Riding Hard

He yearned for what would precede that moment, too. He was a fair judge of women. Make that an excellent judge of women. Tracy had a lot of passion buried in her.

And here was the kicker. She was as hot for him as he was for her. During his visits to the Spirits and Spurs, she’d fooled him with her remote attitude and obvious disapproval. He thought she still disapproved of him. But underneath, lust burned.

He’d felt that energy the second he’d walked into the stall. He’d heard it in the pattern of her breathing. A week ago he would have attributed the undercurrent of tension to anger. Today, in the quiet confines of Dottie’s stall, he’d recognized it for what it was—suppressed desire. She wanted him, and she was fighting it for all she was worth.

The man he used to be would have capitalized on the situation. He could have made love to her today. She was ripe for it. One touch would have tipped the balance in his favor, and the sex would have been glorious. She would have temporarily reveled in the unexpected encounter, the thrill of tasting forbidden fruit.

But afterward...ah, that was the problem. She would be ashamed of herself for surrendering to urges that violated her principles. Pleasure would quickly become tainted. And then, if the sex had been so good that she still wanted him, despite everything, she’d begin to hate herself and him. He knew all about that downward spiral. He’d put Jeannette through it. He’d put himself through it.

As he pulled up in front of the little cabin he temporarily called home, he vowed that he would not subject Tracy to the same fate as Jeannette. If that meant they’d never explore the possibilities presented by their strong chemistry...oh, well.

He’d been celibate for months, and he was almost getting used to it. He and Jeannette had tried to create a relationship after Regan had left, tried to convince each other that their betrayal of Regan had been motivated by a grand passion they couldn’t deny. The fantasy hadn’t held up for very long, and since breaking off with Jeannette, he hadn’t felt like getting involved with anyone.

Parking his dusty black SUV, he went inside the cabin and turned on his laptop. He ordered the supplements to be shipped to the rescue facility and texted instructions to Tracy’s cell so she’d know how and when to administer them. And that, he thought, should be the end of that.

He could have done more. A rectal and vaginal exam would have been normal procedure, but the mare appeared healthy and Regan would be back in charge in a week. Drake had enjoyed the chance to be a vet again, even briefly, and that surprised him. Lately he’d wondered if he needed to change careers as well as his place of residence, but maybe not.

Considering the delicate situation with Tracy, though, he would perform only basic care unless a problem cropped up. Tracy was a smart lady. If she needed help, she’d call. If she didn’t, then they could avoid contact with each other, contact that might lead to actions they’d both regret.

As he decided whether to go on a hike or read a book, neither of which appealed to him, someone knocked on his front door. Although he was glad for an interruption in what promised to be a boring afternoon, he couldn’t imagine who had come to visit. No one sought him out besides Regan, and he was in Washington.

Drake opened the door and discovered Josie Chance there. He tried not to look as astonished as he felt. Thanks to Regan making a few introductions after he and Drake had rescued their friendship, Drake recognized the attractive woman wearing her long blond hair in a braid down her back.

A few years ago she’d married Jack Chance, the oldest of the Chance brothers and their avowed leader. But that wasn’t the most significant fact about Josie Chance. She happened to own the Spirits and Spurs, which made her Tracy’s boss. Drake suspected that Tracy was the reason behind Josie’s visit.

Josie didn’t disappoint him. “This isn’t exactly a social call, Drake. I’m here to talk about Tracy.”

“Be glad to.” He wasn’t, but he’d been raised to say the polite thing. “Come on in.”

She walked through the door and glanced around the small space furnished with a sturdy sofa and chair covered in green plaid. “Very nice.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He wasn’t sure what she meant, but agreeing with her seemed like a good strategy.

She gave him a small, almost reluctant smile. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be a typical bachelor living in chaos.”

“Because that’s what scoundrels do?”

Her smile widened. “Often, yes.”

“I did live in chaos for a little while, but when the maid didn’t show up I decided I might as well keep it clean myself before I started losing things in the mess I’d made. Please, have a seat. I can brew some coffee, and I also have iced tea in the refrigerator.”

“Sweet tea?”

“No, ma’am. I know it’s not very Southern of me, but I like mine plain.”

“I’ll have some, then. Thank you.” She sat in the easy chair. “Tracy would kill me if she knew I’d come over here.”

Drake took a couple of tall glasses out of the cupboard and filled them with ice. “I won’t tell her, but good luck keeping a secret around here.”

“You’re right, but I’m going to attempt it. Jack’s the only one who knows I rode over, because I needed someone who could watch little Archie without throwing a hissy-fit about me coming. Three of my potential babysitters are Regan’s sisters, and they would not approve.”

“I’m sure.” He poured tea in both glasses. “Wait a minute. You rode over here from the Last Chance?”

“It’s closer to go cross-country, and doing that made it less likely I’d be seen. My horse is out back, tied to a tree.”

“I’ll be damned.” He walked over and handed her one of the glasses before sitting on the sofa with his own drink. “You’ve infiltrated enemy territory.”

“Something like that.” She took a swallow of her tea. “This is excellent. Thanks.”

“It’s one of the few things I know how to make.” He settled back, his glass balanced on one knee. “So you’re here on a secret mission to make sure the big bad wolf doesn’t have designs on the fair maiden Tracy?”

“That about sums it up.” She studied him. “You’re charming. I assumed you would be.”

“Back in Virginia, it’s the law. Anyone who fails the Southern-charm test is shipped up north.”

“Oh, boy.” Josie sipped her tea. “This could be trickier than I thought.”

“It won’t be tricky.” Drake met her gaze. “I’ve already thought this through. I’ll admit that I find Tracy very attractive, but I—”

“I knew it. Unfortunately, she’s fascinated with you, too. You should hear the way she carries on about your dastardly behavior, to the point where I finally realized she was into you.”

If having that confirmed thrilled him, he didn’t want to let on. “But she doesn’t want to be.”

“Exactly. Do you know why?”

“Sure. Like everyone else around here, she doesn’t like what I did to Regan.” He took a long pull on his iced tea and concentrated on the cool liquid running down his throat. God, but he was sick of this topic. Maybe someday in the distant future his indiscretions wouldn’t be the main thing folks wanted to talk to him about.

“It goes deeper than that, and I decided it might help if you understood a little more about her.”

Now this he did want to hear. “Shoot.”

“Her father was a married man who claimed he was single and that he’d had a vasectomy.”

“Oh.” At one time Drake would have offered a comment on that kind of behavior, but he no longer felt qualified to pass judgment.

“That’s why infidelity is such a complicated issue for Tracy. She hates it, but without it she wouldn’t exist. Her dad sent a few checks, but by then he was back with his wife. When the checks stopped coming, Tracy’s mom didn’t go after the bastard because she’s not well educated and didn’t think she could get anywhere, legally.”

“Is Tracy’s mother still around?”

“She eventually married some old cowboy from Idaho and she lives over there, now. But Tracy’s roots are here, so she stayed. Most of us feel as if we helped raise her.”

Drake nodded. “She probably feels that way, too.” Setting his tea on the coffee table in front of him, he leaned back and blew out a breath. “I’m glad you told me all that, although I’d already decided after going over there today that I’d—”

“Going over there?” Josie straightened. “Was there a problem with the animals?”

“Not exactly.” He gave her a brief rundown on what had happened with the pregnant Appaloosa.

“Okay. That’s not so terrible. Regan and Lily will have a good time with a foal running around, and maybe they’ll decide to hire this Rankin fellow. If not, Jack might have a spot for him at the Last Chance.”

“His mare’s in decent shape, so he’s probably good with horses, but that’s all I can vouch for.”

“Jack can ask around about him. I just hope the mare will wait until Regan and Lily get back before she delivers.”

“Me, too.” He planned to be strong in the face of temptation, but he’d rather not be tempted by Tracy at all.

“You were saying something about a decision after going over there today. I didn’t let you finish.”

Drake wasn’t sure he wanted to finish. They’d finally left the topic he was so sick of, and that was a relief. But he supposed he might as well say his piece. “I plan to keep my distance from Tracy. I already have one woman on my conscience who got involved with me against her better judgment. I don’t need to make it two.”

“You’re talking about Regan’s ex-fiancée.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t believe in laying all the blame on you, but people are probably doing that because you’re here. You’re the sacrificial goat, the one who showed up to take the flak. I happen to think that half the responsibility is hers.”

“I can’t say that’s true.” Drake had gone over the night’s events a million times, and he always saw himself as the one who could have stopped it. Should have stopped it.

“Noble of you. Egotistical, too, I might add.”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Do you really consider yourself so irresistible that a woman loses her ability to think for herself when you display your manly charms?”

He stared at her, and after the shock wore off, he started to laugh. Then he laughed until his sides hurt. Finally, he wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. “Thanks for that. You’ve lightened my load quite a bit.”

She regarded him with amusement. “I wasn’t prepared to like you very much, Drake. It’s disconcerting to find out that I like you a lot.”

“Good. I like you, too.”

“The problem is, I’m not even supposed to be here, so I can’t go around telling people that you’re actually a pretty nice guy if they’d only get to know you.”

He shrugged. “That’s okay. Regan keeps telling me to give everyone time.”

“Yeah, well, there are a few around here who are world-champion grudge holders, so don’t expect a miracle. But now that you mention it, that’s something I’ve been very curious about. What are your plans? Are you staying? Are you going back to Virginia? Regan’s always been vague about your next move.”

“That’s because I’m vague about it. I don’t want my old life back, but I’m not sure what my new life should look like, or where it will take place. I’m at a crossroads.”

She studied him quietly for a moment. “There’s this spot out on the ranch, a big flat piece of granite laced with quartz that’s sacred to the Shoshone Indians, although they really don’t go out there anymore. Some say that if you’re having trouble deciding what to do, standing out on that rock helps.”

“What do you think?”

“I’ve never personally used that rock to make a decision, but some of my loved ones have. It couldn’t hurt.”

“Oh, yes, ma’am, it could. I’ve heard that in the Wild West trespassers get shot at, especially if they’re considered villainous cads, which I am.”

Josie grinned. “I wish you and Jack could spend some time together without starting a family feud. I think you’d get along. Anyway, let me give you my cell number. If you decide to head out there, call me and I’ll make sure the coast is clear.”

“It’s a deal.”

When they were finished with their tea, they went out back to fetch Josie’s horse.

Drake walked outside with her. “It was mighty kind of you to come by,” he said.

“I mostly did it for Tracy.” She untied her horse, a large bay, and put on the hat she’d hung from the saddle horn. “I hoped to appeal to your better instincts.”

“You did, although I was already headed in that direction.”

She mounted up and gazed down at him. “That’s good to hear, Drake. I wish you well.”

“Sounds as if I have one more friend around here.”

“You do, but if you mess with Tracy, I’ll quickly become Enemy Number One.”

“I understand.”

“Call if you want a spiritual boost from the sacred rock.”

“I will.”

With a wave, she guided her horse to the front of the cabin and rode off. Drake followed and watched her dismount to lower the rail on the wooden fence marking the edge of Last Chance property. Then she led her horse across, replaced the rail and climbed back into the saddle before cantering across the meadow.

It struck him that although he’d devoted his life to horses, he hadn’t ridden much. His parents owned thoroughbreds destined for the track, and so did all his clients. He’d passed the weight limit for being a jockey when he was twelve, and besides, he’d never aspired to that career.

As a kid, he’d been given one of the thoroughbreds that balked at the starting gate. He’d ridden Black Velvet for a few years, but then school and girls had claimed most of his attention. His riding had become sporadic and mostly confined to summer vacations.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ridden. He knew everything about the animal—skeletal structure, muscles, tendons, circulatory system...the list went on. But somewhere along the way he’d lost track of the riding part.

Back in Virginia he rented a town house. It had never really occurred to him to buy horse property. He could guess why. He had no desire to own a stable of racehorses, and that was the only model he’d known.

But there were other models. The Last Chance was one of them. Regan and Lily’s equine-rescue facility was another. He’d allowed his view to become very narrow, but a relationship with horses didn’t have to involve running them around a track or even caring for their medical needs.

He wouldn’t mind taking a ride now, but he couldn’t go over to the rescue facility and borrow a horse, and he wouldn’t be welcome at the Last Chance, either. He could try to find a riding stable in the area, but he probably was too spoiled to be satisfied with most stable ponies.

Still, he’d had another epiphany. Whatever his future held, he wanted it to involve riding horses. Good thing he’d made some wise investments, because horse property didn’t come cheap no matter where he ended up. He had a rough idea what his parents’ farm was worth, and the amount was staggering.

Eventually he chose a hike over spending the rest of the day in the cabin reading. He took an easy trail, one he could manage in hiking sandals and shorts. The afternoon was warm, so he wore a sleeveless T-shirt. Exercise was a great stress reliever and helped keep his mind off Tracy and his pesky libido. He pocketed his phone out of habit, and he was on the trail headed home when her call came.

“Dottie is leaking,” she said.

“Leaking what?” His heart pounded. He didn’t want anything leaking. He didn’t want anything going wrong with the mare—for several reasons.

“I think it’s milk, or something like milk. What does that mean?”

“It means I need to come over and check her out. Unlock Regan’s truck. I’ve been hiking, so I’m hot and sweaty. You’ll have to take me the way I am.”

“Don’t worry about that.” She sounded frightened. “Just get here.”

“I will, and don’t be scared. Everything will be fine.” He didn’t know that for sure, but it was a good thing to say when people were upset.

Although he didn’t shower, he pulled on jeans, boots and a long-sleeved Western shirt before hopping in the SUV. Shorts and hiking sandals weren’t the most practical thing to have on if he ended up delivering a foal. As he drove back to the rescue facility, he concentrated on his reasons for being there. This was all about the horse and her foal. Taking her in had been an act of mercy that could end up with everyone feeling warm and fuzzy, unless something went wrong.

If she was lactating, that was a sign that she was closer to giving birth than he’d thought. But the colostrum she’d produce at first was critical to the health of the foal and should be collected. Lactating early could also be a sign of serious trouble that could lead to fatalities, both the mare’s and the foal’s. He didn’t plan to let tragedy occur.

Tracy was standing in the yard, arms wrapped around her torso, when he drove through the gate she’d obviously left open for him. As he turned off the engine and climbed out, she hurried over, all hesitation swept away by panic. He was tempted to gather her in his arms to comfort her, but that wasn’t a good idea, and it wasn’t what she needed from him right now.

“It’s not just the leaking,” she said. “It’s her whole behavior. She’s pacing the stall. Sometimes she lies down, but then she gets up again. I drove Regan’s truck down to the barn so you’ll have whatever you need close by.”

“Thanks. Good idea. Let’s go see what our girl is up to.” He walked fast, Tracy skipping to keep up with him. Before this, she’d always maintained a certain physical distance between them, but that didn’t seem important to her anymore.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have taken her, but I don’t know what Jerry would have done if I hadn’t. If she needs veterinary care, he wouldn’t have been able to afford that, either. I’m so glad you’re here, Drake.”

His heart stuttered. He hadn’t realized how much he’d longed for someone—anyone—to say that to him. After being persona non grata for so long, those words sounded damned good.

She rattled on, obviously needing to vent. “I did some research online and found out she should have a bigger stall, but the stalls are all the same size. Do you think she’ll be okay in there? The way she’s been pacing, I thought maybe she needed more room, but I don’t know what we can do about that.”

“The one she’s in will be fine. All the stalls in this barn are a generous size.” He was touched by her anxiety. At Spirits and Spurs she was in complete control as she dispensed food and drink with flair. But now she was in unfamiliar territory. Fortunately it was familiar to him.

The July sun was drifting slowly toward the horizon, but it wouldn’t be dark for another couple of hours. The barn faced east and west, and she’d opened the back doors to let in the afternoon light. Drake was happy to have the sun. A crisis always loomed larger in the dark.

Sure enough, Dottie was pacing restlessly in her stall and ignoring her flake of hay while the other horses munched their dinner contentedly. Drake talked calmly to her as he entered and kept talking as he ran his hands over her warm coat. Gradually he made his way to her udder and swiped a finger over the liquid oozing from her teat. Apparently he’d misjudged how soon she’d deliver.

Tracy hovered at his elbow, her breathing shallow. “Well?”

He turned to look at her. Her face was pale with fright, and this close, he noticed little flecks of gold in her dark eyes. “The discharge is colostrum, which is extremely important for her foal’s immune system. It’s good that you noticed. I’ll get what I need from Regan’s truck so we can collect and freeze it until she goes into labor. Then we can bottle feed it to her foal in the first twelve hours.”

Her eyes widened. “When do you think she’ll go into labor?”

“Could be anytime, and I can teach you how to—”

“Did you say anytime?”

“Yes, but I can’t say for sure exactly when. Could be tonight, could be tomorrow, could be two days from now. In the meantime, you can—”

“Look, I hate to ask this of you, but I’m scared to death. I won’t have the faintest idea what to do if she goes into labor, and I could freak. I’m freaked now, in fact. She’s not safe with me.”

He had to admit she looked petrified, but he could talk her down. She could do this. “She’s perfectly safe with you, Tracy. I’m not far away, and all you have to do is call me. I’ll be here before you know it.”

She shook her head. “Not good enough. I can feed the animals, clean up after them and love on them, but I’m not fit to be a first responder when a mare delivers a foal. Besides, I have to work my shifts at the Spirits and Spurs, and Dottie would be alone for hours. That could be a problem, right?”

He’d forgotten about that. “Do you have to work tonight?”

“No, but I have to go in at eleven tomorrow morning. What if she waits to go into labor until then?”

“You can call me.” But he was less sure that everything would work out easily. Dottie had changed the game considerably in the past couple of hours.

“Drake, if you leave, I’ll spend the night camped out next to her stall worried sick with my phone right next to me.”

He believed her. “Then I’ll camp out beside her stall tonight. I’m sure there are some old blankets in the house I can use to make a bedroll.”

“You don’t have to go that far. Lily has a spare room. You could sleep in there, maybe set your phone to wake you up every few hours to check on her and collect that stuff the foal will need.”

“Colostrum.”

“Right. Colostrum.”

He hesitated. Sleeping in the barn was one thing. Sleeping in the house with Tracy was a whole other deal. “That’s okay. The barn’s fine.”

“No, no, just because I said I would sleep there if you left doesn’t mean you should put yourself through that. You’re a pro. You’ll know whether it’s safe to grab a few winks, and you’d be better off in a real bed.”

“Yeah, but—”

“I’ll bet you don’t want to stay in the house because you think I don’t like you.”

“You don’t like me.” But once your panic wears off, you’ll be attracted to me, whether you want to be or not.

“I don’t like what you did to Regan, and I don’t blame you for not wanting to hang around someone who’s said some hurtful things, but I’m desperate. Please stay. And take the guest room.”

He took a deep breath. “Okay.” Once the crisis was over, they’d both be like dry kindling ready to ignite. He’d have to get the hell out of there before one of them lit the fire.

4

ON SOME LEVEL, Tracy knew she was taking a huge chance by having Drake close by, but she simply couldn’t handle this alone. She walked out to the truck with him. “Since you’re staying, I’ll share the money Regan and Lily pay me for house-sitting.”

“I wouldn’t consider it.” He opened the back end of the truck. “You need that money for school.”

“I do, but if you’re doing part of my job here, then it’s only fair that...wait a minute. How did you know I’m going to school?”

He gave her a deer-in-the-lights look followed by an expression that clearly said oh, shit. He tried to pass it off with a shrug. “That’s the way it is around here with secrets. Word gets out.”

“Sure it does, but not to you. You don’t talk to anybody except Regan and Lily. At least not about anything significant. One of them told you, didn’t they?”

“Regan told me and then asked me not to mention it, which I just did. Blame it on my big mouth instead of Regan blabbing. He was trying to respect your privacy, but he thought I might want to know.”

“Why?”

“He thought...” A dull red colored his throat and moved up to his cheeks. “Never mind. It’s not important.” He leaned into the truck and began sorting through Regan’s supplies.

“Okay.” She was ready to let the subject drop, at least for now. Apparently her previous high anxiety had blocked her sexual awareness of Drake, because as it fell, her heat level rose. And here she was, within the three-foot limit, which hadn’t been a problem when she was hyperventilating over the possibility she’d have to deliver a foal.