I’m not sure how I feel about that reasoning. It’s sound, yes. Sound, responsible, respectful, all those things. But…
“And I have a boyfriend.”
It’s perverse that I would remind him of that.
He laughs.
“I’m not worried about him.”
“Why not?”
“Because if he was all that stood in my way, I’d make it my mission to take your mind off him. For good.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” Trick repeats. He takes a step into the room. Then another. I see his expression change and my pulse picks up. “I’d be all you could think about. You’d think about my smile all day and my lips all night.” He takes another two steps into the room. Two steps closer to me.
I’m actually breathless with anticipation. The air between us is thick with…something.
And then I see a shape move in the doorway. I look past Trick and there stands my father. He clears his throat.
I’ve got to hand it to Trick. He doesn’t really get flustered. His expression falls a little bit, and maybe cools down from the heat he was wearing a second ago, but he doesn’t jerk like he’s guilty of anything. He just watches me for another second and then turns around to face Daddy.
“Sir, I was just looking for you. A family emergency has come up and Sooty will be out the rest of the day. He thinks he might be able to get back by tomorrow night, but he isn’t sure.”
I watch my father’s face cloud over. Not thundercloud cloud, but close. He hates surprises.
“So what does he plan to do for coverage in the meantime?”
“He’s asked me to stay and keep an eye on things, which I’m happy to do.”
“And what if Mint Julep goes into labor?”
“Sir, I’ve seen dozens of births, even had to assist with a couple in school. There won’t be any problems.”
“Did Sooty leave a number where he can be reached?”
I see Trick stiffen the slightest bit. He doesn’t like being undermined, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Yes, sir. And I have the on-call number of Dr. Flannery as well.”
“That’s as it should be, but I’d like to talk to Sooty. The number?” he says as he strides across the office to the desk.
Trick rattles off a string of numbers and Daddy writes them down then tears the paper off. “Can you two please excuse me?”
I come out from behind the desk. Trick is already at the door. He is waiting for me, but not looking at me. He’s looking straight ahead, at the wall. When I pass him, he shuts the door behind us.
I turn to say something to him, although I have no idea what, but he’s already walking away.
Crap balls!
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Trick
Just get the hell out of there! Just get the hell out of there! Eyes forward, eyes forward!
I fuss at myself as I walk away. Anything to keep from looking back at Cami and doing what I want so badly to do.
How can a female be that frickin’ distracting? She’s like kryptonite! I can’t think straight when I’m around her and I lose sight of everything important. And that shit ain’t gonna fly!
I give myself a good talking to all the way to the stable. I need to focus on getting the rest of the horses exercised and then check on Mint Julep. This job is important. It has to be the most important thing. Has to be!
In my head, I plan out the evening, an evening that does not include Cami Hines. After I check on Mint Julep, I’ll spend the rest of the night going through her record and getting to know everything there is to know about her and her condition. If that jackass boss of mine asks me anything, I want to be able to answer him immediately and without hesitation.
I’m still thinking of anything and everything except Cami as I saddle Highland Runner. I can tell by the way he twitches when I buckle it on that he’s as unsettled as I am. That’s one problem with spending so much time with a wild horse. He responds to me and my moods. And right now, he’s every bit as restless as I am.
“Calm down, boy. It’s all right. I’m gonna take you out and run some of that off.” I stroke the side of his muscular neck as I prepare to lead him out of the stable.
I turn toward the door and there, with the sunshine streaming in behind her, stands Cami. I can’t see her face at all. She’s a black silhouette backlit by blinding brightness. It’s a halo around her.
Like the angel she is.
I stop. Neither of us says anything until she starts walking toward me. I can feel my body reacting to her the closer she gets. My pulse picks up. My breathing gets a little shallow. I feel the need to fidget as I think about pushing her up against the wall and making both of us forget all the reasons I shouldn’t look at her the way I do.
I rationalize to myself that it actually makes perfect sense. I want her so much because I can’t have her. It’s human nature.
I console myself with that knowledge as I watch the sway of her hips as she walks.
Damn, but she’s hot!
She stops in front of me, her hands stuffed into the back pocket of her jeans, making those delicious br**sts of hers strain against the material of her shirt.
“What are you doing down here?” I ask.
I hear her take a deep breath before she answers. “Look, I know you need this job. And you know I have a boyfriend. But we can’t avoid each other completely all summer long. I love to ride and I’m trying to learn more about the business and the horses. And now Sooty’s gone, leaving you with extra work. Seems to me like we ought to be able to at least be friends so we can be around each other, right?”
I don’t want to tear the clothes off of any of my friends!
I think that, but I don’t say it. Instead, I quietly consider what she said, what she’s proposing. It’s a logical thought. I’ll give her that. And if she thinks it’s going to be so easy to be around me without sparks flying, then far be it for me to act otherwise. If she wants to pretend we’re just friends, then I’ll give her what she asks for.
Until she’s begging for something else, my mind finishes perversely. I mentally chastise myself before answering her.
“Just friends?” I shrug. “Sure. I just hope your father’s okay with it.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s fine.”
I doubt that, but then again, she might be his kryptonite, too. I can’t imagine that she’s heard the word “no” an awful lot in her lifetime.