Somewhere between my bedroom and the kitchen, I decide to go see the only person I can think of who might know more about Trick than I do, which isn’t much.
My father is sitting behind his desk when I walk into his office. This is the first time I’ve seen him since I got home. I notice a little gray at his temples that wasn’t there at Christmas. Otherwise, he looks the same—short, dark hair, tan skin and sharp blue eyes that see right through me when he looks up.
I smile brightly. “Morning, Daddy.” I lean against the door jamb and yawn.
“I was beginning to wonder if I was going to get to see you at all,” he says with a smile, laying his pen to the side. He leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers as he watches me.
“Sorry. I’ve been with Jenna the last few days and I guess you’ve been…what? Checking out new horses?”
He shrugs. “Nothing you need to be concerned about.”
“What if I want to be?”
He frowns. “What’s the supposed to mean?”
I walk on into his office and sit down in one of the big leather armchairs that face his desk. “Daddy, I’m thinking of spending the summer learning more about the business.”
“Why?”
I shrug. “Because I want to. You know how much I love horses. But I’ve always just loved riding them. I’ve never really seen the business side of things and it’s something I’m interested in.”
His smile isn’t very big, but it is full of pride and pleasure, which makes me feel good. Maybe he’s been waiting for this day all along. Who knows?
“I think we can arrange some kind of internship then.”
Internship. Inwardly, I roll my eyes. I should’ve known Jack Hines wouldn’t throw the least bit of nepotism my way. “Sounds good. I thought maybe I could make a couple of trips with you this summer. You know, check out new horse flesh and meet some of your contacts.”
He nods. “I’ve got one coming up next month that would be a good place to start.”
“Just let me know when and I’m on it.”
He continues to nod. I can practically see the wheels turning. And the expectations rising. “You should make some time to start looking into the genetics of thoroughbreds, then. Financial investment, too. You need to have a good understanding of both those aspects before you start meeting other breeders.”
“I can do that.” There’s a long pause, during which I know I’m being appraised. That always makes me uncomfortable. “So, I met the new guy yesterday. What’s up with him? What happened to Ronnie?”
“Found out he was mixed up in some…undesirable affairs. I let him go.”
“So where’d you find his replacement?”
“Some locals knew of him. He grew up around horses. Supposed to be real good with them. Has some veterinarian training. Thought I’d give him a try. He’s young. If he works out, he could have a long career with us.”
“How long has he been here?”
“About six months, I guess.”
“How’s he working out?”
Daddy nods in that way he has that says he might be a little impressed. Might be. “He’s doing pretty good so far. I think he has a lot to learn, but I don’t see any problems with him being able to do that. Eventually.” Sharp blue eyes narrow on me. They make me want to squirm. That look always precedes something I don’t like. “Why the twenty questions?”
I shrug and try to be as casual as I can, even though nothing about Trick makes me feel casual. “Just normal curiosity about the new guy. Nothing special.”
“I’m sure Brent wouldn’t want you hanging around with the young, male help.”
I feel my hackles rise. What a snob! It amazes me that Daddy, having come from a meager background, can act like he’s had money all his life. Drawing lines between us and “the help,” like some of us were born with silver spoons.
I hold my tongue for a minute so as not to say something defensive that might give away my interest in all things Trick. “I don’t plan to hang around with the help, Daddy. Any more than I ever have. But you know I love to ride.”
“Well, you can do that in the evenings then. Between enjoying your summer and learning some of the business, your days will be pretty full. Speaking of, I think Brent is coming over with his father later today. Perfect day for a swim.”
Thwarted! Damn!
I smile. I hope it’s not as tight as it feels.
CHAPTER TWELVE - Trick
Why did I drink so much last night?
Four Tylenol and nearly a gallon of water into the day and my head still hurts. I’ve already taken Titan through his paces and groomed him, exercised Knight-Time and groomed him and rotated Reverie to a different pasture for a few hours. Surely that’s a whole day’s worth of work in about four short hours.
I’m walking Lonesome, the brood mare, out to the North pasture when I hear a splash. I look toward the house and I see a dark head break the water in the pool. As I walk, I watch it swim across the length and then stand up in the shallow end.
It’s Cami.
Wet, her hair is much darker. Like a rich coppery brown color. As she walks through the water and more of her body emerges, Lonesome and I both stop in our tracks.
She slicks the water out of her hair and mounts the couple steps that bring her all the way out of the water. And then, God help me, she turns in my direction to walk toward a lounge chair where her towel is lying.
My stomach aches a little at the sight of her. She’s wearing a shiny bronze bikini that looks like it was made for her. The bottoms are high cut to show off her long legs and flat stomach. The top is nothing more than two tiny triangles that hang on to each perfect breast.
Oh hell! She looks even better than I thought she would in my head.
I’m standing here, kind of spellbound, watching her rub the water from her arms and legs when she looks up. Her head snaps up fast, almost like she can feel my eyes on her. I wish she could. I’d really give her something to smile about.
She stops drying off and just stands there with her towel in her hands and looks at me. I feel like there’s a piece of yarn tied between us and the longer she stands there, the tighter it gets. Like it’s drawing me toward her. I can’t go to her, of course. But God, I want to!
She jumps, like something startled her, and she turns back toward the house. I see her boyfriend walking around the pool toward her. I don’t really want to see them together, but for some reason, I’m still not moving.