StudinTexas

by Calista Fox

  “That is so admirable, Reese.” She drew up short and turned to her friend. Emotion welled within her. “I really and truly mean that. You always go on and on about the stuff I’ve done, and though I appreciate that you’re my biggest fan, I haven’t accomplished anything on par with what’s going on at this ranch. You’ve really got to stop thinking I’ve done something great. I’ve never saved a soul, Reese.”

  “Sky.” Reese clasped her hands. “You don’t have to save horses to be worthy of admiration. I’ve always envied your talent and I’m just so thrilled that you put your mind to something and achieve it. All I’ve ever done is open a B&B.”

  “Hey, that’s pretty awesome, Reese. You ran your own business. And now you have this inn to manage. To top it all off,” she said, borrowing Reese’s own words, “you’re the absolute best friend a girl could have and you’re going to make a sensational wife and mother.”

  Reese smiled. “Caleb wants three kids.”

  “Well, hell,” Sky said in a sassy tone to break the somber mood. “You’d better get on it. The cougar isn’t getting any younger.”

  “Bitch,” Reese said with a playful laugh.

  “You know I’m just teasing you.”

  “I know.” She linked arms with Sky once more. “Let’s check out the stable.”

  Chapter Two

  “Lookin’ good, girl,” Sam said to the skittish mare he gently brushed. “Now that you’ll let me near you.” He kept his tone low and his strokes slow to soothe the animal.

  “A Morgan?” asked a female voice in the same quiet tone.

  Sam’s gaze slid from the horse’s flank to the woman who’d just entered the stable with Reese. “You know your breeds.”

  “I’m from Texas,” she said with a soft somewhat flirty smile. “Though… I’ve never actually seen an American Morgan. Last I read, there were less than two hundred thousand of them worldwide.”

  He nodded.

  She moved a little closer, though maintained a respectful distance from the horse. Her body appeared relaxed, her stance unassuming to help calm the mare. “A bay silver. Not common, but a very pretty color.”

  The mare’s body was reddish with silver points. Her flaxen mane and tail were tinged with silver.

  Sam said, “Her name’s Anabelle. I call her Bells. She was a show horse when she was younger. I looked her up and she was very regal and had the perfect American Morgan stance back in her heyday. But with a change of ownership, she was turned into a workhorse—or at least, the new owner attempted to transition her. By whipping her. The cuts and bruises have healed, but she’s still a bundle of nerves.”

  “Who can blame her?” Empathy, mixed with something haunting and indefinable, flickered in the deepest blue eyes Sam had ever stared into.

  Reese had told him she intended to bring her best friend by. She had not, however, mentioned the friend was Sky Travis, whose CD he’d all but worn out over the years. Nor had Reese prepared him for her secret guest being such a stunner. Mesmerizing, in fact, with high cheekbones and full, glossy lips. Her brows arched slightly and long lashes framed her cerulean eyes.

  She had dark-auburn hair—a rich coppery color, the likes of which he’d never seen. The silky-looking strands were styled in plump curls, gathered at the side and pulled over one shoulder, loosely bound by a thin, brown leather strip she’d tied in a bow.

  She easily took his breath away.

  Of the horse, she said, “Poor thing. But Anabelle’s lucky you all found her.”

  “Unfortunately,” Sam explained, reluctantly forcing his gaze from Sky’s artistically sculpted face, “there are many more like her that we can’t immediately accommodate.”

  He returned the brush to its proper place and carefully led the mare to her stall and slid the latch into place. Then he washed up and returned to where the two women stood. He held his hand out to the striking newcomer. “Sam Bennett.”

  “Sky Travis.” She gazed up at him, a solemn look in her soul-stirring eyes as she slid her palm against his. “You, Caleb and Reese are doing something very amazing here.”

  “It was my baby brother’s idea. He gets the credit.”

  “But it’s clearly a group effort,” she said. “An impressive one.”

  “We have a lot of staff to help us out. Some volunteers. An equine mental health specialist who works with the horses. Dalton also trains all of us on how to facilitate their rehabilitation so we don’t hinder the behavioral progress he makes.”

  “Wow.” Her eyes shimmered with admiration, drawing him in, causing him to take a step closer to her. She added, “I had no idea all of this was going on when Reese asked me to come out.”

  Reese said, “Sky’s the high school friend I told you about, Sam. I’m trying to talk her into being our pastry chef.”

  He grinned again, still holding Sky’s warm hand in his. “Welcome to the ranch.”

  That was about all he could manage by way of processing Reese’s words. His mind really couldn’t get past how much more beautiful Sky Travis was in person. How was that possible, exactly? Weren’t graphic designing programs meant to make recording artists look better on their CD covers than in real life? So not the case with this woman…

  And Sam was instantly attracted to her. In spades.

  She wore a white lace tank top that did everything to evoke a man’s desire, given the low dip of the neckline and the plump swells of her breasts. A turquoise-colored suede jacket hung open. Her tight jeans accentuated her feminine curves. Her cowboy boots were also turquoise. A damn fine sight she made.

  His cock twitched. He could stand there all day long, just drowning in the blue pools that were her eyes and reveling in her sweet smile, which showed the hint of straight, pearly white teeth.

  For several seconds, Sam forgot where he was. What he’d been doing before this striking, breath-stealing creature had entered his stable.

  She seemed equally captivated.

  Too bad Reese had to finally go and spoil the moment. She indiscreetly cleared her throat.

  Sure, Sam had been staring all awestruck-like. Ogling, even. Sky Travis practically rendered him speechless.

  But he pulled himself from the trance she’d held him in and thought back to the conversation at hand. “Being a dessert man,” he said, “my stomach would thank you if you signed on with us.”

  Sky laughed. A sensual sound that seeped right into him, making his groin tighten. And eliciting a low neigh from one of the horses, reminding him of where they stood. Reminding him of the real world, not the lust-filled one his mind and suddenly tense body had wandered into.

  Time to get over his ridiculous fan crush.

  Though it felt like a hell of a lot more than a case of celebrity worship. Sam didn’t do celebrity worship, after all. Wasn’t in his DNA. Nor did he have the time or the interest to give much thought to movie or music industry who’s who.

  Another neigh from the back of the stable pulled him fully from his captivated state.

  Well. Maybe not fully…

  He said, “That’s Midnight. Must be he likes your voice.” He released Sky’s hand and gestured toward a stall in the back corner. “He typically doesn’t have much to say, or share an interest in what goes on in the stable. He keeps to himself. But it seems he’s found something to pique his curiosity.”

  Smart horse. Sam’s own curiosity and interest had certainly hitched several notches since he’d noticed Reese’s guest when they’d been standing in front of the inn.

  True to Sam’s word, the horse stuck his head out over the chest-high gate of his stall to see who’d come to visit. His ears pricked forward and his eyes turned alert.

  The beauty beside Sam gasped.

  “A black stallion,” she said. “He’s gorgeous.”

  He hadn’t been when Sam had picked him up a few months ago. Now his blue-black coat gleamed and his mane and tail were detangled and shiny.

  Sky strolled casually over to the stallion, her movements
slow and measured like before.

  “Well, now,” she said to the horse when she reached his stall. “Aren’t you the most magnificent thing I’ve ever laid eyes on?”

  Sam was actually jealous. He pushed aside the irrational emotion and said, “Don’t touch him just yet, darlin’. He needs to get used to you first.”

  “All right.” She clasped her hands behind her back. Let the horse sniff around her hair and neck. Sam barely heard her murmur, “You let these nice people take care of you. I just might adopt you myself.”

  The horse’s head jerked, as though he actually understood her words.

  Sam said, “He definitely likes your voice.” Probably her face too, which Sam himself had already committed to memory.

  Beside him, Reese sing-songed in a conspiratorial whisper, “Someone’s got a crush.” She beamed up at him. “And it ain’t just the horse I’m talking about.”

  He snickered. Apparently, his soon-to-be sister-in-law had caught his gaze easing down Sky’s back to her shapely butt, not quite covered by the jacket. She had long legs he couldn’t keep from imagining wrapped around his hips. He wouldn’t mind getting all tangled up with the blue-eyed beauty, despite the fact his focus these days was on horses, not women.

  To Reese, he said, “Don’t get all high and mighty on me. I can keep my hands to myself.”

  Maybe.

  She laughed. “I wasn’t suggesting that at all.”

  Sam crossed his arms over his chest and waited a while longer while Sky talked to Midnight. When she returned to where he and Reese stood, she pulled in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

  “Okay,” she said. “Tell me what happened to him.”

  “Probably not a good idea,” Reese was quick to say. To Sam, she explained, “Sky loves horses. She used to have one, in fact. Midnight’s story will break her heart.”

  “All the stories will break my heart,” Sky said. “But I want to know about him. He’s the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen.”

  With a nod—because Sam understood the compassion of a true horse lover—he told her, “Midnight’s owner was moving, but he didn’t have a trailer. So he tied the stallion to the hitch on the back of his truck and had the horse trot along behind him as he drove the back roads of Hill Country. Not too fast, but still…”

  Sky stared at him, incredulous.

  Sam continued. “It was a hot day and the horse hadn’t been fed or watered in some time, not to mention he’d been inhaling exhaust from the old truck. He might have been fatigued or he might have just stumbled, but he lost his footing and went down. The guy had the bed of his truck piled so high with stuff, he didn’t know right off that he was dragging the horse along the asphalt, especially since they were going downhill.”

  “Good Lord.” Her hand clamped over her mouth and horror filled her eyes.

  Sam’s gut clenched. She easily tugged at his heartstrings with her reaction to what the horse had suffered. The unexpected sensation took Sam by surprise. He couldn’t shake it off.

  Reese stepped in when he remained silent. “Thankfully, the back bumper ripped off rather quickly from the weight of the horse. The sheriff found Midnight in the middle of the road, outside of town, and called Caleb. He’s been with us for a while. The very first horse we rescued.”

  Sam watched Sky swallow hard and then her hand slipped away and she asked, “What in the world made that man think tying his horse to the back of his truck was a good idea? And how could he not have felt the sudden extra weight pulling on the vehicle?”

  Sam shrugged. He only knew what the sheriff had told him, after the owner had been located in Wilder and hauled in. But he said, “Plenty of stupid people out there, darlin’.”

  “No kidding.”

  She appeared thoroughly disgusted and even went pale. Sam reached a hand out to her, gently holding onto her elbow.

  “You all right?”

  She shook her head. “It’s not just stupid. It’s plain cruel. Inhumane. Makes me sick to even think about it.”

  “Agreed,” he said. “But it happens all the time. Not just to horses, but to puppies, kittens, people.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath. “At least some people are able to fight back. Defend themselves.”

  “True. These horses didn’t stand much of a chance. But they’ll get better here and then we’ll turn them over to someone who will be kind to them. Someone who will respect them.”

  Sky let out a half snort. “There shouldn’t be a need for this type of facility in the first place. Makes you want to kick all those owners in the balls, doesn’t it?”

  He grinned, despite the touchy subject matter. He liked her spunk. “Why, yes it does. Though they don’t all have balls. Our American Morgan’s last owner is a woman.”

  “Then I’d like to smack some sense into her.”

  “Wouldn’t we all,” Reese said. Her gaze fell on Sky as she asked, “What do you think now? I know it’s a tough cause to reconcile in your mind, but certainly a rewarding and necessary one. Do you think you can work at the inn, knowing what’s going on around the ranch?”

  Sky lifted her chin. “I told you, this is more admirable than anything I’ve ever done. I’d be honored to be a part of it. Not just as a dessert chef, though.” To Sam, she said, “I’m good with horses. I can help around the stable too. I’ve got plenty of spare time on my hands these days. Be nice to keep busy.”

  “I will gladly put you to work, darlin’.”

  They shook hands again. She smiled. A radiant one that revealed deep dimples in her apple cheeks.

  He bit back a groan. Lord have mercy, everything about the woman drove him wild and made his dick throb in wicked beats.

  Thankfully, Reese provided ample distraction. “So we’re getting a two-fer here. This is our lucky day.”

  Sky pulled her hand from Sam’s and turned to her friend. “What can I say? You talked me into it.”

  “Never doubted for a second you’d come around,” Reese said with a feisty look. “Now let’s go take a peek at the kitchen budget, figure out what sort of inventory you’re gonna need and negotiate your salary.”

  Sky hedged. “About that.” Her gaze swept over the stable and she added, “Whatever you’re proposing is fine by me. But I’d like to donate half of my paycheck back to the ranch.” Her eyes met Sam’s. “I’m sure you’ve got hefty operating expenses.”

  “That’s a kind offer. But Caleb and I have trust funds to dip into.”

  “You do take donations, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Then accept mine.”

  Sam had liked her instantly, from the moment she’d entered the stable and had spoken so gently around Bells and Midnight and the other distressed horses. His appreciation for her continued to grow.

  “All right,” he said. “With gratitude.”

  “Good.” Looking back at Reese, she added, “Let’s do this.”

  Sam watched them leave. He propped his shoulder against the molded frame at the stable’s opening and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. The haunting redhead tossed a look over her shoulder and grinned when she found his gaze on her. Then she put a little extra sway in her hips, doing him in.

  He grunted, low and deep.

  And knew he was headed for trouble of the sexy kind with the new dessert chef.

  Later that evening, Sam joined Reese and Caleb at a table tucked into a corner of the back deck. Reese poured wine while Caleb served New York strips fresh off the grill and accompanied by mushroom demi-glace and whipped potatoes.

  They talked about the cases they were currently tending to on the ranch, discussing which horses were ready for new owners and which ones needed additional rehab.

  Reese told them, “I think Sky was serious about adopting Midnight.”

  “He needs more time with us,” Sam said. “With Dalton, specifically. He’s still gun-shy when it comes to being around people. Hell, it’s a wonder he even let Caleb work on him.” />
  “Didn’t have much choice when I shot him up with tranquilizers. I can’t imagine a worse case of road rash.”

  “It’s a miracle his neck didn’t snap or his legs weren’t broken,” Sam said with disgust in his voice. “If that idiot had been driving any faster, that’s likely what would have happened.”

  “Midnight responded to Sky, though,” Reese told Caleb. “He heard her laugh and poked his head out. We never see him unless we stick our own heads in his stall. But he seemed to like her from the get-go.” Her gaze slid to Sam. “And he wasn’t the only one.”

  “Now, Reese,” Sam said with an exaggerated sigh. “Don’t go all cupid on me. I’ve got a shitload of work to do, movin’ on some of these horses, assisting with the recovery of the others and rounding up more in need of our help.”

  Sadly, the list of horses to rescue was a long one. In the beginning, word of mouth had hooked them up with the mistreated equines, but Sam had taken it upon himself to actively seek out others, and he and Caleb had been able to arrange temporary solutions for some cases, until they could get the horses to the ranch.

  The large-animal vet in Austin that Caleb deferred to for particularly difficult conditions now took in a few of those on Sam’s list, until Sam could make room at the ranch. He’d been able to double up the horses in the outdoor corrals, while still leaving them with plenty of breathing and roaming room. But the space inside for the severe cases was limited to twelve stalls.

  Not giving up, Reese cut into his thoughts and said, “It was awfully nice of Sky to volunteer her time and donate half of her paycheck to the ranch.”

  Caleb’s dark brows jerked up. “She did?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Reese eyed Sam again. “Damn nice, don’t you think?”

  He polished off his wine and reached for the bottle. “She’s very generous.”