by Morgan Fox
He balled his fists at his sides. She wasn’t giving him a chance. “I wasn’t—”
“Again, you’re talking like I care. I don’t. I should’ve listened to Sam. I should’ve paid attention to all the warning signs. But I didn’t and now look.”
She turned, and as he reached for her, she shoved his hand away. “If you just—” he started.
“Why? What could you possibly say that would change what I saw?”
“I didn’t kiss her back, damn it,” he argued.
She laughed, but it was filled with animosity. “But you didn’t stop her from trying. You let her kiss you. Touch you. I saw it. You let her—” She pressed her lips together, her lower lip trembling. “I never should’ve come to you that night. I don’t know why I did.”
He snapped. He couldn’t take how one-sided she was being. He didn’t want Tracy, but Layla wouldn’t let him explain. She’d already passed judgment. Who the hell did she think she was?
“You don’t? Oh, I think you do.” His temper was getting the better of him. “You wanted what I had to offer. You wanted me for the same reason as all those other girls. You wanted me to fuck you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I guess I did. Stupidly, I thought you felt something more for me. But that must’ve all been silly-girl fantasies getting the better of me.” She swallowed hard. “Congratulations. You had me fooled.”
He closed in on her and she backed away, blocking him with her hands. “Damn it, Layla. You knew who I was when you slept with me.”
She stiffened her chin, her eyes consumed with emotions that tore him apart. “Consider yourself my biggest mistake.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “One that I never wish to repeat.”
She stormed away and he moved to stop her, but the voice of a stranger caught him off guard.
“Might be a good idea to give her a little space.”
“Who the hell are you?” he barked, whirling around to see who was speaking to him.
“The name’s Jeremy Lawrence,” he said jovially as he reached his hand out. Luke didn't shake it.
He narrowed his gaze on the young, blond-haired, blue-eyed man and his memory started working. He’d seen him somewhere before. He just couldn’t put his finger on it. “I don't believe I asked for your advice.”
Jeremy lowered his hand and smirked. “My mistake. I just assumed you weren't a total dick and eventually would want to make up with that beautiful woman.”
He furrowed his brow, bile racing up the back of his throat. “Who did you say you were again?” The pretty boy was testing him and butting into matters he had no business involving himself. He didn’t need advice. He needed Layla.
“Jason hired me. I'm helping with the remodel work.” He slung his tool belt over his shoulder. “I’ve seen you around. You’re a cop, right?”
Now how the hell did he know that? “That’s right.”
“Thought so. I’m new to the local fire department. I assisted putting the fire out. That’s how I met Mr. Whitmore. Fireman one day, construction guy the next.”
Now he knew why the young kid was familiar. “Look, I appreciate your help and all, but I’m…shit, I don’t know what I am.”
Jeremy shrugged. “Most likely you’re in love.”
Luke chuckled, resting the palms of his hands on the edge of the bar. “That’s not it.” He’d never be the kind of guy to fall in love. That wasn’t his style.
Jeremy scrunched up his face. “If you say so.” He paused. “Well, I’d better get back to it. I’m sure my guys are wondering if I’m coming back. See you around.”
As he watched Jeremy head toward the back storeroom of the bar, his gaze fell on Sam. She was leaning against the doorframe, her arms folded over her chest. How long had she been standing there? Had she seen his fallout with Layla? If so, why wasn’t she rubbing in his face how she knew he was the wrong guy for Layla and that he would ultimately fuck up?
“You’re a dick,” she muttered as she moved toward the back of the bar and pulled two bottles of beer from the cooler.
That didn’t take long. “Thanks,” he said, to both the dick comment and the beer she offered him.
“Well, you are.”
“Again, thanks.”
She scoffed as she shook her head. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t know,” she said, sipping her beer. “Maybe it’s because I know how much Layla likes you and I don’t want to see her hurt.”
That was rich, coming from her. Sam hadn’t cared if he lived or breathed these last several months. She practically melted him down with each cold glare she sent his way.
“Even with me?”
She leaned forward, eyeing him hard. “Look, I’ve never been anything but honest with you. I dislike what you did to my friend and every other girl you’ve nailed and left hanging.” She held up her hand to keep him from speaking. “I don’t care why you have commitment issues. It’s not my fucking problem, but Layla is. I promised to look after her and I am.”
“And?”
“If she wants you, for reasons I can’t even begin to understand or want to, then I want that for her, too. I also want to make sure she’s not setting herself up for heartache. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I’d still think you were a hit-it-and-quit-it asshole.”
He laughed. She really did have a way with words. “Excuse me?”
She cocked her head to the side as if to call him a dumbass with her annoyed expression. “I saw how you were with her. I can tell you care about her. Hell, you might even have deeper feelings for her, but I’m not about to go all lovey bullshit with you. What I am going to do is tell you that if you want her, you’d better not wait too long to fix this mess.”
He ran a stiff hand through his hair. “She thinks I was fooling around with Tracy in the parking lot.”
Sam arched a brow. “Were you?”
“Hell no. Tracy’s not for me.”
“She used to be,” she pointed out.
“That was before I met La—”
Motherfucker, he really did care about Layla. She was all he’d thought about since the night he nearly hit her with his truck. She was also the only woman who stirred his heart to beat a little differently. The evidence had been laid out in front of him. Others had seen it. Why hadn’t he?
“What do I do now? She doesn’t want to see me anymore.”
Sam grinned, a knowing smirk on her face that said she figured he’d need help. And boy, did he. “First, you’re a pussy for sounding so pathetic, and second, I’ll get her to come in Saturday night to help me count inventory. It’s a bogus job, but it will get her out of her apartment and in a place where the two of you can talk.”
Saturday was three days away, but what other choice did he have? “You’d do that for me?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I’d do that for her.” As she turned to leave, she shouted from over her shoulder, “Be here around eight. And don’t fuck up.”
* * * *
Things had turned out just as Layla feared they would and she needed something to keep her grounded. She was crashing and the idea of sitting in her apartment until she returned to work at Iron Horse left bile churning at the back of her throat. It was time she took control over her life and stopped waiting for things to happen. Sulking over losing something she never really had was pointless. Wasting another tear over him was pointless.
She’d spent the entire night and most of the day crying over how foolish she’d been to believe Luke was anything more than the player Sam had warned her about. She’d kick her own ass if she could. She was tired of blaming herself, tired of the ache in her chest.
Spending time with Luke hadn’t been a complete waste. Discussing her love of horse training had led to the mention of several equestrian centers nearby. It was time she checked those out.
She’d cleared her head of all the bullshit and picked up her phone. The Internet made finding everything s
he needed easy. After calling three centers, she got a bite. A nice woman answered the phone and Layla quickly told her who she was and that she was looking for an opportunity to train horses, explaining her experience and flexibility. The woman surprised her by asking if she could stop by.
“Yes,” she answered.
“Good. Are you available today around two?”
“I’ll be there,” Layla told her, excitement flooding her system. “I look forward to meeting you.”
“See you then.”
When Layla hung up the phone, she bolted into the bathroom to shower and clean up. Dusting off her misery, she prepared for her interview. This would be the second time in her life that she met someone to obtain a job. Jason had been her first. She hoped she didn’t get distracted and sound like an idiot.
She put on her best riding clothes, jeans, boots, and shirt. She wanted to be prepared in case she was asked to ride and show her skills. Why wouldn’t she be?
The Centaurian Equestrian Center was only ten miles from her apartment and covered sixty acres, accommodating more than a hundred horses. Her jaw hit the ground as she stepped out of her car and took it all in. The main facility was comprised of five adjoining barns, a massive courtyard and arenas, one covered and another uncovered. For a horse trainer, this place was perfect.
She headed for the main facility. The owner, Debbie, was at the desk. “I’m Layla Grey,” she said, extending her hand out.
With a smile, Debbie shook it. “Nice to meet you, Layla. Come back around and let me show you the place.”
Layla followed after her. As they walked the property, she and Debbie discussed her background. Talking about her family and the horse training experience she’d had over the last twenty years had made the interview easy. Before she knew it, she’d seen everything and had gotten to know so much about the property and ownership.
Debbie led her to the uncovered area and two horses awaited them. They saddled up and started riding. It felt good to be on a horse again. Too much time had passed since she’d enjoyed the one thing she’d loved so much living at home. Her heart swelled as she demonstrated her skills. After showing Debbie why she would make a good addition to her team, it was time to go.
“Thanks for coming out, Layla. I’ll be in touch with you. We’re finishing up interviews Friday and should have an idea of who we’re choosing Saturday.”
“Sounds great. Thank you for taking time out of your day to meet with me. I look forward to hearing from you.”
As she drove to her apartment, her phone rang. It was Sam.
“Hey, Sam.”
“I could use your help on Saturday. You up for counting inventory with me?”
“Sure. I could use the money.”
“Good. Come by around seven-thirty.”
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
The line went dead. Layla’s chest swelled with excitement. Saturday was going to be a busy day. She hoped it came with the news that she’d gotten the job at the center. She just didn’t know how she felt about giving Jason her two weeks’ notice.
Working at the bar had given her an inner strength she never expected. Bartending to demanding and sometimes frightening people gave her courage to interview and be herself. Without Iron Horse, she might have bombed her interview. As it was, she thought she kicked ass.
Too bad she couldn’t share her good news with the one person she really wanted to. Luke. For all she knew, he’d nailed that Tracy bimbo in the Iron Horse parking lot.
She gnashed her teeth together. She had to stop thinking about him, had to stop caring. It didn’t matter what her heart wanted. Her brain had to do the thinking and right now it was thinking she needed a fresh start.
Chapter Twelve
The week had gone by at a snail’s pace. Layla had spent her time cleaning her apartment. Never had it looked so good. Her laundry was caught up. Her bathroom and kitchen scrubbed clean enough to eat off every surface. The fresh smell of pine overwhelmed her and reminded her of home. Her mother had always cleaned with pine cleaner, the reminder had a smile shining through even when she hadn’t felt much like smiling.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to remember to forget about Luke. He was in her thoughts, which meant that when she went to bed, he was with her. When she showered, he was bathing her. When she ate, he was staring at her, wiping the smudge of ketchup from her lip. He was everywhere.
Thankfully, it was Saturday and she would hopefully hear from the equestrian center. She was also due to go into Iron Horse to work with Sam on inventory. A distraction was needed. Living with her thoughts was proving dangerously depressing.
The smell of smoke still filled the bar as she stepped through the front doors. As usual, Sam was behind the bar, a sight so familiar to her.
“No customers and you still look ready to serve drinks,” Layla said with a grin.
“Can’t help it. I love it here.”
“I can tell.”
Sam rounded the counter. “You’ve been avoiding my texts. What’s going on?”
“I needed a few days to clear my head.”
“And is it clear?”
Layla scoffed. “I wish. If anything, it’s worse than it was.”
Sam hugged her. “Has your sister called?”
“No, why?” When Sam scrunched up her face she knew that she’d told her about the fire and about Luke. “Sam,” she said sternly. “You didn’t.”
“I had to.”
“She’s probably freaking out right now.”
“Actually, she took the news pretty well.”
She frowned. “She did?”
Sam laughed. “No. I’m kidding. It took me an hour to get her to stop screaming at me. Your sister’s nuts and extremely protective over you.”
“This we know, so why did you have to tell her?”
“She heard it on the news.”
“Oh, that would do it.”
“She’s on a business trip right now, but told me she’s going to come see you when she gets in.”
“Why didn’t she call me herself?”
Sam arched a brow, folding her arms over her chest. “Might have something to do with the fact that you turned off your phone for the last two days.”
“Oh, right. That would do it, too.” She glanced around the bar. She had expected to see Jason and the others helping out as well. It was just her and Sam. “So what inventory are we counting?”
Sam sat down at the bar and nudged her head for her to join her. “That’s just it. I already did it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I needed a reason to get you out of the apartment.”
“You could’ve just asked me to come up here.”
“Would you have come up?”
She grimaced. “Probably not.”
“Then my little white lie worked, I’d say.”
Sam took her hand in hers. “Honey, I know things have not been easy on you since you came to Dallas. This bar, Luke, and pretty much everything here has been out of your element. But I’ve watched you over the months and you’re changing. You’re…different. In a good way,” she quickly added. “I’m proud of you. Shit, you stood up to me when I told you to stay away from Luke.”
“But you were right. I should’ve listened to you.”
“No, honey, I wasn’t right. I was pissed. Luke had gone out with my friend and…well, I thought he’d used her. Turns out she knew exactly what she was getting into. I need to stop trying to protect everyone around me and realize that they can live their own lives without my interference. And that means you, too.”
“But he was kissing bimbo blonde Tracy.”
Sam laughed. “I think you might have seen bimbo blonde Tracy throwing herself at him. Had you given him a chance, you most likely would’ve seen him give her the boot.”
A wall of defense shot up. “Did he tell you that? Or do you have proof?”
Zerina strutted from around the back room and behind the
bar. “I do. I saw what happened. I was making out with some dude in the parking lot.” They both stared at her. “What? He was hot and very available.”
“What man isn’t?”
“Apparently, Luke,” Zerina shared. “When I popped up from—” She grinned. “I saw her grab his junk. You should’ve seen him. He freaked. Told her he’d have her thrown in jail if she ever touched him again.”
“He did?” Sam said, her voice unmasked by her surprise. Then she must’ve realized how she sounded and corrected herself. “I mean, he did.”
Layla rolled her eyes. “What difference does it make now? It’s been three days and he hasn’t even tried to call me.”
“Because I was giving you space,” Luke said from behind her. “It was suggested that I not push you.”
She turned to see him standing at the door. She hadn’t even heard him enter. He looked good, but sad. She could relate.
“Who the hell told you that?”
Luke’s gaze fell to Zerina. “Some fireman kid that Jason hired to repair the storeroom.”
Zerina’s gaze wondered over her shoulder toward the back room just as Sam stood. “Come on, Z. Let’s give them a little privacy.” She squeezed Layla’s hand as she stood.
Luke moved up beside her. “I’m sorry I was such a dick. You’re right. I should’ve known that Tracy would try something.”
Layla shook her head. “How could you? Do you read minds?”
“No, but I sure would like to know what you’re thinking.”
She was thinking that a fresh start meant leaving Iron Horse and Luke behind. Avoiding what was really on her mind, she asked, “So Sam set this up with you?”
He nodded. “Yes. Seems she not only thinks I’m a dick, but that I’m also in love with you.”
Her eyes widened, her stomach knotted. “Are you?”
He licked his lips, shifting awkwardly, revealing his nervousness. “I think so.”
Her heart raced. “Oh,” she said on a breath, staring down at her hands.
He sat in front of her and stopped her hands from twisting. She hadn’t even realized she was doing that until he touched her. A surge of heat flooded her veins the moment his skin caressed hers. “I never should’ve put you in a situation like I did. You had every right to be angry with me. After all the things you’d heard about me, how could you possibly trust me?”
