the far kitchen wall to where JD assumed the bedrooms were located. The floor w
as of distressed wooden planks with rugs scattered here and there. A bin of toys occupied floor space at the end of a couch. In the dining area, a table that sat eight held the remains of a meal. Several uneaten pies lined the kitchen counter tops. It looked like a typical family home. The only thing it was missing was the family.
“Beautiful home,” JD said in awe as she looked around taking in the décor again. She noticed two very large swords, crossed at the hilts hanging above the fireplace. She crossed the room to look at them closer.
“Those are impressive,” she said as Nathan joined her. “Are those real?”
“Of course,” he said. “Handed down from generation to generation.” She looked at him dubiously as he reached up and removed one of the swords, handling it gently.
“See, they’re very old.” He laid the sword against his palm to show her the condition of the blade. There were quite a few scratches and nicks along its edges. She gingerly touched it with a finger, running it along the steel, feeling the marred surface. She noticed the tip of one blade was missing.
“These were actually used in battle?” she asked.
Nathan nodded and returned the blade to its hooks. “Yes.”
“What happened to the tip of that sword?”
“It’s stuck in the head of a prince,” Nathan replied slowly as he looked at JD sideways to see her reaction.
JD’s eyes grew round.
“Don’t worry,” Nathan assured her. “He lived, but the tip was never retrieved.” Nathan tapped his head to indicate the wound at the top of his head. “It wasn’t his time to die. Legend has it an angel broke the sword before the blade could do any damage.” He winked at her then. For the briefest second, she recognized Matthew in Nathan’s expression. It gave her pause, but before she could say anything, a woman walked into the kitchen. She seemed oblivious to their presence.
She was humming a tune as she began to clean up the remains of the Thanksgiving dinner. Nathan caught JD’s eye and held a finger to his lips, a mischievous grin playing across his features. Once again, she saw Matthew’s features peek through Nathan’s face. Something stirred within her. Nathan’s actions, his voice, his mannerisms seemed all too familiar.
The woman, whose blonde hair cascaded in gentle waves around her shoulders, paused, then laughed to herself, and without turning to them said a loud, “Nathan, did you honestly think you could surprise me?”
She turned and faced them, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes as she walked over to greet them. “You know I have excellent peripherals.” Her laugh was like tiny bells chiming. “I’m Meagan,” she said introducing herself to JD, while grasping JD’s hands in both of hers. “Welcome to our home. I hope the food met with your approval.” Her brilliantly blue eyes sparkled.
“I’m Julia and thank you for the food. I…” JD hesitated as she realized she had just used her birth name to introduce herself. Something she never did with strangers.
Nathan spoke in the awkward moment of silence. “She wasn’t hungry, yet. But, we went riding, so she should be hungry in a little while.”
Meagan looked momentarily disappointed, but brightened only a second later. “Good. I hope you stay for a while.” She returned to the kitchen and took up where she left off, stacking dirty plates.
“Where is Roy?” Nathan asked, following her, picking up plates as he passed the dining table. Just then, the sound of running feet came from the hall beyond the kitchen and two young boys with a pre-teenage boy on their heels bounded into the room. They skidded to a halt as soon as they saw JD. Wary-eyed, they moved closer to their mother, almost protectively. All three boys were dark-haired, but with Meagan’s waves and blue eyes. Meagan laughed as she extricated herself from their protective circle.
“It’s all right. This is Uncle Nathan’s friend, Julia.” Meagan said, herding her children closer to them. As she was doing so, another child toddled into the room, making a b-line for Nathan. Nathan bent and scooped him up into his arms. The little one had his mother’s golden mane of wavy hair and turned his blue eyes to JD’s with a perfect cherubic smile.
JD felt drawn to this child, wanting to caress his soft, round cheeks and run her fingers through his golden curls. She clenched her fists at her sides instead, as Meagan began the introductions.
“This is Roy Jr. or RJ as he likes to be called. He is twelve.” Meagan patted his shoulder. RJ’s blue eyes seemed to cut right into her. He reached out his hand to greet her as his gaze pierced her. She had the distinct impression he was looking into her soul. It unnerved her enough that she had to break eye contact. JD turned to look at the rest of the children as Meagan continued the introductions.
“Raphael is next and he is nine. Michael is six and Gabriel is almost two.” Meagan reached over and tickled Gabriel under the chin which elicited a shy smile from the baby.
RJ studied JD as if she was some sort of threat to his family, while his other two younger brothers approached her with curiosity in their wide eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you,” JD said to them, reaching out to shake their little hands.
Meagan drew in a dramatic breath, turned to Nathan and said. “Roy is downstairs, waiting for you.”
Nathan responded to her announcement with a mischievous grin that spread across his features. “I will crush him and retain my title as champion!” Nathan bellowed and thumped his chest. The boys laughed and clapped their approval at his show of ferocity.
JD cast a look at Meagan, an appeal for an explanation. Meagan only winked at her and began to herd the boys out of the room. Nathan nudged JD and she followed the excited group out to the hallway and down a winding set of stairs.
Chapter 4
Roy and Nathan stood facing each other in a well-appointed gymnasium downstairs. JD looked about the room, noting that the gym had hardwood floors with assorted hand weapons hanging from hooks along one wall, mirrors on the other, and a wide space for combat.
Nathan had changed into a white t-shirt and black shorts whereas Roy wore black sweatpants and a black tight-fitting sleeveless shirt. Roy may have seemed slender in his Deputy’s uniform when JD had first met him, but he was actually all muscle, like a dancer. His black hair hung loose and flowed around his strong shoulders, making him appear barbaric, especially with a two-handed broadsword clutched in his hands.
The children followed their mother to the other end of the gym where they sat on the floor or on the folding chairs that had been set up in a semi-circle. JD took the chair furthest away. Meagan sat next to her with Gabriel on her lap. He looked up at JD and grinned at her. JD smiled back, feeling all sorts of tender feelings for the youngest of the Parker children. The children were, for the most part, quiet and wide-eyed with anticipation.
Meagan clapped her hands once, signaling the start of the match. As Roy and Nathan began moving around in a circle, sizing each other up, JD noticed they were both barefoot. After several circuits around each other, Roy lunged at Nathan in an explosion of movement, swinging the broadsword aggressively. JD let out a yelp of surprise and quickly clapped her hands over her mouth.
“The wounds are never serious,” Meagan leaned over and said with a smile. JD gaped at her, but the clanging of swords jerked her attention back to the dueling brothers.
She could hardly bear to watch as the two men swung the blades heavily at each other, going round and round. Nathan swung his sword up and deflected Roy’s downward stroke, knocking Roy’s blade to the side. Then Nathan whirled around with the edge of his blade screaming toward Roy’s midsection.
She gasped and closed her eyes, expecting a gruesome end to Roy. She felt Meagan’s hand patting her knee. “It’s okay. They do this a lot. It helps them work off tension.”
“Should children be watching this?” JD squeaked as she noticed the boys getting worked up, bouncing on their knees, hollering for either their father’s success or Nathan’s. She was sure that witnessing such violence couldn’t be healthy for the children’s development. Me
agan ran her fingers through her youngest son’s curls. Gabriel was bouncing on her lap, his gaze riveted on the action.
“It’s a family hobby.” Meagan smiled at her. JD couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to the woman’s glib remark. JD supposed there were worse things they could do, but still. She shook her head, not understanding. She saw that Meagan wanted to say more, but she had closed her lips in a tight grin. Her eyes full of hidden secrets and JD longed to know what they were.
The swords clanged against each other, causing JD to jump, ripping her attention from Meagan. Roy shouted in triumph as he landed a particularly heavy blow against Nathan’s ribcage. Nathan had tried to defend against an attack on the other side, but Roy had fooled him. The blow bowled Nathan backward onto his rump, but Roy was kind enough to give Nathan time to bound back up with a flip before he came swinging at him again. Nathan met him with a fierce attack of his own. Roy backed off as Nathan sliced the air back and forth. Roy wheeled off to the side, waiting for another chance to deal Nathan another blow.
JD could see Nathan was very serious. The look on his face was pure intensity. He did not want to lose. Nathan spun from Roy’s charge and then aggressively attacked before Roy could fully come around to face him. She choked back a scream, bit her lower lip, and cringed.
The boys began yelling and cheering for their uncle, but Roy somehow managed to repel Nathan’s attack with a forceful block of his blade and a hard shove against Nathan, sending him sprawling on his back, the sword spinning away across the floor.
The children hollered in praise of their father. JD gripped the edge of her seat, holding her breath as Nathan scrambled to retrieve his sword. Roy stalked toward him, swinging his blade menacingly. Nathan had barely grasped the hilt and swung it above his head as Roy mercilessly hacked at him from all directions. JD couldn’t breathe. Roy was surely going to kill him!
JD watched Nathan as he desperately blocked the blows. Roy was grinning with fierce determination. Nathan was sweating. Roy let his right hand slip from his broadsword, so that he was swinging it one-handed in his left.
If I Fall...: Will You Forgive Me? (Angelore Saga Book 2) Page 2