“Hello, beautiful.” Buck Travis appeared beside her. “I’ve been trying to find you.” He tilted his head. “Are you okay?”
Breaking contact with Rhys, Jacquie smiled and turned to face the veterinarian. “A little tired, is all. Are you ready for the big event?”
“You mean, am I ready to stand around all day waiting for a horse to get hurt, while I talk to nice people and eat and drink and generally enjoy myself? Sure. I only wish all my workdays could be so easy.”
“Here’s hoping that’s all you have to do.”
“Erin’s riding, isn’t she?”
“Yes, and Mirage is in good shape. I think she’ll do well.”
“And will we get to see the great Imperator do his job?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Afraid?”
She shrugged. “I’m the one riding him.”
“Not Lewellyn?”
“N-no. He was injured last fall at Adelaide and is still recovering.”
“Too bad. I would like to see him ride.”
Jacquie sighed. “Me, too.”
“So where’s the producer of this great party?” Buck pivoted to search the room. “I wanted to tell Galen she’d done a good job.”
“Probably somewhere organizing someone’s life for them.”
He looked at her with his brows raised. “Whoa. That sounds…catty.”
“Sorry.” Her cheeks heated up. “I’m not in a good mood. Got stepped on today.”
“What’s Galen been organizing for you?”
“Never mind.”
Buck stared at her for a minute. “Okay, I won’t torture you for a confession. She can be pretty managing. But it’s usually in somebody’s best interest. Her motives are good.”
Something about his voice, a certain softness, cued Jacquie in. “You’re…interested…in Galen?”
He looked down into his wineglass. “Saint Jude is my household saint.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The patron of lost causes.” Buck smiled, a little sadly.
Jacquie put a hand on his arm. “Buck, why did you stop asking me out?”
After a long moment, he said, “I realized I didn’t have a chance. You weren’t free to care about somebody else.”
She didn’t know what to say.
“I guess some loves are just meant to last a lifetime, even if the one you love isn’t there anymore. Your husband must have been quite a man.”
In the bustle of the party, Jacquie suddenly felt as if she were standing in a bubble of cold silence. She hadn’t thought about her “husband” in weeks. She’d forgotten she was supposed to be a widow.
“Hey, Mom, hey, Dr. T.” Sparing her the necessity of an answer, Erin and her friend Cathy joined them. “Is this just the most awesome party, or what?”
“Awesome,” Jacquie agreed. The conversation rambled back to tomorrow’s event, allowing her to listen rather than talk and, eventually, to ease away altogether. Buck winked at her as she left—he was obviously having fun flirting with the young girls.
Jacquie just wanted the evening over. Her head swam with the noise, the warm air, the smells of wine and food. Someone had lit a cigarette, and the smoke hung in the still air of the house.
Almost without thinking, she slipped into the back hall, shutting the door between herself and the party. She pulled her barn coat off the wall rack, wrapped it tightly around her against the cold night and headed for the stable.
Many of the guests had been out earlier to tour the horse facilities, and some of the lights had been left on. The warmth here was fresh, scented with hay and manure and horse. Nice smells, ones she never grew tired of. Around her, horses munched contentedly, shuffled in their bedding, snorted and snuffled and snored. With a sigh, Jacquie sat down on a stack of hay bales set against the outside wall of Imperator’s stall. She scooted backward until the bale supported her aching foot off the ground, then closed her eyes. Peace. At last.
Rhys found her there, fast asleep, after midnight. “Jacquie?” She didn’t stir—a measure of her exhaustion. He knew how she felt—he hadn’t slept last night, himself.
Kneeling beside the hay bale, he put a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. “Jacquie? Wake up, sweetheart. You need to come inside.”
Finally her eyelashes fluttered, lifted. She looked at him in confusion. “Rhys? What’s wrong?”
He couldn’t hide his smile. “You’re sleeping in the barn, woman, when there’s a perfectly good bed waiting for you.”
She started to smile back at him. “Didn’t mean to.” And then full consciousness returned, and the smile died. “Sorry.”
“I…we were worried about you, that’s all. Erin couldn’t find you when the party ended. I finally thought to look out here.” He got to his feet and held out his hand. “Come on, let’s go into the house.”
Jacquie hesitated, then put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She took one step forward, gasped, and would have fallen if he hadn’t been close enough to get an arm around her and hold her up.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
She pressed her head against his shoulder. “M-my f-foot.”
“Asleep?”
“Don’t I wish. I got stepped on today by a Percheron I was shoeing.”
“Is it broken?”
“No, just bruised.” She shifted her weight and gasped again. “But it hurts. A lot.”
“Right.” He bent and put his free arm under her knees, lifting her high against his chest. “Here we go.”
“Put me down. Rhys, you’ll hurt your back.” She beat a fist against his shoulder. “I can walk, dammit. Put me down!”
He ignored her frustration and the ache in his back as he carried her to the house. Erin opened the door when he got there, and Galen and Terry were waiting in the hallway. Amid much worry and fussing, he carried Jacquie upstairs to the blue guest room and set her on the bed. Then he straightened up, rubbing the shoulder she’d assaulted.
“Remind me never to get into a fistfight with you.”
She stared at him in fury, unrepentant. “That was not necessary.”
Rhys shrugged. “It’s done. Let’s take a look at that foot.” Grudgingly she pulled off her shoe. He hissed air through his teeth when he saw the black-and-purple stain covering her small foot from toes to ankle. “Are you sure it’s not broken?” Jacquie hesitated, and he knew the truth. “You aren’t sure.”
“I don’t think so. I walked fine afterward. But then the swelling started, and the bruising.”
Galen appeared at the door. “Here’s ice and extra pillows.”
Without protesting any further, Jacquie leaned back and let Galen take care of the foot. “Thanks. That feels much better.”
Erin sat on the other side of the bed. “Wow, Mom. How are you going to get your boots on to ride tomorrow? Your foot is about twice its regular size.”
Jacquie looked at Rhys, then away. “I’m sure it will be better by morning.”
“Right,” Rhys said. They both knew the chances of her being able to ride were slim. “So let’s all go to bed and get some rest.” The chances of that were almost as slim, at least as far as he was concerned. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow. Erin, you’ll help your mom?”
His daughter, so grown-up in her dress and makeup, nodded earnestly.
The situation was too much for him, all at once. He managed to say good-night politely and left them—his love and their child—to shut himself safely behind the door of his own empty bedroom. Everyone he cared about…his family, dammit…was here tonight.
But what should have brought joy had, instead, created heartache. His love for Jacquie made her miserable—that much was clear from her words last night. As much as he wanted her, needed her, he would not torture her any further. Even if he had to leave this house, abandon the small, friendly town he’d begun to look on as home.
And his daughter. The image of Erin, just down the hall, stayed
with him through the dark night. She was everything he would have asked for—spirited, independent, ambitious and determined. Yet there was a gentleness inside this lovely girl that he recognized, the same concern and kindness he’d been drawn to in Jacquie. He wanted the chance to talk with Erin, discover her thoughts about…well, about everything. He wanted to train her to the highest levels and then show her off in Europe as one of the best in a new generation of riders. She and Andrew would take the horse world by storm.
Rhys realized he could dream up a whole lifetime centered around Jacquie and Erin and Andrew, a lifetime of laughter and excitement and love. But dreams belonged to the sleeper, and he was all too wide awake. Awake and certain that he’d never get the opportunities he craved. His role in Erin’s life would be brief, and only as a friend, at best. He’d had so little of her.
And now he would have to give her up altogether.
“WHAT?” Andrew struggled out of bed in the darkness to answer the rap on his door. “What?”
The great Lewellyn stood there, dressed for the day and looking as if he hadn’t slept in weeks. “It’s almost dawn and you’re riding Imperator today. Get dressed and get outside.”
He turned away and would have left, but Andrew caught his sleeve. “Why? What’s happened?”
“Jacquie’s hurt her foot and it’s too sore, too swollen, to get her boot on or to ride safely. The crowd wants to see Imperator, and you’re the only rider we’ve got. You’ll be riding Ricochet, too.” He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out again, then his mouth curved in a tired smile. “Today, your wish comes true. Get to work.”
Andrew let go and turned back into his room, scared and excited and amazed beyond belief. The old man had changed his mind—Hallelujah! Sure, he’d done it for the horse, not Andrew, but who cared? At least he hadn’t offered the chance to Erin.
He stopped with his shirt buttoned halfway as a question occurred to him. Had his dad asked Erin first, and she’d refused?
Then he shook his head and finished the buttons. Erin would have snatched at the invitation with both hands. Andrew pulled on his breeches, satisfied that he had been his dad’s first choice. Finally he would get to show what he could do with Imp, on the flat and over the jumps. Cross-country, too.
Man, what a great day this would be!
FROM BEING A RIDER, Jacquie found herself demoted to a mere spectator, unable to do more than hobble around with a cane and assure Galen that everything was perfect. She caught glimpses of Rhys as he strode through the event, keeping the schedule running smoothly, keeping the judges happy, greeting guests, all while managing to coach Erin and Andrew as they prepared their mounts to compete.
Fifty horses had been entered to perform dressage tests, show jumping, and the short cross-country course. All three trials were occurring simultaneously, which called for a large number of volunteers. Phoebe Moss had been one of the first, and was stationed at the dressage ring, keeping the riders organized.
“What did you do?” she said immediately upon seeing Jacquie’s limp. Jacquie explained about the Percheron. “Those horses are huge—I know that must hurt. Why don’t you sit here for a while?” Rhys had insisted that all the volunteers have a chair they could use when there was time.
“I think I will, thanks.” Jacquie sank gratefully into the folding chair. “How’s it going?”
“Good. Everybody’s here, everybody’s right on time. Erin will ride in twenty minutes.”
“Jacquie Archer!” Her mother’s voice carried over the crowd noises. “Goodness gracious, girl, what have you done now?”
She looked over to see Becky and Ed Lennon standing a few feet away, staring at her with dismayed expressions. How many times had this happened in her life?
“Hi, Mom.” She waved. “Hey, Daddy. I got stepped on, that’s all. Just a bruise.”
Her dad put a hand on her shoulder. “Bad enough for a cane?”
“My friends insisted.” She shrugged. “Y’all are here right on time. Erin should ride in the next few minutes. You remember Phoebe Moss?”
“Our mayor’s future wife?” Becky Lennon gave Phoebe a hug. “I should say so. How are the wedding plans coming along?”
The tension eased, and they chatted until Erin arrived at the gate of the dressage ring to sign in.
“Good luck,” Jacquie told her. “Mirage looks terrific.”
“He’s in a good mood,” Erin said. “I think this is our day.”
The rider before her left the ring and Erin entered, trotting Mirage around outside the white fence until the bell rang, signaling her to go in. Just as she entered the ring, Rhys stepped up beside Jacquie.
“She should do well,” he said without looking at her.
“Thank you for helping her.” Jacquie remembered the protocol from her own training days. “Can I pay you a schooling fee?”
He whipped his head around to stare at her with a mixture of hurt and anger and injured pride. “No, thank you.” Turning on his heel, he went to stand on the opposite side of the ring.
Phoebe took his place. “I haven’t had a chance to say hello to Rhys today. Every time I see him, he’s got about forty people around him, asking questions.”
“That’s Rhys Lewellyn?” Her mother turned and watched Rhys for a long moment, or so it seemed to Jacquie.
“Let’s be quiet,” Jacquie said. “Her test is beginning.”
Erin’s exercise went very well. Mirage moved through his figures gracefully, with his neck arched nicely in front of Erin’s quiet hands. At the canter, at the trot, at the walk, he performed as well as he ever had in his life. As Erin completed her test, Andrew rode up on Imperator.
“She was good,” Andrew commented. “High score, I bet.”
“Thanks. What are you doing next?”
“Imperator’s demonstration dressage.”
Jacquie bit back a curse. How had that happened? She’d tried to be sure the kids were in different places throughout the day, to avoid having comparisons made. “You were scheduled later, right?”
“Dad decided we should go before lunch.” As he spoke, Rhys’s voice over the loudspeaker announced Imperator’s first demonstration. The crowd began to flow in their direction.
Crushing her program in her hand, Jacquie fought the urge to strangle Rhys and his son. “Well, good luck to you, too.”
“Thanks.” He patted Imperator’s neck with a gloved hand. “This guy knows his stuff.”
Erin rode out of the white ring and Andrew moved forward to take her place. For a moment, the two of them were side by side on their mounts. In dark riding coats, breeches and boots and helmets, absolutely the only difference between the two was the horses they rode.
Beside Jacquie, Phoebe gasped softly. “That’s amazing.”
Jacquie looked for her mother, and met Becky Lennon’s considering expression. There could be no doubt that she’d noticed the resemblance between the kids. While she watched, her mother glanced at Rhys again. And so it begins.
As the crowd gathered around the ring to watch the great horse at dressage, Jacquie spotted a friend of hers standing nearby. Shuffling and limping, she made her way through the crowd to stand beside him. “Rob? How’s it going?”
The tall, blond man in a baseball cap turned his head. “Hey, there, Jacquie. I should’ve known I’d find you here.” He noticed the cane and his smile disappeared. “What’d you do now?” They’d been good friends since kindergarten—Rob had seen or heard about most of her accidents and injuries over the years. There was only one part of her life she hadn’t shared with him.
“Had my foot in the wrong place.” A heart-shaped face peeked out from behind Rob, and Jacquie smiled. “Hi, Ginny. We’re twins today, aren’t we?” She held up her cane.
The girl moved forward on her set of aluminum crutches. “Sort of. I’ve got two.” Rob’s seven-year-old daughter, Virginia, had been born with cerebral palsy.
“With all these people pushing, I’d rather have two, t
oo. Are you enjoying the horses?”
Ginny’s eyes took on a fanatic glow that Jacquie recognized all too well. “They’re so big. And so beautiful!” Looking at Imperator, just beginning his performance, she sighed. “I want to do that.”
Jacquie watched with her. Imperator was incredible in dressage—balanced, precise, fluid and strong. Andrew handled him well although, with her experience, she could see the slight mistakes that Rhys would not have made.
“You can do that,” she told Ginny, leaning down to speak quietly in the girl’s ear. “All you need is a horse and some lessons.”
Ginny stared at her with big, brown eyes. “Really? Really? I could ride? That horse?”
Oops. “Maybe not at first. We’d start you on someone smaller. But, eventually, you could even ride Imperator.”
“Daddy?” She tugged on her dad’s jacket. “Daddy, I want riding lessons.”
“You got ’em, sweetheart.” Rob looked at Jacquie. “What have you done to me now, Ms. Archer? I have the feeling I’m in a boatload of trouble.”
She put her hand on his arm. “Just bring her out to my place. Erin and I will make sure she’s safe and she’ll have a blast.”
He nodded. “That’s what counts. I’ll call you. Soon.”
“Good.” She turned back to catch the end of Imperator’s show. The applause was thunderous, and Imperator bowed his head toward the audience, accepting the accolade as his due.
But if the spectators had seen Imperator’s greatness, they had also noticed the uncanny resemblance between Erin and Andrew. Most riders looked alike in their riding togs—discipline and uniformity were the point. Such similar faces, carriage and movement as the two kids displayed, though, was evident to interested eyes.
The comments came to her during the day from friends and strangers alike. “I saw Imperator’s dressage test,” Buck Travis said as they watched Erin prepare for her cross-country run. “Magnificent horse. But for a minute I thought it was Erin riding him.”
The Fake Husband Page 16
