by Jeannie Moon
But the polo club had to be one of the prettiest places she’d ever seen. The endless emerald green lawns and fields, the beautiful barns, and colorful blue and white striped tents fed her senses. The soft neighing of horses mingled with the quiet chatter from the crowd made for a wonderfully relaxing experience. It was a contrast, really. A high octane sporting event was going to take place in a few minutes, and everything was so civil, so calm.
Walking with Owen and Kim toward the tent at the side of the field, the artist inside her took mental pictures, gauging color and light. She’d brought her camera out of hiding that day, and now she scoped out the best place to set it up, something she’d been hesitant to do for a very long time. Nerves or not, Jenna was glad she came. Without knowing it, Nate was slowly and surely giving her back an important part of her life.
Owen and Kim had been back from their honeymoon in Italy just a few days and had no idea that she and Nate had gotten together. “I still can’t believe everything I missed,” Kim muttered. “You and Nate!”
“Well, I wasn’t going to tell you while you were on your honeymoon. Honestly, we hooked up after the wedding.” Jenna stopped walking when they reached the edge of the polo field. “I didn’t expect anything to happen, and I’m still not so sure this is a good idea, but I really like him, you know? He’s so sweet and . . .”
“And what?” Kim raised an eyebrow when she asked the question.
Jenna looked around and pulled Kim away from the clutch of people chatting with Owen.
“Oh, my God,” she gasped. “The sex is . . . it’s just amazing. I feel like I’m under some kind of spell from all the orgasms I’ve had since we got together.”
Kim’s mouth was forming a soft O. “Seriously? Nate? He’s so quiet.”
Jenna shrugged. “You know what everyone says about the quiet ones.”
“But you really like him? It’s not just the sex.”
“I really do. He’s funny, smart, he’s so cute it hurts.” Just then Nate walked out of the paddock area and looked around. When he saw her, his smile bloomed. “Look at him, Kim.”
He was in his riding garb—white breeches that showed off every muscle in his perfect behind and his long legs, tall dark brown leather riding boots, and a navy-blue-and-red polo shirt that spanned his broad shoulders and chest. “Look at him.” It came out on a breath as everything inside of Jenna responded to the sight of him.
He was making his way through the crowd, and with each step, Jenna’s heartbeat quickened. It skipped a little once he reached her and touched her lips with his. Brief and sweet, she felt it right to her toes. It was a morning kiss, the kind shared upon waking or over breakfast. A lover’s kiss.
“Hi. I’m glad you’re here.” His hand came up and touched her bare shoulder. She’d agonized over what to wear and had been able to borrow a pretty yellow sundress from Harper. It had a loose top that cinched in at the waist, then flared out into a long full skirt. She paired it with some custom-designed silver jewelry she bought when she visited the Southwest and a pretty turquoise sweater. When she’d examined herself in the mirror, she was more than pleased with the look. It was elegant, but still fed Jenna’s need to be trendy.
Nate stepped back and looked her up and down. “You look so pretty. Why were you worried?”
She was worried because she knew how horrible people could be. How petty. They’d smile in your face and then gossip about everything from your hair color to your shoes. “I was glad to find something I could feel like myself in.”
He kissed her again, and pulled back only when Kim smacked his arm. “I’m right here and you don’t even say hello?”
“I had to kiss your friend.” There was a quick peck on the cheek and Kim shook her head as she took them in as a couple. And that’s what they were. His fingers were twined together with hers. Their bodies touched in more than a few places. He was doting and protective.
And Jenna loved feeling like this.
“Look at this.” Owen joined them and shook Nate’s hand. “I go away for a few weeks and you two are an item?”
That was odd. A flash in Owen’s eyes that told her he wasn’t sure about her being with Nate. There was something, a glance, a twitch in his mouth that let her know he was withholding judgment for now. Jenna shook it off. There was no use in dwelling on something she thought might be true. It was a nice day. This was her best friend’s husband. “Welcome home, Owen. Kim said the trip was one for the ages.”
“We had a good time. You’re all settled in at Harper’s now?”
“Yes, since last week. I love it there.”
“Well, the cottage has been lucky for the residents, although there won’t be any more partners for Harper’s babysitters if you snag Nate.”
There were no words to respond to that. None. Jenna felt her stomach clench. Snag? This was Nate’s best friend. Her best friend’s husband. What did he think of her? That she was looking to trap herself a rich husband?
Time to walk away before she said something that would set everyone off.
“Excuse me, I’m going to go have a look at the horses.”
She was gone, walking as fast as she could. What possessed her to think she could be with Nate and not have people think the worst of her? This wasn’t her life, she’d proven that when she’d been with Royce. Being part of the ultra-rich had changed Jenna, and not for the better. She hadn’t done anything illegal, but she’d been so impressed by the trappings that she exchanged one life for another. And now it would look like she was trying to get that life back, only this time her target was Nate. Holy shit. What had she gotten herself into?
“Jenna, stop.” Kim was racing to catch up. Jenna didn’t want to stop. She wanted to walk past the stables, to the parking lot and find a way to get home. “Jenna!”
Turning, Kim reached her and grabbed her hand. “I’m so sorry. Owen is so great, he is, but every once in a while he says things that make him seem like a big asshole.”
“He sure didn’t mince words.”
“In most cases it would be a joke, but I know you’re sensitive about the whole money thing. He didn’t realize.”
“It was embarrassing, you know, Kim? The way he looked at me, like I was some kind of fortune hunter?”
“I know you’re not, and so does he.”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t think he does; I think he’s trying to look out for his friend.”
“You really care about Nate, don’t you?”
“I might love him, Kimmy. I could. He’s so wonderful, and when I’m with him, I feel like myself again. Like the me I used to be . . . before Royce and California.”
“You didn’t think you’d ever feel like that, did you?”
“No. I didn’t. I didn’t want to, but this thing developing with Nate, it’s different, it’s special. I feel like I’ve found my other half.”
“Let it develop, Jenna. Don’t run away. He looks so happy when he’s with you.”
“I hope so. We have the best time together. I know it’s new, but I could see my future with him.”
Looking through the crowd, he was in deep conversation with Owen. When he turned and caught her looking, he grinned and mouthed, “It’s okay.”
More than anything Jenna wanted to believe that.
***
“You know, for a smart guy, you’ve been saying some stupid shit lately.”
Owen rubbed his hand across his neck. “I didn’t mean that the way it came out. I like Jenna, but I never expected you guys to actually get together.”
“Why the hell not?” Owen started to talk, but Nate halted him. “No, forget it. I don’t want to know.” He paced in a circle, agitated. “I have to go mount up, but you owe her an apology. No one questioned you when you fell in love with Kim. No one. We respected your relationship, even though it was totally out there in coincid
ence land.”
“I know. I mean I know you had, I don’t know, a crush . . .”
“I’m thirty-four years old. I didn’t have ‘a crush’.”
“It just happened so fast.”
“Are you serious? You said you figured you fell in love with Kim the first time you saw her in that hospital in Afghanistan. Am I wrong?”
Owen hesitated. “You’re not wrong.”
“Give us a break, okay?” Nate wanted to find Jenna before the match, if only to soothe her. When Owen shot off his mouth, he did it in a big way. “I’ll see you later.”
With only a few minutes to talk to her, Nate went toward the barn. He was more than a little worried about how Owen might have made Jenna feel. She was very sensitive and was already feeling out of place. He’d never met someone who radiated so much confidence on the outside, but was constantly second-guessing herself on the inside.
Why? That was the big question. Why?
He caught sight of her pretty yellow dress fluttering in the breeze. Jenna had her back to him, but Kim saw him coming and said something. As soon as Jenna turned, Kim slipped away. A smile teased at her lips, but smile or not, Nate could see she wasn’t happy. It was plainly obvious: there was no light in her eyes, no humor.
“He’s sorry,” Nate began once he was closer. “But he can be such an ass sometimes.”
She chuckled lightly. “That’s what Kim said.”
“It’s true. Things hit him in the head and fly out of his mouth. But it’s him, it’s not you.”
“I’m sensitive about the perception that I might only be interested in your money. That’s kind of what happened with my last boyfriend.”
“Ah.” Nodding, he focused on her. Her eyes were darting around, but there wasn’t much he could say without knowing the whole story. “I think it’s time we talked about that, then?”
“You’re right. It is.” That was what he was hoping she’d say. That she was willing to share something like that with him meant she wanted to give them a chance. A real chance.
“I have to go mount, but I need a kiss for luck.”
“Good luck. Be careful.” Coming up on her toes, she kissed his cheek. More than a peck, she lingered there. He drew in the scent and softness of her hair, the rush of excitement that ran through him when her lips touched his skin.
“I’ll see you later.”
Nate looked behind him to see she was watching him go and it left him more bothered than he should be. He was uneasy. Jenna talked about her Italian woo-woo, her ability to sense things about people and her surroundings. It must have been rubbing off on him or it was activating what his Irish gran always called “the sight.” It never made any sense to him, but apparently his family had magic or some such shit.
He stopped and took a breath. He had to calm down before he got on his horse. If he was tense, his mount would be tense. Two grooms approached; one had his equipment, the other his fully tacked polo pony. He had three horses for today’s match, but this one was his favorite. He’d been training Cody since he was two. A dark bay Thoroughbred on the larger side, the horse cornered like a dream and nothing spooked him. Except birds. For some reason birds sent the horse running. He was thinking about using him for a cross-country horse, but when he gave up the eventing, the big boy transitioned nicely to polo.
Once he was mounted, Nate adjusted his knee pads and took his mallet, walking toward the field with his teammates. His best friend on the team was a Brit transplant named Tristan Wade. Tris was probably one of the most sought-after financial consultants on either side of the pond, and he was working for Reliance for the next year as they examined the idea of taking the company public.
“Ready for the match?” Tristan asked. “I heard the team we’re facing likes dirty tricks.”
Nate shrugged and smiled. “Then we’ll have some tricks of our own to counter.”
“So, you have a new lady in your life, mate?”
“I do. Jenna. I’ll introduce you at halftime.”
Tris grinned. His barely shaved face and his tattooed right arm made him look more like a pirate than a business executive. “Brilliant.”
***
Jenna was definitely in the minority at the game. She was more interested in watching Nate than socializing. Kim was with her a lot of the time, but Owen was hanging back, catching up with old friends and making contacts. From time to time her friend drifted away to be with her husband, which was fine because then Jenna could concentrate. She’d brought her camera, and she couldn’t resist the opportunity to capture the day, so she walked away from the crowd, found a spot with a good view of the field, and started shooting.
The camera was new. She’d bought the outfit right before Kim and Owen’s wedding, and her initial concern that she’d spent too much money was replaced by love for her camera.
Looking through the viewfinder, she took in the landscape in small frames. She saw color and detail differently.
Figures in movement were challenges. Jenna loved art and all media held a place in her heart, but photography was her favorite visual art, and one at which she made a very good living.
Jenna remembered her first gallery showing in Santa Fe. Some of her work had been part of a local art exhibition in California, and the gallery owner tracked her down and offered the show. She and Royce spent a week in Santa Fe at her patron’s beautiful hacienda. On opening night, almost all her photographs sold.
She couldn’t have been more surprised.
People were dropping thousands of dollars on landscapes and architectural studies. A photo she took in Utah of a single horse in a herd of free-roaming Mustangs, one of her absolute favorites, sold for five thousand dollars. It was unheard of, and it opened doors for her and Royce. She was now invited to all the best parties, spending time with art-obsessed San Franciscans. They traveled extensively. Her gallery openings were exclusive events, her photographs were a must-have piece of art, and if you’d asked her then how things were going, Jenna would have told you her life was perfect. Because that’s what she believed.
She didn’t call home much, didn’t think much about her old life on Long Island. That part of her, the girl who grew up in the suburbs, no longer mattered to who she was. Sought-after, glamorous, and rich, she and Royce lived very well. His financial consulting business was booming because of her increasing client list. Her guy was smart, handsome, and knew how to help people make money.
Then the bottom fell out.
Royce cheated on her with his personal trainer and took off, leaving only the truth behind. He was a womanizer and a fraud. All the money he’d invested for clients was gone. He said it was an investment gone bad, and being brilliant helped him cover his tracks, but Jenna suspected the money was hidden away in a foreign bank account.
What ended up finishing her off was the foreclosure on their condo. She assumed Royce had been paying the bills. He hadn’t, and Jenna was still stuck with the debt because so much was in her name. Her bank accounts were empty. He’d used her to get access to wealthy patrons of the arts, bilked them out of their money, and cheated on her. The man was a trifecta of asshole.
The experience had soured her on men, and wealthy ones just brought a flood of bad memories. The ritzy lifestyle took over and it often corrupted people and their good sense. But the more she got to know him, the more Jenna could see that Nate was grounded. He was rich as sin, but money didn’t define him. He didn’t pursue it. It was just there.
Watching Nate and his horse gallop down the field at full-tilt was nervewracking. Her heart was in her throat, which was another reason why she decided to get behind the camera lens. If she focused on only the smallest frame, she wouldn’t be as nervous.
“That’s some camera.”
Jenna turned and saw a tall, elegant blonde standing next to her. The woman wore a perfectly creased pair of white pants,
and a lovely flowy pink top. Jenna started when she stuck out her hand. “Piper Lansing.”
“Jenna Albanese.”
After shaking her hand, Jenna felt a chill. Something about this woman wasn’t right.
“You’re here with Nate? I saw you with him.”
“Yes.” Her ex-girlfriend radar went off. “Do you know him well?”
She took a long sip from her mimosa. “Oh, I’ve known him for ages! He’s a great guy. And he’ll treat you like a queen. Did he buy you the camera? It’s amazing.”
Not knowing whether she should be offended or not, Jenna decided not to be because it was too time consuming. She just answered, “No, I bought it myself.”
“Oh, how nice. What’s your job?”
“I’m a teacher. I teach art.”
“Lovely.” Piper looked stricken. “So you work with children?”
“Yup. I work with the babies. Kindergarten to fourth grade.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. I bet they’re messy.” She said the word messy like it was some kind of disease.
“It is, but it’s great. I can’t think of a better way to share what I love.” Jenna tried to stay focused on what was on the other side of the lens, not Piper’s fishing expedition. The woman was wearing a big, honking engagement ring. Jenna thought Kim’s ring was big, but Piper’s could choke one of the horses. No lie.
She took shot after shot of the action on the field, trying to zero in on Nate with the large number 3 on his back. He didn’t disappoint. With her zoom, Jenna could get right in on his face and she took some amazing photos of him and his teammates.
But the action was so fast. She couldn’t imagine staying on a horse, much less while playing a game like this.
Piper had quieted down watching the match, and from time to time, Jenna caught her watching her. It was a little creepy and she wondered what she wanted.
“So what do you do, Piper?”
“Oh, I manage an art gallery. You must have some art background since you teach.” Piper pulled a business card out of her wristlet. “Here’s my card. Come in sometime.”
