CHAPTER 28
Finn
My hand glides down the Quarter Horse’s hindquarters to her leg. Strong as iron. The three-year-old filly is perfect in every way physically, and she has a sweet temperament, too. Her father was an endurance standout, and her mother was a world western reining champion.
Evander says that she’s being sold for more than she’s worth, but I’m in charge of horse flesh around here, and I know she’s exactly what we need for our bloodlines. I want her because I want Yosemite Ranch to become the most prestigious Quarter Horse breeding operation outside of Texas.
“We’ve got a deal,” I tell the breeder’s representative. He brought the horse to me for my final check. It’s not unheard of for breeders to bait and switch horses, so I needed to make the final identification before purchase.
He shakes my hand just as a terrible screeching noise erupts outside the barn, followed by hooting and hollering. To my ear, it sounds like Declan, Evander, and a few ranch hands are having way more fun than they should.
“Will you excuse me a moment?” I ask the rep.
He looks at his watch. “Two minutes. Then I need the papers signed.”
There’s another metal-on-metal screech and more whooping and yelling. I jog outside to see Summer’s truck lurching, braking, and bucking. Each attempt at forward motion is followed by the sound of gears getting the living fuck stripped out of them.
At first I think Summer must be drunk or worse, but she’s not driving. She’s in the passenger seat. Emma is driving.
Well, she’s trying to drive.
Summer is laughing hysterically, banging her hand on the dash. She sticks her head out the open window. “I’m going to need a new gear shaft, but this is so worth it!”
“I’m sorry!” Emma yells, sticking her head out the other window as the truck lurches in a circle.
“Ride ’em, cowgirls!” Declan yells.
Evander tugs at his suit vest and wipes tears from his eyes. “I’m not even sure what I’m looking at, but I haven’t laughed this hard in a while.”
Special K stands next to Evander. He’s the only one not cheering on this clusterfuck. Special K and me.
K’s not amused because he rarely is. I’m not amused because I’m trying to buy a horse.
I stand on his other side. “Whose idea was this?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to have to lay down new gravel after this shitshow.”
The truck lurches again and then dies completely.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Emma basically falls out of the driver’s side door and attempts to run toward the house.
“Wait up!” Summer yells after her. “You were almost there! A couple more minutes and you’ll have it down!”
Special K shakes his head. “Summer’s level of optimism is disturbing.”
I chuckle at that. He’s right. Though usually, she’s stubborn in a good way. She shines her light on the world so that she can see it just the way she wants. She lives on her own terms, and often won’t accept when things don’t work out as she prefers.
Summer just keeps pushing until circumstances fall back in line with her worldview. That said, I’m not sure her truck is going to survive this latest venture.
She hops out of the truck and runs after Emma. That’s when I see what my housekeeper is wearing. She’s in a pair of Daisy Dukes and a sleeveless T-shirt. She is not a tall woman, but right then I see that a significant part of her height is made up of those slim, strong legs.
“Oh shit,” I mutter.
Those legs would feel perfect wrapped around my ass while I plunge deep inside her. I lose my breath. My heart’s going nuts again.
Special K gives me some side-eye.
Nope. That’s it. I’m done. I force myself to stop thinking about Emma’s legs or her round ass or liquid eyes, or kissable lips, beautiful face, and radiant smile, or her pert breasts, and the other parts I don’t dare add to my no-go list.
I’m her boss. She’s living in my house, with my daughter. I remind myself of all this, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I’m still in a daze, feeling her legs clutch me tight as I fuck her.
“Leave her alone, Summer!” I call out. “She’s had enough! We’ve all had enough!”
Summer’s not listening. She catches up to Emma. “We’ll try Phyllis’s Toyota Tercel,” she offers, guiding Emma back to the lane. “It’s like driving a golf cart. No stick shift. I swear.”
Emma shakes her head. “No. I’ve done enough damage for one day.”
But then she scans the group of onlookers and sees me. Her shoulders go back, and her cheeks redden as our gaze locks. Yet again.
Emma shakes it off, looks around, and then stares at her feet. But after a moment, she slowly returns her gaze to me.
“I’ve changed my mind.” She’s speaking to Summer but looking at me. “Let’s do it. I want a driver’s license.”
The crowd goes wild. Well, mostly it’s just Declan who goes wild. He puts his two index fingers against his tongue and whistles loud enough to peel bark off the cottonwoods. “Atta girl! Woo-hoo! Day-umm! Somebody get that Toyota! Somebody get me a lawn chair!”
Declan starts applauding, and the stable hands, Evander and even Special K join him.
Emma purses her lips and kicks her foot in the gravel in embarrassment, but a smile breaks out on her face anyway. She’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.
“Talented housekeeper you got there,” Special K says to me.
Evander nods in agreement. “Finn says she does a mean load of laundry.”
They both laugh. At me. Not with me.