“No, but I’m coming back over spring break to check out my cave.”
“Cave?”
“Yeah. My grandparents left me a cave with commercial possibilities. It’s boarded up, but I think I’ll take a look.”
“Pretty neat. There are quite a few in the area.”
“Yeah.”
Noelle sighed inwardly. Colin was everything she wanted in a guy, except she wished he were more the one-woman kind of man. With his history, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to hold on to him. She didn’t want to be knocking into old girlfriends every time she turned around.
Maybe she was building herself up for a fall. The smidgen of fear that was never far away roiled in her stomach. She was falling for him much too fast. And for the first time, she saw him as the rake that he was. Perhaps they should just be friends. They were next-door neighbors after all.
Even as the thought emerged, she knew it was already too late. She burned as hot for him as a match on a log doused with gasoline.
And now he sat all innocent, as if that woman’s intrusion meant nothing. As far as Noelle knew, the woman was still waiting on the sidelines for him to renew their relationship. Maybe he left all his women like that. And maybe she was being paranoid. For the first time, Noelle felt weak, self-conscious. She’d never felt that way before and she hated the fact that she was questioning her own self-esteem.
She didn’t want to come off as one of those suspicious women who was afraid to trust her man out of her sight, but she was running up against Colin’s reputation. She glanced at him. The first thing she saw was the imprint of that woman’s lips on his cheek. He’d left it there like a talisman.
“I’d like for you and Greg to spend tomorrow afternoon at my place,” Colin told her, interrupting her thoughts. “Bring a swimsuit. There’s an indoor pool and whirlpool. They built it so Granddad could exercise after he got arthritis. And we’ll get to show Greg a little about a thoroughbred farm before he leaves.”
“I’d like that,” Greg said.
Noelle didn’t respond.
Colin had never expected to run into one of his old dates. Simone was always a little too willing to please, a little too friendly. He glanced at Noelle. She was concentrating on eating. He wanted to gather her hand in his, but he was good at reading women and he wouldn’t put it past her to stab him with her knife if he touched her. He started gathering his reasoning skills, because he knew that once he dropped them off and Greg disappeared, he was going before the firing squad.
“Maybe you should wipe the lipstick off,” Noelle said.
“Oh.” Laughing, he took the napkin and swiped at his lips and cheek. “Simone was always a little too friendly.”
“I’m sure.”
He had a lot of explaining to do, Colin thought. He hadn’t given the kiss a second thought, but he knew Noelle had. Then he began to get ticked off. He hadn’t lived the life of an angel, but he’d changed since meeting Noelle. Of course, what reason did she have to trust that? Maybe just because she should trust him.
“Okay, let’s have it,” Colin said when they were alone back at the house. “Simone is just a friend. Yes, we’ve dated, but it’s over.”
“If she’s just a friend, what gives her the right to gather you up like a scarf?”
“I can’t read women’s minds.”
“Humph. You know—”
“Look, you’re the first woman I’ve felt something special for in years. I’m not about to screw around with someone when I have you.”
“So what was this bit about the race track?”
“She’s a reporter. I had to show her around. It’s strictly business. She came one day and was hanging with one of my workers. She wanted to know about racing. Said she was doing an article on the farm and Diamond Spirit.”
“That kiss wasn’t strictly business.”
“I know. And I didn’t like that any more than you did. She can be a bit overwhelming.”
“I bet.”
“Come on, don’t be like that. I dated her for a month. That’s as far as it got. She was no more serious than I was. But I have to do what I can to promote the farm.”
“And how far will you take it?”
“I do have integrity,” he said, now angry. “I won’t sell myself for it. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“I don’t know. Quite frankly, you have a reputation and that leaves me a little uncertain about where we stand.”
He tried to cut the irritation from his voice. “Look, you don’t need to worry. I like you a lot. I’m not messing around on you. I won’t screw this up.”
“I’m counting on you being honest with me, Colin.”
“I am. Come on. It’s late. And I want you to enjoy the day with me tomorrow. I want to show you what I do.”
She was annoyed and wasn’t ready to forgive so easily. “You could have invited me earlier.”
“I thought you needed to work on your place while Greg was here to help you, and you know that.”
She had to concede he was correct there. But his connection with that other woman still bugged the heck out of her. Yet, what he said made sense. He ran a business. The woman was a reporter. He needed the publicity. And she knew George wasn’t in any frame of mind to do it. It was his job.
“Okay,” she conceded, “come on in and relax.”
“I think I’ll go so I can get up extra early and spend some time with you.”
He moved closer and gathered her into his arms. “I need a little something to keep me going until I see you tomorrow.”
She pursed her lips. “And what would that be?”
He pulled her tighter against him. “I can show you better than I can tell you.” And then he kissed the tip of her ear tenderly, coaxingly, and moved his lips down her cheek. He nibbled her lips, not quite kissing her fully until anticipation almost had her melting into a puddle. Lord, this man could make her forget her own name, forget everything except him. When it seemed he’d never kiss her, his lips covered hers and his tongue swiped the seam of her lips, and then he was kissing her fully.
There was something about his scent, the way he held her, that appealed to her. But before she was completely satisfied, he pulled back as if he was reluctant to let her go. Those kisses left her churning with the ache of unexpected need.
“Don’t forget the swimsuit,” he said.
And then he was gone. Just like always.
She’d thought a man with his finesse could think of a hundred ways to get her alone to make love. Maybe he was making sure she was ready. She didn’t know what his game was, but she’d been ready long ago. These little prim kisses and minutes of necking were getting old fast. Maybe prim was the wrong term. Heated was a better description.
Noelle climbed the stairs to her room once again. Alone.
The hardest thing Colin had ever done was walk away from Noelle. He wanted to carry her up those stairs and take her to bed. He wanted to love her until he was sated beyond wanting. He opened his truck door and sat, staring at her door, trying to cool the fire in his blood. Every muscle ached with tension.
The light in her room flicked on. In seconds he saw her silhouetted through the curtains. She was taking off her clothes.
Damn. Abruptly, he started the motor and lowered the window in the truck even though the temperature outside hovered around zero. He was burning up with desire and he needed to cool off. If it weren’t for her brother, he’d be at her door that very minute. But Colin didn’t want Noelle holding back. And she wasn’t one of those women who could let loose and be free with lovemaking with her brother next door. Truth was, he didn’t think he’d let her touch him with her brother that close.
Colin was still burning up. He unbuttoned his coat, but the short drive to his house failed to quench his desire.
He drove directly to the barn. His trainer was there wrapping a bandage around a horse’s leg.
“What’s wrong?” Colin asked.
“Leg’
s a little swollen.” That wasn’t unusual with racehorses. One had to be vigilant about taking care of impossibly thin legs that supported huge bodies. Wrapping it helped ease the swelling.
Colin laughed to himself. Too bad he couldn’t ease his own swelling that way.
It was cold and misty when Noelle and Greg went to River Oaks. They drove up and down the rolling hills. They stopped at the guardhouse at the gate to show ID before they were allowed to enter the barn area.
“They have serious security here,” Greg said.
“They have a prized horse. You wouldn’t believe the security at some of these places.”
Cresting a hill, Noelle got her first daylight view from River Oaks property of the Blue Ridge Mountains. When they’d had dinner there, night had fallen by the time they’d arrived.
“It’s something to look at, isn’t it?” Greg asked.
“This is breathtaking,” she said. “No wonder Colin wants to hold on to this place.”
When she got her first view of Colin, he too was breathtaking, dressed in jeans and a jacket. When he saw her, he directed her where to park and then met her, kissing her lightly on the lips. Heat spread through her.
Noelle knew a little about the horse business from when she was a child and Mackenzie had brought her to the farm. But that had been years ago when her grandparents had still been alive.
“To get the true feel of a thoroughbred farm, you have to come early in the morning when a lot of activity is going on. That’s when the horses get their workouts while the stables are cleaned.” He smiled. “You might want to skip that part. Only horse lovers appreciate it.”
A groom walked past with a chestnut. The horse nudged Colin on the shoulder. Without breaking a stride he pulled a carrot out of his pocket and fed it to the horse. The animal gulped it up quickly. Colin patted him on the neck. “He loves carrots. He had a good workout this morning.”
The groom tugged at the reins and got the horse moving.
Noelle saw a groom tuck carrots in his pocket from a bucket filled with them. One beside it was filled with apples.
“Your barn is impressive,” she said. It was built of stone and stained wood.
“It was renovated a few years ago by Mennonite artisans. Each stall has an automatic heated waterer,” Colin said.
It was midday feeding. “The horses are eating their individual mixture of oats, bran, vitamins and electrolytes,” Colin said.
When she approached a stall with mare and foal, she wanted to stroke the foal. It was small and alert. The date of birth on the door showed it had been born just after the New Year. But it was suckling its mother while the mare ate her lunch.
“Takes your breath away, doesn’t it?” Colin said. “I’m going to get you over here to see a birthing. You’ll like that.” But he wasn’t watching the foal and mare; he was watching her.
Colin took her by the office where a woman was scheduling breeding sessions for Diamond Spirit and other stallions on the property. “We have to be very selective in choosing the mares we breed with Diamond Spirit,” Colin said. “We want to breed only to established winning bloodlines or Diamond Spirit’s offspring could be devalued.”
The woman hung up the phone and Noelle finally saw her face.
“Casey, I didn’t know you worked here,” she said.
“I didn’t know you knew the owner. I’ve been here a couple of years now. I love working with the horses. I have a nice view and a great boss.”
“You’re only saying that because I’m here,” Colin muttered.
“You’re right.” She laughed. “But I’m serious. Unless he’s in one of his moods, I couldn’t ask for better.”
“Casey shares a house with Simone and a local teacher,” Colin said.
“Do you know Simone?” Casey asked Noelle.
“They met last night,” Colin murmured.
“That explains why she came home throwing a hissy fit last night. Colin’s name was mentioned along with ‘some woman.’ She doesn’t take rejection very well.”
Colin spread his arms wide. “Hey, she broke it off with me.”
“Because you wouldn’t settle down.”
“I think on that note, we need to go inside and take a swim. Maybe eat snacks after. Got your suit?” he asked Noelle.
“I have it.” She noticed Greg paying more attention to Casey.
“I’ll be back in a couple of hours, Casey,” Colin said, leading Noelle toward the door. But Greg stood where he was. “Greg, are you coming with us?”
He jumped. “What?”
“Come on,” Noelle said. “We’re interrupting Casey’s work.”
“No chance in your joining us, is there?” Greg asked Casey.
“I’m working,” she said with a smile.
“Okay. I’ll be back over spring break.”
Casey outright chuckled. “I’ll be here,” she said indulgently. Noelle almost felt sorry for her brother, but she knew very well he’d be back checking out the ladies on campus in a few days.
“You won’t settle, huh?” Noelle said.
“I wasn’t ready then.” He took her hand in his. “You know, I’m getting a bad rep here. I was younger then, and I hadn’t found the woman to make me want to.”
Noelle wouldn’t mention it, but she wondered if he’d ever find the woman to make him settle down.
Noelle drove Greg to Dulles International Airport early the next morning.
“Thanks for all your help,” she said.
“What are kid brothers for, if not free labor?”
“Okay, I owe you my first child.”
“No, thanks. You’re the one who likes the brats, not me.”
She felt a tug in her gut. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Don’t get teary-eyed on me now. I’ll be back before you have a chance to miss me.”
He grabbed his bag from the backseat.
“Have fun at school,” she called out.
He raised a hand and loped to the door.
Noelle watched him enter the terminal and drove off just before an officer came to urge her to move on. At least she was driving home against rush-hour traffic. Driving in had been stop and go.
When she returned home she expected to see Carp working on the campground, but his truck wasn’t there. He was having problems with his truck, but Carp had told her he’d call if he couldn’t get it started.
She went to the campground. Maybe someone had given him a ride. She went to the dorm where he was to work that day, but he wasn’t there. From there she drove to his house. His truck was parked in the driveway. Getting out of her car, she walked to the door. A bite was definitely in the air and the weatherman predicted snow that evening. She hoped it was more than the scattering they’d received the last time. She was going to bring wood in for her fireplace, because there was nothing like a fire on a snowy day.
She knocked on Carp’s door. It took five minutes of knocking before he responded. His eyes were bloodshot, he needed a shave and he’d slept in his clothes. Worse, he reeked of stale alcohol.
He was drunk.
“Carp, you promised.” Noelle was really disappointed. He’d seemed to need the job as much as she needed a reliable carpenter.
He ran a hand across his face. “Sorry. Ran into a little trouble last night.”
“I’ll say you did.”
He squinted against the bright light. “Got a headache.”
“Well, you’re looking in the wrong place if you expect me to know what to do.” Noelle pushed open the door and went inside, heading straight to the kitchen. “Where’s your coffee?” she asked.
He was sitting at the table holding his head in his hands. Carp was going to be no help—with either finding the coffee or getting any work done today.
“Why don’t you take a shower while I fix coffee and breakfast?”
“Head hurts.”
“It’ll feel better after a shower. I’ll look for some aspirin.”
“You�
��ve never had a hangover.”
“No, I’ve got more sense. Now go.”
He lumbered off. A minute later she heard water running from a distance. Assured he was indeed taking his shower, she turned to prepare breakfast.
Noelle looked around his galley kitchen. It was large and he had little food in the fridge. At least there were a dozen eggs. She quickly checked the carton for an expiration date. Taking the eggs out, she started to search for a pan, but the kitchen was too messy to cook in.
She rolled up her sleeves. First she washed out the coffeepot, then she got the coffee going. She washed the dishes, wiped down the counter space and the small table tucked in the corner before she swept the floor. At least the floor had been mopped recently.
She found a can of corned beef hash in the cabinet. By the time she fried it and the eggs, Carp came in the kitchen looking a thousand times better.
“Need aspirin,” he said, sinking into a chair.
“Let’s get some food in you first. I have eggs, corn beef hash and toast.”
He groaned. “I don’t think I can hold it down.”
“Let’s give it a try.”
After she coaxed food and coffee into him, she said, “Feeling any better?”
“A little.”
“I’m depending on you to get my camp ready for summer.”
He sighed heavily. “I’m always letting people down. You can get just about anybody to do your work. Some people work pretty cheap. Why are you fooling around with me?”
She sensed there was story behind his alcoholism. She patted his hand. “I think you’re being hard on yourself.”
He shook his head.
“What happened?” she asked.
“My ex called last night. I spoke to the kids. I miss them so much. And then I got to feeling lonely. I took one sip.” He shrugged as if to say the rest was history.
“I’m sorry, Carp. You ever thought about getting some help?”
“Thought about it. That’s as far as it goes. I can stop if I want to.”
“How often do you see your children?”
“Some holidays and a couple of weeks during the summer. It’s not enough,” he said.
“Where do they live?”
His Tempest Page 8
