by L. Wilder
When I got no response, I nudged him a little harder and shouted, “Travis!”
After blinking several times, he mumbled, “Fucking horse.”
“Travis … I need to get you out of the ring. Are you okay to move? Do you think anything’s broken?”
“Nah, I’m good. I can get up,” He eased himself into a sitting position and was about to try and stand when Starlight started galloping in our direction. “Watch it, Riley!”
“It’s okay. I’ve got her.”
I slowly moved towards her and could see she was rattled. Her head was raised high with her ears pinned back, and she was swishing her tail back and forth as she rounded her back. When she neighed with a high-pitched squeal, it was clear something wasn’t right, but I had no clue what had gotten her so agitated. Knowing things could go from bad to worse very quickly, I eased closer to Starlight and kept my eyes on hers as I reached for one of the reins. When she squealed again, I whispered, “Easy, girl. I’m not gonna hurt ya.”
She continued to buck and jolt as Travis warned, “If you aren’t careful, she’ll rear up on you.”
Ignoring him, I gently eased the rein down, forcing her to lower her head. I knew there was a chance she could intentionally run into me or ignore my commands, but I tried my best to remain calm as I stepped even closer to her. When she didn’t try to jerk away, I whispered, “That’s my girl. Easy does it.”
Knowing she could sense it if I showed any sign of fear, I continued to speak softly but firmly as I ran my hand down the length of her nose. It wasn’t long before she’d settled back down, but I was worried it would be short-lived the minute Travis came up beside us. When she gave him a defiant snort, he grumbled, “I know, I know. You don’t like me right now.”
“You might want to check the saddle or the bridle. Something seems to be bothering her,” I suggested.
“I was thinking the same thing.” As he ran his hand under the saddle straps, he chuckled and said, “There had to be a reason for her to send me flying.”
“I would give you a hand, but I’ve got a paper to finish.”
“You’ve already done enough. Thanks for helping me out.”
“No problem.”
I had hoped to get back inside before anyone noticed me, but it was too late. As I made my way back over to the entrance gate, I spotted my hot biker leaning forward against the fence with his arms crossed and his attention focused solely on me. Those gorgeous blue eyes never left mine as he said, “Man, that was really something.”
“Thanks, but it really wasn’t a big deal. She was just a little rattled and needed some help settling down.”
“Regardless, you handled her like a pro.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice.”
His eyes skirted over me as he said, “I’m sure you have, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.”
“Thank you, but really … it was nothing.” When I reached the gate, I smiled as I said, “But you being all nice and giving me compliments? Now, that’s really something.”
“Hey, I can be nice,” he replied sounding slightly wounded.
“Um-hmm.” I shrugged as I stepped through the gate. “Could’ve fooled me, especially with that whole badass biker thing you’ve got going on.”
His lips curled into a smile as he asked, “Badass biker thing?”
I thought he was hot from the start, but when he smiled, I nearly lost my breath. It just wasn’t fair for a man to be so damn good-looking. “Yeah. You know what I mean.”
“No, I’m not sure that I do,” he lied.
I let my eyes quickly skirt over him as I continued, “Let’s just say you’ve got a look about you.”
“Oh, really?” Clearly amused, he asked, “And what kind of look is that?”
“A kind of look that says, I’ll kill you in your sleep, but I’ll tuck you in all nice and cozy before I do. There’s not many who can pull that off … but you certainly can.”
“Thanks for clarifying.” He chuckled as he extended his hand and said, “My name’s Murphy, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Murphy.” As I shook his hand, I found myself questioning my sanity. He was a member of a biker club, and if I had to guess, I’d say it was a bad one. And on top of that, he’d come to my father to buy weapons, and not just any weapons, he and his buddies were buying big, powerful, illegal assault rifles that gangbangers used. To make matters worse, I had a feeling he wasn’t there buying weapons because he was worried about financial woes like my father. I should’ve been terrified, completely and utterly terrified of him, but I wasn’t—not in the least. Standing next to him, I felt safe and secure, like there was nothing in this world that could harm me as long as I was close to him. “I’m Riley.”
“You were at the Smoking Gun the other night, right?”
I found it interesting that he’d asked when he already knew the answer. I’d spent most of the night staring at him like a horny teenager, and there were many times when he was doing the same to me. Feeling a little embarrassed, I replied, “Yes, I was there.”
“I thought that was you.” He paused for a moment, then asked, “But you weren’t alone. Was that your boyfriend or something?”
“Boyfriend? Um … no.” I chuckled as I told him, “I was with my cousin, Grady. He actually owns the bar, so I go there sometimes to hang out with him.”
“Grady Nichols is your cousin?”
“Our dads are brothers,” I explained. “Why? Do you know him?”
“Not personally, but I’ve heard of him. I’m sure you know he’s made a name for himself.”
“Yeah. He might’ve mentioned it a time or two. He’s not exactly humble.” The way he was looking at me made it difficult to function. Since I couldn’t think of anything else cute or flirty to say, I figured it was best for me to go before things got awkward. I motioned over to my father and his friends as I said, “Well, I guess I better get going. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your business.”
He glanced over his shoulder and grimaced when he saw that they were almost finished loading the SUV. “Looks like business is just about done.”
“So …” Trying not to sound desperate, I asked, “Does that mean you won’t be coming back?”
“Not exactly sure. That decision isn’t really up to me, but if I make my way back, maybe you could show me around.”
“Sure. I’d love to.”
“Why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll call sometime?”
Before I could respond, my father came up behind me and fussed, “Riley … I thought you had a paper that you needed to get done.”
“I do. I just came out to give Travis a hand with Starlight.”
“Travis can handle Starlight, Riley. It’s his job after all,” he scolded.
I could tell from his tone that he wasn’t in the mood to argue, so I nodded and said, “You’re right. I’ll leave you boys to it. Sorry for interrupting.”
“No reason to be sorry,” Murphy told me. “Good luck with your paper.”
“Thanks.” As I started inside, I looked back over my shoulder and said, “Until next time.”
He nodded, then turned his attention to my father. Even though I was curious about what they were saying, I headed back into the house and up to my room. As soon as I stepped through the door, I fell back on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I started going over my brief conversation with Murphy, and a big, goofy grin spread across my face when I remembered the moment I’d called him badass. At first I cringed at the thought, but then I remembered the expression on his face when I’d said the word. He wasn’t turned off by it. Instead, he was intrigued and egged me on, teasing and testing to see just how far I’d go. I was caught off guard by his playful side, especially after experiencing such a completely different side of him the day before, but I liked it. I liked it a lot. Something told me he didn’t let many see that lighthearted side of himself, and I was glad he’d decided to share it with me, even if it
was only for a few moments. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by our little encounter. I just hoped he felt the same and there would be more of them in the near future.
7
Murphy
I could see the train wreck coming from a hundred miles away, and yet, I was doing nothing to stop it. Hell, I was heading straight towards it with my eyes wide open, paying no mind to the laws I’d created for situations just like these. In my defense, I had good intentions. I’d gone out to the Nichols farm with the mindset that my brothers and I would get the goods and leave, but that plan was blown to hell the minute I spotted Riley racing out of her house like a mad woman. I watched as she ran towards the training ring, where one of their mares was having a damn fit, bucking and galloping around like she had a point to make. When I saw that the handler was out cold, I was worried that she was putting herself in harm’s way, so I rushed over to give her a hand, leaving my brothers to tend to the exchange on their own. I’d barely made it over to the fence when I realized Riley didn’t need my help. Hell, she didn’t need anybody’s help. She’d already taken ahold of the reins, and after a few soothing words, she had the mare completely under her control. It was an unbelievable sight to see, but her little show didn’t stop there.
From the moment we started talking, I could feel myself being drawn in, like a moth to a fucking flame. I knew I’d get burned, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about her relentlessly. I needed to get a fucking grip. I tried to block her from my mind, forcing myself to focus on the club and working overtime at the garage, but even after a week had gone by, she was still fucking with my head, haunting my thoughts and dreams. Out of frustration, I got on my bike and just started riding. I hoped that would help clear my head, but after a few hours of being on the road, I found myself out at the Nichols’ farm. I told myself that I’d ended up there out of simple curiosity, that if I just had a chance to learn a little more about her, I’d be able to get her out of my head, but as I drove down their driveway, I was having my doubts. It had been a week or more since I’d last been there, and I had no idea if she was even home. Taking my chances, I pulled up to the stables and parked. By the time I’d gotten off my bike, one of their farm hands was walking in my direction. “Can I help you with something?”
“Is Mr. Nichols around?”
“No, sir. He’s not. He and Hunter have gone to town to pick up some supplies. Is there something I can help you with?”
Realizing I’d made a mistake by showing up unannounced, I shook my head and said, “Nah, man. I’ll just come back by another time.”
“Want me to give Dan a message for ya?”
“You can tell him that Murphy stopped by,”
As he turned to leave, he replied, “Will do.”
Silently cursing myself, I got back on my Harley and was just about to start up the engine when I heard, “Murphy?”
When I glanced over my shoulder, I found Riley looking at me with a puzzled expression on her face. I couldn’t blame her for wondering why I was there. Like her, I had no idea why I’d shown up unannounced. As I sat there staring at her, I started to question everything, especially my sense of reason. It wasn’t like me to act without thinking things through, but there I was—face to face with Riley Nichols and no clue as to what I should do. Trying to think fast, I got off my bike and started towards her. “Hey. I came by to have a word with your father.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong. I just had something I wanted to run by him.”
She slipped her hands into the back pocket of her form-fitting, Wrangler jeans as she replied, “I’m sorry, but he’s not here.”
“Yeah, I heard. I guess I should’ve let him know I was coming.”
“I’m sorry you wasted the trip.”
“Don’t be. I enjoyed the ride over. It’s really beautiful out here, and it’s the perfect weather for being out on the bike.”
“You’re right. It is a beautiful day.” Her cheeks blushed with a soft shade of pink as she said, “You know … I could always give you that tour you were asking about. Unless you need to get back or something?”
“I’ve got some time.”
“Great.” She smiled brightly, nearly knocking me off my feet. “How about I show you around the stables first, and then we’ll go from there?”
“Sounds good.”
I followed her into the stables, and I was immediately impressed with how clean and organized the place was. She led me over to one of the stalls where they were housing one of the younger mares. Her eyes sparkled with pride as she scratched behind the horse’s ear. “This beautiful girl is Anna Belle.”
“If I had to guess, I’d say there’s a story behind this horse.”
“Yeah. You could say that.” She glanced up at the mare with a solemn look as she said, “My dad gave her to me right about the time when my mother found out she had breast cancer. It was really hard to see her so sick, but it helped to have Anna Belle to distract me, not to mention that she’s about the sweetest, most beautiful horse on the planet.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your mother. Cancer can be tough, especially when it’s effecting someone you really care about.”
“It’s the worst.” She started walking towards the next stall as she continued, “Mom fought hard. I can’t tell you how many different treatments the doctors had her try; they did nothing but make her feel worse. She died a couple of years later.”
“Damn. I really hate to hear that. Must’ve been awfully hard on you.”
“It was hard on all of us. To make things worse, the treatments were really expensive. Much more than we could afford, and we got in over our heads. That’s one of the main reasons my father started selling those guns. I wasn’t exactly pleased when I found out about it, but after the shock wore off, I realized he had good intentions.” Riggs had already told me about her mother’s death, and everything that had followed thereafter, but hearing it from her gave me a new perspective on things. Everyone knew that desperate times called for desperate measures, but some measures have greater consequences than others. When we made it down to the next horse, she let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”
“I’m glad you felt like you could talk to me about it.”
Quickly redirecting the conversation, Riley motioned her hand towards the horse in the second stall and said, “This is Starlight. She’s the who showed out the last time you were here and bucked off her trainer.”
“Yeah, she put on quite a show. Any idea what spooked her?”
“We’re still trying to figure that one out. She’s always been a bit of a handful. She does fine until you get her out in that ring. I don’t know what it is, but something sets her off every time.”
“Have you noticed her having difficulty transitioning between gaits?”
“I haven’t noticed, but I’ll watch the next time we take her … Wait a minute.” She took a step back as she faced me. “What do you know about transitioning gaits?”
“My mother once dated a guy who raised horses, and we spent a lot of time out at his farm.” Of all the men my mother dated, Joe was the only one I ever gave a shit about. He was a decent guy and tried to do right by my mother. Unfortunately, after years and years of being mistreated, my mother didn’t know how to deal with a man who was actually good to her. Trying to be as vague as possible, I told her, “He saw that I had an interest in his horses and ended up hiring me as one of his hands. I only worked there a couple of summers, but I learned a lot from him.”
“Obviously.” She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. “I can’t believe you worked with horses. You’re just full of surprises, aren’t ya?”
“You have no idea.”
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she started walking forward. “So, while you were out at his place, did you do any riding?”
“Some, but that was a long time ago.”
“
Would you be up for giving it another try sometime?”
“There’s a chance I could be persuaded.”
A light blush crossed her face as she turned to me and said, “Well, I guess I’ll have to get working on my persuasion skills.”
Damn. With every smile, every small twinkle in her eye, she was drawing me in closer. I wondered if she knew the effect she was having on me. “If I had to guess, I’d bet you don’t have any problem in that area. I bet you always find a way to get what you want.”
“I wish.” She chuckled under her breath, but her smile faded when we passed by several empty stalls. “I know it’s hard to tell now, but there was a time when we would’ve had every one of these filled with foals.”
“Oh, really? What changed?”
“We ran into some issues with our stallion.”
“What kind of issues?”
“The breeding kind.” She cocked her eyebrow and shrugged. “You know how some men can be. He wouldn’t cooperate, so we’re looking into bringing in a new one. Hopefully, that will get us back up and running again.”
“You seem pretty invested in all this.” As we left the stables and headed towards their enormous pond, I asked, “What are your plans for after you graduate?”
“I don’t know. I’ve always pictured myself being here with my brother and dad, helping them manage the farm. I’ve always felt like I belonged here, that the farm and horses make me who I am, but lately I’ve been thinking I might want to try something different.” She stopped and looked me in the eye as she continued, “I’ll always love riding and spending time out here with the horses, but it’s a big world out there with all these wonderful possibilities. Sometimes, I worry if I stay out here on the farm, I’ll miss out on something really great.”
“I get it.”
“You do?” she asked, sounding surprised.
When we got closer to the water, she sat down on a patch of grass and waited as I sat down next to her. Once I was settled, I turned to her and said, “We all have doubts, Riley,”
