“You should’ve called me when you called Dr. Flannery.”
“I apologize. I was only thinking of the horses.”
I wait for him to make a comment about Cami calling the vet, but he doesn’t. Maybe he just doesn’t know. Maybe Dr. Flannery didn’t tell him. The latter is confirmed when he turns to Cami.
“What are you doing down here?”
“I, uh, I came to get Jenna’s car and saw the lights on. I just came in to see what was going on,” she explains.
“What was her car doing down here?”
“She met me here earlier to ride, but we ended up going out instead.”
“With whom?”
“Another one of her friends. Why the fifth degree?”
I curb my desire to smile when she fires back. Damn, she’s feisty!
Jack frowns and looks from Cami to me and back again. When he nods, I take that as an indication that he believes her.
“Daddy, Trick saved Mint and the foal. Aren’t you even going to thank him?”
I cringe. Although I know her heart’s in the right place, I don’t want her fighting my battles. Or guilting anyone into appreciating me. Jack Hines is an ass, but he’s great at what he does. He’s also Cami’s father. That makes me want to earn his respect, not have someone badger it out of him.
Jack turns his stern expression on me. It doesn’t soften, but for just a second I see the flash of something that looks dangerously close to gratitude flitter across his face. The sad thing is, it’s gone before I can even really identify it.
Asshole!
“Thank you for your hard work. Although I don’t appreciate you taking such reckless chances with my horses, it panned out this time. Just don’t let it happen in the future. If you’re to continue working here, I expect you to be more prepared next time.”
My mouth wants to drop open and curse words want to fly out. But instead, I clamp my teeth together and nod curtly.
“Yes, sir.”
“Daddy, how—”
“If you two will excuse me,” I interrupt, shooting Cami a quick and meaningful look, “I’d like to go check in on Mint.”
Without waiting for a response, I walk away.
My fists are clenched so tight, my knuckles ache.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - Cami
Like it is every day, the first thought to enter my mind when I wake is of Trick—the way he smells, the way his eyes sparkle when he laughs, the way his lips feel on mine. I’m determined today is going to be the day I get to see him again.
It’s been almost two weeks since Mint Julep gave birth to Lucky Star. I haven’t seen Trick or the foal since that night.
My father let me name the new horse. Considering what had happened before Mint went into labor, I still had Trick on the brain big time, so all my thoughts were centered on him. As usual. Of course, naming the horse something obvious like Trickster or Trickery was out of the question, so I went with “Lucky,” for the place I first met Trick. It’s well-hidden inside Lucky Star, which is a play on the expression “thank your lucky stars” and just sounds like the foal is lucky to be alive. But for me, the name and the horse will always remind me of meeting Trick and of the first night I spent in his arms.
I can’t help but wonder if Daddy knows there’s something between Trick and me. He has gone out of his way to make sure I don’t have time to ride or even to pay a visit to the stable. He’s insisted I accompany him on two trips and when we’re home, he seems to be down at the stable talking to Sooty, who came back to work the night after the birth. I’m getting to the point now, though, where I’m desperate to even see Trick, much less spend some alone time with him.
It was bad before, the constant desire to see him and be near him, but now? A thousand times worse! I feel like my life both started and stopped when Trick made love to me. Everything changed. And Trick was right—there’s no going back.
I’ve already made up my mind that no one, not even the great Jack Hines, is going to keep me from the stable today. Throwing back the covers, I hurry to brush my teeth and wash my face and get dressed. The sooner I can see Trick, the better.
As I make my way through the quiet house, I realize it’s so early not even Drogheda expects me to be up. I don’t smell anything cooking and she hasn’t yet started banging around to wake me up. Mom is no doubt at the club and Daddy’s probably locked away in his office plotting world domination.
I slip out the back door and practically run down the small incline that leads to the stable. I’m extremely disappointed when I don’t see Trick’s Mustang parked out back.
Good grief! You really are desperate! You’ve beat even the early risers down here!
I push open one of the bay doors and head through the stable toward Mint Juleps stall. It’s empty. I walk on to where the two main walks of the stable cross, forming a T-shaped intersection, and I turn left, heading to the other end of the stable and the doors on that side.
I see a tall, skinny man in jeans and a plaid shirt leaning up against a post in the small pen off the North field. He’s watching Mint and Lucky. She’s standing perfectly still as her young male offspring romps and plays around her.
Before I can duck back inside, Sooty turns. I know he spotted me. Even in the shadow of his cowboy hat, I can see his sharp eyes focus on me from inside his tanned, leathery face. He nods once and then straightens to walk toward me. I lean against the door frame and wait.
Sooty stops beside me and turns to back up against the side of the stable to where both of us are looking out into the paddock. “He’s lookin’ pretty good, huh?”
“He looks great! I’m sure Daddy’s pleased.”
“Yep. He might just have himself another winner with this one.”
“Nothing would make him happier.”
There’s a short pause. “You know, if Trick hadn’t been here, Lucky probably wouldn’t have made it. Doc Flannery says it’s a miracle the foal didn’t die.”
“That’s probably true, but Daddy will never see it that way. You know how he is.”
“He’s a tough sell, that’s for sure, but that kid’s got something. Never seen anything like it. All he needs is someone to believe in him and the sky’s the limit.”
I look over at Sooty. He turns his head and narrows his eyes on me then nods. Just once.
“You think?”
“I know.”
“I just wish Daddy could see that.”
“Your daddy’s not the one I’m talking about.”
Sooty eyes me for a couple of tense seconds before he tips his hat and walks back to where he was at the edge of the paddock. Although I’m still standing where he left me, facing Mint and Lucky, I don’t really see them. I don’t really see anything. My thoughts are turned totally inward, running over Sooty’s words as they rearrange the pieces of what I thought I knew my life would be.
********
The throaty rumble of a muscle car is unmistakable, especially to a girl who’s grown up around them. This one holds a particular thrill because I know it’s Trick. It has to be.
The sound reverberates across the tall ceiling of the stable and I follow it to the doors closest the parking area out back. From inside the shadowy interior of the stable, I watch Trick as he gets out of his car.
His shaggy hair is damp and he’s wearing aviator sunglasses. His wide shoulders are bare in a white wife-beater tank top that shows off his trim waist. And, as always, his lower half looks delicious in faded blue jeans that hang just perfectly on his hips. Looking at him makes my stomach feel like it’s full of hot, melted butter.
He starts to walk in my direction, but stops and takes off his glasses, tossing them through the open car window onto the seat. When he turns to head toward the stable, he runs his fingers through his hair. It looks rumpled and my fingers itch to dive into it and pull his lips down to mine.
My smile is way too full and bright by the time Trick can see me standing inside the stable. It only gets wider when he stops and grins that sexy half smile of his. “Hi,” he says, shifting his weight onto one foot while his eyes rake me from head to toe and back again. I can almost feel them, like he’s touching me everywhere at once.
“Hi,” I say in return, suddenly feeling nervous and fidgety.
He starts walking toward me again. It’s such a pleasure to watch, too. He has a strut that’s just cocky enough to make my knees weak. When he gets close to me, he looks left and right to make sure no one is around then, with lightning speed, he takes my hand and jerks me into the empty stall behind him.
Trick flattens me against the wall and presses his body into mine. “I’ve missed you,” he growls. Then he kisses me. And what a kiss it is! I feel it everywhere—in the hands that are holding mine above my head, in the knee that’s wedged between mine, in the tongue that’s teasing me into a hot mess.
When he lifts his head, I’m totally breathless and ready for him to drag me off to some dark corner and finish what he started.
“This day’s already the best one I’ve had all week and it just started.” He winks at me, pecks me on the lips and steps back. I miss him instantly. “Guess I’d better not get caught man-handling the youngest Hines or I might find myself in trouble.”
He’s teasing, I know, but it still makes me feel guilty, like he risked so much more than I did to be with me. He takes my hand and leads me back out into the main stable area.
“So, what brings your mouthwatering self down here so early?”
I shrug, not having thought about how to explain that I crave him like I crave air and water and food. Maybe more.
“Haven’t been down in a while. Thought I’d come see Lucky and check on the horses. You know…” I trail off, willing myself to stop kicking the dirt with my boot like a huge nerd.
Trick smiles. Broadly. A smile that says he sees right through me. “Damn! And here I thought you might’ve missed me.”
He winks, knowing good and well that’s exactly why I’m here. I can’t help but return his smile. “You are the devil, you know that, right?”
Trick squeezes my hand. “So I’ve heard.”
We walk hand-in-hand to the doorway I’d left not too long ago and stop to watch Mint and Lucky. Trick doesn’t bother to let my hand go. He seems content to hold it, even though we could get busted at any minute.
“What kind of plans do you have for the weekend?”
“Not many. I’m setting my foot down about spending so much time with my father. One more trip and I might stab him on the airplane.”
Trick chuckles. “Don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel.”
I grin. “You go with him then! See how you like it.”
“Oh no! I don’t think I’d get the same treatment as you, so I know I wouldn’t like it.”
And he’s right. He wouldn’t.
I look for a change of subject. “Why do you ask? About my plans, I mean.”
“I was thinking about heading up to the Outer Banks to look for a horse. There’s one in particular I’ve seen up there before, one I think I could really work with. I thought you might like to come.”
A weekend? With Trick? Alone? In a Southern paradise? Um, yes please!
Before I jump at the chance, the logistics of it occur to me. I chew my lip as I think of how best to address it. Thank God, Trick saves me the trouble.
“Rusty wants to bring Jenna, too.”
“Oh, that’s perfect!”
“I thought Jenna could pick you up and we could all meet at my house. Rusty and Jenna are gonna follow us up in Rusty’s car. He just finished rebuilding the engine and he’s dying to get it out on the road.”
I can’t stop my smile. It really is perfect. I don’t have to worry about making up some kind of elaborate lie to tell my father.
“A road trip? With you? In that sweet car? I’m all over it.”
Trick tugs my hand, pulling me closer to his side. “If by ‘it’ you mean ‘me’ then that’s just the answer I was hoping for.” He arches one brow suggestively and I feel the heat of a blush break out in my cheeks.
He opens his mouth, no doubt to comment on my rosy face, when a gasp makes us both jump. Reflexively, I jerk my hand out of his and spring away. When I see the dark red head standing behind us, I breathe out a sigh of relief.
“Mom! You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing down here?”
My mother spends most of her days fulfilling her social butterfly duties as the wife of the Jack Hines. I can’t remember the last time she’d been home for breakfast, much less shown her face at the stable.
When she doesn’t immediately answer, I take note of her stricken expression. Her skin is paler than normal, her lips even looking a little washed out, and her bright blue eyes are wide with shock. The thing I find odd is that she’s staring at Trick.
“Mom?”
Her eyes flicker to me, but go straight back to Trick. Her mouth falls open a little and her lips tremble like she’s trying to say something, but can’t get it out.
“Mom!” I try again. Still, no response.
I walk toward her. It’s not until I’m almost right on top of her that she really looks at me, and even then, she appears to be a little addled.
“What’s wrong?”
We are exactly the same height, so I can look her right in the eye. Some would say it’s like looking at a mirror image of myself, only a few years down the road. I can see a few differences, like the shade of her eyes and the thinner lips that grace her face, but otherwise I must admit that we very closely resemble one another.