The Way You Are

by Carly Fall

  “She wants to go see the horses,” Zach said after entering the room without any forewarning.

  “Don’t you knock?”

  “Why bother? It’s not like I can see what you’re doing in here. For all I know, you’re standing there with your dick in your hand. She wants to go see the horses, and I’m happy to take her.”

  Garrett sighed. He really wanted to talk to Joe, but he was also in charge of keeping Ruby safe, not Zach. If anything happened to her, it would rest on his shoulders. Frankly, he carried enough guilt for six people because of what had happened to his unit that night. He didn’t think he could take any more.

  “I’ll take her,” he grumbled as he pulled out a sweatshirt from the dresser drawer.

  “I’m perfectly capable of going with her, Garrett.”

  “I know you are, Zach—there’s no doubt in my mind. The thing is, I’m in charge of Ruby, not you. Joe wants me to look out for her. I’d rather sit here and wait for my phone call but I got a job to do, man.”

  He stood and placed his hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Can you listen for the phone? Let me know what Joe has to say?”

  “Sure, Garrett.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  He stepped around Zach and headed down the hallway. Ruby waited for him by the front door, her back to him. He stared at her ass and smiled. The jeans she wore hugged her flesh but weren’t too tight. Man, that girl had a banging body. He loved those curves; yes, he did. She also wore Levis, which seemed weird because he expected the daughter of an oil tycoon to wear some designer stuff he couldn’t pronounce and cost more than all the clothes in his duffel bag put together.

  “I heard you want to go see the horses,” he said as she turned to him.

  She smiled and nodded.

  He stopped in his tracks.

  The light filtered from the windows behind her, making the strands of hair that had come loose from her ponytail glisten, as if on fire. Her wide, green eyes gleamed like emeralds against her pale skin. Damn, she looked pretty.

  “I do.”

  “Well, let’s go, then,” he said, walking past her and out the door, focusing on what the stairs in front of him.

  She followed, and they strolled together around the back of the house and down a small path through the trees. Joe had someone come out to take care of the horses, which was fine with him. The less he had to worry about, the happier he was.

  “So, you like horses?” he asked as they walked, the sticks, pinecones, and earth crunching below their feet with each step.

  “I love them,” she answered as the barn came into view.

  Two horses, one white, one black, stood in their respective corrals and whinnied at their approach.

  Ruby’s face lit up and she headed straight toward them.

  “Be careful, Ruby,” he said. “I don’t need you getting kicked or bitten or something like that. Joe will skin my hide.”

  She smiled at him over her shoulder but didn’t stop. “I’ll be careful, Garrett.”

  She held out her hand to the black one. The horse nuzzled it, and she petted its forehead. The white one stuck its head over the fence, obviously looking for some attention, as well.

  “They’re beautiful,” she said as the horses tossed their heads, vying for her affection.

  He stepped closer as she laughed and rested his elbows on the top metal rod of the fence, keeping an eye on the horses so they didn’t get too close to him.

  “Do you know their names?” she asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Are they Joe’s?”

  “Yeah. This is his little getaway, and apparently, he likes to ride.”

  The black horse moved his lips over Ruby’s hand.

  “Don’t let him bite you,” he ordered.

  She glanced over at him and grinned. His heart thumped in his chest as she met his gaze. Her face lit up, and she seemed so happy. Her eyes gleamed brighter while her cheeks colored a light shade of pink.

  “He’s not going to bite me, silly. He’s looking for a treat. I’m assuming there’s some in the barn?”

  He shrugged.

  “I’ll look.”

  She walked past him to the barn door and turned the knob. Her face fell as she found it locked, and the horses neighed again. Stepping back, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked around.

  If she couldn’t get into the barn, he might be back in time to receive his phone call from Joe.

  She ran her hand along the doorframe, and then walked around the side of the barn. He followed, once again admiring her ass.

  “Someone comes and takes care of the horses for Joe, right?” she asked.

  “That’s what I’ve been told. I know I don’t do it.”

  At the corner of the barn, a large, brown clay pot stood empty, except for some dirt. She leaned down and tilted it, then reached under. Standing, she turned to him, grinned widely, and held up a silver key. “Got it!”

  He couldn’t help but smile at her apparent excitement. “How did you know it was there?”

  “That’s where I would keep it if it were my barn,” she said as she brushed by him.

  Again, he followed her. As he rounded the corner, she shoved the key into the door and went inside.

  Bales of hay lined the far wall, and the air smelled of alfalfa and horseshit. Particles of dust danced in the sunbeams filtering in through the windows. Three saddles sat on racks, one looking particularly different from the other two as it had a back, like a chair, and a belt. It had to be Joe’s.

  “Here we go,” she said, reaching into a bag and pulling out two apples. “You feed one, and I’ll feed the other.”

  Garrett grimaced. He didn’t do horses. “I’ll pass, but you go right ahead.”

  She rolled her eyes at him and he followed her outside, once again admiring the sway of her ass in the denim.

  She held an apple in each hand and opened her fingers so it sat on her flat palm. The horses chomped at their respective fruits while Ruby grinned. Although he was uncomfortable around the big beasts, she seemed to be in her element. She whispered softly to them as they ate, and once they finished, she turned to him.

  “Let’s go for a ride.”

  He shook his head. “No, can’t do it, Ruby.”

  “Why not?” she asked as she approached him.

  He struggled to find an answer, anything except the truth. He would never admit to being scared of horses, especially to a woman who seemed so at home with them.

  “Because…because Joe never said we could.”

  Yeah, he’d blame it on Joe.

  She petted them for a few more minutes, and then locked the barn door and put away the key where she had found it.

  “Well, let’s ask next time we talk to him,” she said, her face falling as they turned and made their way back to the house.

  “We’ll see.”

  She stopped and gazed up at him, a small smile playing on her lips. “You’re afraid of horses, aren’t you.”

  It came out a statement instead of a question.

  “Well, no. Of course not. I’m a Marine, for God’s sake. We aren’t afraid of anything.”

  “Uh, huh.”

  “No seriously, I’m not afraid of horses.”

  “Okay.”

  He gave her his best glare, the one that usually made grown men squirm, but it didn’t seem to faze her. He knew she saw through his lies, and he couldn’t help but smile.

  “You are afraid of them,” she teased. “I can tell.”

  Was she flirting with him? It seemed like it, and he decided he liked it, but he wasn’t about to come clean on his fear of the beasts.

  “I grew up in the Bronx, Ruby. I lived in the projects. When I got out of high school, I went into the military, where I have been in war. I have shot at people, and I have been a target. A goddamned horse doesn’t scare me.”

  She tilted her head and studied him for a moment, her smiling fading just a bit. “Thank you for your service.”<
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  Her reaction surprised him. He’d half expected her to turn her nose up at him because of where he came from, but she didn’t. He reminded himself that with Ruby, she consistently shattered all his expectations.

  “Y-you’re welcome,” he stammered as they continued their walk.

  “As you can tell, I love horses,” she continued.

  Relieved the conversation had turned back to her, he asked, “Do you do that fancy riding with the suits and bowl hats where they make the horse jump over stuff?”

  She laughed as she met his gaze. “Dressage?”

  He shrugged. Damn, that smile made him feel all gooey inside. “I don’t know what it’s called.”

  “No, I don’t. I tried it once, but it was too…confining. Yes, I guess that’s the word I’m looking for. It was too confining. I prefer to get on my horse and just ride as fast as he can take me. We jump over stuff, but it’s usually a fallen tree or a stream.”

  “Kind of like the Wild West movies, then, huh?”

  “I guess so.”

  “What’s your horse’s name?”

  “Midnight Blue.”

  They walked down the trail in silence for a bit, and when they reached the clearing, Savannah bounded over to them. Ruby leaned down and petted her head, allowing the dog to lick her face.

  “He saved me, you know,” she murmured as Zach whistled and Savannah bolted toward him.

  He’d heard of people claiming animals saving them. It usually involved the beast becoming the focus for a drug addict, helping them remain sober, or some dog waking up the family before the house burnt down.

  “How did he do that?” he asked, wondering if she was a former addict or something.

  “When they tried to kidnap me, he chased them off. They had me on the ground, and he came at them at a full run. It scared the hell out of me, but it scared them more. They finally left.”

  He tried to imagine being on the ground and having a horse rushing at him. Yeah, that would scare the ever-loving piss out of him.

  “Well, it’s a good thing you were with him,” he murmured as she pushed some hair back behind her ear. Her face had gone from happy to troubled, and he longed to see the smile that made him feel like someone had injected him with happy gas.

  “Yes. I was very fortunate.” She looked down at her feet. “I’ve never been so scared in my life than I was that day. I just hope they catch whoever was responsible.”

  Before he knew what he was doing, he reached out and put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up until she had to look at him. “I can imagine that would be terrifying, but the most important thing to remember is that you’re safe now. While you’re with me, nothing is going to happen to you, okay?”

  She reached up and took his hand in hers. The light on dark contrast made him think of Oreos. As she squeezed his hand, her soft touch sent energy rippling through him, making his groin swell.

  Damn. What was it about this girl?

  “Thank you, Garrett,” she whispered. “Thank you for watching over me. I do feel safe here.”

  He could tell she meant it, her earnest face truthful and full of gratitude.

  They were having some type of moment; the kind where time and space seemed to disappear and all that mattered was the woman in front of him. The urge to kiss her overcame him.

  Instead, he pulled his hand away and stepped back, very uncomfortable with the way this woman affected him. She continued to surprise him by being nothing like he expected. Instead of the snotty bitch he’d thought he’d have to deal with—and had been ready for—Ruby had waltzed in, shy, polite, and sincere. She’d totally thrown him off his game with her unexpected behavior.

  The ringing phone inside the cabin broke the spell, and he hoped it was Joe.

  “We better get back,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m expecting a call from Joe and that’s probably him.”

  She grinned and took off running for the house. Oh, hell. If she got to that phone first and Joe gave his permission to ride the horses …

  He ran, surprised by how fast Ruby was. He barely made it to the house before her.

  “I’m talking to him!” she yelled as she came into the kitchen just as Garrett picked up the phone.

  Chapter 17

  Ruby leaned against the counter and stared at Garrett as he talked on the phone. Well, actually, he seemed to be doing a lot of listening. He concentrated on the floor in front of him, stealing glances every now and then at her.

  Somehow, at some point, they’d come to a sort of understanding. He didn’t talk to her like he hated her, which she appreciated. When he let his guard down, as he had late into the night, at the barn and on the walk back, she’d found herself really enjoying his company. When he’d flashed that huge grin, showing his straight, white teeth, she’d felt as if it lighted her up from the inside, and it seemed she had discovered another aspect of him—a military man who had a sweet side, as well. And, she’d bet a hundred dollars he feared horses, but just couldn’t admit it to her, and probably to anyone else, either.

  She really studied him as he ran the tip of his tongue over his full lips, his skin reminding her of dark chocolate. As he looked over at her and grinned, his white teeth gleamed and his honey gaze danced with excitement. What was Joe telling him?

  “That’s good to know,” he said as he paced the tile.

  His black t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, and his jeans hugged his thick legs. He wore some type of military boot to round off a picture of a true alpha male.

  She smirked as she thought of the romance books she read while at work in the library, always imagining a man so hard and tough falling for her. Only she would be able to crack his hard demeanor and get to his heart. Although the trip to the barn had seemed to soften Garrett a little bit—at least, he didn’t speak to her so gruffly—she reminded herself Joe paid him to be nice to her. Keeping her safe was his job.

  Her experience with men with men proved so limited, and why, she thought about it now, she didn’t understand. She’d given her virginity to a kid in her science class at seventeen, and he’d never spoken to her again. She’d had two boyfriends in college, and they’d just bored her as they were more interested in seeing how many kegs parties they could attend in a week’s time than anything else. She wondered what it would be like to sleep with Garrett. He actually reminded her of Tyrese Gibson, especially when he smiled.

  Her cheeks heated at the thought, and as she glanced back up at his face, she could feel them flaming. They’d had a brief few minutes together where he hadn’t acted like a total asshole. It didn’t make sense.

  He stared at her as if he knew exactly what had crossed her mind, his narrow gaze intense. She once again wished for a natural disaster to blow through to save her from this embarrassment. Good God, where were those thoughts coming from? He can’t read your mind.

  He sure stared at her like he could.

  “Well, thanks, Joe. I appreciate all information. Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Ask him!” she yelled, coming out of her reverie.

  Garrett shut his eyes and let his head fall forward as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hey, Joe? One last thing. Ruby wants to know if she can ride the horses.”

  Her heart thumped at the thought of being on a horse again, feeling the crisp mountain air in her hair and against her skin as the animal carried her over the earth.

  “Okay. Yeah. What? Boesel and Richards?” He opened his eyes and looked over at her. “Really? I didn’t know that about you. Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”

  “What did he say?” she asked, hoping Joe gave the okay for them to ride.

  Garrett sighed as he set down the phone. “He said we can ride, as long as I’m with you at all times.”

  She grinned, trying to contain her excitement, although she could tell the thought of getting on a horse didn’t appeal to Garrett.

  “And, as long as the doctor gives his okay,” he continued.<
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  She had forgotten about that, and her face must have given away her dislike at the idea of seeing the doctor.

  Garrett laughed and took a step toward her, before placing his hand on her shoulder. “You need to get checked out, Ruby. It’s for your own good.”

  Her skin burned where his hand lay, even through her shirt. “I’m tired of people telling me what to do for my own good.”

  He nodded. “I get that. I don’t think most people like having their lives controlled by others. I know I don’t. But no horse until you see the doctor.”

  She nodded. “What else did he say?”

  His hand slipped from her shoulder and shrugged. “Just work stuff.”

  “Who’s Boesel and Richards?”

  “Richards is the white horse, Boesel the black one.”

  “Those are strange names.”

  “Yeah. They’re named after two guys he used to know.”

  She heard Savannah bark outside, followed shortly by the crunch of tires over the gravel.

  Garrett’s face hardened, and the friendly grin turned serious.

  “Stay here,” he commanded, and he reached to his back, pulling out a gun from his waistband.

  Fear crawled up her spine as her heart thumped in her chest. The doctor wasn’t supposed to arrive until later this afternoon.

  She moved into the far corner of the kitchen, glancing around for a weapon. The front door slammed shut, and she realized she was alone in the house. She strained to hear what happened outside, but silence confronted her.

  The block of knives sat on the kitchen counter, and she reached for one. As she gripped the hilt, she considered running back to her bedroom, but that would put her in direct sight if anyone were to come through the front door. She tried to calm her nerves, thinking the doctor had arrived early, but the fact she didn’t hear anything made her more and more suspicious.

  Suddenly, the front door opened.

  “Ruby!” Garrett called. “All clear! It’s the doctor!”

  Relief swept through her, and she felt silly standing in the kitchen with the knife. Quickly, she set it back in the wooden block and took a deep breath.

  The scare reminded her danger lurked around her until her kidnappers could be caught. The kidnapping attempt had been real—her life in danger. She ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed out her shirt.