The Girl with the Broken Heart

by Lurlene McDaniel

  Soldier nosed Austin’s shirt pocket. “I didn’t forget you,” Austin said, and reached into the pocket for the napkin wrapped around a few pieces of meat he’d saved from his steak dinner. He shook the meat onto the grass. Soldier nosed the meat, gobbled it, and gave Austin a hopeful look. Austin chuckled, stood. “Next time.” He headed for the barn at the front of the property, and Soldier fell into step at his side. Together, they walked the perimeter of Bellmeade in the moonlight.

  “Big place,” Austin said as he drove along the perimeter road of Lani’s apartment complex. He’d already passed two other pools on the property. He tossed his cell to Kenzie riding shotgun next to him. “Right or left at the fork up ahead?”

  She looked at the phone’s map. “Left. And the pool for Dawson’s building will be on the right.” Kenzie stared out the windshield, nervous, knowing she’d have been much happier staying at the stable with her horses. She reminded herself she’d agreed to come and told herself to suck it up.

  Minutes later, Austin pulled into a parking space across from a pool, a banner laced through iron slats of a fence: BERKE PRIVATE PARTY. Balloons tied to the tops of the railing danced in the warm breeze. He turned off the engine.

  They went through the gate carrying their towels and cooler, and Lani, wearing a colorful tropical print cover-up, hurried over and took Kenzie’s hand. “So glad to see you two! Come, meet Dawson.”

  She beckoned to a man in the water and he swam to the pool’s side and hauled himself onto the cement deck. Lani said, “Honey, this is Kenzie and Austin, the couple from Bellmeade working with the rescue horses I told you about.”

  The couple? Kenzie started to object to Lani’s introduction, but Austin stepped forward and held out his hand. “Good to meet you.”

  Dawson looped one arm around Lani, shook with Austin, grinned at Kenzie. Dawson’s black hair was slicked back from his high forehead. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate, his jaw square, his body tall and lean-muscled. Kenzie decided to simply smile and ignore Lani’s assumption.

  Looking over Kenzie’s sleeveless aqua-blue top and jean shorts, Lani asked, “Did you bring a suit? You can change upstairs in the apartment if you want.”

  “I left my swimsuit in storage at Vandy. Never thought I’d go swimming this summer working on a horse farm.”

  “Maybe I could lend you—”

  “No, no. I’d rather sit and watch everyone else swim.”

  “Maybe there’s a hose nearby,” Austin mumbled in her ear. She shot him a scowl. “I did wear a suit,” he said to Dawson, stripping off his shorts and T-shirt. He was powerfully built, well muscled across his chest and upper arms, with flat abs and a tapered waist. Kenzie hadn’t seen him bare-chested and tried not to stare.

  “Good, because we’re about to play some water polo. You can be on my team.” Dawson called out to others, and soon they had mixed couple sides of seven each in the water. Goalies were assigned, and small orange cones placed at each end of the pool on the concrete above the water to serve as goalie nets. “Make ’em count, people.”

  The teams hit the water, and Lani and Kenzie found chairs at a patio table shaded by a bright yellow umbrella. Others who weren’t playing lay stretched out on loungers in the sun or gathered around patio tables drinking sodas and beer. “You can sit with your friends,” Kenzie told Lani. “I don’t mind just watching the game.”

  “I see plenty of the others; most of them are nurses who work with me. A lot of the people here will be attendants in our wedding.”

  Kenzie’s eyes widened. “Wow, big group.”

  “It’s going to be a big wedding. I grew up in Windemere, and both Dawson and I work here, so everybody knows us. The list of guests keeps growing.” Lani offered a shrug and a grin.

  Kenzie had never collected many friends. In the private high school she had attended, she’d kept to herself, her aloofness caused in part by her health issues, but also because she simply felt more comfortable with horses than with people.

  The scent of coconut suntan oil and lotions mingled with the smell of chlorine from the splashing water, reminding Kenzie of summer days spent by her family’s pool. A voice called from inside her head, “Kenz! Watch me dive!” The sound was so real, Kenzie glanced to the far end of the pool, saw only orange cones, and caught her breath. “How did you and Dawson meet?”

  “High school. He was a transfer student in his senior year, and totally ticked off about his dad moving him to Windemere. I was a junior, so at the time I could only worship him from afar.”

  “But you ended up with him.”

  Lani’s gaze followed Dawson in the water, the look of love clearly stamped on her face. “Yes, I did.”

  Kenzie gave Lani a questioning stare, inviting her to tell more, but Lani only smiled. “A long story for another day.”

  Kenzie changed the subject. “Okay, then how can I contribute to your Trailblazer program?”

  “A horse.” Lani’s smile lit up her brown eyes. “Ciana told me you have a rescue mare she thinks might be perfect for a child. An older mare.”

  “Mamie.” Kenzie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, she’s very docile and sweet tempered, loves attention. And special treats.”

  “How about if I bring David and Cami and their parents out to Bellmeade to meet Mamie?”

  “Oh, she’s not ready to be ridden yet. Not even by a child. Not until she reaches her proper body weight. We’re still working with her.”

  “Understood. I only want to bring the kids to see how they take to the horse. If they do, I’ll begin teaching them the basics of horse etiquette with Oro, the other inductee into my program. Once Mamie’s ready, David and Cami can begin Trailblazers together.”

  Kenzie carefully considered the request and saw no reason why the children shouldn’t meet Mamie. “That’ll be all right.”

  “How about this coming Saturday?”

  “Can you spare the time? Isn’t there a ton of stuff to do before your wedding?”

  Lani rolled her eyes. “As if I’m in charge of my wedding! My sister, Melody, and our mom are in control. I’m just going along for the ride.”

  “You have a sister?”

  Lani grinned. “Mel’s a force of nature. Our folks live in Alaska. Mom’s a teacher. She and Dad will be staying with Melody, and I’m letting Sis and Mom handle all the wedding details. I just plan to nod and agree.”

  “And you’re all right with that? I can’t imagine not having control of things that are important to me, like the horses. I like handling every detail of their care. I especially want a say in who adopts them.”

  “Actually, I’m grateful for their help.” Lani’s mood turned pensive. “A few years back I learned a hard lesson: Most of us are not in control of our lives. We might think we have control, but in the end, we have very little. We just have to roll with whatever comes along, good and bad.”

  Kenzie understood what Lani was saying. Her own medical issues had taught her as much. Control of one’s life was illusory, a lesson she’d learned all over again on Valentine’s Day.

  “Doesn’t mean we should give up, though, does it?” Lani’s face brightened. “For me, the good news is that I know Mom and Mel love me, and so details about flowers, caterers, menus, and venues have very little importance to me. All that matters is that at the end of the day, Dawson and I are married. I love him with all my heart.”

  Love, marriage, a lifetime commitment. Not part of Kenzie’s game plan. “For me it’s college and, one day, my own veterinary practice.”

  “However, just to be clear, I did choose my own wedding dress.” Amusement danced in Lani’s brown eyes.

  Kenzie could only imagine how beautiful she’d look, and felt a tug on her heart for brides who would never be, weddings that would never happen.

  Just then a whoop rose from the pool, and Daws
on shouted, “Winners and still champions, Team Berke!”

  Kenzie and Lani clapped as the players climbed out of the pool, shook off the water, and grabbed towels. Dawson and Austin padded over to their table, where Dawson bent down and kissed Lani on the mouth. “Cold lips,” she said with an exaggerated shiver.

  “Warm heart,” he countered with a wink.

  Austin wrapped a towel around his waist and settled into the chair nearest Kenzie’s. The shade of the umbrella had shifted, and water droplets on his shoulders caught sunlight, adding sparkle to his tanned, taut skin. His blue-green eyes found hers, his expression unreadable. She looked away.

  “Good game, Boyd. Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  Dawson headed toward the poolside grill, and Lani followed. They laughed and stole kisses as he flipped burgers.

  Austin’s gaze flicked around the pool area, at the guests, the parking lot, and the balconies of the apartments overlooking the pool. Kenzie wondered if he thought any of the bikini-clad women were attractive or if he had someone special in Virginia waiting for him. None of your business, she told herself. “Lani wants to use Mamie in her Trailblazers program once the horse is strong enough, and Ciana’s already expressed interest in keeping the horse at Bellmeade. Lani’s asked to bring the kids out to meet Mamie on Saturday. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s a good idea. And thank you for asking my opinion.”

  “Well, as you keep reminding me, we are a team.”

  The soft buzz of conversation from the pool deck, an occasional laugh, the smoky scent of grilling burgers, pitch-perfect weather, and Austin’s solid presence gave Kenzie a sense of well-being she’d hadn’t felt in months. If only she could put the feeling in a box, store it, take it out to ward off memories of what she could not change. No control.

  She took a deep breath. “We should probably leave after we eat.”

  He rolled his shoulders. “The horses are covered a hundred percent. The guys will handle everything, so we don’t have to leave too early. That is, if we’re having a good time. I know I am. How about you?”

  She felt a flare of anxiety, remembered Lani’s words about rolling with whatever comes along. “What about Blue? You know how he is around strange men.”

  “Are you saying all men are strange?”

  “Well, now that you mention it…”

  He grinned, and she matched it with a smile of her own.

  “All the guys have to do is feed him. We’ll put Blue in his stall when we get back. Don’t worry. Kick back. It’s okay to have a good time.”

  She saw his grin deepen and something bloom in his eyes that made her heart beat faster. “Then I say let’s go eat.”

  He stood and offered his hand, and she took it. His palm was calloused from work. She felt the strength of him leaching through her skin, and she curled into the calming, pleasant feeling.

  * * *

  —

  Austin was by her side all evening, meeting people whose names Kenzie would never remember, hearing funny stories from Dawson’s fellow construction workers and shoptalk from nurses. A cake was brought out and everyone clapped. A surprised Lani asked, “What’s this?”

  The engaged couple’s names were written in green icing and twined together like vines across a blanket of thick, snow-white frosting. Dawson kissed Lani to more applause and the clicks of phones snapping photos. Music poured through speakers, and as the sun sank, underwater lights lit the cool water. Swimmers returned to the pool, but Austin remained by Kenzie’s side, and together they lingered as night oozed across the sky. As the party wound down, Austin leaned into her and said, “We’d better go. I didn’t ask the guys to cover the morning feeding.”

  She startled, realizing she’d been lost in the magic of the evening. On the ride along the dark country back roads to Bellmeade, she listened to Austin’s thumbs drumming on the steering wheel, keeping rhythm to songs from the radio. He tapped the buttons frequently to keep the music flowing. Kenzie hummed under her breath, until he hit a station conducting a sports interview and she heard the unmistakable drawl of a voice that shattered her sense of well-being.

  “So with five full-ride scholarship offers, it was hard to choose. But today I signed with Alabama.”

  Austin aimlessly punched to another station and another riff of music. “I like this song. How about you?”

  She didn’t answer, and he gave her a curious sidelong look. He seemed surprised to see not the mellow, smiling Kenzie who’d gotten into the car with him, but another version instead—Kenzie sitting ramrod straight, hands balled into fists in her lap, and acting nothing like the girl who’d left the pool party with him.

  As soon as Austin pulled into the parking area at Bellmeade’s front barn, Kenzie hopped out of the car. “Wait,” he called. “I’ll walk you home.”

  “No need,” she tossed over her shoulder, leaving before he shut off the engine.

  He scrambled from the car, watched her figure recede across the dark lawn, saw Soldier standing alert, his attention pivoting between Kenzie and Austin. “Go!” he said to the dog, and the shepherd ran, caught up with Kenzie, and matched her pace to the bungalow.

  Austin grabbed Kenzie’s empty cooler from the backseat and stood on the bunkhouse porch until he saw the internal lights glow just as Soldier trotted up to him. “She tell you good night? Because she didn’t tell me good night.” The dog’s tail wagged. Austin flipped open the cooler, took out a single cooked burger he’d pilfered from the pool party, broke it, and dropped the pieces onto the lawn. “I didn’t forget you, buddy.”

  Later, Austin settled into bed, fingers locked behind his head, sorting through Kenzie’s strange behavior. What had happened to set her off? She’d been reluctant about going to the party, but after the water polo game and her conversation with Lani, she’d seemed to enjoy herself. They had eaten burgers together beneath the yellow umbrella, and she’d later held his hand while Lani dragged them around to meet bridesmaids, groomsmen, and attendants. He’d instinctively known that she was “crowd shy” and that her hand in his was nothing personal, simply a way for her to be social around strangers. He hadn’t minded. His palm held the memory of her small hand clasped in his. That afternoon, he’d thought she was beginning to trust him. He needed her to trust him.

  When had things gone wrong? He closed his eyes, replayed scenes in his head. All was well until the drive home. She’d seemed content, even tossed him smiles and eye rolls whenever he sang along with a familiar song. He had changed stations frequently, and with one exception of some guy talking sports, had kept the music flowing during the ride. Austin struggled to recapture the words of the male voice and failed. He’d quickly changed the station, and seconds later, when he’d glanced at her, he’d seen that she’d gone rigid in the seat. What had been the trigger? He couldn’t recall the list of songs they’d heard, but perhaps one held a bad memory….A breakup song?

  He rubbed his eyes, still stinging from the chlorine. Or was the sting from Kenzie? He poked his phone, saw that it was after midnight, and knew that six-thirty would come quickly. He needed some sleep. Maybe during the morning feeding he could wheedle an explanation from her. They were a team; she had said so. He’d never had this much trouble getting close to a woman before. Kenzie Caine was a whole new ball game. He had to figure her out before he could finish the job he’d agreed to do.

  * * *

  —

  The delectable scents of frying bacon and fresh coffee, not his phone alarm, woke Austin before six the next morning. Groggily he got up, showered, shaved, dressed, and went into the main area of the bunkhouse. The large living space held sofas and comfortable chairs, along with a large-screen TV. At the far end of the room was an industrial-sized open kitchen and a large farmhouse-style table. Delores, the cook, stood over the stove, stirring a giant cast-iron skillet of scramble
d eggs.

  “Morning,” Austin said, pouring himself a mug of black coffee.

  “Mornin’ to you, too, Mr. Austin.” Delores beamed him a smile. She always put a “Mr.” in front of the men’s names, even though he’d told her it wasn’t necessary.

  Jon had three full-time hires working with him: a local guy from Murfreesboro, another from Wyoming, and Miguel, Delores’s husband. Miguel and Delores were an older couple, from a ranch in Texas where Jon had grown up. Rumor had it that the pair came up every spring and summer to work at Bellmeade and returned to Texas when Tennessee’s colder weather settled in.

  “Tortillas or biscuits with your eggs? I made fresh salsa too.”

  “How about all three?”

  Delores laughed. “Of course.”

  He settled at the table with his coffee and thumbed through morning messages on his phone, mostly junk mail. The other men staggered in sleepy-eyed, poured themselves coffee, and sat down just as Delores set heaping bowls of hot food on the table. A stack of plates and utensils were clustered in the table’s center. “No tofu?” Austin joked, making Delores giggle like a schoolgirl.

  “Can you find some cream puffs for Pretty Boy here?” Scooter, from Wyoming, drawled.

  “Maybe some of that fancy English marmalade too,” added Clyde, the local guy. “Man’s got a hard day ahead.”

  Austin gave a good-natured shrug and dug into eggs and bacon. The two older men had nicknamed Austin “Pretty Boy” their first week at Bellmeade, openly resenting him because he kept to himself, always refusing to join them on their visits to town to blow off steam. He also knew they considered his job of helping Kenzie “soft” and “easy,” while they wrestled with ornery wild mustangs alongside Jon Mercer.

  “You shouldn’t tease,” Delores clucked, winking at Austin. “Mr. Austin works hard, same as you.”