Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
JASMINE
Thoughts of Gabe from Friday night plagued me all weekend.
I was restless, dreams of the rugged older man invading every moment of my slumber.
I woke up with my heart racing, my skin overheated from the vivid dreams I couldn’t seem to escape.
I couldn’t help imagining those calloused hands on my skin and the scrape of his stubble against my neck.
It didn’t help that I hadn’t had sex in nearly two years and the only man I’d been with left a lot to be desired.
And he’d had the audacity to accuse me of not being a virgin just because I didn’t bleed my first time.
The idiot couldn’t understand that I’d been riding horses since before I could walk and most likely waved bye-bye to my hymen long before he ever aimed his pencil dick my way.
You’d think that would have been the moment I walked away, but no, I spent nearly another year with the man child thinking he would eventually grow up.
I was fairly certain I loved his family more than I loved him and didn’t want to let them go.
I thought one day they would be my in-laws.
Too bad their son was of less than stellar character.
Thoughts of my toxic ex floated away as I saddled my sorrel mare for an early morning ride.
I wanted to walk her around the eastern perimeter of the ranch as a warmup before we started breezing.
The start of the season was just around the corner, so our training schedule was growing more intense every week.
I had to ensure we were both in tip-top shape for the barrel racing circuit.
I was feeding Juniper a snack of apple and cucumber slices before making a few runs around the barrels when I heard male voices approach.
My dad’s raspy baritone that sounded like he’d chain smoked for years despite only occasionally having a celebratory cigar grew louder as he approached.
From the sounds of it, he was giving the new trainer a tour, highlighting all the recent improvements that had been made to the facilities.
Great. Another trainer, I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes.
The last few trainers we’d hired had left a lot to be desired.
To be honest, everyone since Gabe failed to live up to our standards.
Most only lasted a couple years before moving on or being let go.
My oldest brother, Rowan, had tried taking on the responsibility, but he was spread too thin as it was, and since Jacek was allergic to horses—a damn travesty for the son of a rancher— Dad had no choice but to hire a new one.
I wasn’t looking forward to meeting them and hoped they’d stroll on by.
No such luck. I kept my back turned despite the dull thud of boots on dirt signaling their approach.
I had no interest in getting to know the next wannabe horse whisperer.
They all thought they had a special gift with horses, but they didn’t; at least, not since him.
“There she is,” my father crooned affectionately as he stopped behind me.
I quickly reached my clean hand—the one that wasn’t covered in horse slobber— into my own bag of apples and popped a slice into my mouth.
Maybe they wouldn’t expect me to talk too much and move right along if I was crunching on fruit.
Besides, it was time for a snack anyway since the low blood sugar alarm on my glucose monitor went off a few minutes ago.
It wouldn’t be long before I started feeling the effects.
Sometimes when my sugar started to drop, it plummeted fast, especially in the morning.
I’d learned the hard way that I needed to act quickly.
The sour juices from the granny smith burst onto my tongue as I sank my teeth into it and turned around to face the newcomers.
I was so startled that I sucked in a sharp breath, and inadvertently a piece of the apple.
The acidic juices burned my throat, and my eyes grew wide as I tried to cough. Nothing came out. No air came in.
“Jasmine?” My dad’s voice filled with concern. I brought my hands to my throat, feeling my face grow hot and the pressure in my head increase. Gabe’s eyes filled with panic for only a second before he sprang into action.
“Shit,” he cursed, dropping his bag to the ground. Gripping my arm, he yanked me to him, turning my body until my back was against his front. Strong arms encircled my waist, and he pressed his closed fist to my upper abdomen before giving it a quick, hard thrust.
It didn’t work. I continued to struggle uselessly for air.
The edges of my vision began to turn black, and I could feel myself fading.
Then he gave me one final thrust, and the chunk of apple came flying out of my mouth, landing in the dirt next to Juniper’s hoof.
Ever the opportunist, she leaned down and nibbled at the fruit, picking it up with her lips before drawing it into her mouth.
“Traitorous little snack whore,” I croaked, my throat raw and scratchy. Gabe released me and stepped back, my dad moving in to take his place.
“Are you okay, Spunk?” my dad asked, rubbing his big mitt over my back.
“Fine,” I sputtered out between coughs. My lungs seized, and my chest ached as I drew in deep gulps of air only for them to be forced out again as I tried to clear the remainder of sour juice and saliva from my windpipe. Gabe stood by silently, an unreadable expression on his face.
“We didn’t mean to startle you,” my dad announced once my coughing ceased. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind showing Gabe around. A lot has changed since he was here last, and I wanted him to be familiar with the layout before he got started.”
“Got started?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” I lifted my brows waiting for him to elaborate, hoping he wasn’t about to say what I thought he was.
“I’m getting forgetful in my old age,” he said with a shake of his head and a self-deprecating chuckle.
He wasn’t old—only in his mid-forties—but the stroke he’d suffered made him a little forgetful at times.
“Gabe just moved back and is returning as a trainer.” My brows shot to my hairline, and my gaze snapped to Gabe.
Why hadn’t he told me the other night when I ran into him?
Was it supposed to be a secret? Maybe he wanted to surprise me?
If that was the case, he sure as hell succeeded.
I offered Dad a smile, hoping it didn’t look as strained as it felt.
“No biggie, Pops. Just caught me off guard is all. It’s been a long time,” I proclaimed, hoping my dad couldn’t detect the lie.
I wasn’t sure why I did it. I could've told him I’d seen Gabe at Spokes and Spurs.
It wasn’t like I could get into trouble.
I was of age and didn’t break any laws. Still, something inside me warned me not to reveal my little run-in with my dad’s best friend.
“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Montgomery.” I reached out to shake his hand like an adult. What I really wanted to do was jump up and down and squeal like the twelve-year-old girl he’d left behind.
His lips tipped up at the corners as he suppressed a smirk. He could call me on my lie, tell my father he saw me out at the bar a few nights ago, but I had a feeling he would keep that little tidbit to himself.
“Please, call me Gabe,” he requested. “No need to be so formal now.” As a kid, we were required to call any and all adults Mr., Mrs., or Ms. as a show of respect.
But now that I was all grown up, I got to use his first name, the name I used to secretly scribble in my notebook and decorate with hearts around it back in junior high.
Once I hit high school, I’d set aside my crush and shifted my focus to boys my age.
That was until Gabe crashed back into my life Friday night, and every fluttering feeling I’d gotten in my stomach in his presence returned full force.
I wondered how long he’d stay this time, and if he would ever see me as anything other than his best friend’s daughter.
Either way, it was going to be hell working with him and not let those old feelings creep in again.
Even though I was no longer a child and Gabe had only grown more ruggedly handsome with age, he was still off limits.
We were about to be co-workers. I needed to put my childhood infatuation to rest once and for all.
But it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun before I did that.
Would it? Besides, he deserved a little payback for that comment at the bar and for not telling me he was back to work at the ranch. I wanted to see him sweat a little.
“Well, in that case, Gabe,” I began, stepping up to Juniper and slipping my booted foot into the stirrup. I swung my leg over her back, gripped the reins, and nodded toward the horse barn. “Why don’t you saddle up, and I’ll take you for a ride.”