Page 17

Chapter Seventeen

IZZIE

D espite sleeping for only a few hours, I wake at the crack of dawn. I look for my clothes, dreading putting the dirty things on, and discover that they’re actually clean. Holy shit. Dione must have snuck into my room while I showered and grabbed them. I didn’t notice they were missing when I went to bed. Maybe she’s so used to taking care of Jackson that she didn’t think it was an invasion of privacy. But I can’t be mad when my clothes are soft and smell amazing.

I put them on and then leave the room on soft feet. I don’t want to wake Jackson again. In the kitchen, I stare at the coffeemaker longingly. I’d kill for caffeine right now, but with my luck, I’d find another bug somewhere and scream bloody murder again.

Since Jackson’s still not up, I decide to check on the foal and her mama. The fresh morning air will help energize me. The short walk to the stables is peaceful and quiet, but when I arrive, I realize I’m not the first one awake. Mickey is already there, checking on the horses.

“Good morning,” I say.

“Hey, Izzie. Did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby,” I lie. “How are Fleur and her foal?”

“They seem to be doing well, but you’re the doc.”

I head over to Fleur’s stall and see the foal nursing. That’s good. I turn and find Mickey taking a magnificent black thoroughbred mare out of a stall. He puts the horse on cross ties and starts grooming her.

“Who’s this beauty?”

“Raven Ray. She’s Jackson’s favorite.”

“I can see why.” I approach the mare and slowly raise my hand to run my fingers through her mane. She doesn’t flinch, so I continue my caress.

“She’s very mild tempered. Would you like to take her for a ride around the property?”

“Oh, I shouldn’t. Jackson is probably already waiting for me to return to Miami.”

“It’s still early. He won’t be up for another hour.”

“Are you sure? He’s flying to Vancouver later today.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Should I saddle her for you?”

I look at the horse. “What do you say, girl?”

She snorts, which means she’s happy and calm.

“All right, then.” I turn to Mickey with a huge smile. “Let’s do it.”

Mickey is a pro, and in less than two minutes, Raven Ray is tacked up. I love horseback riding. It always brings me peace. When I mount Raven Ray, all my problems and stress vanish.

“Where should I go?” I ask Mickey.

“Raven Ray knows the property well. Let her guide you. There’s a small lake she prefers. It’s beautiful. You can let her drink from it—the water has been tested.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

I set a slow pace, letting the mare get used to me. Once we’re out in the open and away from the stables, I nudge the pace up to a trot, and then a canter. You can’t ride a thoroughbred and not give the horse its head. Soon the wind is blowing against my face, and I feel like I’m flying. I do as Mickey suggested and let Raven Ray take me to her favorite spot. I see the lake in the distance down a small hill, and a fifty-foot-tall oak tree growing near it that looks straight out of a fairy tale.

“No wonder this is your favorite place, girl.”

I slow her down to an easy trot, and when we’re by the lake shore, I dismount. “Are you thirsty, Raven Ray?”

She’s already moving toward the lake, so I take that as my answer. I keep a loose hold of the reins though, just in case.

While she satiates her thirst, I take my time to appreciate the view. I love my dad’s ranch, but we don’t have a body of water. If this was my property, I’d come to this spot every day. I’d put a bench under the tree and sit there for hours.

Suddenly, there’s a shift in the wind. It picks up speed, blowing through my hair and sending leaves and dirt skittering toward the lake. Raven Ray becomes restless. I look over my shoulder and see dark storm clouds approaching from the east. Shit.

“We need to go, girl.” I try to mount, but the mare is skittish and moves away from me. “Come on, now.”

I tighten my hold on the reins, pulling her muzzle toward me. I manage to put my left foot on the stirrup, but the loud boom of thunder in the distance spooks Raven Ray. She rears, sending me to the ground. Adrenaline spikes through my veins. There’s nothing more dangerous than a frightened horse, especially when you’re on the ground, inches away from its hooves. I crawl away from her, then get back to my feet. Lightning slashes across the sky, and then thunder booms again.

Before I can grab her reins again, Raven Ray takes off. “No! Come back!”

Like she’d listen to my plea. Soon, she disappears up the hill. I run after her while only one thought runs through my mind. I lost Jackson’s favorite horse. He’s going to kill me.

* * *

JACKSON

I wasn’t surprised to find Izzie gone when I went looking for her. I can’t really sleep in when I’m in someone else’s house, and I guessed it’d be the same for her. It’s another thing I have in common with her. She must have gone to the stables to check on Fleur and the foal, which I still have to name.

I head out and notice it’s about to rain cats and dogs. In fact, heavy rain is already falling by the lake. Instead of walking to the stables, I drive to avoid getting soaked.

Mickey is there with a tacked up Raven Ray, who seems agitated. When he turns to me, I notice the creases on his forehead.

“What’s the matter?” I ask.

“Izzie took Raven Ray for a ride, but Raven came back without Izzie.”

My stomach churns. “No…”

“Raven Ray must have gotten spooked by the thunder. I’m terribly sorry. We weren’t expecting a thunderstorm. I should have checked the weather.”

“It’s not your fault. Saddle Apollo for me, please. I’m going after Izzie.”

I take Raven’s reins from him so she won’t run off. Normally, I’d saddle Apollo myself, but Mickey is faster. In less than a minute, he has Apollo ready.

“Do you know where Izzie went?” I ask as I mount Apollo.

“The lake.”

A pang of worry hits my chest. It’s already pouring down there. “Okay, thanks.”

“Don’t get hit by lightning!” Mickey yells as an afterthought.

“I’ll try not to.”

I sit deeply in the saddle, arching my lower back and applying pressure with my calves to urge Apollo into a canter. I usually trot first, but there’s no time. Apollo is the only horse I trust to head into a storm. He won’t get frightened by thunder.

When we reach the top of the hill from where I can usually see the lake, I stop. There’s a curtain of rain in front of me, and visibility is almost zero. I’m soaked through within seconds.

“Izzie!” I shout.

Every second that goes by without a response makes my heart heavier with worry. I’ll never forgive myself if something happened to her.

I coax Apollo down the hill slowly. I won’t risk an injury. I call her name again, but all I hear is the downpour.

“Over here!” she replies finally, and a moment later, I see her silhouette.

I dismount and run toward her, knowing Apollo will stand and wait. “Are you hurt?” I scan her body for signs of injury. She’s drenched, but other than that, I don’t see anything amiss.

“No.” Her face crumbles. “I lost Raven Ray. I’m so sorry.”

The fact she’s concerned about my horse when she’s the one left behind in the rain does something to me I can’t quite explain. “You didn’t lose her. She ran back to the stables. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I didn’t fall off Raven, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Relief washes over me. “Thank God. I was worried when she showed up without you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

She shrugs, then hugs herself. “Didn’t mean to make you worry. I got lost when the rain started, but I’m in one piece, as you can see.”

“And cold.” The urge to pull her into my arms and warm her up is immense, but I don’t dare. “Let’s get back to the house.”

She looks over my shoulder. “We’re sharing a horse?”

It didn’t occur to me she might not want to be that close to me. “It’d be faster if we do.”

“Okay.” She looks into my eyes again. “I’ve never ridden double before.”

“Not even when you were little?”

She shakes her head. “No. I guess there’s a first time for everything.”

“Right.” We approach Apollo together, and I say, “He’s friendly.”

“And steady. I can’t believe he’s not bothered by the storm.”

“He has nerves of steel. Do you need help getting up?”

“I think I can manage.” She grabs the reins, then places her left foot in the stirrup and holds the cantle to help swing her right leg over Apollo’s back. Once she’s settled in the saddle, she looks at me. “Are you coming?”

“I need the stirrup.”

“Of course. My bad.”

She removes her foot from the stirrup and slides forward on the saddle.

“You don’t need to move. We can’t both fit in the saddle. I’ll ride behind it.”

“Oh, okay.”

I do need to reach for the cantle and lean into her to mount, and that forces me to be all over her personal space. She doesn’t tense, and I take that as a sign that she doesn’t truly have a problem with being this close to me. The realization pleases me. Once I’m behind her, I take the reins from her. She shivers, and I don’t know if it’s from the cold or the proximity to me. My heart hammers in my chest.

I can’t remember the last time I reacted to a woman this way. Izzie Bennet is reeling me in, and she doesn’t even know it.

“You can use me for warmth,” I say.

“I don’t want to abuse your chivalry.”

I chuckle. “Abuse away.”

Using my legs, I signal Apollo to move again. Now that he’s carrying two people, I keep our pace at a steady trot so as not to strain him.

Izzie shivers again, and this time, I’m certain it’s because she’s cold. I hold the reins in one hand and tighten my other arm around her, pulling her closer to my chest.

Her spine goes rigid. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure you don’t turn into a popsicle. Relax.”

“I’m not tense,” she argues, but a second later, she leans into me.

I bring my lips to her ear again and whisper, “You aren’t now. Good girl.”

“Don’t call me that,” she retorts, but her reply has no bite.

“Why not?”

There are many reasons I shouldn’t flirt with Izzie, at least, I thought there were. But I can’t think of a single one right now. I just know she feels good in my arms.

She doesn’t answer right away, so I press. “Why not, Izzie?”

“Because you haven’t earned the right to call me that.”

I smile.

Not yet.