Two
Chris
How’s training going? How’s Piper?
Lamont
I was wondering the same thing.
Tuck stared at the texts from his friends. These guys were his prayer support and often a source of entertainment. Chris was a wildlife conservationist who had his own YouTube channel, spreading information on how to help wildlife and conservation efforts. Lamont was a Hollywood actor who’d been named People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” at one point. How they were friends with him was beyond Tuck’s understanding.
His thumbs flew over his phone screen.
Tuck
All’s well.
Chris
That literally tells me nothing.
Lamont
Maybe we interrupted him when he was gazing at his ladylove. You know, the one he claims is just a friend?
Tuck shook his head. Lamont had gained a girlfriend the Hollywood way—by pretending to be in love for the tabloids. Fortunately for them, their relationship turned into the real deal. They were disgustingly sweet and now engaged. Of course Lamont saw romance everywhere.
Tuck
We’re just friends.
Chris
Right. Aren’t you two on vacation together?
Tuck
Business trip.
Lamont
Oh yeah? Which race is Dream participating in?
Tuck
You know why we’re here.
Chris
Maybe, but do you?
Tuck
I maintain our status: just friends.
Chris
Guess I’m stuck being the fifth wheel.
Lamont
You could always find yourself a good woman like me and Tuck.
Tuck
Hey! Piper and I are just friends, so that doesn’t make you a fifth wheel or me listed as “in a relationship.”
Chris
Sure ??
Lamont
This ^
Tuck was tempted to come clean. The guys had taken to regularly asking him when he’d admit his feelings for Piper. He often debated letting them in on his game plan to win her heart, but he chickened out each and every time. Admitting it out loud made it seem more real with a higher risk, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
Tuck
??
Chris
Did we strike a nerve? ??
Lamont
Or he hasn’t admitted his feelings to himself yet.
Tuck
I think it’s about time for someone to hit a movie set and someone else to turn those ring lights on and make another video.
Chris
Why? Do you need to see a man about a horse?
Tuck
Yep
Rather, he needed to see a woman about dinner.
A smile drifted over Tuck’s face as he pictured Piper. The woman was absolute perfection in his opinion. From beautiful looks—her flawless ebony skin and the cutest chin—to her absurdly smart mind. The way she kept horse-racing facts in her brain and rattled them off with ease was nothing short of amazing.
She could recall Derby winners, their trainers, and their jockeys at any prompting. When she was younger, her parents would show off her stat wisdom to their colleagues. Probably helped them sell horses better as well. Who wouldn’t buy from the McKinneys when their own daughter was so steeped in equine knowledge?
After a hot, steaming shower, Tuck dressed in a button-down, jeans, and boots—the only footwear that ever made it onto his feet. He grabbed his going-out Stetson and wallet, then headed down the hall toward Piper’s room.
He’d been having a tough time maintaining friendship propriety ever since they signed a contract stating she’d be signing his paychecks. Tuck had never worked for her personally before. She was no longer simply Piper McKinney, daughter of the McKinneys. Now the very same Piper McKinney was his boss. Something about the new title had shifted things for him. To keep his head straight, he’d pulled back little by little as he tried to process the change in their relationship. It didn’t even matter that she wasn’t his only client.
Tuck taught horse riding lessons and was training another horse for the Kentucky Oaks. Though Piper was hoping for some professional exclusivity in the future. She wanted to be a smaller operation than her parents’ but still operate in a similar matter, which meant having an on-site trainer. Granted, she didn’t have a track on her land yet, so all training was conducted at his Hale Tier Farms on its dirt oval. That was one of the reasons Dream stayed at his farm, although occasionally Tuck transported him to Piper’s place when there was a gap in the training schedule.
The first day he’d visited her new farm had been a shocker. Turned out they were next door neighbors with nothing but a fence preventing them from being on each other’s property in a matter of seconds.
Tuck rapped his knuckles against Piper’s hotel door. The sound of a dead bolt turning pricked his ears, and he took a step away as the door swung open.
He almost staggered backward.
Piper wore a pale pink dress that fell to her knees and had those puffy sleeves. Did she know how gorgeous-yet-playful she looked? He wanted to tell her she looked pretty, but he’d never done that before.
He cleared his throat. “You ready?”
“Yep.” She gave him a once-over. “Got your clean Stetson, huh?”
“You know it.” He could do this. Talk about things that didn’t matter if only to maintain a friendly fa?ade. “The other one is in the truck. Never take it out so I don’t end up mixing the two.”
Piper rolled her eyes but kept the grin on her face. “Let’s go find some food.”
“Do you want to walk, or should I get the truck out of the parking lot?”
“Walk. I can’t imagine driving around when we’re downtown. Plenty to see by foot.”
“So we’re going the tourist route?”
“Yes.” She hooked her arm through his.
The urge to turn and nuzzle his nose in the curve of her neck and smell the sweet scent that always clung to her overwhelmed him. He felt heady. All he wanted to do was tuck her into the curve of his body and hold her tightly.
Instead, he let her guide them through the lobby and out onto the streets. Tuck would follow Piper. Anywhere. Anytime.
The sun had started its descent, so they walked the downtown streets of New Orleans under the evening glow. Not to mention how the old-fashioned streetlights heightened the ambiance. Tuck often wondered what it would be like to date Piper. They were together so much, did a lot of things couples did, but always under the umbrella of friendship. Yet as they passed other couples walking with hands clasped, Tuck could almost imagine this was real and not a zone he couldn’t drag himself out of.
They headed for Decatur Street, which the concierge had assured them everyone wanted to see, as it was part of the French Market. Tuck didn’t mind the walk, as it gave him time to discreetly take peeks of Piper. Plus, some of the shops were fun. Piper dragged him into one that sold various heat levels of hot sauce. Another sold pralines—which she purchased.
“Oh! What about this place?” She pointed at a restaurant that had a line coming out the door. “There’s a menu on the bricks if you want to make sure there’s something you’ll like.”
“When in Rome.” He shrugged a shoulder. He really didn’t care what they ate just as long as they were together and he could see her pretty smile.
You’ve got it bad.
He thought back to the Usher song, and Tuck almost laughed at how true the lyrics were. Only, that was about being in love. Could Tuck call what he felt for Piper romantic love? Yes, because he did want to marry her. But it probably fell under the unrequited category, and that made his stomach tense.
“Should we get on the wait list?” Piper asked.
He ran a hand over his beard, then nodded. “If it’s long, we can continue walking around and make our way back here.”
“True.”
Tuck walked ahead, making sure those in line had already been helped. He gave his name and cell number, then made his way back onto the street. “Ready?”
They continued their stroll until they hit an outdoor market area. Piper walked up and down the aisles, oohing and aahing over the wares.
“You gonna buy something?” he asked.
“You don’t think I have enough?” She held up the three shopping bags of items already purchased.
Tuck laughed. “Tourist shopping is about the only kind you like.” He knew for a fact she hated shopping for clothes and antiques. Her mom went overboard in both areas. Piper, on the other hand, used some online company that picked out clothes for her. If the company was responsible for that pink dress, then praise them.
“I did see this pretty necklace I think Mama would like.” She reached for the white statement piece. It was very Jackie McKinney.
“Go for it.”
But he could practically hear Piper’s thoughts. If she gave her mom jewelry, then her mom would think it was fine to continue buying jewelry and clothing to dress Piper in. The one thing that really got under her skin.
“Or not,” Tuck added.
A myriad of thoughts crossed Piper’s face. Finally, she picked up the necklace and went up to the merchant. Tuck let out a breath and sent up a prayer asking God to help Piper navigate her relationship with her folks. Being an only child had been difficult for her, not just because she was the only kid but because she’d been the only minority in her home, their school, and almost the entire town. Still, she flourished under the love of her parents. She just didn’t know how to communicate what she wanted for her future.
Tuck remembered the day she told her parents about purchasing Dream and the farm. Her father had shown up at his home unannounced.
“You saw her horse?”Mr. McKinney had folded his arms, looking like a guard as he stood in the middle of Tuck’s living room.
“Yes, sir.”
“And?”
Despite the older gentleman’s formidable presence, Tuck had been hesitant to spill the beans when he couldn’t decipher the man’s intentions.
“Are you asking as her dad or...”
“Or what?”Mr. McKinney had taken a step forward.
Tuck straightened to his full height. “Or her competition?”
“Tucker Hale, what in tarnation are you accusing me of?”
Tuck raised a hand as if trying to soothe a spooked filly. “I just want to make sure you’re asking as a concerned father and that’s it.”
Her folks had only ever wanted to make sure Piper would never be taken advantage of. By the same token, they wanted to give her anything and everything she could ever ask for. Just because she was twenty-eight didn’t mean they treated her as a grown woman.
As far as Tuck was concerned, the day she turned eighteen—well, maybe twenty-one to be fair—Piper had been free to make her own decisions and live with the consequences, good or bad.
He watched as she added another bag to her arm. No matter what happened in the future, whether Piper rejected him when he finally laid his feelings bare, or they lost the Derby—whatever trial, Tuck would always be there for Piper McKinney. She was his friend for life. She deserved to have someone who would help her dreams come true and see her for who she was.
“Should we start back toward the restaurant?” Piper asked. “They may ring us soon.”
Tuck nodded. “Yeah, we can do that.” His back pocket vibrated. He pulled out his cell and held it up. “Looks like you’re right. Table will be ready in ten minutes.”
“Good. I’m starved.”
Tuck smiled. Piper was always hungry and could pack away the food. It was one of the things he loved about her. But that was a thought he’d have to keep to himself just a little while longer.