CHAPTER 5
Jack watched as Nicki sped out of the drive in one of the Gordon Equine pick-up trucks. She was a cute one, just like Jared had said, and she was also lying.
Oh, yeah, she knew horses all right. Her performance with Bucky had proven that. But it had been pretty obvious that was exactly what she’d been trying to do—prove herself by performing for them both.
She’d also successfully avoided answering any of Jack’s questions about why she was there and where she’d come from. Her accent screamed northerner to him, most likely New York, although she tried to hide it.
He would bet the farm that Nicki Camp was not her real name. She was not only a liar. She was a darn poor one at that. The way she hesitated before answering his questions. Her avoidance of direct eye contact. Her evasiveness. It all screamed deception.
At least it did to Jack, who’d been trained to not only lie, but to spot lies in others.
The worst part was Jared didn’t seem to notice or care.
A horrible thought struck Jack. “Jared, what do you think about this Nicki?”
Jared turned from where he’d been setting up a fan to blow into Bucky’s stall so the flies wouldn’t bother him. “I think she knows her stuff and I’m damn lucky to have her. Why?”
“You, ah, into her? On a personal level, I mean.” It was bad enough to have someone who was so obviously hiding something working for his family and living on their property to boot. But if his little brother had a thing for her, it would be even worse when they found out what she was hiding.
Jared’s brow furrowed. “Why?”
Jack breathed out in exasperation. “Can’t you just answer a question?”
“Can’t you?” Jared glared back.
Jack bit the side of his mouth to stop from laying into his annoying little brother. He regrouped. No use getting Jared upset now. Jack could investigate this girl on his own, then tell Jared about it later when he found out what was what.
“A man doesn’t steal his brother’s girl.” Jack smiled at his brother and lied through his teeth. “I just need to know where you stand when it comes to Nicki. I’m going to be here for a few weeks. A man can make a lot of progress in that time.”
Jared broke into a wide grin. “Well, it’s about time you showed some interest in a nice girl for a change after some of those cheerleaders you dated back in high school. Thank God you didn’t marry any of them. No, I’m not interested in Nicki that way. I decided the day I hired her that it would be wrong to date an employee. Besides, there’s a little filly in town I’ve been um . . . seeing lately.”
Jack smiled, happy for his brother and his filly, but even more relieved that Jared hadn’t fallen for Nicki. “What about Jimmy? You said he’s sneaking down here a lot.”
Jared shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him about that. Could be he just has cabin fever from being cooped up for so long. Go for it with Nicki if you want. You’ve got my blessing. Just don’t do anything that’ll make her quit on me. She’s too good to lose.” He turned back to Bucky and shook his head. “To think I was ready to put him down and it’s only an abscess.”
Jack was grateful about that too, but even more resolved to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.
He stepped out of the barn while Jared stayed inside talking to one of the men.
Outside and out of earshot, Jack pulled out his cell phone. Scrolling through his contact list, he found the name of the one man most likely to deliver the answers he needed and fast. He hit the button and listened to the ringing and the eventual, “Hello.”
“Hey, Matt. How you doing?”
Matt replied with a groan. “I’m bored as hell on this damn furlough, that’s how I’m doing. What about you?”
“I’m home at my mama’s place and I think I’ve got something that’s right up your alley, oh god of the computer world.”
“Lay it on me, brother.” Matt’s excitement radiated through the cell phone.
“I need everything you can find out about a new employee my brother hired, but I gotta warn you, I don’t have much.”
“That’s okay. I love a good challenge. Give me what you’ve got.”
Jack fed Matt what information he could and texted him the photo he’d snapped of Nicki while she’d been busy with Bucky. Cell phones with built-in cameras came in handy at times like this.
“How long do you think it’ll take?” Jack asked.
He could hear clicking as Matt typed on his ever-present computer keyboard. “Well, I can tell you right now you’re right about her name. There’s no Nicki Camp. It’s fake. I don’t know how long. The photo should help, and the fact that you’re pretty sure she’s originally from the northeast. I’ll get back to you when I have something.”
“Great. Thanks, Matt. I really appreciate this.”
“Thank you. You might have saved me from going insane during my mental-health leave.”
Jack laughed. He and Matt said goodbye and hung up.
He knew his teammate well. If there was something to be found on this girl, Matt would find it, no matter how deep he had to dig.
With that thought in mind, Jack headed inside the house to feel out his older brother about his opinion regarding Nicki. A pretty young thing like her would be real tempting to a man recovering from what Jimmy had gone through. Jack really hoped he was wrong about her as he knocked on Jimmy’s open bedroom door.
“So, little brother, you’ve got the hots for Nicki?”
Jack stopped dead in the doorway and stared at Jimmy. “What?”
From his position on the bed, Jimmy grinned. He waved his cell phone at Jack. “Jared just called me from the barn.”
“Great.” Jack rolled his eyes. “I’m glad to see you two are putting modern technology to such good use. I guess you’re too busy gossiping like a couple of old washwomen, so I’ll leave.”
Turning toward the hall, Jack pretended he was going to leave.
“Don’t you dare go.” Jack paused in the doorway until Jimmy said, “I’m sorry. I’m just bored and you and Nicki together would put a little excitement in my sad life.”
He pivoted back with an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, a’ight.”
Coming back into the room Jack flopped backward into the upholstered chair next to the bed. Jimmy lay on top of the covers with a book open in his lap. His left foot was propped up on a pillow. That was the ankle that had been broken by the bastard terrorists while they’d had Jimmy in captivity.
The memory of that twisted Jack’s gut. He glanced at Jimmy’s face and the fading bruises there angered him all over again. “How much longer did the doc say he wants you laid up like this?”
“No idea. It has something to do with my spleen.” Jimmy shook his head. “The broken bones, I can handle. The bruises, who cares? But this internal stuff . . . there’s nothing I can do about that but just wait it out, I guess.”
Jack nodded and decided to bring the subject back around to Nicki, but on his terms this time. “While you’re waiting it out, aren’t you a little tempted by Nicki yourself?”
Jimmy’s room overlooked the barns. He’d have a great view right here from his bed of Nicki’s jean-clad ass sauntering around all day long as she did her chores.
Jimmy shrugged. “I guess I haven’t been feeling all that romantic lately. It’s gonna take a bit of time before I’m back in the saddle again. Besides, she’s a bit on the young side for me.”
Being cooped up while on his medical leave obviously hadn’t done Jimmy’s mental health any good. Jack was going to have to speak with the doc himself, privately, and see just how bad Jimmy really was.
Maybe it would be all right to take him out for a drive or something. A change of scenery might do him good as long as it couldn’t do any damage to him, physically.
What the hell did a spleen do anyway? Jack didn’t know, but damaged spleen or not, Jimmy had managed to get himself into the kitchen for pie today.
Mama’s pie was strong motivation, no matter what the consequences. Hopefully that little trip hadn’t done him any harm.
“Jack, if you’re holding back because of me, don’t.” Jimmy interrupted Jack’s thoughts on pie and mysterious organs. “Go for it. I give you my blessing with Nicki.”
“That’s what Jared said.” Jack held in a sigh.
He knew his brothers well enough to realize he’d have both of them hell-bent on fixing him up with a girl he was only pretending to like so he could secretly investigate her. And he’d only been home a few hours.
The next few weeks should be mighty interesting.