Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
GABE
Ididn’t see Jasmine for three whole days. She wasn’t home when we dropped by the ranch on Sunday so Rory could see Petunia before I took her back to her mom’s. Her face fell when she realized she wouldn’t get to see Jasmine either.
Jasmine didn’t come down to the rescue barn to taunt me.
She didn’t trot past the paddock on Petunia like she normally did to ensure the mare got ridden at least a few times a week.
It wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon when her student with the unruly horse came for a riding lesson that I finally laid eyes on her.
Her long chocolate braid swished back and forth as she talked animatedly with her hands. Josie, her teenage student, hung on her every word. I didn’t even see the girl’s mom until she stepped into my path.
“It’s good to see you again, Gabriel,” she said with a wide, beaming grin as she reached out to shake my hand. I obliged, offering her a polite smile and nod, and a faint blush washed over my face.
“You too, ma’am,” I replied, ignoring the clear interest shining in her bright blue eyes. My eyes lifted to Jasmine, but she quickly looked away. I shifted my gaze to Josie. “Ready to get started?” I asked.
“Yes,” she chirped excitedly. I started working with the horse, testing the waters to see if I could get her under saddle, explaining everything I was doing and the reasoning behind it as I went.
I’d done all the groundwork with her during previous sessions, and it was time to see if those efforts had paid off.
The three ladies watched from just outside the paddock as I placed the saddle pad and saddle on the horse’s back, letting her get used to the weight of them before moving on. She was a little sensitive and reactive, so I worked with her for a long time before attempting to mount her.
When I finally hooked my foot into the stirrup, she remained steady, so I swung my leg around and settled into the saddle.
She rocked forward a little, taking only a step or two as she acclimated to my weight.
I clicked my tongue and tapped her with my heels, and she began to slowly walk forward.
Josie clapped and bounced up and down in excitement.
The horse startled and lunged forward, and I pulled back on the reins to keep her from taking off.
She snorted and stamped her hoof into the dirt to communicate her displeasure but didn’t bolt like she would have a couple weeks ago.
It would still be a while before she could ride her, but this was progress.
Jasmine would have Josie practice with Petunia so she could get a feel for riding while I continued to train her horse.
“That was incredible,” Josie’s mom gushed when I finished the session. “That horse had bucked and kicked the first time we tried to saddle it. You’ve worked a miracle with her.”
“She just needed proper training is all. Horses that are a bit more reactive like her require more patience and a little extra work. Josie will be able to ride her in no time,” I replied, removing the saddle.
It was a spare I’d used since the one they had wasn’t the right fit for the horse.
I worried they were in over their heads as new horse owners.
Josie’s mom swore up and down she’d had horses in the past, but I suspected it had been many years ago.
I felt eyes on me as I ran my hand down the horse’s neck in a soothing motion and glanced up to find Jasmine watching us as she and Josie untacked Petunia, a pained expression written over her face. Her gaze shifted from Josie’s mom to where her hand rested on my forearm.
“That’s great news,” Josie’s mom said, and I brought my focus back to her. She shifted on her feet nervously and pulled the corner of her lip into her mouth as she reached into her pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper. She handed it to me, and my brows dipped with confusion as I opened it.
“We should grab a drink sometime,” she said the moment my eyes zeroed in on her name and phone number scrawled across the note in neat, feminine script.
Fuck.
I would have to let her down easy. There was no way I would go out with her. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with her. She was attractive, most likely in her mid-thirties like me, and seemed friendly enough, but she wasn’t the woman I wanted.
“I’m sorry, Nicole,” I began, thankful she’d included her name since I couldn’t remember it. “I’m not really in a good place to date right now. My divorce is pretty fresh.”
“So is mine,” she said with a sad smile and a flush still staining her cheeks. “I just thought maybe it’d be nice to hang out and see where things went,” she offered hopefully.
“I don’t date clients. It’s a conflict of interest,” I clarified, handing back the paper.
“Oh,” she replied, forcing a smile to hide her embarrassment as she plucked it from my fingers. Her spine straightened, and she glanced past my shoulder.
Jasmine strode toward us wearing a pleased smile. She was overly chipper when she said, “Josie is doing amazing.” She didn’t look at me. Her focus was solely on Nicole, and I got the sense she’d overheard at least part of that conversation...
“That’s great,” Nicole said, her features tight.
“I have some exercises I’d like for her to do at home to help strengthen her core and improve her riding. When she gets back from turning Petunia out, I’ll go over them with both of you.”
Nicole nodded her assent, and I excused myself to load Josie’s horse into the trailer before slipping into the barn. I breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind me.
Then I snuck out the side door to make sure Petunia had fresh water while she was turned out before returning to the barn.
I grabbed Juniper’s tack and brushes and headed for her stall.
Leading her out to the grooming area, I secured her to the crossties.
Jasmine typically practiced immediately following her afternoon client, so I thought I’d get a head start on preparing her horse.
I was brushing Juniper when Jasmine stepped back inside. She glanced up and halted in her tracks. She hadn’t expected me to be there with her horse, and it showed in her stunned expression. She quickly schooled her features before the snarky woman I recognized reappeared.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest.
There she is.
“Just thought I’d get her ready while you finished up with your student.” I shrugged and continued running the brush over Juniper’s withers.
“Thanks,” she said, her tone softening the slightest bit, “but I can take it from here. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than groom my horse.” She stepped up to me and held her hand out expectantly. I ignored it and continued to brush Juniper’s coat.
“Gabriel,” she said in warning. She never used my full name, but I liked it. I wanted to hear her moan it.
“I’m almost done,” I replied casually, ignoring the tightening of my jeans across my hardening cock.
She huffed her annoyance and marched into the tack room, returning a moment later with her saddle, pad, and bridle.
When I tossed the brush back into the bucket, she spread the saddle pad over Juniper’s back, then placed her saddle atop it.
I helped her secure the girth before grabbing the bridle and stepping up to Juniper’s head.
She let out a little snort and drew back from me.
“You know she doesn’t like you putting that on her,” Jasmine said, rolling her eyes. She held out her hand, and I reluctantly dropped the bridle into it. The horse could be a little persnickety and only liked Jasmine putting it on.
I unhooked the crossties and slipped her halter off. She was more than happy to let me do that. Jasmine spoke encouraging words to her as she placed the bit in her mouth and slid the crown piece over her head.
“You should call her,” she said, securing the nose band into place. She didn’t look at me, but there was a noticeable tension rolling off her.
“What?” I asked, momentarily stunned by her comment.
“Nicole. She’s beautiful. She’s your age, and she clearly likes you. She’s the kind of woman I could see you ending up with,” she added, her voice cracking at the end, and her throat bobbed with a rough swallow.
“I don’t want Nicole.” My voice was low and hard, and it gave her pause. She blinked a couple of times before buckling the throat latch. She stepped up to me with challenge burning in her eyes.
“Then what do you want?”
I grabbed on to Juniper’s reins, trying to keep from lifting my hand to touch Jasmine’s face and telling her exactly what and who I wanted.
“Something I shouldn’t,” I confessed, my voice so low I could barely hear it over the thrumming of my pulse in my ears.
She searched my gaze, and I held my breath, wondering if she was about to unmask the truth I’d worked so hard to disguise.
Understanding flared in her eyes and her chest rose and fell with a ragged breath.
This was the moment my carefully crafted facade would crumble, and she learned just how badly I wanted her.
The barn door flew open, and Nash stepped in, coming to an abrupt stop when he saw us. We were standing entirely too close for what could be considered professional or friendly.
Jasmine drew back and took the reins from my hands. “Thanks for tacking her up for me,” she said in an unnaturally chipper voice, then awkwardly patted my shoulder. She led Juniper out of the barn and to the training arena, not looking back once. I would know since I didn’t take my eyes off her.
“How long have you been fucking my sister?”
My head snapped in Nash’s direction. His expression was inscrutable. His head was tilted to the side like he was simply curious, but his eyes were slightly narrowed like what I said next determined my fate.
“I … what … no.” I stumbled over my words, shock tying my tongue in knots. He widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest as his mouth formed a flat line as though his bullshit meter was alarming like a tornado siren. He didn’t believe me.
“Nash, I swear to you, I have never slept with your sister,” I declared, holding my hands up in surrender.
“So you’re just messing around then,” he stated like it was a fact, but his tone lacked condemnation. He didn’t appear angry, rather mildly concerned.
“No!” I declared. “I’ve never even kissed her.” I’d wanted to plenty of times, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Then why was she wearing your shirt when she came home the other night?”
Fuck. I should’ve known that would come back to haunt me.
I scrubbed a frustrated hand over my face, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. “It’s not what you think,” I replied, and he shot me a withering look. That sounded pathetic and like a complete lie.
I figured it was best to start from the beginning, so I told him about Rory and I running into Jasmine and Rose and how Rory invited Jasmine to spend the day with us.
“Afterward, Rory invited her over to watch a movie. They were playing with Andy when he peed on her,” I explained.
“Who the fuck is Andy?” Nash clipped, his face twisting with disgust.
“Rory’s pet chinchilla.”
“Oh,” he said, then motioned for me to continue.
“Jasmine was worried about the pee getting on her insulin pump, so I offered her a clean shirt to wear. That’s all.” His skeptical gaze narrowed on me for a moment as he tried to determine if I was telling the truth.
“So you’re not sleeping with her?” he asked and I shook my head.
“Absolutely not.”
“And you’re not seeing each other behind everyone’s backs?”
“No. We’re just friends.”
“Then why do you two seem so…” he began, pausing to search for the right word, “cozy all of a sudden?”
“We’ve been working together a lot, and now I’m traveling with her to races. You get comfortable with a person real quick when you’re sharing close quarters with them.” He studied my face for a long moment, searching for any signs of deception. When he was satisfied I wasn’t lying, he nodded once.
“A word of advice,” he offered, quirking a brow, “don’t let my dad or brothers catch you looking at her like I just did. They’re more likely to throw punches first and ask questions later.”