“Why would I lie?”
“I don’t know, Nate, you tell me.”
“Well I’m not, so don’t worry. I hope the card game was a good time,” I say, pasting on a smile.
“It was fine,” he says. “One of the local ranchers, Holden, is getting married soon so everyone was in good spirits.”
“I’m sorry to have missed it.”
“You know you don’t have to avoid social situations and act like you’re a pariah. No one in Star Mountain cares that you’re here for community service,” Beau says, likely thinking he’s found the cause of my sudden illness.
“Thanks, man,” I say. “I really appreciate that. But my manager wants me to keep my image clean so I’m happy pretending to be a good boy and laying low for a while longer.”
Beau snorts out a laugh. “I’m sure she does,” he says. “But there’s no trouble to be had in Star Mountain.”
I hold in a wince. Because his sister has trouble written all over her, and we’re getting into plenty of it together.
Beau and I agree to grab a drink later in the week, and then he heads off to his next appointment at Holden’s ranch, where one of their horses has equine influenza and hasn’t gotten better with rest. I walk over to the storage barn to grab some extra hay pellets to use as training treats with Brown Sugar, and find Candice there.
She’s trying to grab a sack of bran off the back of the top shelf, but can’t quite reach it despite her height. I come over next to her and reach up, easily snagging the bag from the back.
“Here,” I say, placing it on the ground by her feet.
“Thanks,” she says. “I want to make all the horses hot mash later.”
“Ballantine’s gonna love that. He goes crazy for hot mash, especially because he hates the cold so much.”
“He’s a bit of a princess, isn’t he?” Candice grins at me.
“Definitely. But he’s so damn good at his job that he gets a free pass.” I’m sure I’m matching her grin tooth for tooth, but I can’t help it.
“When do you think you’ll compete again?” she asks.
It’s the question I’ve been dreading everyone in my life asking. It makes sense that she’d be curious, but I still feel my smile slip as I think of how to answer it.
“I’m not sure,” I say, going for honesty. “I miss it. And I love reining. It’s what I do best. But I’ve been happy taking some time off and Ballantine has as well. He loves lazing around the pasture with the others.”
“Well I’m glad you think of working here as time off,” Candice says, giving me her trademark eye roll.
“Well it is, in a way. It’s a break from my normal life, and I’m glad to have it. I’ve spent the last four years competing endlessly, squeezing in training and shoots and brand deals in between, and I just—sometimes I don’t feel like myself anymore. I didn’t grow up with any of that stuff. With money, I mean.”
“I get that,” Candice says. “I was nervous the first time we met for that very reason.”
“What exactly did I do that first night to make you dislike me so much?” I ask, hoping that this time she’ll explain it to me.
“Ask me nicely and I might remind you,” Candice says with a wicked smile.
“Oh yeah? Tell me how you want me to ask.”
“I can think of a few ways…” she trails off as I pull her towards me, my hands gripping her hips and fitting them against mine. She’s got me instantly aching for her.
“Tell me about them.”
She clams up like she did yesterday and doesn’t say a word, but her hands find my ass and she drags me even closer.
“I have a few ideas,” I say. “I could ask nicely by kissing you here.” I lean in and trail my lips along her neck. She lets out a hum of pleasure. “Or here.” I press a kiss against her jaw. “Is this what you want?”
“Maybe,” she says, but I can tell she wants more.
