Chance parked in an empty field along with everyone else enjoying the beautiful fall day. She grabbed Hayes by the hand. “Come on. Let’s have some fun.”
Chapter Ten
Hayes held tight as she led him toward the wagon loading area. After a brief chat with one of the workers, she pointed to the wagon. “Hop on. Let’s go find us some pumpkins.”
“Are we going to carve them?”
The childlike anticipation and wonder in his voice and face thrilled her. Who would have thought a buff, sexy as sin man would get so excited about a round, orange squash? “Nope, you are.”
They walked to the flat, hay-covered wagon. Hayes gripped her around the waist and lifted until she could clamber up. The excitement of him touching her fluttered in her stomach as if she were a teenager being looked at by the cutest boy in school. Next Hayes jumped up and let his legs dangle over the side. Chance scooted next to him and took his hand in hers. He stared down at that, their fingers clasped together, for a moment. She wondered what thoughts were swimming inside his head but then he lifted his face into the sunshine, took a deep breath and let a smile spread across his lips.
They bounced and giggled through the field, Hayes pointing at pumpkins on the ground and marveling at their size and shape. The wind blew his shoulder-length hair around his face. Every time he pushed it back she watched how his thick arms moved. Chance found herself mesmerized by how at home he appeared to be. Maybe he’d have the opportunity to live this life. All she had to do was figure out how to free him.
“I’d like to have a farm someday.”
It wasn’t hard to miss the sadness and longing in his tone. He’d make a good farmer. She knew it without a doubt. “Maybe you will.”
The tractor came to stop, jarring her into his side. Hayes let loose a deep, rich laugh that warmed her from the inside out. He hopped down onto the ground, gripped her by the waist and lowered her to her feet.
“Grab as many as you’d like,” she told him, still standing with her body pressed against his. Why did it feel so right to be close to him? Why, when everything inside her normally would push away, did she feel the need to climb his body and wrap herself around him?
“Does it matter what size?” he asked, pushing a few stray hairs out of her face.
Chance shook her head, loving the feel of his fingers skimming over her cheek. With his arm around her, they walked the rows until he stopped, knelt and inspected an oblong pumpkin weighing about forty pounds. Hayes rolled it over, brushed off the dirt and looked up at her.
“We found our first one.”
“Good. I’ll put it on the wagon while you keep looking.”
“Uh, how ’bout I carry it?”
“I’m capable of carrying a pumpkin. Hand it over.” She stood there with her arms out. Hayes shrugged and gently laid it in her arms. She almost collapsed to her knees. Holy cow, what grew inside these things, boulders?
“Sure you don’t want me to carry it?”
The cocky look on his face only strengthened her resolve to prove she could do this. “I got it. Go find another one.” Even she could hear the strain in her voice. With each step she took, it seemed the wagon got farther away. Finally she heaved the monstrosity onto the wagon and groaned as her arms trembled.
After catching her breath, she turned to find Hayes coming toward her with two equally big pumpkins in his arms, walking as if they weighed no more than a pound each. Showoff, but a sexy showoff. The pride on his face at finding such prizes warmed her heart.
“That makes three,” he said, dropping them onto the wagon. “How many more?”
“Keep looking,” she said with a laugh. “We’ll get as many as we can before the tractor leaves without us.”
They wandered around the field for half an hour before the man shouted it was time to go. To her surprise, Hayes joined the kids in song during the ride back. When they finished the children showed him their pumpkins with pride. Hayes made a big deal over their choices. So she learned something else about the man. He liked children and knew how to communicate with them. Another impressive quality to add to the growing list.
After paying for their haul they began the task of carrying them to the car. By the time they made their second trip the bruised muscles in her back began to protest in a very loud way. Her attempt to hide her discomfort failed miserably. Whether she gasped and grimaced too loudly or Hayes had been paying attention, it resulted in her getting a tongue lashing. And not the kind that made women scream in pleasure.
“Damn it, Chance,” he groused, slamming the car door shut. “Your body is bruised deeply and carryin’ these is only gonna make the pain worse. Stop bein’ so stubborn and let me do it.”
She would have argued but a spasm hit that stole her breath. “Okay.” She opened up the driver’s door and sat down, bending over to stretch the muscles.
Hayes squatted down in front of her. “That’s it? No fight?”
“Nope. I’ll wait here.” A twisting pain cramped her shoulder, making her wince.
“Let me help,” he whispered. “I can take it away.”
“No. I just need to rest a moment.”
“It’s okay for you to heal me but I can’t return the favor,” he snarled.
“It isn’t the same thing, Hayes. I’ll be fine. I promise. Bring the rest of the pumpkins and by the time you’re done I’ll be ready to continue with our day.” She tried to project through her voice the illusion that all was fine while her muscles tightened and knotted into fists of agony.
“It won’t take me long,” he grumbled and then hurried back for the rest.
She waited until he was halfway to the barn before groaning and falling forward, bending in half and doing her best to release the cramp. When she thought nothing would give her relief, the cramp finally let go. Even as Hayes headed toward her the gripping discomfort relaxed. Plastering a smile on her face, she stood.
“See, told you I’d be fine.”
He made a harrumph sound, put the last pumpkin in the car and closed the door. Stepping in front of her, Hayes jammed his fists on his hips and stared at her. After long moments of him studying her face, he rubbed his chin.
“Okay, now what?”
“Now we go see the horses.”
“Horses?”
“Yep, they have horses that they sometimes let visitors ride. I thought you might like to take a look.” The beaming smile on his face suggested she thought right.
As they neared the field, Hayes rushed toward the gate. Like a child, he gripped the metal with his hands and scanned the area. Eight horses grazed without a care, but then something odd happened. All eight, at the same time, lifted their heads and gazed back at him. Chance eased up beside him quietly.
In unison the horses moved, heading straight for them. While she watched with her mouth gaping open, Hayes grinned and reached out with his hand, almost beckoning them to him. One by one the horses approached, nuzzled his face and then stepped aside for the next to extend greetings.
“What’s happening?” She’d never seen anything like it and apparently neither had the owner. The odd welcoming attracted him.
“Um, Hayes. I don’t know what you did but I’m not sure this guy likes it.” She hoped whatever hocus-pocus he used would vanish before they were joined by a scowling, older man. Nope, no such luck.
“You have a way with horses,” the older gentleman commented.
Each animal made a grunting noise while jerking its head. If Chance didn’t know any better she’d swear they were asking Hayes to come into the field. Very, very odd.
“Would it be all right if I step inside with them?” Hayes asked.
The older man glanced between Hayes and the agitated horses. “Why not?”
Hayes hopped over the fence. As soon as his feet hit the ground the horses circled and continued nuzzling. Hayes laughed, patted their necks and rubbed their sides, each one demanding more attention from him as the seconds passed. Hayes talked softly to
them, murmuring how beautiful they were.
“Not as beautiful as she is,” he said, jerking his thumb toward her. “But close enough.”
Those words alone shocked her. Add in the fact that each horse came toward her, greeting her with the same affection they did Hayes, Chance thought she’d stepped into a parallel universe. After a few moments she couldn’t help but giggle and return the affection. Big, fat horse lips tickled her cheek and neck as they gave their version of kisses.
Hayes urged her into the field, helped her over the fence and kept her close to his side as the gentle animals surrounded them. One sniffed at her back relentlessly, putting its nose right between her shoulders where her body had taken the blunt blow. After a moment the mare snorted and then stomped her foot.
“What’s she doing?” Chance whispered the words, clinging to Hayes.
“She senses your injury, darlin’. Probably knows it happened with violence.” Hayes laid his hand on the mare’s neck, calming her. “There, she knows I didn’t do it.”
“How?”
“I told her.”
Hayes continued fawning over the animals as she tried to absorb that. He told her? As if the horse understood human language?
“Don’t go spoiling my horses,” the old man told them. “I have to get back to work.”
“Thank you, sir, for allowin’ us to visit them.” Hayes gave a graceful bow from the waist. The old man probably didn’t see it but she did.
“Take as long as you want.”
With the owner gone now, Chance wanted answers. “What’s going on, Hayes? Are you actually communicating with them?”
“Sure am.”
She waited for an explanation. None came. Frustrated, she stomped her foot. “Tell me.”
“Animals sense magic, just like they sense the good and bad in people,” he explained.
“So they’d react like that to another genie?” Interesting.
“Not necessarily. If the genie were bad, carried the stench of evil, they wouldn’t come close. Hell, they’d be on the other side of the field in a rampage.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t explain you talking to them. Can you really do that?”
“Yeah. I think, they hear. It isn’t so complicated, Chance. Hard to believe for you, yep, but I’ve been livin’ this a long time. It’s the only perk I’ve found.” He patted a mare on the rump and she leaned against him heavily, nearly knocking him over.
“Does this work with all animals?”
“Yep. Insects, birds, rabbits. I can even communicate with nature.”
“Get out! You talk to plants and trees?” She had her own nature whisperer here.
“Not so much talk, but feel. It’s complicated to explain. Magic touches everythin’, darlin’. Mortals simply choose to be blind to it.”
She wanted to see, feel, hear. “Teach me.”
“Don’t have to. I didn’t tell these beauties to make up to ya. They sensed who you are, felt your compassion for all livin’ things.” When she frowned, he continued. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how small animals don’t scurry away from ya when they should?”
No, she hadn’t, but then she always had her head elsewhere, thinking about the next project or if she’d be able to get her bills paid for the month. Even trying to live simply distracted her, it seemed. Chance frowned at her lack of observation. Perhaps if she paid closer attention the situation with Bill wouldn’t have escalated.
“Ah, I didn’t mean to upset you, Chance.” Hayes strolled over and cupped her cheek in his palm.
Out of nowhere one of the mares shoved his back, pushing him right into her. To keep her from falling, Hayes wrapped his arms around her. “You okay?”
Was she okay? Standing here in his embrace? Feeling his warm body pressed tight against hers? Yes and no. It felt right. It primed her up but for the first time she had the awful feeling he’d leave her. Where did that come from? “Yeah. I’m good. You say they sense things, right?” He nodded. “I guess they sense something about us?”
He turned his head away, clenched his jaw and blew out a frustrated breath. “Did you say they had a market? I’d like to see it.”
She wanted to scream and pound on his chest. He’d have sex with her over and over but when they finished he returned to the all-proper genie. She hated that. She wanted the real Hayes, not this stiff, play it by the book robot. Chance shoved away from Hayes, gave each horse a tender pat and climbed back over the fence.
“Chance, wait.”
She could hear the metal gate clank as he climbed over and then his hard footsteps racing up behind her. “They sell a lot of homemade canned goods. I think I’ll take a look around and see what I can find,” she said without looking at him.
“You’re angry with me.”
His low voice rumbled across her flesh, making the tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickle, causing her to feel the chill in the air that much more. Not sure how to respond to him, Chance shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and picked up her pace.
“Look, they even have decorative gourds for sale. I think I’ll take some back to the shop.” She could use them to decorate with and even sell them and yeah, she was ignoring Hayes. This wasn’t the time or the place to discuss personal issues.
They both wandered through the tables of homemade jams, canned peaches, pears, hot peppers, everything she could think of. Chance made some selections and noticed Hayes eyeing some jeans and shirts hanging on a used clothing rack. Suddenly Chance felt awful. He’d been with her what, four days, and had been wearing the same clothes. She should have thought about that.
“What’d ya find?”
Hayes dropped the sleeve of a shirt he’d been rubbing between his fingers. “Nothin’. Just lookin’. What all did you find?” His sudden interest in the jars loaded in her arms made her grin. “Here, let me help you carry those.”
“That shirt would look good on you.” Chance lifted the hanger off the makeshift rack. “Looks like it would fit.” She found two more in different colors and the same size. “What size jeans do you wear?”
“What are you doin’?”
“A man can’t wear the same clothes day after day. It isn’t right.” She grabbed a pair of jeans, slightly worn, and inspected them.
“Chance, don’t.”
She ignored the sad warning. And yes, sadness seemed to lace every word he spoke lately. Damn it, if she wanted to buy him clothes she would. “These look like they’d fit.”
“Chance, stop. I don’t need anythin’. If you want me to wear somethin’ different I’ll conjure new clothes.”
If she wanted him to wear something different? Oh didn’t that bite right through her skin. “This isn’t about what I want,” she snapped in a hushed voice. “I don’t care what you wear, hell, you could walk around naked.” And a quick flash of that sight popped into her head. Taut skin, defined muscles, miles of defined muscles. She nearly moaned.
“I don’t want them,” he growled back at her.
“Too bad.” She turned her back and strutted toward the table where she could pay. Waves of irritation rolled from Hayes as the older woman added up her total. She nearly laughed when she caught a glimpse of his irritated, confused face. The poor man didn’t have a clue how to handle her. Good. He needed his life to be slightly off-kilter once in a while.
The older woman bagged the goods and Chance grabbed them before Hayes. Her fast pace back to the car made him take longer strides to keep up, but she had no doubt it was no inconvenience to him. Not with those long legs of his. When they both slid into the car Hayes let out a long sigh, rubbed his temples and looked a bit defeated.
“Well, I don’t know about you but that’s exactly what I needed.”
“It was fun,” he muttered.
“Stick with me, Hayes, and you’ll learn what real fun is.” She started the car and suppressed a grin when he muttered.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
The ride home
turned out to be enjoyable. Hayes temporarily gave up his mad and relaxed. Chance stopped at a small roadside diner where she bought him lunch. To the average person they were a couple on a date. And yeah, that’s the way she chose to see it as well. At least for today she ignored the fact that this handsome man was over a hundred years old and loaded with magic.
By the time she neared her home anxiety started to set in. Her stomach rolled, souring the chili she ate, and her palms began to sweat. When she pulled into her driveway she couldn’t stop looking around for any sign of Bill. Silly really. He wouldn’t dare come back, not after tangling with Hayes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she answered with entirely too much cheer in her voice. The closer she got to her house the more panic took over, causing her heart to race and her head to spin.
She wouldn’t allow this. One flaming ass would not disrupt the peaceful life she built for herself. Nope, she had to get it together.
The little pep talk almost worked too. Her body calmed slightly. When she parked in front of her porch, everything seemed normal. That brief moment of peace and confidence withered rapidly at the sight of her pumpkin lying on the ground smashed. A strangled gasping sound slipped from her throat.
Hayes jerked his head around. “What is it?”
Her lips moved but no sound came out. All she could do was point. Her beautiful pumpkin Hayes carved for her, the one with her likeness, lay on its side with her face smashed in.
“Stay in the car,” he snarled and then quickly bolted out the door.
In a blur of unnatural movement, Hayes rushed to the porch, knelt down and inspected the pumpkin. He looked around, stood and glanced back toward her. Chance sat there gripping the wheel, knowing Bill had returned while they were out. What other damage had he done? Apparently Hayes wondered the same thing because in the blink of an eye he had gone from standing in front of the car to opening the barn door.
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