by Amy Harmon
Luke’s gaze rested on Liza’s bright pink fingernail polish, making him think of pink frilly curtains. “Uh, thanks, but I’m more of a wooden blinds kind of a guy. If I think of anything I need though, I’ll let you know.”
“All right.” Liza’s fingers fiddled under her chin. After a moment of silence, she blurted, “Would you like to go out some time? With me?”
Luke blinked. Go out with Liza? The thought had never occurred to him, not that he’d had much time to think about dating in general—beyond the bachelorette show and Taycee, that is. But now with Liza sitting across from him and asking him out, Luke still wasn’t interested. Not in Liza. Not in Missy. Only in Taycee—the girl who’d arranged for fifteen yards of manure to be dumped in his driveway and had asked Missy Green to make a move on him.
Go figure.
Luke glanced up and caught Liza watching him expectantly. Waiting. Oh right. She wanted to go out. “Um, yeah that would be fun. But I’ve actually got a lot going on right now. Can I take a rain check?”
Liza nodded and stood just as the diner door opened and Sterling walked in. “Sure, just let me know when.”
“Will do.”
Liza headed over to Sterling and took his order. When Sterling eyed the room for a place to sit, Luke gestured to the seat across from him. “Want to join me?”
“Uh, okay.” Sterling sat down with a wary expression on his face. “Did you need something?” Spittle landed on the table between them.
“Nope.” Luke pushed his juice aside, out of range. “It’s just that I know you have a date coming up with Taycee in a few days, so I thought I’d offer you the use of my horses if you want them.”
“Why?”
Luke shrugged as he reached for his wallet, tossing some bills onto the counter. “She loves to ride. I was planning to take her myself, but now that I’m off the show, I figured why not let someone else do it? But if you already have other plans, I can always see if Jake wants to use them.”
It was almost comical the way Sterling’s expression changed from wary to eager the moment Luke mentioned Jake. He leaned across the table. “No, no. I mean, I’d love to take her riding. I just don’t have a lot of experience with horses. Will that be a problem?”
Luke waved the concern aside. “Not at all. They used to be trail horses and are trained for inexperienced riders. There’s even a nice trail through the woods behind my house. All you have to do is point them in that direction, and they’ll take you straight to a beautiful meadow.”
“Really?”
“Really, really.”
Sterling smiled and nodded. “Okay. Yeah, that sounds nice. Let me think about it, and I’ll let you know.”
“Sure.” Luke stood and dropped a business card on the table. “That’s my number. Give me a call if you’re interested. I can have them saddled and ready to go whenever.”
Sterling picked up the card. “Thanks, Luke. That’s really nice of you.”
“No problem.” Luke patted Sterling’s shoulder as he left the diner with a smile. Despite the spitting issue, Sterling seemed like a decent guy—someone who was about to get a lucky break in the form of some extra time with Taycee Lynne.
And he’d have Luke to thank for it.
Chapter Twenty-one
“We’re taking Luke’s horses?” Taycee said to Sterling as he pulled his car to a stop. She didn’t know why the thought bothered her so much, but it did. That, and the fact they’d be riding in close proximity to Luke’s house. It was like she couldn’t get away from him. Why offer his horses anyway? Was he rooting for Sterling to win or something?
At least Taycee would be out of Sterling’s spitting range during the ride. That fact alone made her grudgingly grateful to Luke.
They walked around the house and found three horses already saddled and tethered to a fence. One for Sterling, one for Taycee, and one for Burt. There was a note affixed to the post:
Just fed and watered them, so they’re good to go. The dark brown mare is Chaos, the light brown gelding is Pants on Fire, and the brown and white one is Flirtatious (yeah, there’s a reason he’s now a gelding). Have them back whenever.
Taycee bit back a laugh as Sterling studied the animals with a worried expression. “Are you sure these horses are tame? Luke promised they’d be easygoing, but with names like those…”
“They’ll be fine,” Taycee said as they waited for Burt to get the camera set up several yards away. When he signaled he was ready, she unhooked Chaos from the rope, led it away from the others, and mounted easily. “Us females will stick together,” she said, patting Chaos’s neck.
Sterling didn’t respond. He was too busy fiddling with the rope. When he finally managed to free Flirtatious and try to mount, the horse side-stepped away and headed toward a well-worn trail at the back of Luke’s house.
Taycee had to muffle her giggles as Sterling tried and failed again. Finally, he managed to throw his stomach over the saddle, grab onto the horn, and swing his body around in an awkward move, but at least it worked.
Taycee looked over to see Burt shoulder the camera and swing up onto Pants on Fire. He trotted to catch up. “I’ll wait until we get out a ways, and then dismount to get some steady shots of you guys. That okay? We won’t need too much footage.”
“Fine by me.” A few minutes of camera-free time sounded great to Taycee. She spurred on Chaos—or, at least tried to. Apparently the mare preferred to walk, so Taycee settled back and let the horse meander down the path behind Flirtatious. Not the most thrilling of horseback rides, but at least Sterling was too preoccupied trying to find a comfortable position on the saddle to attempt conversation.
Taycee looked around at the beautiful surroundings, feeling an unwelcome memory tug at her heart. She, Luke, and Caleb used to spend hours and hours riding through these mountains when they were younger. They went camping one weekend, and at some point during the night, Taycee’s horse broke free and wandered off. Luke offered to give her a ride, so Taycee hopped up behind him and held on tight. It had been the best ride of her life.
She frowned and tried to spur on Chaos, as if she could outrun the memory and somehow put it behind her. But once again, Chaos refused. “Stubborn horse,” Taycee said.
Sterling looked back. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to take the lead. Normally, I’m a ladies go first kind of a guy.”
Taycee laughed. “Looks like your horse doesn’t agree with you.”
“I have no idea where I’m going,” Sterling called back to her. “Flirtatious won’t stop.”
“Don’t worry. There’s a happy little meadow a few miles down this trail. They’re probably trained to head there so just sit back and enjoy the ride.”
“If you say so.”
As they neared the meadow, Burt wanted to take the lead and get some footage, but Flirtatious still refused to stop, which made Taycee smile. Maybe the horse didn’t like being on camera either. When they finally arrived at the clearing, the horse finally stopped abruptly, nearly forcing Sterling to topple over his head. Pants on Fire and Chaos followed suit, reaching down to nibble at the grass.
Burt slid from his horse and started setting up the tripod. “I’d like to get some footage of the two of you riding for a bit, if that’s okay.”
“Sure.” Taycee tugged on the reins, but Chaos shook her head and continued to eat. She tried again, with no better luck, so she slid to the ground. “Um, I don’t think that’s going to happen. These horses obviously have minds of their own.”
“Well, how about you both hold the reins while you talk?” Burt made it sound so easy, as if she and Sterling should be bubbling over with topics they couldn’t wait to discuss.
“Okay,” Taycee hedged. “What do you want to talk about, Sterling?”
“How about how to get these horses to move.” He still sat on top of Flirtatious, tugging unsuccessfully at the reigns. When that didn’t work, he kicked the horses’ flank. “C’mon, move you stubborn animal.”
; “He wants to eat,” Taycee said, trying not to laugh. From the corner of her eye, she caught the light of the camera and searched her mind for something to say. Anything. “So what do you think of the meadow?”
“It’s nice.”
“There’s a waterfall on the other side of that rise over there. Want to see it?”
Sterling looked around. “We need to tie up the horses first. I don’t want them running off.”
This time Taycee giggled. “I really don’t think they’re going anywhere.”
“Says the girl who won’t be held accountable.”
“No,” Taycee said. “Says the girl who knows trail horses. Now, c’mon. We won’t be gone long.”
With an uncertain look, Sterling wrapped the reins around the saddle horn and slid awkwardly from the horse. Burt followed behind as Taycee led Sterling up and over a small rise to the river. Only about six feet tall, a small waterfall gushed with the spring runoff, spurring on the narrow river as it wound its way through the meadow. Being small herself, Taycee had always felt a kinship with the little fall. She’d spent hours and hours playing in it, unafraid to stand beneath it like some of the bigger ones. Luke had once even given it a name once: Taycee Lynne Falls.
“This is it?” Sterling said. His hands rested on his hips as he studied the waterfall. “Back in Washington, we have falls that are hundreds of feet tall. This is more like a trickle.”
“Maybe to you.” To her it was a special treasure. She walked over and placed her hand under the cold rush of water, loving how it splayed up her arm.
Sterling stepped up beside her. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around like he was bored. “Hungry?” he finally said. “I brought some food in my backpack.”
Taycee wasn’t hungry, but the sooner they ate, the sooner they could leave, so she nodded and followed him back to the horses. Sterling spread out a thin blanket before kneeling down, and Taycee sat as far from him as possible, hoping he wouldn’t notice. He handed her a slightly smashed sandwich. “I hope you like club.”
“Sounds great. Thanks.”
“No problem,” he said. “I take it you’re into horseback riding?”
Taycee leaned back on her palm and stretched her legs out. A gentle breeze trembled through the air, carrying with it a scent of earth and pines. She breathed it in. “Yeah, although it’s been awhile. When I was younger we used to go riding all the time.”
“We?”
“My brother and I.” And Luke, although Taycee kept that part to herself.
Sterling took a big bite and studied the horses while he chewed. Small bits of sandwich flew from his mouth, making Taycee grateful he wasn’t facing her. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“Yeah. He graduated from law school awhile ago. Right now he’s with a large firm in Phoenix, but he’s hoping to move back here and start a practice soon.”
“I can’t imagine there would be much business in Shelter—especially lately.”
Taycee rested her sandwich on her lap, not liking what Sterling implied. “He’ll probably look closer to Colorado Springs. But Caleb’s the type of guy who will be successful wherever he decides to practice law.”
“He really should stay with a big firm for a while and get some experience. At least that’s what I’d do.”
“Well, Caleb isn’t you.” Or, at least Taycee hoped he wasn’t. Lately, she was beginning to wonder. And worry.
“He’s going to have a hard time of it then,” Sterling said. “It’s important to get several years of experience with an established firm before you set off on your own.”
Taycee leveled him a look. Sterling didn’t even know Caleb. Who was he to say how much work experience her brother needed? It hit a nerve. “He’s been working sixty to eighty hour work weeks for a couple of years now. If he keeps that up, he’s going to forget there’s more to life than work. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
Sterling set down his sandwich and looked straight at her, his face serious. “That’s what I’m doing right now. It’s called putting in your time. Someday I’ll make partner and it will all pay off.”
“That’s a matter of opinion,” said Taycee, knowing she needed to change the subject before she said something she might regret. “By the way, how did you get the time off for this if you’re… uh… still putting in your time?”
“I’m using all the PTO time I’ve accrued.”
“Oh.” Taycee immediately wished she hadn’t asked the question. She didn’t want to hear about the sacrifices these guys made to be here. It made everything too real, too heavy. She preferred to believe that everyone felt the same as her. That this was a silly competition benefitting a good cause—not something worth investing too much money or emotion or PTO time in. Yet deep down, Taycee knew these guys were doing exactly that. The knowledge didn’t settle well.
“What about you?” Sterling said, brushing crumbs from his shorts. “Is living in Shelter Springs and arranging flowers something you want to do for the rest of your life?”
“Yes,” Taycee said without hesitation. “I’m happy here.”
He nodded. “So what happens if you fall for one of us bachelors? What then? Are you planning to ask whoever it is to drop everything and move here?”
Taycee shifted in her seat and picked at a nonexistent piece of lint. It was a fair question and one she should have been prepared for. But she wasn’t. Probably because she never thought a few dates could lead to a discussion like this. Yet here it was, waiting for an answer.
A few blades of grass tickled her palm, and Taycee tugged on them, uprooting them from their home—the same thing Sterling thought she should be willing to do.
“No,” she finally said. “I would never expect anyone to pick up and move here for me. But if I do make a lasting connection with someone, I’d hope we’d both be willing to compromise.”
Sterling nodded and took another bite of his sandwich. “Fair enough,” he said, as if they’d reached their own compromise.
But Taycee didn’t feel like they had at all. The fact was, she wasn’t falling for any of the bachelors and would never be willing to compromise. She suddenly felt like the type of person who was okay with stringing people along in a game where the stakes had suddenly increased—stakes that were never supposed to get this high.
They continued to eat in relative silence, and as the sun dropped closer to the horizon, Taycee finally said, “It’s starting to get dark. We should probably head back.”
“Okay.”
Sterling repacked the backpack while Taycee folded the blanket. Once Burt had secured his camera equipment, she walked to Chaos’s side and swung up on the horse’s back. After a gentle prod on the reigns, Chaos lifted her head, only to drop it back down and continue to nibble. A stronger tug produced the same results, only this time Chaos took two steps further into the meadow.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Taycee slid to the ground and pulled hard on the reins, trying to lead the horse from the meadow and back toward the trail. Sterling and Burt weren’t having any better luck.
Taycee surveyed the scene as an uneasy thought struck. Trail horses were stubborn, lazy animals. But given enough time to graze, they should be willing to head back. Unless, that is, they were used to following a certain leader and that certain leader wasn’t here.
No, Luke wouldn’t.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He would—just not without a good reason.
Did he have a good reason? An uneasy thought came to Taycee’s mind, accompanied by an uneasy feeling. Luke couldn’t possibly know about Missy or the manure, could he? Carl would never say anything, and Missy, well… she promised not to either.
The uneasiness magnified.
Luke had to know. It was the only explanation. That’s why he offered Sterling the use of his horses. Her eyes drifted shut. Not good. Not good at all.
An eye for an eye.
It was a saying Luke had used often growing up, mostly to r
ationalize all the pranks he used to play. Was he now hanging out in the comfort of his home, thinking those same words and laughing at her?
Probably.
Burt stepped into Taycee’s peripheral vision, a rude reminder that her crazy, messed up life was no longer as private as it used to be. She suddenly felt like stomping her foot and asking everyone to go away and leave her alone. She was beyond sick of it all. Dating. Being filmed. Worrying what she said, how she looked. And now, here she was, stuck in some stupid meadow with a spitter and a camera-happy guy, miles away from any civilization—not that Luke could be called civilized.
Sterling tossed the reins on the ground and strode toward Taycee, throwing his hands in the air. “I give up.”
Spittle hit Taycee’s cheek and she cringed. If Sterling spit on her one more time, she would throw him into the river he’d called a trickle and hoof it back dateless. Taycee loped Chaos’s reigns around a nearby tree. “C’mon, it’s getting dark. Let’s get going.”
Sterling gestured to the horses, looking horrified. “We’re just going to leave them here?”
“Unless you want to carry them, yes. Luke will have to come back for them in the morning. It’ll serve him right.”
“Serve him right? For what? Loaning us horses?”
“Loaning us trail horses,” Taycee corrected. “I should have seen this coming.”
“What are you talking about? Of course they’re trail horses. How do you think we found this place so easily?”
“Because they wanted to come here. Problem is, they don’t want to go back, and I refuse to spend any more time trying to coax them.”
Sterling frowned and glared at the horses. “This is crazy.”
“Crazy, but true. Horses can be stubborn when they want to be. Especially trail horses.” Taycee squinted through the trees at the lowering sun. It would be dark soon and they didn’t have a flashlight. Not good. She headed for the trail. “C’mon, guys. We need to hurry. It’ll be a lot harder to find our way in the dark.”
