by Cat Johnson
Oh, yeah, she knew horses all right. Her performance with Bucky had proven that. But she was obviously trying to prove herself and was definitely performing for them both.
She’d also successfully avoided answering any questions about who she was and where she was from. Her accent screamed northerner to him, most likely New York, although she tried to hide it. He would bet the farm that Nicki Camp was not her real name. She was not only a liar. She was a darn poor one at that. The way she hesitated before answering his questions. Her avoidance of direct eye contact. Her evasiveness. It all screamed deception. At least it did to Jack, who’d been trained to not only lie, but to spot lies from others.
The worst part was Jared didn’t seem to notice or care. Then a horrible thought struck him. “Jared, what do you think about this Nicki?”
Jared turned from where he had been setting up a fan to blow into Bucky’s stall so the flies wouldn’t bother him. “I think she knows her stuff and I’m damn lucky to have her. Why?”
“You, ah, into her? On a personal level, I mean.” It was bad enough to have someone who was so obviously hiding something working for his family and living on their property to boot. But if his little brother had a thing for her, it would be even worse when they found out what she was hiding.
Jared’s brow furrowed. “Why?”
Jack breathed out in exasperation. “Can’t you just answer a question?”
“Can’t you?” Jared glared back at him.
Jack bit the side of his mouth to stop from laying into his annoying little brother. He regrouped. No use getting Jared upset now. Jack could investigate this girl on his own, then tell Jared about it later when he found out what was what.
He smiled at his brother and lied through his teeth. “A man doesn’t steal his brother’s girl. I just need to know where you stand when it comes to Nicki. I’m going to be here for two weeks. A man can make a lot of progress in that time.”
Jared broke out into a wide grin. “Well, it’s about time you showed some interest in a nice girl for a change. After some of those cheerleaders you dated back in high school… Thank God, you didn’t marry any of them. No, I’m not interested in Nicki that way. I decided the day I hired her that it would be wrong to date an employee. Besides, there’s a little filly in town I’ve been um…seeing lately.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Jack smiled, genuinely happy for his brother and his “filly”, but even more relieved that Jared hadn’t fallen for Nicki. “What about Jimmy? You said he’s sneaking down here a lot.”
Jared shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him about that. Could be he just has cabin fever from being cooped up for so long. Go for it with Nicki if you want to. You’ve got my blessing. Just don’t do anything that’ll make her quit on me. She’s too good to lose.” He turned back to Bucky and shook his head. “To think I was ready to put him down and it’s only an abscess.”
Jack nodded, grateful about that too, but even more resolved to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. He stepped out of the barn while his brother stayed inside talking to one of the men. Outside and out of earshot, he pulled out his cell phone.
Scrolling through his contact list, Jack found the name of the one man most likely to deliver the answers he needed, and fast. He hit the button and listened to the ringing and the eventual “Hello.”
“Hey, Matt. It’s Jack. What’s up?”
Matt replied with a groan. “I’m bored as hell on this damn furlough, that’s what’s up. What about you?”
“I’m home at my mama’s place and I think I’ve got something that’s right up your alley, oh god of the computer world.”
“Lay it on me, brother.” He could hear Matt’s excitement.
“I need everything you can find out about a new employee my brother hired, but I gotta warn you, I don’t have much.”
“I love a challenge. Give me what you’ve got.”
Jack fed him what information he could, and texted him the photo he’d snapped of Nicki while she’d been busy with Bucky. Cell phones with built-in cameras came in handy at times like this.
“How long do you think it’ll take?” he asked Matt before hanging up.
He could hear clicking as Matt typed furiously on his ever-present computer keyboard. “Well, I can tell you right now you’re right about her name. There’s no Nicki Camp. It’s fake. I don’t know how long. The photo should help, and the fact that you’re pretty sure she’s originally from the northeast. I’ll get back to you when I have something.”
“Great. Thanks, Matt. I really appreciate this.”
“Thank you. You may have saved me from going insane during my mental-health leave.”
Jack laughed. He and Matt said goodbye and hung up.
He knew Matt. They’d worked together for a long time. If there was something to be found on this girl, Matt would find it, no matter how deep he had to dig.
With that thought in mind, Jack headed inside the house to feel out his older brother about his feelings regarding Nicki. A pretty young thing like her would be real tempting to a man recovering from what Jimmy had gone through. Jack really hoped he was wrong about her as he knocked on Jimmy’s open bedroom door.
“So, little brother, you’ve got the hots for Nicki?”
Jack stopped dead in the doorway and stared at Jimmy. “What…?”
From his position on the bed, Jimmy grinned. He waved his cell phone at Jack. “Jared just called me from the barn.”
“Great.” Jack rolled his eyes. “I’m glad to see you two are putting modern technology to such good use. You’re like a couple of old washwomen gossiping. I guess you’re too busy, so I’ll leave.”
Turning toward the hall, Jack pretended he was going to leave.
“Don’t you dare go.”
Jack paused in the doorway until he heard Jimmy add, “I’m sorry. I’m just bored and you and Nicki together would put a little excitement in my sad life.”
He pivoted back with an exaggerated sigh.
“Oh, all right.” He took a few steps into the room and sat in the chair next to the bed. Jimmy lay on top of the covers with a book open in his lap. His left foot was propped up on a pillow. That was the ankle that had been broken by the bastard terrorists while they’d had Jimmy in captivity. The memory of that twisted Jack’s gut. He glanced at Jimmy’s face and the fading bruises there angered him all over again. “How much longer did the doc say he wants you laid up like this?”
“No idea. It has something to do with my spleen.” Jimmy shook his head. “The broken bones, I can handle. The bruises, who cares? But this internal stuff…there’s nothing I can do about that but just wait it out, I guess.”
Jack nodded and brought the subject back around to Nicki, on his terms this time. “While you’re waiting it out, aren’t you a little tempted by Nicki yourself?”
Jimmy’s room overlooked the barns. He’d have a great view right here from his bed of Nicki’s jean-clad ass sauntering around all day long as she did her chores.
Jimmy shrugged. “I guess I haven’t been feeling all that romantic lately. It’s gonna take a bit of time before I’m back in the saddle again. Besides, she’s a bit on the young side for me.”
Being cooped up obviously hadn’t done Jimmy’s mental health any good. Jack made his own mental note to speak with the doc himself privately and see just how bad Jimmy really was. Maybe it would be all right to take him out for a drive or something.
What the hell does a spleen do anyway? Jack didn’t know, but damaged spleen or not, Jimmy had managed to get himself into the kitchen for pie today. Hopefully that little trip hadn’t done him any harm. Mama’s pie was strong motivation, no matter what the consequences.
“So, little brother, go for it. I give you my blessing with Nicki.” Jimmy interrupted Jack’s thoughts on pie and mysterious organs.
“That’s what Jared said.” Jack held in a sigh. He knew his brothers well enough to know he’d now have both of them hell-be
nt on fixing him up with a girl he was only pretending to like so he could secretly investigate her. And he’d only been home a few hours.
The next two weeks should be mighty interesting.
Chapter Three
Nicki spent two days trying to avoid Jack. The man seemed to be everywhere. Not that he wasn’t adorable, because he was, and sexy. Hell, he practically melted her every time he came up, actually snuck up, behind her with a hey, darlin’. The problem was his constant questions. The other two Gordon brothers had been easy to lie to. They took her and her story at face value. Not Jack. He must have made a thousand subtle inquiries, all purred out in that voice of his.
Maybe he was only interested in learning more about her because he liked her. That would be nice, welcome attention at any other time in her life, but not now. Now secrecy was the only thing keeping her safe. Bad timing, that’s what this was. If they had met at any other time, in any other situation, she would have flirted her butt off with him.
Flirting. Maybe that was still a good idea. If she could blind him with her sex appeal, maybe he’d stop prying into her past. She glanced down at her mucking boots, sunken ankle-high in mud and manure, and nearly laughed at herself. Sex appeal. Yeah, right. She dragged the heavy hose behind her and refilled the water tub in one of the far paddocks where the stallions were turned out. She doubted Jack would follow her all the way out here and she could use a few minutes away from his prodding.
“Hey, Nicki.” Hearing the male voice suddenly close behind her made her jump. Turning, she was happy to see it was Jared, not Jack.
“So, now that I’ve got you alone, what do ya think of my brother?”
Happy until she’d heard what Jared had to say.
Here we go. “You know I like Jimmy.”
Jared grinned at her. “You’re a smart one, Nick, and you know very well I wasn’t talking ’bout Jimmy. What do you think of our Jack?”
“I think he’s not going to be around here long enough for me to think anything about him. That’s what I think, Jared.” She hoped that would end this line of questioning. Jeez. She’d thought she was safe with Jared. Who knew he was a matchmaker?
Then she had a thought. What if Jack put Jared up to this because he really did have a thing for her? Maybe he wasn’t suspicious, just interested. Hmm. She didn’t quite know what to do with that idea.
Jared continued to watch her much too closely as she devoted more than the necessary attention to filling the tub. She finally couldn’t take it any longer. “Was there something else, Jared, besides your interest in my opinion of your brothers?”
He smiled broader and shook his head. “Nah. That was pretty much it. Oh, and Bucky’s abscess broke through. He’s up and standing in the stall again.”
Thank goodness he was back to talking about work. This she could handle. “That’s great. I’ll turn him out into the paddock when I’m done here.”
“Do that later. The new mare I bought is in heat and ready to be bred. I’m bringing the lucky stud over to her now. Since she’s an unknown, I wouldn’t mind an extra hand around in case she’s a kicker.”
Nicki raised a brow. “So you are here for something besides bothering me?”
He grinned while slipping open the gate. “Yup, but bothering you is so much fun I decided to do that too.”
Jared hooked the lead rope she hadn’t noticed him holding before up to a beautiful black Arabian’s halter and led him out of the paddock. Nicki secured the gate behind them, then shut off the water to the hose.
When she caught up with him and the stallion, Jared glanced sideways at her. “So, you like Jimmy more than Jack then.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at his persistence. “Whose side are you on, anyway? Jack’s or Jimmy’s?”
“I’m on my own side. I figure if I can marry you off to one of my two brothers, you’ll never quit on me and I won’t have to pay you anymore.”
Nicki laughed again. She didn’t have plans to marry anyone at the moment, but she did like it here. She only hoped she could stick around for a while.
Jack had been helping out in the barns since his arrival home for two reasons. First, he truly did miss being around the horses when he was away. Second, and most important, it was where Nicki usually could be found. Matt was taking longer to find information on her than Jack had expected. While waiting for Matt’s call—and boy, did he wish Matt would hurry—Jack figured he could do a little digging himself.
He’d have to be more careful though. He’d noticed Nicki was starting to avoid him. He was pushing too hard. Maybe he’d lost his touch when it came to flirting. Usually girls fell at his feet. Carly hadn’t, but that had been a special situation.
Sighing, Jack was about to start feeling sorry for himself again when he spotted Nicki and Jared walking across the field with the stud horse Jared had been going on and on about for days. Jack’s heart kicked into high gear at the sight of Nicki. Damn, she looked good in those jeans. It was a darn shame she was most likely hiding something.
“Hey, darlin’,” he greeted her when they were close enough.
Jack noticed Jared smirk at him as he continued into the paddock with the stallion. When Nicki went to follow him in, Jack stepped forward and stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Stay out here where it’s safe. There’s plenty of men in there already. Jared doesn’t need you too.”
She didn’t seem to like that one bit. Her brow furrowed as she shook his hand off her arm. “He asked me to help.”
Inside the paddock, Jared handed the stallion off to two farm hands. “Jack’s right, Nicki. Stay there for now and I’ll call you if I need you.”
She screwed up her face in a pout and leaned against the rail, leaving a good few feet between herself and Jack. He closed that distance fast enough and leaned next to her. She pretended not to notice but she did. He saw her body tense.
He watched her watching the procedure wide-eyed as a second lead rope was hooked to the antsy stallion’s halter. Two men held him now as the horse, who knew something was up, started to rear. The mare was still locked up in the barn, but it was very obvious the stud horse could smell her from out here. He was, understandably, becoming more spirited, not to mention visibly excited.
“You’ve never seen a mare bred before, have you?” Jack guessed.
She didn’t look at him, but shook her head. “We always used frozen transported sperm and artificial insemination on our mares. We never had to deal with the stallion.”
Was she blushing as she stared at the impressive stud?
“And who’s we, darlin’?” This was a clue he could give Matt. She must have worked on a breeding farm if she knew about artificial insemination and transported sperm.
She glanced at him quickly, then looked away just as fast, shaking her head. “It was a tiny farm. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”
“What’s the name? Maybe I have.”
“It was so tiny, it didn’t have a name. Just an old farmer with a few mares, that’s all.” She dismissed his question with a wave of the hand that was meant, he supposed, to look casual.
Another lie. At ten thousand bucks a pop minimum, there was no way some old farmer was using artificial insemination to breed his mares.
He didn’t have time to pursue this latest fallacy, since just then Jared brought the mare out on a lead, but kept her on the other side of the fence. He walked her past the stallion, who was doing what he could to get to her in spite of the two farmhands holding him.
Nicki had definitely not been lying when she said she’d never seen breeding done the old-fashioned way before. Her eyes were bugging out of her head.
“What Jared is doing is kind of introducing the mare to the stallion. That’s also how you can tell if she’s really in heat. It’s called teasing. If she is in heat and is going to accept him, she’ll show for him.” Jack began narrating the action for Nicki when, as if on cue, the mare sashayed her butt in front of the stallion and lifted her tail rig
ht in his face. He watched Nicki blush darker as he continued, “Just like that.”
Jared brought the mare into the paddock.
“He’s going to keep a hold on her so he can pull her away if necessary. Since he’s never bred her before, he’s not sure she won’t kick at the stallion instead of stand for him. But he’s already pulled off her rear shoes just in case. If she kicks, she won’t do as much damage.” Jack glanced down at Nicki. “She could also strike out forward, toward the person holding her on the lead rope, so Jared has to watch out for himself too. That’s why neither of us wanted you in there until you’re used to the procedure.”
She glanced up at him and then quickly toward to the action in the paddock. It was starting to really heat up. He watched Nicki’s eyes drop to the ground as the stallion mounted the mare and began thrusting. It was over quick enough, but Nicki looked like she was ready to crawl into a hole by the time it was done. Jack had been watching horses being bred for as long as he could remember and never thought twice about it. Meanwhile, Nicki reacted as if she were watching the filming of a porno movie.
The two men brought the stallion back out to the far paddock, Jared led the mare back to her stall and it was all over. Nicki mumbled something about having to get Bucky and left while Jack allowed himself a snicker at her expense. She was a strange mix of city girl and horsewoman…and where the hell was Matt with his answers about her past?
Jack pulled out his cell and dialed. Maybe if he kept pestering Matt, he’d get working a little harder on this.
Matt answered the phone immediately. “I was just picking up the phone to call you. I’ve got her.”
Jack’s heart pounded faster.
“Niccolina Campolini. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Nicholas Campolini, who trains racehorses on Long Island.”
Jack let out a long, slow whistle. Little old farmer, his ass. He’d heard of the Campolinis. They trained at Belmont racetrack and had a few champions come out of their stables.
“And get this,” Matt continued. “It seems someone filed a missing persons report on her about a month back. A classmate of Niccolina’s called the police after she missed her final for an equine vet class she was taking at night school. When the police questioned her father, he told them she was fine. He said she was away on some family emergency, so they dropped it.”
