In It to Win It

by Ella Jade

  “I have something I need to discuss with you.” He glanced behind her, the cool air-conditioning teasing his sweaty face. She seemed to read his mind.

  “Come in.” She stepped back and he walked inside. She closed the door and turned to face him. “What’s up?”

  “Well…” he began, but trailed off.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked, her gaze roaming around his face and not quite meeting his eyes. “Water or wine? I don’t have much else, Snowflake drank the last of the milk.” She sucked in a breath and blushed a darker shade of pink.

  He lifted an eyebrow and grinned. “Snowflake?”

  She swallowed. “Yeah.”

  She waved toward a patio door across the room. He eyed a large, coal black cat lapping out of a bowl on the back deck.

  “Uh, Snowflake?” he questioned. “You named a black cat Snowflake?”

  “It’s ironic,” she explained. Kelly straightened her shoulders. “But you’re not here to talk cat names. Why are you here, Dustin?”

  Her sudden stern tone and the flash in her eyes had him taking a step back. He fiddled with his hat brim while his heart beat loud enough surely she’d hear it.

  He cleared his throat. “Well, I figure you’ll find out soon enough, so I wanted to let you know before you saw the contract. I’m buying the land you had up for sale.”

  Her mouth dropped open and she blinked. “Wait, what?”

  He lifted a hand. “I know this is out of left field, but hear me out. I moved back to town and needed land to set up shop. I’m opening a…a rescue I guess, for retired rodeo horses. I saw you had fifty acres, and you have your Thoroughbred rescue so I thought it sort of made sense.” He took a deep, solidifying breath as he watched the color drain from her cheeks. “I mean, I thought it made good sense.”

  She continued to stare at him like he’d sprouted a second head.

  He shifted foot to foot. “I’m not looking to butt into your business, by any means,” he stammered on, “but this is something I’ve put a lot of thought into. I stopped riding bucking horses years ago, and I gave team penning a shot. Got some good money from the circuit out of it, and figure I’ll keep doing that, and training. But I wanted to do something outside of it too. Something good.”

  Kelly closed her eyes. Dustin waited, holding his breath. Would she kick him out? He didn’t know the woman standing before him anymore, but he hoped she’d forgiven him enough not to hate him.

  She opened her eyes, they swam with emotion. She licked her lips, a teasing motion that had him swallowing hard over a lump in his throat.

  “You can do whatever you want to do, Dustin. I need that money, so I won’t refuse the sale. It’s good… It’s good, what you want to do. It’s hard work, it’s heartbreaking work, but it’s fulfilling.”

  They stood staring at one another. Dustin wanted to say things he had no words for. I’m sorry for what happened to Keith. If I could, I’d go back and trade places with him. You never deserved that kind of pain, and I would’ve done anything to keep you from feeling it. But there was too much feeling in those sentences to be able to voice it. If she could feel the wrenching of his heart with every memory of her that fateful day at their last rodeo, the horrible guilt he’d carried around for the past decade, then perhaps she would understand.

  The silence stretched until they both fidgeted. His business was done, but he didn’t want to leave, not yet. He wanted to stand in this spot forever, inhaling the peachy fragrance that had always belonged to Kelly. He wanted to drown in her eyes, feel her velvet skin beneath his hands. Taste her…

  Dustin cleared his throat. “I reckon I’ll be on my way. Have a nice evening, Kelly.”

  He turned on his heel and stepped to the door, opening it.

  “Wait.” Kelly grabbed his upper arm, stopping him.

  The feel of her fingers sent heat through his veins. He turned to face her.

  She opened and closed her mouth several times before she finally squeaked out, “I’ll see you at closing.”

  Chapter 2

  Kelly couldn’t catch her breath. The sound of a truck faded into the distance. A truck belonging to the last person she’d expected to see in her house—despite moving back to her hometown a year and a half before. After all, last she’d heard, Dustin had bought a place in Texas and settled down. She’d even heard rumors he’d found a nice woman while out on the rodeo circuit.

  She lifted a shaking hand and rubbed her forehead. They’d be neighbors now. It sent a whirlwind of indescribable feelings through her, and nervous energy sent her pacing, all thoughts of a relaxing bath out the window. She hadn’t wanted to part with the land, but now a total stranger wouldn’t be taking it over, doing God knew what nearly right next door to her. A relief in that respect, but why did it have to be Dustin?

  Had he brought that rumored woman with him? Jealousy, sharp and sudden in its intensity, left her grinding her teeth. Of course he had every right to move on with his life. The way they’d left things—no, the way she’d left things with him—gave her no right to feel anything but happiness if he’d found someone. In all fairness, she’d found someone else, hadn’t she?

  Her phone chirped from the kitchen, and she walked over and picked it up. She frowned when she looked at the caller ID. This evening just got worse and worse.

  “Hello,” she answered.

  “Hey, Kelly. I’ll be out your way looking at a couple of colts Wednesday and thought we could get together for dinner.”

  Kelly took a deep, solidifying breath. “I don’t know, Tom. Now’s not a good time.”

  “I figured you’d be busy, but I won’t be long. How about we meet at Nonie’s Steakhouse at seven?” her ex-husband pressed on in his usual inconsiderate manner. “I’ve been craving that fried onion thing they have for an appetizer.”

  “Tom, listen,” she began, doing her best to sound firm. “I—”

  “Gotta go,” Tom interrupted. “See you Wednesday.”

  The call disconnected. Kelly resisted the urge to hurl the phone against the wall. Once she’d appreciated his take-charge manner. Now she wanted to poke him in the eye for it.

  “Men!” She stomped across the room and flung herself down on the sofa. “Seriously.”

  Tom had been the second biggest mistake of her life, the first being the man who’d just walked out of her home. When her brother had passed away she’d dropped out of college and found work as a stable hand at a racing track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She’d tried to run from her emotional wounds, being simply too young and ill-equipped to handle them. There she’d met Tom. Dashing, debonair Tom with his Clark Gable charm and a southern drawl that had helped her forget at least a part of her heartache. He’d wooed her for two years before she’d agreed to marry him. The honeymoon months were magical, but they were the only happy months of their union. She hadn’t loved him, not really, because her heart could only handle one great love in the whole of her life. And that love had taken the brunt of her loss when Keith had died.

  * * * *

  “I heard you sold your land.”

  Kelly squinted against the glare of the sun as she looked over at Joan. Of course the town gossip mill would spread news of the sale within hours. And judging by the steady look Joan leveled on her, they’d also gotten their teeth into who’d bought the land. Her friend wouldn’t pry, but she’d offer a shoulder to lean on if necessary, which Kelly was grateful for.

  “Yeah, full price. It’s gonna help us out a lot,” Kelly said.

  Juno, a young mare fresh off the track, yanked back on the lead rope Kelly held. Kelly stumbled, sending a painful assault through her temples. After dealing with Dustin the night before, then Tom’s call, she’d downed a bottle of wine, leaving her with a wicked hangover. She jerked the lead rope, glaring at the horse. Kelly wasn’t in the mood for the mare’s usual shenanigans to get out of training.

  “Well, if you need to talk, you know where to find me. I left you something i
n the barn office.”

  Joan smiled and walked back to the barn, leaving Kelly alone with her thoughts as she led Juno into the round pen. She unhooked the lead rope and sent the mare out, clicking her tongue, pushing the horse into a trot along the corral panels in a circle around her. Usually round pen work sent Kelly into a relaxing Zen-like state as she found connection with whatever horse she worked. Today she couldn’t focus, and Juno quickly took advantage of her drifting thoughts, doing exactly the opposite of what Kelly wanted.

  After a frustrating hour, Kelly gave up and called it quits for the day. She turned Juno out then walked into the barn office to find a big bowl of Joan’s famous fried chicken waiting for her. The greatest fried chicken on the planet, and despite her terrible hangover and lack of appetite, her stomach growled. Kelly scooped up the bowl, and with Snowflake dancing in and out between her steps, she walked back to her house.

  “Crap,” she said, peering into the fridge, searching for room for the bowl of chicken, having forgotten she was out of milk for the cat. She pushed the bowl between a jar of pickles and an old takeout container, and grabbed out her coffee creamer. She scanned the ingredients: cream, sugar, something weird and maybe preservative sounding. She shrugged, pouring some in a bowl with treats for Snowflake, and fed the impatient feline on the deck.

  “Don’t tell the vet I gave you this,” she told Snowflake, stroking his head. The cat purred loudly and blissfully.

  Kelly sat back on her heels, envious of the contented cat. If only her life’s upsets could be cured with milk and treats. Wine certainly hadn’t done any good.

  * * * *

  The hunter/jumper competition buzzed with the low-level excitement such amateur shows carried. Mystic jigged beneath Kelly, catching onto the other horses’ adrenaline. Kelly kept light contact with the reins, moving the mare through tight circles, trying to keep Mystic busy while they awaited their turn. They’d be up soon, Mystic’s first jumper competition, and Kelly wanted things to go well. She had a potential adopter for Mystic who was showing another horse today too. Fingers crossed the man would like the mare.

  Once it was their turn, Kelly moved to the gate, and when the announcer called out their names, introducing them, she entered the arena at a collected trot, trying to get the fidgety mare under control. Racehorses were expected to put on a spirited show and be ready to burst from a starting gate at high speed—the most difficult obstacle to overcome when retraining for other disciplines.

  They made the first two-and-a-half-foot jump with ease, and Kelly moved Mystic into a canter. The second and third jumps passed beneath them, but the fourth was an oxer. Mystic tensed, and Kelly had to squeeze her legs, pushing the horse forward. They made the jump, but tapped a top rail. The loud ring of bumped wood echoed in Kelly’s ears, and made Mystic snort and toss her head as Kelly collected the reins, angling them toward the next jump.

  “It’s okay, girl. It’s your first show,” she said to the now anxious mare.

  Kelly caught a glimpse of something outside the ring a millisecond before Mystic, not giving her enough time to prepare—a little girl carrying a big white balloon. The mare shied sideways, startled, and physics launched Kelly in the opposite direction of the horse, dumping her. She landed on her side, knocking the wind from her lungs, and a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. She lay helplessly stunned on the soft dirt of the arena while someone ran in to catch Mystic.

  “Damn it,” she hissed through her teeth as she got to her knees, holding her arm close to her side. No doubt she’d dislocated her shoulder. And no doubt she’d just lost Mystic’s adopter.

  How had she gotten so off her game the last few months? She’d taken more falls lately than she had as a green rider back in her childhood. Granted, a few days before she’d had an uncomfortable dinner with her ex-husband. One in which he’d hinted they should give things a try again.

  She hobbled to the exit gate, hearing the announcement they’d been disqualified due to the fall. People cheered her on in the consoling way they always did when a rider got up from a bad fall. Mystic waited outside, Joan holding onto her reins, and Kelly gave the mare a pat on the neck with her good hand.

  “You okay?” Joan asked, eyeing Kelly’s limp right arm.

  Kelly shook her head, the pain increasing as numbing adrenaline leached out of her muscles. “I think I dislocated my shoulder.”

  “Kelly, are you all right?” a concerned, masculine voice asked.

  Kelly jerked around and gasped as pain lanced through her. A pair of worried blue eyes took her in head to toe.

  “I just got here and saw what happened.”

  “Dustin?” Kelly blinked. “What are you doing here?”

  “I heard you were competing and wanted to come by and cheer you on.” He flashed her his best charming, cowboy smile, and despite the growing pain, Kelly felt a blush spread over her face. His smile evaporated. “Let’s get you to the ER.”

  “I’ll get Mystic home,” Joan said. “Go with him.”

  Kelly nodded, not exactly keen to spend time with Dustin. She still hadn’t sorted out her feelings about his sudden reappearance in her life, or selling him her land. Closing was only two days away. He helped her to his pickup and she gritted her teeth, tears blurring her eyes as the truck jolted over ruts in the parking lot.

  “Sorry for the bumps,” Dustin apologized, taking it as slowly as he could.

  “Not…your…fault,” Kelly replied through her teeth.

  She let out a loud sigh when they finally made it to the smoother sailing of the highway. Dustin stepped on the gas, and they sped toward the hospital. Kelly focused on her breathing, wanting him to slow down. The dislocation was agony, but she’d been through this before, and she didn’t look forward to having the joint popped back in. Even with the pain meds she’d be fed, it would still hurt like the devil.

  “You looked good out there,” Dustin said, breaking into her thoughts.

  “Liar,” Kelly answered, trying to sound light-hearted, but the word came out in nearly a growl.

  “No, you could always stick on a horse like no one else. You just had a bad day.” He smiled in her direction, and thanks to the blessed distracting pain, she didn’t feel the blush this time.

  “Thanks for taking me to the ER,” she said, not knowing what else to say. She’d had too many bad days of riding. What was wrong with her?

  They pulled in front of the emergency room doors, and Dustin hopped out and rounded the truck, opening her door since she couldn’t.

  “Should I get a wheelchair?” he asked, doing his best to gingerly help her down.

  “No.” She had an irrational fear of riding in wheelchairs. As a child she’d watched her grandfather wither away while stuck in a wheelchair at a nursing home. She couldn’t shake the image to this day. “I can walk.”

  But the walk inside and to the triage desk wiped out the last of her energy. Bile welled up in her throat and the room spun. She staggered as a nurse ran to her side, and despite her feeble objections, she found herself seated in a wheelchair as Dustin explained what had happened at the horse show. Luckily, it was a slow day, so she was wheeled into a room. A doctor visited her, ordering her a shot for the pain.

  “I won’t lie, this is going to hurt,” the doctor said as he took hold of her right arm. The medicine had only begun to numb her discomfort.

  “I’m ready,” Kelly said, bracing for it. A loud crack sounded, and she cried out as the shoulder joint popped back into place. Immediately, relief flooded through her, the worst over.

  The ride back to her place went much smoother than the ride to the hospital, thanks to the euphoric pain medication. She gazed at Dustin, really noticing details she hadn’t allowed herself to note before. Yes, he had some smile lines, and the planes of his face were sharper, but he was still as gorgeous as ever. His smile as engaging, the sparkle in those big blue eyes of his as intoxicating. His sandy blond hair had darkened with age, and he could grow a good four o’c
lock shadow now. And his body... God, his body. Broad shoulders, biceps to make a grown woman weep, strong thighs. Kelly licked her lips then giggled.

  Dustin lifted his eyebrows, giving her a sideways glance. “Care to share with the class?” he asked, grinning.

  “Oh, nothing… God, that shot they gave me for my shoulder is kicking my butt.” She giggled again, relishing the dreamy state. “You know what?”

  “What?” Dustin asked.

  “I think you’re still pretty darn hot.”

  Dustin’s smile vanished, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “You’ve always been a lightweight with medication,” he said after clearing his throat.

  “You know what?” she said again, trying to refocus on Dustin’s blurring profile.

  Several seconds passed. “What?” Dustin finally asked.

  “My shoulder still throbs, but I don’t give a damn.” Kelly laughed then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oops, I shouldn’t curse. Sorry.”

  She closed her eyes, and slept within moments.

  Chapter 3

  Dustin scooped Kelly into his arms and carried her into her house. He stared at the couch, but decided she’d be more comfortable in her bed. It took three tries to find her bedroom in the large, old farmhouse, and he took a selfish moment, savoring the feeling of her in his arms once more, and the peachy scent of her chestnut-colored hair, before finally placing her on her bed. She opened her eyes, those beautiful brown eyes he could drown in, and gave him a lavish smile. Then she reached for him with her good arm, wrapping her fingers behind his neck.

  “Stay with me,” she said in a husky tone that set fire to his best intentions. But he’d resist. If it killed him—which it probably would—he’d resist temptation, because he’d never take advantage of her drugged state. Though no woman could affect him like Kelly had. They’d been one another’s first in everything, and that was a connection he’d never been able to shake, no matter how many women he’d dated since their breakup.