by Elena Aitken
"Horse details? Cowboy?”
"Yes, silly. Are you feeling okay? You look a little stunned."
Eva shook her head. Stunned didn’t begin to describe it. "Andi, I don’t know. I’m not really the best person to deal with that. I don’t do horses."
That was an understatement. Just the thought of a smelly stable was enough to wrinkle her nose, let alone the idea of getting near one of the huge beasts. She’d only been on a horse once and that was enough. She’d been twelve, and at summer camp. Of course that story had a far from a happy ending, unless you call a broken arm and a lifelong distrust of sitting on any four-legged creature a happy ending. Horses were pretty enough to look at, as long as she didn’t have to go anywhere near one.
"Please," Andi pleaded. "I know you don’t love horses. But I really think it would be great and I just don’t have the time to deal with the details. My dad and the boys are arriving in the morning and I need to keep them far away from my mom. I’ll have my hands full just with family drama. I really need you."
"What about your dad’s wife?"
"Roxanne?" Andi rolled her eyes and quickly added a sweet smile. "Oh, she’ll be coming later. She said she couldn’t bear to be in the mountains one day longer than she needed to be. I really need you. Besides,” Andi gave her a little smile. “You may not like horses, but you can’t say no to a cowboy.”
Eva narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure I could say no. But…” she gave her friend a conspiratorial grin and as they both knew she would, she nodded. "I’ll take care of it," Eva said. Of course she’d do it. But it didn’t matter what Andi said; best friend or not, she wasn’t getting anywhere near an actual horse. As for the cowboy, she’d have to wait and see.
CHAPTER TWO
Jeff Michaels led Clover, a patient, dappled mare, out of her stall, through the stable and out into the crisp morning air. The sun was shining, making the fresh snow from the night before sparkle and flash in the sun. There was nothing more peaceful than the meadows after a fresh snowfall and peace is exactly what he needed to clear his head.
"Here you go, beautiful," he said to the mare as he let her loose into the fenced pasture. There weren’t any trail rides scheduled for the morning, so whenever possible he liked to give the horses a bit of freedom and he liked to believe they enjoyed the fresh snowfall just as much as he did. Especially on a quiet morning.
It wasn’t the same in the city, he thought as he scanned the white field and towering mountains that enclosed him. As much as Jeff had enjoyed the change of pace and the exciting opportunity of working on the movie set, there was something to be said for the serenity of the Lodge. It was his home, and he loved it. But he had to be honest with himself, too.
Jeff leaned onto the wood fence and watched the horses, letting his mind ponder the question he’d been rolling around for days. What if he took the job? As much as he loved it in the mountains, lately he felt more and more like he was spinning his wheels. And when would such a great opportunity ever come up again?
"Excuse me!" A voice startled him out of his silent reflection. "Do you work here?" a female voice called out.
"So much for peace and quiet," he muttered under his breath. He turned away from the horses he’d been watching and had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing.
A tall, blond, and he had to admit, striking woman was picking her way through the deep snow in black leather, very high-heeled boots. The kind of boots dreams were made of. Her red coat contrasted sharply with the snow and she reminded Jeff of the actresses he’d worked with on set. He suppressed a sigh. He’d just spent the last week dealing with the overindulged, pampered princess type and from his experience, when there was a prima donna involved, there wouldn’t be peace for anyone. Especially him.
He watched her for a moment as she carefully tried to step through the snow he hadn’t had time to shovel yet. The entire effect was quite comical, and he probably could have watched her for entertainment for a little longer, but when she slipped and fell backwards, landing on her behind, his upbringing got the better of him, and he launched into action.
With three long strides, Jeff stepped through the snow and was at the woman’s side. "Are you okay?" He reached down to offer a hand up. If he thought she was beautiful from a distance, she was absolutely breathtaking up close. And every bit a city girl. A city girl who was very angry to be sitting in the cold.
The woman pushed his hand away. "I’m fine," she said with a huff. "No thanks to you." She pushed up through the snow and struggled to her feet. "Do you make it a habit to make people tromp through a snowbank in order to talk to you?"
Jeff took a step back. He hadn’t expected such fire to come out of her mouth. "I’m sorry," he said after a moment. "I haven’t had a chance to get the shovel out yet. I wasn’t expecting anyone until after lunch."
"Well, I’m here." The woman used her black leather gloved hands to brush snow from her coat. She closed her eyes in an obvious effort to compose herself. When she opened them again, her tone had softened considerably. "I’m sorry," she said. "I shouldn’t bite your head off."
Jeff leaned back and assessed her. The last thing he’d expect from her type was an apology. "It’s fine," he said. “And hopefully you didn’t land in anything besides snow." He couldn’t resist adding the last bit. He tried to hide his smile, but the glare she shot in his direction told him he hadn’t been very successful. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "I’m sorry," he said, trying to save the situation. "What can I help you with?”
She looked him up and down as if trying to determine whether he’d be able to help her with anything at all. After a moment she said, "I need a horse."
Jeff tucked his hands into the pockets of his fleece-lined denim jacket. "Well, you came to the right place then. I think I have a few of those around here." He knew he was antagonizing her, but it was too tempting and he could use a laugh before he got down to work.
The woman crossed her arms in front of her chest and tossed her head back so her hair fell down her back. She narrowed her pretty blue eyes before she spoke and Jeff had the distinct impression that she wasn’t quite as entertained by the situation as he was. "As fun as this has been," she said, "I really don’t have much time. I’m looking for Jeff. I was told he actually knows what’s going on around here."
The opportunity to continue to mess with her head was tempting, but by the look on her face, Jeff was pretty sure he shouldn’t push it too much further. He stuck his hand out and said, "I’m Jeff. It’s nice to meet you…"
Her glare faded but she didn’t uncross her arms and after a moment, he dropped his hand.
"You’re Jeff? The cowboy?”
“Well, I don’t always wear my hat.” He touched his head briefly. “But yes, I’m Jeff. The one and only."
"Great." She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "I need a horse," she said.
"We’ve already established that I have some of those," he said and waved his arm towards the meadow. He flashed her what he knew was a brilliant smile, but she didn’t seem affected, so he settled into business. "Are you looking for a trail ride?" he asked doubtfully. He’d seen some interesting outfits on the guests before, but nothing quite as impractical for riding as what she was wearing.
"Me?" She dropped her arms and alarm flashed in her eyes. "Oh, no. I’m not getting anywhere near one of those…" She waved her hands in front of her face. "Beasts," she finished. "No way. I need one for the wedding."
Jeff surprised himself by feeling a flash of what had to be disappointment that she was engaged to be married.
"Do you mind me asking why you want a horse for your wedding? I mean, you don’t seem to like them very much."
"Me?" Horror crossed her face. "No, it’s not for me. I’m not getting married."
A wave of relief washed over him, shocking him further.
"Then…"
"It’s for my friend’s wedding in a few days. You don’t know about it? How could you work
here and—"
"I’ve been away working and I just got back last night. I did hear something about a wedding," he said, remembering the memo he’d seen on his desk. "But if I’m not quite up to speed, I’ll have to apologize."
"Apology accepted."
He was about to shoot back a smart comeback when he saw her small smile.
"It’s my friend Andi’s wedding."
"Andi and Colin?" he asked, remembering the couple he’d had the pleasure to meet a few times in the past. “By the way, they’re horses, not beasts," he added. The still unnamed woman may have softened her attitude a little, but he wasn’t above helping get the point across, especially if he could make her pretty face flush again.
She ignored his comment, and said, "Yes. Colin and Andi’s wedding. Andi’s decided she needs to ride a white horse to the ceremony. She seems to think it will be a beautiful entry and since I’m her party planner and best friend, I need to make that happen. Now, please tell me you have a white horse?"
Listening to her, all the pieces fell into place, although based on the way Andi had raved about her best friend and business partner, he was not expecting the diva who stood before him. "Wait, you’re Eva?"
"Yes. Who else would I be?" She stamped her feet in the snow, and shivered. Her feet must be frozen in those completely impractical boots. Although they did make her legs look pretty fantastic.
"Well, I wouldn’t know," he said. "Since you missed that small detail during our introductions."
He held out his hand again. "It’s nice to meet you, Eva." This time she took it and even through her glove, Jeff could have sworn he felt the heat of her hand. He held the grip a moment longer than he should have, and then said, "I don’t think I can help you, though."
Eva pulled her hand away. "With a horse?" She pointed in the direction of Clover and the other horses in the field. "You have some right there."
"Obviously I have horses," Jeff said. "But not for a wedding. No way."
He watched as her pretty face knitted up into a scowl. "Look," she said, some of the fire in her voice returning. "I don’t get it myself. Riding a horse in my wedding would not be my first choice. But it’s not my wedding, it’s Andi’s. And if she wants a horse, she’s damn well going to get one."
Jeff shook his head. He’d seen one too many weddings go badly because of an inexperienced rider, already nervous, atop a horse that wasn’t properly prepared. "No. It’s policy. I will not be responsible for ruining a wedding."
Eva clearly wasn’t used to hearing the word no. She glared at him, the effect ruined by a violent shiver that ripped through her body. "Oh, no," she said through chattering teeth. "I will get the horse."
Used to dealing with stubborn horses, Eva’s stubbornness was an entirely different challenge. But they couldn’t stand in the yard all day, not if she was going to freeze to death. "Why don’t you come inside and warm up? You’re not really dressed for the weather."
Eva looked like she might say no and he was surprised when she nodded and started to walk towards the large round building that housed his office in one corner.
She slipped in the snow and Jeff reached down, stabilizing her before she could fall into the snow again. "Let me help you," he said. "You know those aren’t really the best boots to be wearing out in this snow." Even if they did make her legs look fantastic, he thought.
"I didn’t expect to be schlepping around through a snowbank," she said. "I didn’t expect to be leaving the Lodge at all or I assure you I would have packed for the occasion." To his surprise, she didn’t shake him off, but instead clutched his arm while he led her through the snow. Even more surprising was that the weight of her on his arm felt really good.
~ ~
"Is that better?" Jeff asked Eva as soon as they were settled with a coffee mug in each of their hands.
She sipped at the steaming drink but didn’t say anything right away. By the look on her face, Jeff couldn’t tell if she was irritated with him or just frozen from the waist down. It was probably safer to wait until she made the first move.
It took half a cup of coffee and another few minutes to pass before Eva spoke. "Thank you," she said. "I didn’t realize how cold I was." Now that she was thawed out a little, her demeanor seemed to have melted even more and while he couldn’t be certain, Jeff thought he might have seen a glimmer of a smile, or what at least wasn’t a scowl, aimed in his direction. And he liked it.
"Once you get your feet wet, it doesn’t take long for the rest of you to freeze up," Jeff said. "It helps to dress for the weather." As soon as the last few words were out of his mouth, he wanted to pull them back. Especially when Eva’s face closed up. They definitely weren’t getting off on the right foot. "What I meant was, in this kind of weather—"
"I told you," she interrupted him. "I didn’t expect to be tromping through a snowbank this morning, or I would have dressed for it. I do know what snow is." She took another sip of her coffee, but her eyes didn’t leave his.
Jeff tapped his fingers on his desk and considered his options. It would be far easier to work with her if she wasn’t angry all the time; besides, city girl or not, now that he had a look at that beautiful smile, he wanted to see more. "Look," he said, extending an olive branch. "I’m sorry the walk wasn’t cleared." She relaxed a little, so he kept talking. "And I’m really sorry I didn’t help you out. That’s not usually my style. Can we start over?"
She seemed to consider his words for a moment. But finally she nodded. "I think that’s a good idea. Believe me when I say, the last thing I wanted was to come to the stables."
"Well, you’re here now," he said, certainly glad she was.
"Despite what you said, I need to order a horse for the wedding."
"Even if I did agree to it, which I’m not likely to," he said, “it’s not like ordering a pizza, you know?" He tried not to laugh. "Besides, you could have just called. You didn’t have to actually come down here."
Eva tilted her head and her long hair fell to the side over her shoulder. "You just said it wasn’t like ordering a pizza," she challenged. "Besides, I like to see what I’m getting. So, how do I do this? Do you have pictures or something for me to look at?"
The laugh he’d been holding in escaped. "You want to order from a catalog?" Jeff sat up and pushed back from the desk. She couldn’t be serious.
"No," she said. "Not like a catalog or anything. But photos or something," she said. "You can’t tell me you don’t have any pictures of your horses. A guy like you, you probably have them framed all through your house, don’t you?" She crossed her arms and grinned. He didn’t even want to see how obnoxious she would be if she knew she wasn’t far off the mark. Jeff did have photos of his favorite horses, but not around his apartment or anything. Just on his phone. But she did not need to know that.
"Besides, it doesn’t matter." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Because I’m not giving you a horse for the wedding."
Her face flushed again, and she clenched her teeth.
Without giving her a chance to argue, he added, "I won’t be responsible for anything going wrong. It’s too risky."
Eva let out a long breath and straightened her shoulders. "What if it wasn’t risky?" she asked after a moment of thought. "I mean, for someone inexperienced, sure. But for Andi…she’s been on horses before. It wouldn’t be as risky."
He thought about what she’d said. Andi and Colin were more than guests at the Lodge; they were friends. And Jeff himself had personally led Andi on a number of trail rides. She’d probably be fine. And for friends, Jeff could break his “no horses in weddings” policy. But maybe Eva didn’t need to know that right away. He took a moment and looked at Eva and how incredibly gorgeous she was when she was frustrated. She was so completely opposite of everything Jeff ever looked for in a woman, but there was no denying how much he was enjoying the challenge of their banter. He wasn’t ready for it to end. "I’ll consider it," he lied.
"You’ll consider it?
" She tipped her head, evaluating him. "Fine," she said after a moment.
"But why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll see what I can do. You know, just in case I decide it’s okay," he added quickly. "Didn’t you say something about wanting a white horse?"
For a moment, Eva looked like she was going to retaliate with another smart-ass comment, but then she swallowed and said, "Yes. Andi thought a white horse, with her wearing a white dress, would be dramatic. Do you think you have one that’ll work?"
"I might be able to find one," he said. Jeff knew exactly which horse would be perfect for Andi, but something stopped him from telling Eva that. "I’ll have to check. But I have to tell you, I don’t think it’s a great idea.”
Eva put her coffee cup on the table and started to re-button her coat. "When will you know?" She barely glanced in his direction. "I’ll need to come up with a back-up plan if you can’t come through for me on this."
"I’ll have to think about it," he said as he stood up. "But I’ll let you know soon."
"You’re sure?" She stood and shot him a look. "This is Andi’s wedding. I can’t just depend on your vague word that you can make it happen. I need a guarantee."
"I said, I would—"
"Look, I have a lot to deal with right now. Please make sure you can deliver on this." Eva took two steps towards the door before spinning around. With a small smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye that Jeff couldn’t figure out, she said, "I don’t have times to play games, horse guy."
In a whirl of red, she was gone, leaving Jeff to stare openmouthed after her. Did she really just call him “horse guy”? He laughed. Maybe his first impression was wrong. Eva was definitely not the Hollywood princess he’d seen so much of; there was no doubt she was different. But figuring her out—that would be something else. It was a good thing Jeff liked a challenge. Especially a beautiful one.
No. He shook his head in an effort to clear her out of his head. He didn’t have time to mess with some prissy, overindulged city woman. Been there, done that. It never worked. And like her, he didn’t have time to play games either.
