by Maggie Ryan
“Man, for such a tiny thing, she’s got a lot of spunk,” Stryder said, “and I don’t just mean all over her shirt. What is the purpose of all that stuff?”
“Diversion. Kept the officials from lifting the tray and finding Adira,” Maddox said, watching as the truck and trailer pulled across the entrance to the road and remained idling when Maddox raised his hand to signal everything was all right.
When Adira returned, she was wearing a new t-shirt, rust colored this time, but had the same pissed off expression on her face. Flinging the soiled shirt in Maddox’s direction, she veered away, evidently planning on riding with Drake.
“Adira, get back here!” Maddox said.
“Fuck you!”
Enough was enough. Maddox was not a man who suffered temper tantrums well—especially when he’d done absolutely nothing to cause one, and not when her very safety depended on her listening and following instructions. Leaving the green, splattered shirt where it lay, he strode towards her. “I’m not playing games with you. Get in the truck.”
“I will,” she tossed over her shoulder, “but not in any truck with you!”
Quickening his pace, Maddox managed to snag her a few feet from the trailer. Slinging her over his shoulder for the second time that day, his hand descended with a sharp sound against her rear. Instead of quelling her, it seemed to set her off. Her fists drummed against his back, her feet kicked his chest, coming very, very close to his crotch. “Settle down!”
“Go to hell!”
“The only one going anywhere is you, brat, and it will be over my knee if you don’t stop right now!” Another crack sounded and she squealed, her hands flying back to cover her ass. Reaching the truck, he dumped her into the front seat and immediately had to grab a fistful of her t-shirt, hauling her back as she tried to climb across the seat and out the driver’s door. “Sit down!”
“Leave me alone!” she shouted, flailing at him as he attempted to fasten her seat belt. The moment it clicked closed, he leaned closer.
“Unbuckle that at your own risk. One more sound, one more curse word, one more move, and I swear to God you’ll be kneeling all the way to the ranch because your ass will be so swollen and hot that you can’t bear to sit down! Is that clear?”
The interior of the cab was completely silent but she folded her arms across her chest, gave a single bob of her head and then stared out the windshield.
“What did you do? Take her batteries out?” Stryder teased.
“Shut the fuck up,” Maddox snarled at his brother as he slammed the door and moved around the front of the truck and slid into the driver’s seat. After a moment, he climbed out again, looking over the roof of the truck. “Give me the fucking keys!”
Stryder wisely remained silent as he tossed his brother the keys. He didn’t even flinch as Maddox gunned the engine. Instead, he picked up the green t-shirt, tossed it into the bed of the truck and then went to join his brother and father.
Was she really going to ignore him for the three hours it would take to get to the ranch? Evidently she was as they moved into the third hour with nothing but the twang of country western songs on the radio. Hell, she didn’t even turn her head to look out either window… no, she was as still as a statue, her arms still crossed and her gaze straight ahead.
“You have five more minutes before I’m pulling over,” he said casually, getting absolutely no response. “Four minutes.” Still nothing, not a single muscle twitched. “Two.” He had to give her credit for her stamina to maintain her pout even if that same ability was about to have him pull over and blister her ass. “You really, really don’t want me to pull over. It was an accident and I’ve apologized.” Watching the digital clock tick over for the fifth time, he sighed and flipped his turn signal on. The moment the tires began to drift to the shoulder, she finally reacted.
“Make up your mind! You told me to shut up and sit still. You threatened to spank me… again!”
“I didn’t mean you had to be silent the entire drive—”
Evidently with permission given to speak, she had plenty to say as she interrupted. “I had… shit and urine and… some sort of white slime dripping on me. I smashed my head several times. Every time I tried bracing myself, the trunk flew up and slammed back down. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t scream for fear of swallowing God knows what, and you lied!”
“I didn’t.”
“You kept me in there longer than an hour!”
“No, you were only in there for about forty-five minutes,” he countered.
Her exaggerated huff told of her disbelief but she did slide her eyes towards him. “It was fucking awful.”
“Don’t cuss. I know it was awful but it’s over. Unless you wish to continue pouting?” He raised an eyebrow in question and at the shake of her head, her arms falling from their crossed position, he switched the turn signal off and pulled back onto the road. As she slumped against the door, he gave her a few moments to compose herself and then said, “There’s water in the cooler at your feet and some aspirin in the glove box.” After she’d taken three of the tablets and finished half a bottle of water, he thanked her when she offered him a bottle and began pointing out some landmarks.
“The mountains you see ahead are the Chisos. They contain Big Bend National Park. Do you like to hike?”
She nodded and he continued. “Then one day I’ll take you up to what is called The Window. It’s pretty amazing and offers an incredible view.” He went on to tell her that the Rio Grande ran through the area, as did the Chihuahuan Desert. It wasn’t long before he flipped the signal again, biting back a grin when she jumped a bit, then gave him a look as he chuckled. “This road leads to the ranch,” he explained as he made the turn.
“Are all ranches in Texas so far from anywhere?” she asked.
“Not all but the Black Stallion is,” he said. “We’re about two hours from the nearest store in Glenrock and the nearest neighbor.”
“Not very friendly, huh?”
“We are as friendly as most,” he said, “just nowhere near as trusting. Look.” He pointed to the right and listened as she gasped. Slowing the truck, he allowed it to roll to a stop so that she could watch. A herd of horses was galloping over a ridge, much like the Arabian stallions had done on her land. Not all were stallions but all were beautiful as they raced in the growing twilight.
“How many?” she asked, her fingertips pressed against the window pane.
“We have over a hundred head,” Maddox said, pressing down on the gas pedal again as the horses dropped over a hill. “Another reason we chose to build out here. We wanted to give our animals plenty of room to run free.”
“Run free,” she whispered, lowering her hand again.
Damn, he could have kicked himself, knowing she had felt nothing except captivity though it wasn’t really anything of the sort. A few minutes later, he pointed again. “Welcome to the Black Stallion Ranch.”
A ranch hand waved and once he’d opened the gates, Maddox drove beneath the arched iron sign, columns depicting rearing stallions flanking each side, the name of the ranch above them. He watched her looking around at the land, fence railing bordering the road, pastures on either side. Climbing the rise, he took the right fork and stopped the truck in front of the stables where the trailer had already pulled up.
“This is but one stable,” he explained as he turned off the ignition. “We’ve got several scattered over the ranch.”
She nodded and reached for the door handle. “Wait,” he instructed, exiting the cab and walking around to open her door. She’d already unbuckled her seat belt and when he offered her his hand, she hesitated but accepted it, stepping down onto the running board and then giving a little hop to get to the ground, also offering a little groan.
“Sorry,” he said, “I know you must be a little stiff.” She shot him a look that he interpreted as “you think?” but didn’t say anything. Instead, she released his hand and stretched. He felt his cock stir yet
again as the move molded her t-shirt against her breasts when she arched backwards. It was the sound of doors slamming that had him looking away. “We’ll unload and then go on to the house.”
“Okay,” she said and moved to the fence. He smiled when she climbed up the rails to sit on the top one, obviously ready to watch the stallions being led into their new home.
There were four of them and four horses, so it didn’t take long to unload the trailer. Maddox waited until the other three stallions were being led through the stable doors before giving her stallion’s cheek a pat. “I admit I’m shameless, but I’m counting on you to help our little lady feel better. Don’t let me down, all right?” he said, grinning when the horse bobbed his head. Leading him down the ramp, he’d barely walked five feet when the stallion stopped abruptly, lifted his head and whinnied loudly.
Adira’s cry was not one of pain or despair, it was one of pure joy as she jumped from the fence and raced towards him. “Oh my God, how… Zephyr… oh, God.”
Maddox stood back, holding the lead rope loosely, amazed as the tiny woman flung her arms around the huge stallion’s neck. The horse was capable of trampling a grown man and yet Zephyr blew softly, nuzzling Adira’s body as if he were no larger than a kitten.
“I wanted you to know that you aren’t alone,” Maddox said softly.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” she said.
Grinning, he moved forward and held out the rope. “Why don’t you say, welcome to Texas and take him in?”
Nodding, she gave him the first real smile he’d seen, her entire being glowing as she took the rope and after kissing the horse’s cheek, led him into the stable.
The others had already headed to the house but Maddox knew that Adira needed to spend some time with her horse. He stood on one side, she the other as they brushed every inch of Zephyr’s coat. She spoke softly, often pausing to simply press her cheek against the stallion’s body as if seeking strength. Maddox exchanged his curry brush for an apple, giving it to her to feed him.
“No, you do it,” she said softly. When he had, running his palm along the velvet cheek, she said, “Thank you.”
“You can walk from the house to the stables through the trees,” Maddox said. “But we’ll take the truck.” She didn’t protest, allowing him to help her into the truck, not fussing as he fastened her seat belt. As they retraced their path, turning left at the fork, ascending an incline that would bring them over another rise, he heard her gasp at the sight of the ranch house that stood on a ridge. It looked as if it were part of the mountain that formed the backdrop, the sprawling house nowhere near as magnificent as her home in Dubai but it had something he preferred. Instead of pristine marble and sharp angles, the logs that formed the walls of his home seemed to offer shelter, the mountains protection, and the woman standing on the porch waving a tea-towel looked ready to open her arms and accept a scared stranger and offer her comfort.
“That’s Jennie,” he said, as he lifted her down once again. “She’s our housekeeper, our surrogate mom, quite a character and, I promise you, the best friend a person could ever have.”
Though she looked quite skeptical, the moment Jennie ran down the steps of the porch and wrapped her arms around Adira, the young woman clung to her and promptly burst into tears.
Chapter 11
It wasn’t like Adira to cry, let alone to sob in a complete stranger’s arms, but now she had done so with two people in a very short time frame. She really felt she had shed the last tear left in her body with Maddox, and honestly couldn’t fathom that there was any more salty fluid inside her bloodshot and swollen eyes. But the minute she saw Jennie extend her arms for an embrace, the floodgates released again. Maybe it was Jennie’s warm brown eyes that had flecks of gold along the iris, or her large, crooked-toothed smile that silently told Adira that everything was going to be all right and she could trust this aging woman offering kindness. Maybe it was the way the curly gray hair on the woman’s head messily rested whichever way it chose, clearly displaying that Jennie paid little or no attention to taming her spiraled locks. The bright colors of her flowing skirt that rested at her ankles, exposing her bare feet was like a beacon of light—a soft hue during a dark storm. And when Adira all but collapsed, her head on the woman’s shoulder, the spicy scent of patchouli wafted up Adira’s nostrils. The fragrance reminded her of a hookah lounge back in Dubai she had frequented a few times with Farrah, which only added to the tears she shed with the memory of her dead cousin.
“You cry all you want, dear,” Jennie cooed as she patted Adira’s back gently. “Don’t you hold that grief inside. It will eat at your soul until you have nothing but a black energy that will swallow you up.”
Not wanting to allow herself to be overcome by the dark abyss of sorrow, Adira summoned all the strength she could to fight off the urge of collapsing right there on the foot of the porch and never being able to stop the tears from falling. Her sobs quickly turned into hiccups, and the hiccups eventually turned to sniffles. Adira didn’t know how long she wept in the lady’s embrace, but when she pulled away enough to look into Jennie’s amber-colored eyes, highlighted by thin crow’s feet earned by years of laughter, Adira instantly felt better.
“I’m sorry. I…” she paused and noticed the wet spot on Jennie’s embroidered white tunic, “I got you wet.” She wiped at her eyes, and glanced over her shoulder where Maddox stood with worry washed over his face. She shouldn’t care what he thought, because it was unlikely he was judging or thinking poorly of her, but knowing he was watching her during another moment of weakness made her feel self-conscious.
“There isn’t a thing to apologize for,” Jennie said as she reached for Adira’s hand and started pulling her up the stairs of the porch. “You have a lot of demons you’ll have to battle with during your stay here, but I’ll do my best to offer a shoulder any time you want it.” Jennie smiled at Maddox and the rest of the men who stood around helplessly, silenced by the awkwardness of Adira’s burst of emotion. “Why don’t I show you your room so you can get settled in? I’ll be starting supper soon, but afterwards, one of the boys will give you a proper tour of Black Stallion Ranch.” She said the last part of the sentence with so much pride her entire face lit up with joy as the words left her mouth.
Jennie squeezed her hand gently. Her hand was soft, and the coolness of the silver and gold of the rings—adorned with large varied stones of turquoise, amethyst, and jade—that Jennie wore on every finger, contrasted with the warmth of her palm.
“Were you able to get into town and pick up some clothes with the sizes I gave you?” Maddox asked.
“I sure was. Everything is all set up. This isn’t my first rodeo, you know.” Jennie pulled Adira gently over the threshold of the large house and called over her shoulder, “Supper’s at five. You boys go do whatever you boys do. Adira and I will be just fine.”
Adira turned her head just in time to see Maddox’s tight expression ease a bit as the deep breath he took seemed to relax his shoulders. It was the first time that she had ever seen him look… comfortable. He didn’t say anything but he did make eye contact, silently asking if Adira would be all right going with Jennie. She wasn’t sure why she knew what he was thinking, but she offered a small smile and a nod of the head to put his mind at ease.
Walking into the foyer fully, Adira was surprised at what she saw. The entrance of the cabin wasn’t anything like what she had expected when she was told she would be going to a ranch in the middle of nowhere Texas. Large heavy timber beams fastened with huge bolts hung up above, accentuating the high open space of the room with the beauty of the custom wood. An impressive staircase, lined with a hand carved railing of distressed wood, led to the open second story that shared the same ceiling as the downstairs. Nothing was closed in, and the vast amount of space made Adira feel like the size of an ant. The walls were composed of one log placed against another, polished with a glossy finish. She could only smell and hear the crackling of
a fire in the other room, which she assumed was the main living area, but Jennie was leading her down a hallway that curved under the massive staircase. The pitter-patter of Jennie’s bare feet on the large slate-tiled floor, and the light click of the heels of Adira’s sandals echoed against the wooden walls as she was escorted down a hallway lit by vintage-looking lanterns that were reclaimed enough to be modern, but old enough to be charming. There was so much to take in with the simple grandeur of the house, but the woman tugging her along had a mission, and Adira could already tell in this short amount of time since meeting her that getting in the way of Jennie’s goals would be a losing battle. Her curiosity would have to be quenched later. Hopefully Maddox would give her the grand tour, or she would have the opportunity to explore a bit on her own. She had never been to America before, and the fact that she was in an honest to goodness Texas cabin on a ranch fascinated her.
“The house is lovely,” Adira said as she glanced up at a large chandelier made out of rod iron interwoven with the antlers of some form of wild game—masculine yet intricately artistic.
“Oh it is. It’s a true labor of love of the Steeles. Wait until they show you around. Everything you see they either built or had a big hand in the creation. This house is who they are. It’s what makes them live and breathe. If you ever want to know anything about one of the boys, you just have to look around. The house will answer it for you.” Jennie opened a large wooden door that looked as if it were made from the wood of an old barn or farmhouse. “This is the guest room where you will be staying.” Walking into the room first, she moved to the side so Adira could get a good look at what she would now be calling home.
A four post king size bed sat in the middle of the room. The large wooden posts on each corner looked as if someone had gone in and hand carved each tiny flower that ran along each length of wood. The headboard was also intricately carved with roses, tulips, daisies, and delicate ivy with leaves. It reminded Adira of a bed you would see in a fairytale or a woodland cottage that belonged to a magical pixie or princess. The bed spread was a patchwork quilt with flowers and warm colors. Different shapes and sizes of material were expertly sewn together, resulting in art rather than a simple blanket.
