by Toni Mari
“Morning,” I rasped, feeling my face heat up. His smile sent little flutters up and down my spine. I wasn’t expecting to see him today. I wasn’t sure how I should act. After dropping me off and kissing me goodnight in my driveway, neither of us had mentioned what would come next. I had spent the morning silently agonizing over whether he would speak to me ever again. I stared at him but was speechless.
“Hey, Cory,” Kate said. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much. What are you guys doing?” He looked back at me.
Luckily Kate was busy scrolling through music selections, so she didn’t notice my panic. I squirmed as he continued to watch me. A little smile lifted the corners of his mouth, amusement in his eyes. I narrowed my eyes at him and stuck out my tongue. His eyebrows flew up and he gave me a full-blown smile. Good thing I was already sitting down.
“Picking songs for Jane’s musical freestyle. How about this one?” Kate hit a key and violins broadcasted from the speakers.
Cory shook his head. “Not classical. Elton’s classy and all, but he needs something rockin’, powerful. Something bursting with energy, not prissy ballet music,” Cory stated.
“Elton?” Kate asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“Cory calls Windsong Elton, after Elton John. Because he sings that song ‘Candle in the Wind,’ a song about wind. Get it?” I explained.
Kate chuckled. “You’re a piece of work,” she said to Cory. “But Jane rides conservatively. If we pick music that demands more power than she can handle, we’re just asking for a bad performance.”
“How long until the first performance?” Cory asked.
“About six weeks.”
“No problem,” Cory said confidently. “We’ll have her powering around by then.”
Kate gave him a considering look, but then her phone chimed. She glanced at it and said, “I gotta take this, it’s Brianna’s mom. Be right back.” She hopped off the chair and went outside.
Cory watched me from under his hat. I fussed with my ponytail, looked away, feeling suddenly shy. He smiled. “We should try some Elton songs, or maybe Train or Coldplay,” he suggested.
“We?” I asked.
“I’ll help. I mean, if you want me to. Get you riding Jet, galloping around. We’ll get you rocking,” he said.
“You’re incredible.” I stared at him. Was he for real? He was practically a celebrity, he had this humungous show coming up, and every girl in the world wanted him. Yet he was sitting in front of me, offering me a ride on his world-class horse, shifting in his seat, acting like he wasn’t certain I would want his help.
“Incredible good, or incredible bad?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“Incredible good!” I exclaimed. “Watching you ride last night, you’re amazing. You don’t just sit on a horse and make it go. You inspire the horse, you encourage it to do its job the best it can. You made that paint feel good about his job, and he handed it all to you. Cory, you have a special gift. And here you are offering me your even more special horse. Besides the fact that you have a slightly important event coming up. You’re amazing, generous, just . . . great.” I realized I was babbling, maybe a little over the top, like a star-struck groupie. I clamped my mouth shut. It felt surreal that he would be nervous around me. I should be the one wiggling in my seat. Didn’t he know that?
Cory stared at me. “I’m no inspiration. I mean, I never even signed a magazine cover for you.” There was a note of denial in his voice, even though he was trying to make a joke.
“The magazine cover is cool, but I think you are an incredible horseman.” I lifted my chin and looked defiantly at him. I meant it, he was a great horseman. He could joke all he wanted, but I was serious.
Slowly a smile spread over his face. He tapped his hat brim up with the back of his hand and leaned in to kiss my lips. Electricity bolted through my entire body as his blue eyes bore into mine. “Girl, you’re incredible.”
Boy, if that was a line, he was smooth. I couldn’t speak or get up off my chair. I was locked in place.
Kate walked back in at that moment. She smiled at us. “I’m back, behave yourselves.”
Cory squeezed my hand, not noticing my immobility. “Gotta go to work. Catch up with you later? See ya, Kate.” He sauntered out of the arena.
“Earth to Jane.” Kate waved a hand in front of my face. I blew out a big sigh and looked over at Kate wondering if I looked as dopey as I felt. “You and Cory, huh?”
“Oh my God! I don’t know. It’s brand new. He’s so… so… I don’t know, so much. I guess.” I spread my hands wide as I gushed.
“Yeah, he’s a pretty special dude,” Kate said.
“He acts like I make him nervous. Who am I to make him nervous? I act like an idiot when he’s around.”
“You seemed fine to me,” Kate said firmly.
“But he’s going to the World Games. He’s this incredible rider. And the girls, they practically fall in his lap, literally.”
“So? He likes you. You’re amazing, beautiful, and sweet. A great person.”
“Yeah, good personality and all, but I’m a dork with guys. I haven’t even dated that much. He’s practically a celebrity.”
“Jane. He’s a boy, and he likes a girl, you. Go with it. Don’t worry so much.”
“It won’t last. I’ll be such an idiot, and some more sophisticated girl will come along and he’ll forget about me. I’m crazy to think anything. Don’t worry, I won’t get my hopes up.”
“You find him interesting. He thinks you’re interesting. See where it goes. If you get along, it’ll last.” Kate chuckled at my drama.
But she didn’t understand. I was tottering on the edge of a cliff and it felt dangerous to me. I was more scared of him than I was of riding Windsong.
Kate was serious again. “Sweetie, you know you can come tell me anything or ask me anything. Right?” Kate took my chin in her hand and turned me to look right into her eyes. “Anything. I’m here for you.”
“Yes, of course.” I was touched by her concern.
“That said, have fun! He is hot!” Kate grinned again. “Let’s get back to work.”
Cory came up behind me in the tack room as I was putting the last of my tack away. “You done?” he asked.
“Yep. Done.”
“Can you hang for a while or do you gotta go?” he asked.
“I don’t have to go anywhere.” I was rewarded with a big smile. I was getting used to the way my heart flipped when he flashed that thing. He took my hand and guided me to the ladder that led up to the hay loft.
“No!” I dug my heels in. “Cory, I’m not rolling around in the hay with you!” I pulled my hand from his.
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant!” he exclaimed. “It’s just a comfy place to hang. Really. I promise to behave.” He looked sincere. He drew an X across his heart. “I promise.”
I followed him up the ladder.
“Look, you sit on this bale, and I’ll sit all the way over on this bale.” Cory pulled two bales from the stack of hay and set them like benches so that we could sit and lean back into the haystack. He sat.
I perched on the edge of my bale. My hands were sweating. I rubbed them on my pants, keeping my arms pressed to my sides and my eyes on my shoes.
“So, how was your ride?” he asked, and then got up and pulled another bale over so that he could lay back. He put his hands behind his head and tipped his hat down.
It was easier to talk when I couldn’t see his incredible eyes. “It was okay.”
Cory just laid there, studying me from under his hat brim. “Just okay? C’mon, tell me details. Did you pick a song? Did he rear again?”
He waited. Well, he asked, so I talked. It was easy to talk to him about Windsong because he understood horses. I stood up to demonstrate Windsong’s antics, verbalizing Windsong’s thoughts and responses. I collapsed on my bale laughing after acting out Windsong skipping along doing way too many flying lead changes across the d
iagonal like the overachiever that he was.
My nerves had vanished while I was talking, but the intense way Cory watched me had them rushing back. That sexy look, his expectations. He held out his hand to me. I rose and took it, but the panic I felt had me shaking my head.
“Cory, I can’t.”
“Just sit here.” He patted the hay. “You’re trembling. Why am I so scary? I won’t bite.” He sat up.
That was worse. My eyes fastened on his lips. I wanted him to kiss me. But that was it, just a kiss. He might push too far and we were in a hay loft, after all. He’d expect me to give in, like all those girls Brenda and Jill talked about. I stood up fast. “I won’t do it with you.”
“I know. I know.”
“The way you’re looking at me. You’re used to girls jumping on you. I won’t …” A tear slid down my face. Horrified to be crying in front of him again, I dashed it away with my hand and spun around and headed toward the ladder.
Cory was up in a flash, stopping me. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take it easy. I’m not a wild animal. I admit it, I think you are sexy hot. But I understand. You are different from any girl I’ve ever met. I would never jump on you.” He used a finger to tip my chin up and make me look at him.
I couldn’t lift my hand without knocking his aside, so the tears just dripped down my cheeks. “Bobby hated me for saying no. He never spoke to me again.” I sniffled. “I can’t, but I don’t want you to hate me.”
Cory shook his head. “He’s an asshole. I respect that about you. I just want to spend time with you.”
I wanted to believe him. I really did. I gave him a watery smile. He put his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.
Cory parked his truck in front of my house and got out to open my door.
“Do you want to come in for a while? I’ll give you a snack,” I bribed. I wanted more time with him. It seemed safe enough inviting him in because my parents were home.
“Trying to get to me through my stomach? It’s working. Sure,” Cory chuckled.
“My parents are home. Is that okay?” I figured I better let him know. Wouldn’t want him to think I ambushed him.
“Where else would they be on a Sunday afternoon? Sure.” Cory looked at me funny.
I led Cory inside, holding his hand. He hesitated inside the door, looking around. He took his hat off and set it on the side table. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to smooth it down. He glanced down at his jeans, brushing imaginary dirt from them. He looked up at me apologetically.
“You’re fine. We’re used to barn dirt around here.”
“Yeah, right. This place is fantastic.”
I looked around the foyer. I guess if you haven’t seen it before, the vaulted ceiling with the glistening crystal chandelier, the shiny marble floor, and my mom’s antiques looked pretty fancy.
“I guess. C’mon.”
My mom was in the kitchen cooking.
“Mom, this is Cory, from the barn.” I gave him a sassy smile. “This is my mom, Mary.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.” Mary wiped her fingers on her apron and held out her hand to shake Cory’s.
Cory took her hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Have a seat. I’ll get you guys some pop.” When Cory turned to sit down, my mom caught my eye. “Ma’am?” she mouthed silently.
I smiled. Most kids didn’t have manners, but they seemed second nature to Cory.
“Mom, Cory does reining and he’s going to the FEI World Equestrian Games! He’s a big celebrity. World renowned. And he’s sitting right here in your kitchen.” Cory narrowed his eyes at me and blushed.
“Congratulations, Cory. Between you and Jane, I am in exalted company. You, on the reining team, and Jane probably going to be on the Junior/Young Rider National Team,” Mary bragged.
“Mom, don’t say that out loud. I’ll be lucky to stay on Windsong for the whole test! You’re going to jinx me.”
“Will you stop? You’ll do great,” Mary said.
“You have to say that—you’re my mom.”
“I agree with you, ma’am,” Cory chimed in. “Jane’s a great rider, and I have no doubt she’ll make the team.”
“What do you know?” I teased. “You’re just some rinky-dink reining guy.”
Cory smiled, “Payback’s a …” He didn’t say it, but he winked at me.
“Cory, why don’t you stay for dinner?” Mary asked. “It’s almost done, we eat early on Sunday.”
“Thank you. I would love to,” Cory replied.
I filled my mom in on the music choices and my ride that day. Cory was polite to my dad, and dinner was really nice. It seemed like the twilight zone with Cory there, sitting in my house, eating dinner with my parents. He sometimes seemed bigger than life to me. He easily talked with my dad and was sweetly charming to my mom, even offering to help clear the table. Who was this guy? I had never thought past the feelings he stirred up in me. Watching him with my parents, in my house, I could see why he was such a star. He fit in anywhere and was pleasant and personable even to boring parents. Not that my parents were boring—well, maybe just a little.
When I walked Cory out to his truck later, I felt like it was the end of an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime night. It didn’t feel real, and I still couldn’t quite believe Cory liked me. I kept waiting for him to say “See you later” and never talk to me again.
“Thanks for that. I’m glad you stayed.” I smiled warmly at him.
“Thanks for what? I should be thanking you. Your house is the nicest one I’ve ever been in. And your mom’s cooking—that was amazing. I was worried your dad was gonna take one look at me and kick me out on my ass.” Cory leaned against the truck and pulled me into his arms. “I wouldn’t want my daughter slumming with me.”
“C’mon, Cory. Slumming? You are an incredible person. It’s not money that makes someone great, but what they accomplish. My parents both work hard, and we’re not rich or anything. You have accomplished so much. You should be proud of yourself.”
“No way, I’m not in your league. You’re beautiful, rich. Your gonna be some bigwig someday. Me? I’m gonna be cleaning stalls for the rest of my life.”
“I am not. And you. You’re going to the World Games. You are going to be famous and rich yourself. You’re already halfway there,” I insisted.
“People like me will always work for people like you. And, yes, you are beautiful. I could barely stop myself from staring at you all through dinner.”
“I don’t believe you when you say things like that. It feels like you’re feeding me a line.”
“Why would I lie? Although, you’re right. I might say almost anything to have a dinner that good again. My mom doesn’t cook much.” He leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips. “Goodnight, beautiful girl,” he whispered.
“Oh no. Not good enough. You have to kiss me better than that. I require proof.” I was living dangerously, making demands like that. Would I be able to handle his response?
“I’ll give you proof.” He kissed me softly. His warm lips became more demanding, his tongue silky smooth. When he pulled back and released me, I put my hand on the hood of the truck until the world righted itself and I caught my breath.
“Night, darling.” He sauntered around the front of his truck to the driver’s side with a cocky smile.
Chapter 23
Cory leaned against Windsong’s stall, one knee bent, booted foot on the wall. His head was tipped down, hat brim obscuring his face. I practically ran up the aisle to him, dragging poor Windsong along behind me. His head came up when he heard Windsong’s horseshoes clattering on the cement. Blue eyes bore into mine and I was overcome by shyness again. I slowed down.
Cory caught my free hand and tugged me over to him. He gave me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Windsong practically knocked me aside, reaching for Cory’s hands, looking for a treat.
“Hi, big guy.” Cory gave him what he wanted and rubbed his head.
I crosstied Windsong in the center of the aisle. These days he stood much better for his grooming. Right now, he was focused on begging from Cory, who absentmindedly gave him another crunchy treat. I began brushing, starting on his neck and firmly working my way back to his rump. I worked silently, running my hand over the soft hair, making sure I didn’t miss any crusty dirt. I loved grooming. I started off with a muddy dustball and when I was finished, Windsong gleamed like polished marble. He really did have the loveliest fur. I ducked under his neck to the other side when I glanced at Cory. He stood still, biting his lip. I waited a beat, and when he still didn’t say anything, I prompted him. “What?”
“I have to ask you something, and you can say no, if it’s not your thing. It’s okay, I’m just asking,” he began.
“I’ll probably say yes. So just ask.” I couldn’t imagine what he would say. Unless it was against the law, if it was with him, I wanted to do it.
“This weekend, I have a show in Virginia, about two and a half hours from here. I was wondering, if you didn’t have anything planned, if you wanted to come. It’s usually just Chase, me, and Jet, so there’s room for you in the truck, and the camper. And Chase would be with us the whole time.” He looked at me uncertainly.
“I would love to come!” I answered.
“It means leaving the farm at five-thirty in the morning and not getting back until late on Sunday.”
“When has leaving for a horse show ever been later than the crack of dawn? No problem. I really would love to see you ride.” I was thrilled. “And I can be helpful too, you know. I’ve been to a show or two before.”
“Cool.” The joy in that one word floored me. He wanted me there—inconceivable. He gave me a quick kiss and loped off down the aisle.
Cory offered to pick me up so that my parents wouldn’t have to get up early. It was still dark when his truck stopped at the curb in front of my house. I had been waiting for ten minutes already. I was too excited to sleep and finally just got up and dressed before my alarm went off. I shoved my bag in first, then climbed in after it. “Morning.”
