Chapter Five #3
He drove competently, without asking directions or checking a map. Erin realized this life wasn’t new to him. Here she was babbling and sounding like a fool. She made one attempt to restrain herself, then gave it up. It didn’t matter how she sounded.
He hadn’t realized he’d get such enjoyment out of seeing someone take little things and make them special.
For a moment he wished they could just keep driving so that she would go on talking, laughing, asking questions.
He’d nearly forgotten there were people who could still find things fresh and new no matter how often they’d been used.
Traveling was a profession to him, and like most professional travelers he’d long ago stopped looking at what was around him. Now, with Erin pointing out white sand, young skateboarders and towering hotels, he began to remember what it was like to see something for the first time.
They knew him at the track. Erin noticed as they walked over the green lawn toward the spread of stables that people nodded in his direction or greeted him as Mr. Logan. There were jockeys and trainers and grooms already preparing for the afternoon races.
“Logan.”
Erin glanced over and saw a big, potbellied man in a straw hat. She saw the flash of a diamond on his finger and the light film of sweat the heat had already drawn on his face. “Durnam.”
“Didn’t know you were coming down for a look-see.”
“I like to keep an eye on things. Your horse ran well last week.”
“At Charles Town. I didn’t know you were there.”
“I wasn’t. Erin McKinnon, Charlie Durnam. He owns Durnam Stables in Lexington.”
“Real horse country, ma’am.” He took her hand and flashed her a smile. “A pleasure, a real pleasure. Nobody picks the fillies like Logan.”
“I won’t be running any races, Mr. Durnam,” she told him, but she smiled, judging him harmless.
“From Ireland, are you?”
“She’s Adelia Grant’s cousin.” Burke spoke mildly, giving Durnam a straight look until he released Erin’s hand.
“Well, ain’t that something? I tell you, ma’am, any friend of the Grants is a friend of Charlie Durnam’s. Fine people.”
“Thank you, Mr. Durnam.”
“I’m going to go check on my horse, Charlie. See you around.”
“Take a look at Charlie’s Pride while you’re at it,” he called after them. “That’s a real piece of horseflesh.”
“What a funny man,” Erin murmured.
“That funny man has one of the best stables in the country and a roving eye.”
She glanced back over her shoulder and chuckled. “His eye can rove all it pleases. I can’t imagine he has much luck on a landing.”
“You’d be surprised the kind of luck ten or fifteen million can buy.” Burke nodded to a groom. “I’m running against him today.”
“Is that so?” Erin tossed her hair back and was sure the sun had never shone brighter. “Then you’ll just have to beat him, won’t you?”
With a grin, Burke put his arm around her shoulders again.
“I intend to.” He walked by a few stalls.
Erin cautiously kept on the far side of him.
The smell of horse and hay was familiar, and so was the little knot in her stomach.
Ignore it, she told herself, stepping up beside Burke as he stopped at a stall.
“This is Double Bluff.”
She judged the dark bay to be about fifteen hands, broad at the chest and streamlined for speed. The beauty of him struck her first; then she froze when he tossed his head. “He’s a big one.” Her throat had gone bone-dry, but she forced herself to take one step closer.
“Ready to win?” With a laugh, Burke reached up to stroke his nose. The colt’s ears came forward in acknowledgment, but he continued to prance. “Impatient. This one hates to wait. He’s an arrogant devil, and I think he might just win Three Aces its first Triple Crown. What do you think of him?”
“He’s lovely.” Erin had taken a step backward the first time the colt had looked in her direction. “I’m sure he’ll do you proud.”
“Let’s have a closer look, make sure the groom’s done his job.
” Burke opened the stall door and stepped in.
Erin steeled herself, and with her heart pounding walked to the opening.
“You look good, fella.” Burke ran his hands over the colt’s flank, then dipped under him to check the other side.
He lifted each hoof, then nodded in approval.
“Clean as a whistle. Wait until they put a saddle on him. The minute they do, he’s ready.
You have to hold him back from the starting gate. ”
As if he understood, Double Bluff pawed the ground. He tossed up his head and whinnied as Burke laughed. Erin fainted dead away.
When she surfaced, there was an arm supporting her. Something cool and wet was being urged through her lips. She swallowed reflexively, then opened her eyes. “What happened?”
“You tell me.” Burke’s voice was rough, but the hand that stroked her cheek was gentle.
“Probably too much sun.” Erin heard the drawled pronouncement and shifted her gaze beyond Burke’s shoulder. She saw a young face and a thatch of sandy hair.
“That’s right,” she said, grabbing the excuse. “I’m fine now.”
“Just sit still.” Burke held her down as she tried to get up. “It’s okay, Bobby, I’ll handle it from here.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Logan. You take it easy now, miss, stay in the shade.”
“Thank you. Oh…” Erin closed her eyes and cursed herself for seven kinds of a fool. “I’m sorry I caused a scene. I don’t know what could have happened.”
“You were fine one minute and in a heap the next.” And nothing, absolutely nothing in his life, had ever scared him so badly. “You’re still pale. Why don’t we take Bobby’s advice and get you up and into some shade?”
“Aye.” She let out a breath of relief. Just as Burke started to help her up, Double Bluff stuck his head out again and shook the stall door. With a muffled cry, Erin threw her arms around Burke’s neck and clung.
It took him only a moment to put one and one together. “For God’s sake, Erin, why didn’t you tell me you were afraid of horses?”
“I’m not.”
“Nitwit,” he muttered, hauling her unceremoniously into his arms.
“Don’t carry me. I’ve had enough humiliation already.”
“Shut up.” When he judged they were far enough away from the stables, he set her down under a palm. “If you’d had the brains to tell me, you wouldn’t have shaved ten years off my life.” With another oath, he dropped down beside her. His heart had yet to resume its normal rhythm.
“The last thing I’m wanting from you is a lecture.” She would have stood and stormed away, but she knew her legs weren’t ready to carry her. “Besides, there was nothing to tell. I thought I was over it.”
“You thought wrong.” Then, because she was still pale, he relented and took her hand. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”
“It’s childish.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“We had some field horses, two good ones.” She let out a long breath.
He could hardly think her any more of a fool than he did now.
“We had them out, and a storm was coming up. Brian unhooked the one to take him back to the barn. There was a lot of thunder and lightning, so the horses were nervous. Joe was unhooking the second, and I was at the head trying to calm him, I don’t know, it happened fast, lightning spooked him and he reared.
God, those hooves are big when they’re over your head.
” She shuddered once. “I fell, and he ran right over me.”
“Oh, God.” Burke tightened his fingers on her hand.
“I was lucky, it wasn’t that bad. A couple of broken ribs, some bruises, but I’ve just never been able to get too close to one without panicking.”
“If you’d told me I never would have brought you.”
“I thought I’d beaten it by now. It was more than five years ago. Stupid.” She ran a hand over her face, then tucked back her hair. “I’ve been making excuses all week to Dee and Travis why I don’t go down to the stables.”
“Why don’t you just tell them?” When she only shrugged, he shifted closer. “It’s not half as stupid to be afraid as it is to be ashamed of it.”
Her chin came up; then she sighed. “Maybe.” Avoiding his eyes, she plucked a blade of grass. “Don’t tell them.”
“More secrets?” Patiently he caught her chin in his hand and turned her face to his.
It was far more difficult to resist her now when her cheeks were pale, her eyes a little damp and the vulnerability like a sheen on her skin.
“You shouldn’t worry so much about what people think of you.
I know you wash dishes and faint at the sight of horses, but I still like you. ”
“Do you?” A reluctant smile tugged at her mouth. “Really?”
“Well enough.” Unaccustomed to resisting any desire for long, he lowered his mouth to hers, to taste, to nibble, to explore. She lifted a hand to his chest as if to hold him off, but then her fingers simply curled into his shirt and held him there.
His other kisses hadn’t made her feel peaceful or secure.
Anything but. Yet this one was different.
Even as excitement shimmered warm in her stomach, she felt safe.
Maybe it was the way his hand curved around her neck, with his fingers gentle and soothing.
Or maybe it was the way his lips made hers feel soft and tingly.
He wanted to draw her close, to cuddle her, to rock her on his lap and murmur foolish things. He’d never had that urge with a woman before. It was an odd and uneasy sensation, and at the same time… comforting.
He drew away slightly, but kept her close. “I’ll take you home.”
“Home? But I want to see the races.” For some reason she felt as though she could face anything at that moment.
“I’m fine, I promise you. Besides, maybe if I can learn to watch them from a distance I won’t freeze up when I’m near one.
” She stood, grateful that her legs were sturdy again.
“Come now, Burke, we didn’t fly all the way to—where are we? ”
“Florida,” he told her, and rose.
“Aye, Florida to turn right around and go home again. That great beast in there is going to win, isn’t he?”
“I’ve got my money on him.”