The Wild Ones (The Wild Ones #1)(11)
Author: M. Leighton

I shrug. “Just thinking.”

Sooty eyes me with his shrewd faded blue gaze. I’d be willing to bet they don’t miss a thing. That perceptiveness, that attention to the smallest detail is part of what makes him a great trainer. He doesn’t miss anything with the horses, just like he doesn’t miss anything with people.

Finally, he smiles. His yellowed teeth are a dead giveaway of his lifetime love of tobacco.

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with a girl, would it?” He spits into the dirt floor and scuffs at it with his boot. He’s one of the only people I’ve ever met that chews tobacco between cigarettes. I can’t help but wonder if he ever sleeps.

“Yeah, it does. A mare. By the name of Lonesome. I just put her out in the North field.”

He inclines his head, his way of saying he’s respecting my privacy. “Fair enough. Females are females, don’t matter the species. You’ll learn that soon enough when you see us breed Lonesome in a few weeks. Doesn’t matter how much she likes that stud, she’ll kick at him at first. It’s nature’s way.”

“That’s all fine and good for horses, but females don’t kick at me, Sooty.”

“Don’t be surprised if you find one along the way that does, though. Just means she’s worth a little extra effort.”

Playfully, I punch the old guy in the arm. “Sooty, you dog! I never figured you for one that likes it rough. You don’t take any of these riding crops home, do you?”

Sooty snickers a little and shakes his head. “Boy, you’re not right in the head.”

“Isn’t that a job requirement for working here?”

He gives me one short bark of laughter, which is like striking humor gold with Sooty. “So it is, Patrick. So it is.”

As he’s walking off, he spits again and then turns back to me. “Mint Julep ought to be ready to foal in the next week or two. You’re welcome to hang around here during the night until she gives birth if you want to. There’s another room up in the loft. Up to you. You can tell Jack I said it’s okay.”

I nod to Sooty. This is a big deal. It’s his way of saying he’s taking me in, that he thinks I’m worth his time to teach a thing or two, even though I’ve seen just about everything there is to see. Sooty likes things a certain way, though. The fact that he’s willing to show me his way means he trusts me. “Thanks, Sooty.”

He nods once and walks off. I’m thinking that plus seeing Cami in a bathing suit makes this not such a bad day after all.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN – Cami

Ohmigod, would you leave already?

First of all, I know this is not how I should feel about having my boyfriend around. But today, I totally do. He was far too attentive in the pool; he was all hands. That was fine while Trick was watching, but after that…not so much. I know it sounds crazy and ridiculously childish, but it’s true. In a perverse way, I wanted Trick to be stuck with the image of me wrapped around someone else, kind of like I was stuck with the image of him and that blond girl.

I hope he doesn’t sleep a wink!

Now, Brent is determined to stay and kiss my father’s butt. What’s worse is Daddy wants him around. The son he never had, the ideal mate for his daughter—whatever the real reason, if we lived in medieval times, I’d be betrothed to Brent. You know, beneficial alliances and all. Blech!

Not that Brent’s a bad guy. He’s really not. He’s actually a great guy. Smart, handsome, well-educated, comes from a good family, treats me well. And I love him. But there’s just something missing, something I never knew was missing until I met Trick.

Brent is sort of like dark chocolate. If you try it first, you’re going to love chocolate. And that’s fine. You could go your whole life loving it. But if you ever taste milk chocolate…oh boy! From that point on, dark chocolate will never be quite as good. You’ll always crave milk chocolate.

All in all, Brent was just much more appealing before I met Trick. I realize now I just didn’t know what I was missing.

But Brent doesn’t deserve that. He deserves someone who thinks he’s milk chocolate.

I watch him laugh with my father and I feel terrible for sitting beside him, thinking about another guy.

Maybe I just haven’t given him a chance to curl my toes. Maybe Trick just caught me off guard. Maybe I just need to try harder to make it work with Brent.

I slip my fingers into Brent’s where they rest on the couch between us. He looks over at me and smiles and my conscience immediately feels a little better.

He turns his attention back to Daddy, commenting on something he said, and I realize he looked surprised by me holding his hand.

What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I do this more often? Why don’t I feel like I can’t keep my hands off him?

Greenish-gray eyes laugh at me from the back of my mind. If it was Trick sitting beside me, my heart would be pounding and I wouldn’t be able to stop looking at him. I would be thinking about him without his shirt on and remembering what his lips felt like on mine.

“Wouldn’t it, Cami?”

Daddy’s voice brings me back from my fantasy. He and Brent are both staring at me, waiting.

“I’m sorry, wouldn’t it what?”

Daddy shakes his head and smiles at Brent. “Is this how she always acts when you hold hands?”

Brent laughs and looks over at me. He winks and squeezes my hand. I smile. I want to feel something, but the only thing that stands out is the guilt I feel over thinking about Trick again.

Dammit!

“I was saying wouldn’t it be nice if Brent stayed for supper.”

“Oh, of course. I’d love it if you’d stay.” I put on my brightest smile and push Trick right out of my mind. Now if I could just get him to stay out…

“Why don’t you take him out for a ride? You’ve got time beforehand.”

I feel my smile waver. “Yeah, yeah. That sounds good.”

“You’d better get going then,” Daddy prompts, leaning back in his chair. His smile looks awfully smug, which makes me immediately suspicious. But then I realize why it’s smug. First he tells me to ride in the evenings, his subtle way of saying “stay away from Trick,” yet now he’s practically pushing me out the door. The difference? Now I’ve got Brent with me.

You sly devil! You want Trick to see me with Brent, for him to see I’m taken.

If it meant Brent making me his, Daddy would probably be okay with him peeing on my leg to mark his territory.