“I’ll be there.”
I gently pulled Beau’s dark forelock out of the bridle’s brow band and gave him a scratch between the eyes. “Great,” I called over my shoulder to Dothan, leading Beau out of the barn into the afternoon sunshine.
Chapter 14
I sat on the wooden fence, admiring Dothan from a distance as he crossed the paddock. I’d already stowed the saddle in my trunk; then I led Beau by the reins from the stable area along the outside of the enclosure. Several other Fox Run horses inside the paddock wandered over, following us on their side of the fence as we made our way toward the far end. Now they changed direction, breaking up our little herd to see if Dothan had any treats.
“You see how they go right to him?” I murmured to Beau. We really had to break his bad habit of playing hard to get when he was out in the field and saw me coming with a halter in my hand. My smart horse knew that meant work on his part was usually imminent. He also knew he wasn’t supposed to eat while his bridle was on, but he was snatching at clumps of grass anyway while we waited. “Stop it,” I said half-heartedly. I was too nervous to put much force into the correction, and Beau countered by ignoring me.
“Hey,” Dothan said as he approached. A few of the horses continued to plod along behind him.
“Hi. Ready to go?” I pulled gently on Beau’s reins, using my tongue to make a “come here” noise. He snorted in resignation and allowed me to draw him against the fence.
“Ready. Not too long, though, right?”
“Nope. We’re taking a short trail. I have to be back in time for dinner with my grandfather.” Holding a hunk of mane for support, I climbed onto the top wooden slat and slid my left leg over Beau’s back. My throat turned to dust, so I just tipped my chin in what I hoped was an indication to climb on behind me.
He hoisted himself up behind me effortlessly, slipping his hands around my waist. Two layers of clothing separated our skin, yet my sides burned under his grip. I swallowed, wishing desperately for water. “Okay, just hold on tight with your legs. Beau’s pretty good on trail rides, but still…” I left my sentence unfinished, my mind conjuring up the embarrassing fall from the saddle Dothan had witnessed on the first day we met. Hopefully nothing would spook Beau today.
We started across the open field toward a break in the thick tree line ringing the back pastures of Fox Run. These woods eventually merged with the 1,647 protected acres of the Monocacy National Battlefield, where a key Civil War battle had been fought in 1864. But today I was just going to take Dothan on a short loop that converged with the bank of the meandering river.
“I’m glad you suggested this. It’s nice back here.”
I glanced around the unused field doubtfully. Tall grass and spiky weeds fought for space in overgrown clumps. The tree line was pretty; the fiery afternoon sun played across the first hints of gold in the autumn foliage. But he saw that view every day.
“We haven’t exactly arrived at the scenic part,” I pointed out.
“Who said I was talking about the scenery?” His arms tightened infinitesimally around my sides.
Oh. I couldn’t come up with a reply. My heart battered my ribcage like a trapped bird.
The silence spun out between us as we entered the cool shadows of the forest. I was acutely aware of the feel of his thighs wrapped around mine; no competing thoughts seemed able to break through. My plan to learn more about Dothan was going to fail, not because of his reluctance to answer my questions, but because I was unable to string two coherent words together.
Suddenly his lips were next to my ear, his breath sending chills racing through every nerve in my body. “Look to your left. Ten o’clock.”
A lone deer stood motionless beside a massive pine. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the branches, painting pale stripes across her tawny coat. Her large dark eyes followed Beau’s movements carefully.
I held my breath, swaying under my horse’s smooth gait, wrapped in Dothan’s embrace. On my admittedly limited list of magic moments, this had to rate near the top. Then Beau stumbled on a root, startling the doe. She bounded away quietly, her white tail flashing through the trees.
Beau’s black ears turned toward the sound, but to his credit, he stayed steady. I relaxed slightly, leaning into Dothan’s solid chest. “That was amazing. I love the wildlife around here.”
“Have you always lived in Huntsville?” he asked.
Whoa. Dothan starting a topic of conversation only added to the memorable events of the day. “No. I was born in Bethesda, Maryland. It’s right next to the D.C. line, so it’s a very expensive area, but we lived with my grandmother. When she died, we sold the house and decided to move somewhere more affordable and less congested.” I glanced around the pristine woods with fresh appreciation for my surroundings. The only sound other than the muted rustle of Beau’s hooves was the distant drilling of a woodpecker.
“So, I’ve lived here since I was eight.” Time to walk through the door he opened, I thought to myself. I took a deep breath as Beau gave an accompanying snort. “Where did you grow up?”
His body stiffened slightly. “I was born in Ohio. But my dad was…a consultant, so we moved around a lot.”
Hmm. The idea of him moving from place to place as a child might explain his strange social skills. “Where does your dad live now?” I asked.
“He’s dead.”
“Oh God, no.” My heart sank, although I was shamefully aware of my mind processing this information, sliding more tragic pieces into place. “I’m so sorry,” I mumbled.
I felt him shrug. “It’s not your fault,” he replied, his voice like steel.
Of course it wasn’t my fault, and yet I’d brought it up in an effort to delve into his past. I struggled to come up with something to say. “Was it…sudden?”
“Only if you consider premeditated murder sudden.”
Ice filled my veins. Murder? My brain whirled with the implication. A dull ache radiated through my hands as my damaged fingernails dug into my palms. “Dothan, please don’t tell me this has something to do with your plans for revenge.”
“I’m not going to tell you anything about it. At all.”
His words sliced into me, driving fresh pain into my churning stomach. Terrifying thoughts tumbled through my head. Dothan was in Huntsville to find, and possibly kill, his father’s murderer. I couldn’t wrap my brain around it.
It seemed neither of us had anything to say after that bombshell. Dothan’s grip on my waist remained unchanged, but I found myself arching slightly away. I wasn’t so much scared of him as scared for him, although I didn’t like to picture myself dating a killer. Maybe my imagination was running amok once again and I’d misunderstood him completely.
Supporting the misunderstanding theory was the ridiculous notion of a murderer running around quiet little Huntsville. We weren’t exactly a high crime area. A hysterical laugh bubbled up inside me as I tried to picture a few town residents as cold-blooded killers.
But the truth was that despite how farfetched Dothan’s scenario appeared, I believed him. His entire persona was cloaked in mystery. I chewed on my lip as I considered other possibilities. Huntsville wasn’t so very far from the city of Washington, D.C.—could his father’s death be gang-related? I still couldn’t think of anyone in town that fit that description.
I replayed his words in my mind. He’d said his father did consulting. Some kind of mob hit, maybe? I was naïve, but I’d watched enough television to understand organized crime spread its tentacles to many unusual places.
The trail took a bend and the Monocacy River, a tributary of the mighty Potomac, came into view. The water ran shallow here in the fall, and Beau automatically headed toward the bank to get himself a drink. Suddenly I needed to get off my horse, get away from Dothan, and move around. Without stirrups or a fence, I wasn’t sure how we’d get back on, but the need was becoming overwhelming.
I brought Beau to a stop in the middle of the trail with a pull on th
e reins. I’d literally kick Dothan in the face if I dismounted with him seated behind me. “Can you get down?” I asked, trying to make it clear through my tone that it wasn’t really a question. “I need to walk around.”
He slid down, landing softly on the packed dirt. His hands returned to my waist to help me dismount. Even though I didn’t need the help, I couldn’t summon any resentment—instead, my heart contracted painfully in response to the gesture.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, grabbing Beau’s bridle. I pulled my helmet off, shaking out my hair as I led him down a gentle slope toward the river bank. He thrust his head toward the river, and I slid the reins up his neck so he could easily drink.
Bending over, I abandoned my hat and plucked a few flat stones from the bank. I tossed them into the river at an angle and watched them skip along the surface of the water. Nathaniel had taught me how to do that. Where had we been? The memory rushed back: a picnic at a lake, to celebrate my mom’s birthday. The ache in my chest burned hotter.
Dothan came over and stood on my right, staring straight ahead. “I won’t apologize for what I need to do,” he said. “But I am sorry if it hurts you in any way.”
“Why do you need to do it? It could ruin your life. Or end it.” I shuddered inwardly.
“It’s just something I have to do. I don’t expect you to understand. My father was a great man. He was everything to me, and he didn’t deserve to die.”
I turned toward him, anger boiling up inside me. “I could say the same thing about my mom! Do you think she deserved to die? Even if the driver had survived, I wouldn’t risk my life or freedom trying to exact some kind of vigilante justice!”
His cool brown gaze never wavered. “Of course I don’t think for a moment your mother deserved to die. But we’re talking about two very different situations, Jamie. And I can’t share the details of mine.”
I didn’t bother asking him why not. At the very least, the knowledge would probably put me in danger. Visions of the shadowy presence in my yard made the little hairs on the back of my neck prickle with fear. “I’m sure your dad would want you to have a long, full life. Couldn’t we just—” I stopped before I could embarrass myself further. Couldn’t we just what? Get married and live happily ever after? My audacity was alarming. I’d known this guy for three weeks.
“I won’t change my course,” he said, reaching for my hand. His skin warmed mine as he studied the red crescents on my palm with a frown. “But I will say I never anticipated caring about someone here. It does complicate things.”
“So I’m a complication?” I bit out, trying to snatch my hand away. But his fingers stayed linked around my wrist, and he pulled me toward him instead. His unnatural strength caused me to crash into him, my left hand dropping the reins as I braced myself against his chest.
His arm encircled my lower back, holding me captive. I gasped, looking up at his darkening eyes. His lips came down on mine, tentatively brushing the sensitive skin. Then his mouth crushed against mine in a smoldering kiss.
Somewhere in the back of my head I wondered if my horse had decided to walk himself home. I decided that was okay right before all coherent thoughts slipped away.
Our fingers twined together, and the low hum emanating from his flesh shot up to my shoulder. The current electrified our kisses, burning pleasantly as our tongues tangled. I could feel his heartbeat, fast and strong, beneath my splayed palm. He tightened his grip on me until our hips pressed together in exquisite agony.
A distant splashing brought reality rushing back. Dothan released me, a low growl escaping from his throat. Beau had waded into the river, and he pawed at the water with his front hoof. His reins dangled over the right side of his neck as he dipped his nose in for another drink.
Dothan rubbed a calloused thumb across my cheek. “A complication I’m finding hard to resist,” he murmured, seamlessly picking up our earlier conversation.
“I should…” I trailed off with a nod toward Beau. I sloshed into the river, thankful that the water didn’t reach past the top of my boots, and nabbed his reins. Once I’d retrieved my helmet, I led him back up the muddy slope.
Dothan was standing beside a fallen tree a few yards off the path. “We should get back,” he said as I approached with Beau in tow. He looked his usual cool and calm self. Meanwhile, I was still too dazed to speak.
He moved to Beau’s side and laced his fingers together to give me a leg up. “I can get up from there,” he explained, gesturing toward the tree on the ground.
A normal person probably couldn’t, but I didn’t bother questioning him. “Okay,” I managed, sliding my boot into his locked hands. A moment later we were both safely mounted and headed back toward the farm.
We didn’t talk much during the second half of the ride, except to point out various flora and fauna to each other. But his arms remained curled around me possessively, and my heartbeat continued its erratic hammering.
At the stable, he helped me down again, his hands staying on my hips long enough to turn me toward him. “Will I see you Saturday?” he asked.
“I’ll be here, as usual.” I’d already mentioned I had plans with Sam for Friday night.
“You never work on Saturdays?” He studied my upturned face with a strange intensity.
I stepped back a little, bumping into Beau’s side. “No, Nathaniel always does Saturdays. I get the day off, and he gets Sundays off.”
A hint of regret shone in his eyes before he shuttered their clear brown depths. “I’ll see you then,” he said, reaching past me to pat Beau. He slid his hand down my arm and linked our fingers together lightly. “Thanks for the ride.”
He released me, his sad smile piercing my heart. My skin continued to tingle as I watched him walk away.
Chapter 15
Sam was still sleeping when I let myself out of their house and walked back to mine. It was early; the sun was slowly gathering strength over the quiet streets of Saturday morning. I could see Nathaniel’s car was already gone as I approached the driveway. Crossing the dewy grass of the front yard, I watched the bushes near the front and side of the house carefully for any suspicious movement.
My heart continued to pound rapidly even after I was safely in my apartment. I knew it had everything to do with seeing Dothan today. I’d tried to describe our latest encounter to Sam, but obviously I had to leave out confidential details such as premeditated murder and secret plans for vengeance. Sam was left completely confused as to why I wasn’t more excited about the kiss. I couldn’t explain my overwhelming certainty that this happiness was temporary. And while most instances of first love were temporary by definition, mine was going to end in tragedy.
I scowled at myself in the bathroom mirror. First love? My dark brown eyes rolled at my reflection condescendingly. Turning on the tub faucet with unnecessary force, I mulled the idea over. Was it possible I was in love with a mysterious and possibly dangerous man, bent on avenging his father’s murder? I had no real experience with romantic love; only unrequited crushes and a few awkward dates. But I could safely say I’d never, ever felt like this before.
Just the thought of Dothan unleashed a riot of butterflies in my stomach. Being in his presence invoked a strange combination of anxiety and comfort. His concern for me was endearing. His dimples made me melt. And his touch literally electrified me.
I sunk into the steaming bath water. My muscles still ached from Thursday’s ride—I’d forgotten how much easier it was to stay on horseback with a saddle and stirrups. I wondered idly if Dothan’s leg muscles hurt, a flush beyond the water temperature heating my face. If it wasn’t love, it was certainly an intense case of lust.
I was turning into Fox Run’s long driveway by ten o’clock. Thankfully I found Beau in his stall, and no game of chase would ensue before I could ride. I found myself moving ridiculously slow as I tacked him up, hoping to see Dothan.
Aggravated with myself, I finished up and rode him over to the fenced-in rings. A rider I thought
was named Monica had her horse in the jumping ring, so I spent fifteen minutes warming up in the flatwork ring. When the jumping area was free, I exchanged pleasantries with Monica for a few moments before I adjusted the eight fence poles for our practice.
At the height we were jumping, I could only go through the course a total of three times. We walked around to rest in between, allowing another rider to alternate with us. I couldn’t for the life of me remember the older man’s name, but his strong chestnut gelding was called Ray.
I finally caught sight of Dothan’s tall form in the distance on my last turn. It was pathetic how my concentration broke at a mere glimpse of him. I dragged my focus back to staying atop my horse as he sailed over a three and a half foot fence.
I was brushing Beau down in the stable when Dothan appeared. My heart fluttered traitorously. His blond hair hung free today, one side tucked behind an ear. His charcoal thermal shirt was dotted with flecks of hay, and his jeans had a big tear in the right knee.
“Hey,” he said, flashing his dimples at me. But the smile failed to reach the rest of his features.
“Hey,” I parroted, my mind immediately filling with images of our passionate kiss. I cut my gaze back to my work, studying Beau’s coat as though grooming him was the most complicated thing in the world.
When I had regained enough control to look back up, Dothan was watching me with a strange expression on his beautiful face. His eyes held a calculating gleam, and his mouth was set in hard line. He appeared even more guarded than usual. A sense of foreboding rolled over me like thunderheads marching across a dark sky. My flesh prickled with goose bumps.
He plucked another soft-bristled finishing brush from my kit and walked around to Beau’s other side. I had already brushed that area, but I kept my mouth shut. An inner selfishness preferred allowing him to waste time at work as long as he was spending it with me.
“So, are you done for the day?” he asked with what seemed like forced casualness.
Divine Fall Page 9
