WHEN SAM arrived the next day, Mia was a bundle of nerves. Her thighs were aching from the long, grueling training session the day before, but she was looking forward to seeing him. After so long working on her own every day, it was kind of nice, even though she knew he was only here for a handful of weeks.
And then there was the kiss.
When he got out of his vehicle and waved, she waved back, pushing her stupid nerves away and heading over to help him unload his horse. Blue jumped out with him, and she went around the back of the trailer to put the back down as he opened the side door.
“Ready?” she asked, before hauling it down.
“Yip, ready,” he replied.
Mia admired the dark bay, glossy rear end of his horse as she waited for him to give her a signal to open the back gate containing the horse. When he did, she opened it, and watched as he slowly backed his horse off.
“Impeccably behaved,” she said. She was used to well-behaved horses, but that had been effortless.
“Watch this,” he said, glancing at her before stroking his horse on the neck to get his attention.
She liked how gentle he was with them. Gentle but firm, his demeanor with the horses so effortless but clearly putting them so quickly at ease around him. It wasn’t something a person could learn, it was just the way he was, and she wondered how many of the people who paid a small fortune to watch him work actually understood that.
He never said a word, just angled his body toward the float and the horse walked on. When he straightened, the horse stopped. And when he turned his body the other way, the horse patiently walked off, like he was a robot adhering to pre-determined commands.
“That’s a very cool party trick,” she said, in awe of how simple he made it look.
“It’s my favorite thing to teach a horse,” he said, patting the big gelding as he stood patiently waiting. “This fella came to me with serious issues, including a fear of traveling in a trailer after a bad experience. His old owner couldn’t get him near one.”
She listened, full of admiration for what he did. Growing up she’d believed she’d had the touch when it came to horses, but after seeing Sam work she knew that very little people actually had it, even if they were instinctively good with animals.
“He’s handsome,” she said, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked the horse over. He was muscled and powerful looking, clearly a full American Quarter horse, and she wished Tanner was here to see him—it was the kind of horse her brother loved.
“Your horses,” he asked. “I’ve been meaning to ask you their breeding.”
Mia flipped the back of the trailer up and they walked side by side across the entrance to her stables.
“They’re obviously Thoroughbred, but what gives them that edge?”
“American Quarter horse,” she said smugly, always pleased when she was able to tell people what gave her horses their something special. “My secret weapon is that I’ve bred most of them myself, from a beautiful half Quarter horse stallion, out of Thoroughbred mares. The Quarter horse gives them the powerful rear ends and lovely temperaments, and the Thoroughbred adds the speed and athleticism.”
He raised a brow and made her smile. “Clever girl. I’ll have to remember that.”
She faltered when his eyes lit upon hers, wondering whether she’d done the right thing the day before. She’d poked the bear, done something that she knew was going to result in a reaction from him, yet she’d done it anyway. She’d wanted him to look at her like that again, wanted to taste his lips and feel his hands on her. And damn it, it had felt good.
“So,” she said, wondering whether to say anything and deciding not to. “Where do you want to ride today?”
Sam shrugged. “Show me around. Wherever you want to go, I’m just happy to be getting back in the saddle and I’m looking forward to seeing more of the ranch.”
So was she. Only hers wasn’t literal. She was ready to get back in the saddle where men were considered and put herself out there, otherwise she was going to look back in a few years’ time and wonder why the hell she hadn’t made more of the last part of her twenties.
* * *
Sam mounted his horse and waited for Mia to join him, noticing the change in his horse when she approached on her excitable little mare.
“Easy big fella,” he murmured. “No need to get your tail all in a twist over an itty-bitty mare.” He grinned to himself, feeling one side of his mouth kick out into a grin. Pity he didn’t follow his own advice. A cute girl had gotten him all worked up in a sweat, too, and maybe, just maybe, his horse had felt his heart beat pick up.
“We’re off?” he asked.
“Let’s go,” she replied, turning so she was facing the same direction as he was before they rode off side by side.
“You know, you’re welcome to stay while you’re working here if you want. Either at the main house or with me, in mine.”
“I’m fine with the traveling,” he said, not wanting to even entertain the idea of staying at her place. He’d lain awake the night before thinking about her, trying to figure his shit out but drawing a blank. “But thanks for the offer.” He whistled for Blue, checking to make sure he was following them. “Your father said the same thing.”
She didn’t look too worried, but then he didn’t think she’d offered for any reason other than to be polite. Although he wasn’t entirely sure what she was up to, because he’d caught her glancing at him a few times since he’d arrived. Or maybe she’d been admiring his horse. He had no idea.
What he did know was that at some point he had to explain to her that their kiss hadn’t meant anything. Well, it had meant something, but it couldn’t lead to anything. He didn’t like leading women on, and he sure as hell didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.
“Do you have any ranch hands at your place?” she asked.
“Yeah, I have a full time guy, Bill, he’s there every day and he keeps the place running for me when I’m not there. His son comes and helps out if there’s extra work, but usually between me and him, we keep on top of everything.”
“I wondered,” she said, her eyes meeting his, “because you obviously travel a lot. It’s hard when you have animals.”
He nodded. “Yup, sure is. Even with Bill there I worry about them all. Especially Blue. I hate leaving my dog behind, so if I’m going anywhere within driving distance I’ll just take him with me.”
They rode along in silence for a bit and Sam admired the ranch from his elevated spot in the saddle.
“I’m pretty fond of Black Angus cattle,” Sam told her, gesturing toward a herd. “There’s something about those big, muscled shoulders and sleek black coats that makes them so damn good to look at, don’t you think?”
She laughed and when he looked at her she was smiling still. “I suppose. I’m more into horse flesh though.”
They had a lot of feed on the ranch and Sam knew from glancing that the place cost a lot to keep. Every fence rail was pristine, the facilities new or well maintained. The ranch was stunning and he felt privileged to be taking a look around.
“How did you find your horse?” Mia asked, pulling him from his thoughts. “Is he your favorite?”
“Hell yes,” Sam replied. “He’s great to ride, with a big-ass, rocking horse canter going on. I found him like I find most of my crew, horses people give up on or bring to me, and I take them on as projects and never get around to selling them.”
“So you’re good at collecting field ornaments, then?” she asked with a grin.
“Ha, good one.” He chuckled. “Haven’t heard them called that before, but yeah, I guess you could say that. I’ve got some old horses that gather dust and do little else, but animals come to my place for a good life, not a hard life. They’ve usually already had a rough time before they end up with me, but I try to make sure that every day after that is a good one.”
“You’ve kind of got this whole screw-the-world thing going on, except for your animals,” she mused, looking more relaxed in his company today than she’d been before. Her shoulders were relaxed, her smile easy, and there was a twinkle in her eyes when she spoke that he really liked. “Like when I first met you. I was so looking forward to meeting you, then you arrive and all I could think was what an arrogant son-of-a-bitch you were.”
He laughed so hard that his horse startled. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m the least arrogant guy I know!”
“You must know a lot of assholes then,” she said, making him crack up again.
“You’re serious?”
“Hell yes! Have you not looked in the mirror lately?” she said, sounding exasperated, which made the whole thing way less funny when he realized she was being deadly serious. “You walked in here all king of the world, your way or the highway, and it kind of surprised me. I wasn’t expecting that at all.”
Sam thought about what she’d said. “And now? Do you still think that?”
“You want me to be honest?” she asked, glancing at him as they rode.
“Yeah, I do.”
He listened to her sigh. “Look, I’ve been around wealthy and successful guys my entire life. I’ve seen how arrogant they get, how the whole sense of importance gets to their heads. I don’t think you’re necessarily like them, but parts of the way you act are, I suppose.”
All this time he’d thought he’d been different, that he was still just the ordinary guy he’d always been. But his sister had called him out on something a while back, telling him he was being a jerk, and he wasn’t about to pretend that two women like his sister and Mia were wrong.
“Well, I’m sorry that I made that first impression on you,” he said. “You know, I haven’t always lived this life. Hell, three years ago I was just a guy training horses out the back of the King ranch, and then my sister posted some videos of me on You Tube, created a channel for me and made me keep updating it every few days, and then I got an offer to do a tour. It kind of exploded within a couple of months, and I was suddenly touring the country showing my methods for training horses, being offered book deals and doing a crap load of merchandizing.” He shrugged. “I really want to keep my feet on the ground, and I didn’t think I’d ever let all the hype change me, but maybe I’m wrong.”
“Want my advice?”
He glanced at her, feeling like he was seeing her for the first time. She’d grown up with so much, but she was so grounded, so impossibly unpretentious, and it was nice to be around. He had a feeling her mom might have been to thank for that, the way she’d been so emotional when they’d spoken about her and her upbringing. “I don’t know if I do.”
“Well, I’m going to give it to you anyway,” she said with a smile. “You don’t have to be a loner to stay true to yourself. I’ve been on my own for so long, professionally and personally, but I don’t think it’s healthy to always be fighting for yourself with no one in your corner with you.”
Sam didn’t respond. He got what she was saying, but he kind of liked being a loner. Or at least he always had done in the past—he sure wasn’t minding her company right now.
“Want to go for a canter?” she asked with a wicked smile.
“Hell yes.”
She didn’t wait around once she’d heard his answer, pushing her little mare into a canter so fast he missed a beat and was almost left behind. His horse fought to go faster, to get ahead, but Mia was glancing behind and he realized this wasn’t just a leisurely canter, this was a race, and one she was determined to win.
Sam rode hard, his competitive spirit making it impossible for him not to try to overtake her, but Mia was fast and even though her horse wasn’t as big as his, she was putting her all into it. He didn’t doubt how good they were when they were competing, or why they were such a great team. The mare was clearly as determined as she was.
They cantered across the field, then up a small incline, before heading down into another endless field. They raced past towering old trees and a herd of cattle, although the big black beasts simply lifted their heads and kept chewing, watching them blur past. Maybe they were used to their daredevil mistress flying past at high speeds.
When Mia eventually slowed they were neck and neck, but Sam pulled back too, seeing that their ride was soon to end with a fence looming in the near distance.
“That was great,” he panted, hot from the ride, his horse blowing hard beneath him. “Just what I needed.”
“Blows out the cobwebs, doesn’t it?” she asked, looking exhilarated, her cheeks flushed a deep pink, her smile wide. “This girl has a lot of go.”
She patted her horse and they kept walking, letting their mounts cool down and catching their breaths themselves.
“That’s what I miss most when I’m away working. Being able to ride like that,” Sam confessed.
“Are you home for long now?” she asked, and he noticed she’d taken her feet out of the stirrups and was flexing her ankles. He did the same, feeling tight and stiff.
“I have a couple of clinics in Texas coming up actually,” he said. “It’ll be nice to be working within driving distance of home again. But other than the next couple months, I’ve decided to keep my schedule clear for the rest of the year.” He just hadn’t told his agent that yet. “I’ve been touring back to back for the last couple of years and I’m done.”
“I spent some time traveling for my riding, a couple of years on the road, touring to every show jumping competition I could,” she said. “It takes its toll, and it’s always good to get back to your roots, you know? That’s what I found hard in Europe. I mean, it was great competing over there and working with some great trainers, but there’s nothing like coming home. I like the landscape here, nothing beats it.”
“Agreed.”
“Want to take a rest over there? It’s my favorite tree on the property and you’ll get a beautiful view of the river.”
Sam followed her point and nodded. It looked like a pretty spot, and when they were closer he admired the big, wicked gnarled trunk of the oak, its limbs fanning out to provide an umbrella of shade from the sun. Behind it the river that was the ranch’s namesake curled around, and Sam admired how pretty the setting was, how peaceful River Ranch was.
They dismounted and tethered their horses, and Sam joined Mia beneath the tree, backs against the base of the trunk, legs out in front of them. He watched as she absently picked at some grass and twirled it between her fingers. Blue came and nudged up against him, leaning in, tongue lolling out the side. It had taken him a while to catch up to them.
“I’m sorry about what happened yesterday,” he said, knowing he needed to set the record straight and make his intentions clear. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
She gave him a quick look before going back to plucking grass again. “It wasn’t a big deal. You don’t need to mention it.”
He wasn’t so sure about that. “I’m here to work, and I behaved in a seriously unprofessional manner. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
She shook her head, leaning back and staring at him. “You know, the last thing you managed to do was make me feel uncomfortable. But thanks anyway for the apology.”
They sat in silence, the only noise the call of birdsong in the tree above them. He shut his eyes, wondered why he always managed to make such a ridiculous mess when it came to women these days. He’d meant to tell Mia something else entirely, but instead it had come out as one big embarrassing apology.
“It must have been nice growing up here,” Sam said, hoping that changing the subject would lighten things up between them again.
“It was,” Mia replied. “My sister and I were good friends growing up, even though she hated horses, and my brothers gave us a hard time but they would have beaten the crap out of anyone who hurt me or Ange.” She sighed.
“But?” Sam asked. “That sounded very much like there was a but coming.”
She laughed. “It was fun and we got to spend lots of time outdoors and adventuring, but when mom died, the magic of the place kind of died too. For a while anyway. And then Angelina and Cody went off to college and Tanner started to ride rodeo more seriously and he was away a lot, and then it was just me and dad rattling around in that big old house. It was kind of lonely from then on.”
Sam was about to ask her more when she slapped her thigh and caught him off guard.
“Let’s go,” she announced, holding out her hand to him, already standing in front of him.
It was a nice gesture. Clearly she wasn’t able to haul him up, but he clasped his palm to hers anyway and pulled up to his feet. Once he was standing in front of her, he noticed she was forced to tilt her head back to look up at him.
He wondered if she was going to say something, her eyes seemingly so full of questions, but instead she held his hand for another beat before letting go and turning. He wanted to reach for her, to pull her back, to kiss her again and think to hell with it. But he didn’t. He didn’t do complicated, and that had complicated written all over it.
“I thought we’d take a longer route back. Just walk and trot to stretch them out,” she said, calling over her shoulder.
Sam cleared his throat, mounted up and nudged his horse forward. And this time he kept his mouth shut.
* * *
Mia glanced at her watch, surprised by how quickly the day had flown past. She hadn’t eaten anything, neither of them had, since before setting out late morning, and now it was already afternoon. Her stomach rumbled in response.
“There’s food in the tack shed,” she told Sam as she landed with a thud on the ground. “I meant to have us back earlier.”
“It was worth it,” he said with a grunt as he landed on the concrete, too. “But right now I could eat a.…”
She laughed. “Horse? Quick, close your ears, Indi!”
He chuckled and she realized how comfortable she’d become in his company. He was a decent guy, kinder than she could have expected given their rocky start, but there was something nice about being around someone so calm and sweet with horses.
“Hey, I thought you might like to watch me with Tex this afternoon,” he said as he unsaddled his horse.
Mia couldn’t have been more surprised if a gust of wind had blown her over. “You’re serious? You’re actually asking me to watch?”
He gave her a look that made her quit with the sarcasm. “An effort to curb my arrogance. I’m not liking your first impression of me.” He looked exasperated, and she kind of liked seeing him look uncomfortable, like he was so well out of his comfort zone. “You know what? It’s actually seriously fucking me off how badly we started out.”
“I can’t,” she said, wishing she’d never agreed to going out tonight with Kat but knowing she couldn’t cancel at the last minute. Hearing him drop the f-bomb had been kind of cute, because he did look seriously annoyed. “Tomorrow?” she asked.
“I was going to give him the weekend off, but yeah, I suppose I could come by tomorrow.”
She took Indi over to hose her down, feeling guilty that she’d only ridden her today and one other horse earlier in the morning. She usually tried to fit in at least three rides a day to make sure all her horses were all fit and well-muscled.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” she said as she passed him the hose and led Indi off. She put her away, ran to fetch her some hay, checked her water supply and then hurried off toward the house. She’d left all the food in the tack shed for Sam, so she grabbed a banana off the counter when she ran through the kitchen, pausing only long enough to eat it and to down a big glass of water. She went to dash into the bathroom but stopped to get a packet of rice crackers from the pantry. At least she could eat them as she hurried to get ready.
As she wolfed down the crackers and turned the shower on, stripping her clothes off, she wished it were Sam she was getting ready for instead of some mystery guy. She stepped into the shower, under the hot stream of water, letting it run over her face and down her body, over her breasts and down her stomach. She reached for the soap and lathered her skin up, still thinking about Sam and wishing to hell she wasn’t. She was imagining him storming into the house and finding her in the shower, pressing her up against the tiled wall and kissing the hell out of her this time. His lips would be rougher, his hold firmer, his body …
She gulped and opened her eyes, turning around and running her hands through her hair to check it was wet enough for shampooing. Enough with the thoughts about Sam! He’d made it more than clear that he only wanted a professional relationship with her, and she was going to respect that. She probably wasn’t even remotely his type.
She shampooed and conditioned her long hair, rinsed it then stepped out. Kat’s cousin might not be Sam, but he was a single guy taking her out for drinks and dinner. She’d be damned if she wasn’t going to get all dolled up and have a hell of a time, because it wasn’t like she let her hair down very often, and it was time she did.
Even if, deep down, all she wanted was to pull her hair back up into a ponytail and head straight out that door and down to Tex. An afternoon in the hot, sticky Texas sun watching Sam work the stallion would have meant more to her than all the fancy dinners in the world.
She pushed thoughts of Sam away and wrapped her towel around herself, pinning up her hair. She’d made a promise to Kat, and she wasn’t going to flake on her. Which meant she had to get herself ready, go out and have some fun. She deserved it, and if she didn’t start going out more now, she’d end up an old lady sitting home alone, surrounded by animals and damn lonely at that.