Dark Universe (3 page)

“Lola dear, it looks like you’re off the hook.”  She sighs, clearly disappointed with something.  “Vincent’s car broke down on the way to the house and he had to get it towed to a shop.”  I sit on the other end speechless for a few seconds and then burst into laughter.  “Lola, really.”  She chastises.  “This is hardly funny, think about poor Vincent.   His mother says he really loves that car.”

“I bet he does.  That Mustang probably took a nice chunk out of his trust fund.”  I mutter.

“How on earth do you know he drives a Mustang?”  She asks.

“Lucky guess.”  If I have it my way, I’ll take the real reason with me to the grave.  Lord help me if Nina ever found out about this incident.  She’d read all kinds of craziness into it.  “Listen, Mom, I really have to go, um, wash my hair.  I’ll talk to you later, love you bye!”  I hang up on her protests before she can reschedule another meeting.  I’ve had all I can handle for a while.  I just pray I don’t run into Drake again.

CHAPTER 2

“When I hear somebody talk about a horse or cow being stupid, I figure it’s a sure sign that the animal has outfoxed them.”
~Tom Dorrance

“You’re such a pretty boy aren’t you, Taz.”  I pet his inky black hair and he whinnies at me lovingly.  “I love you too.  Yes I do.  You are the only man for me, you big hunk you.” 

I’m down at the stalls giving my favorite horse a good brushing after doing some reining.  I’ve always felt at ease with horses.  They don’t expect anything from you except to be fed and taken out for a run every now and then.  They are simple beings and since I also fit into that category, we tend to stick together.   Tasmanian Deville was their present to me when I turned 16.  Most kids get a car when they turned 16, I got a horse.  Even though I got a car too, the horse was the big present.  He was just a yearling when I got him, and I have trained and loved him since then. 

My love for horses runs in the family, lucky for me.  The riding club has been in my family for several generations, and I always knew I was meant to work here.  I’ve never been the type of person that could work an office job where every day of work was just another day closer to the next weekend.  As far as I’m concerned, no amount of money or prestigious positions could compete with the freedom and fresh air I get every single day. 

Though it was always assumed I would eventually work there, it was never guaranteed I would become partner.  In fact, for a while it was always Nathan who was in line for that, until…everything happened.  Even though it would seem I was the obvious choice when Nathan was no longer an option, I had to prove myself.  We may be a privileged bunch, but Chase’s have never had anything handed to us.   I went to college for horse training and got my bachelor’s the same year my parents made me partner. 

I grab the fly spray from the bucket over by the barn door and Taz comes up behind me and nuzzles my back with his nose.  “Hey there big fella, I was coming right back.”  I reach up and put my hand on his mane to guide him back to the hitching post.  I haven’t tied him to this post in three years.  There just isn’t any reason to anymore.  “You would never run away from me would you, baby.  You love me, don't you?”  I’m cooing and hugging Taz when I hear someone clear their throat behind me.

I spin around keeping a hand on Taz as I do so.  I would never be ashamed of my affection for this horse.  I may be a tad embarrassed though, especially considering the sucker punch to the gut that is the sight of my father standing side by side with none other than Drake The Man I Made An Ass Out Of Myself In Front Of Thomas.  “What the hell are you doing here?”  I spout out in total Nina Ryan fashion. 
Dammit!
  I never do that foot in mouth syndrome shit.  Apparently, I’m all mouth and no brain where this guy is concerned.

Drake doesn’t seem the least bit put off by my rudeness and just smiles at me.  “Well, it would seem I’m watching you baby talk your horse.” 

“Lola Scarlet, mind your manners young lady.”  My father chastises.  “How do you guys know each other?”  He asks glancing curiously… and did I see that correctly… a little bit fearfully between me and Drake.

“Miss Chase and I had a misunderstanding a few days ago when I showed up unexpectedly.  She thought I was here to take her on a date set up by your wife I believe.”  He says, politely outing me. 
Jackass!

My father looks mildly relieved and then regains his cool friendly demeanor. “That explains her hostility.  I would not have liked to have been in your shoes under the circumstances.  Lola can be quite blunt in speaking her opinions, but nothing compares to the set downs she gives during her mother’s match making attempts.” 

“Oh, she wasn’t too harsh on me.  Really, I think you’d have been surprised at her graciousness.”  Drake insists, hinting at my proposition. 

My father’s eyebrows rise up into his hair.  “Really?  Well, then you were lucky to catch her on a good day.”

“As interesting as this recap is, you still haven’t answered my question.”  I say to Drake, desperate to end the conversation.

“Actually I did, but since that was obviously not the answer you wanted, I’m here to talk about a business proposition for your father regarding my mare, Ruger.”

“What about her?”  I question suddenly intrigued.  I am a business woman after all and my business is horses. 

“Ruger is by far the best Cutting horse in the state, but my current circumstances don’t allow for her to compete in any of the events.  I wanted to speak with your father about helping fund her admissions and such for competing, and in turn, I would give your family a portion of the winnings.  I’m also a decent trainer and was interested in applying for a position here, if there is one available of course.”

“Can I see her?”  I ask for two reasons.  One, if I am going to put in my vote to take a chance on this horse, I want to see her first.  Two, you can tell a lot about a man from his horse.  And although I may never admit it, there is a lot I would like to know about Drake Thomas.

“That’s a great idea, Lola.”  My father says eyeing me in a knowing way.  My father has always been able to see way too much.  I think he gets it from spending so much time with the horses.  Animals don’t talk, so you have to develop some intuition in order to deal with them.  My father has it in spades.  “I have some work to do today and don’t have enough time to make the trip down, so if you could go and take a look at her, I’ll trust your opinion on the matter.  My daughter is a partner in this club so she can make the executive decisions regarding the matter.”  He looks back at me after addressing Drake with that last sentence and says, “Let me know the details when you return.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chase.”  Drake reaches out and clasps my father’s hand in a firm handshake, earning an appreciative nod.  My father hates wimpy handshakes.

“Call me Bud.”   Drake nods and my father pecks a quick kiss on my forehead before turning and walking back toward the house.

“Your father seems like a good man.”  Drake says absently.

I look over at him and watch his expression turn from quietly observing, to slightly sad.   “Yea I’m pretty lucky.  Both of my parents are pretty great.  They may drive me nuts, but I love them.”

“And they love you.  You are lucky.”  He murmurs.  I look questioningly at him, but he ignores my expression and nods at Taz.  “That’s a beautiful horse.  What’s his name?” 

I smile and walk back over to where Taz is waiting patiently behind me.  “Taz, short for Tasmanian Deville.  I answer and lead Taz back into the barn to lock him in his stall.

“Seems pretty tame for a name like that.”  Drake comments and I giggle.

“He may be tame now
,
but when I first got him he was hellfire.  I have the scars to prove it.”

“The wild ones are the best if they’re trained right.” 
Hmm, point one for Drake.

“I agree.  Come on, let’s go see this horse of yours.”

We walk silently to his truck and when I climb into the passenger seat, he smirks at me and removes his ball cap to brush his hair back from his forehead before replacing it. 
Yum.
  “So, you’ve decided I’m trustworthy enough to ride together this time?”  He asks in reference to the other day. 

“No.  I’m just pretty sure I could take you down if I had to.”  He laughs at me and I wait for him to say something to show off his obvious strength.  If there is one thing I know, its men, and men don’t waste any opportunity to show the guns. I glance over to see what kind of heat Drake is packing and my fingers curl into my palm.  The sleeves of his ever present black t shirt stop right in the middle of his large biceps and are stretched to the max over their width. 

“Yea, I have no doubt you could do some serious damage to me, Lola Scarlet Chase.”  He mutters so softly I almost don’t hear it.  I stare at the side of his face, but he doesn’t acknowledge my attention.  He just continues to drive focusing solely on the road.  I may have to do some rethinking where this one is concerned.  I’m starting to get the feeling he’s not quite like the guys I’m used to.  “So I have to ask about the name by the way.  Scarlet?”  He says finally, still not looking at me.

“Yea, my mom has a thing for ‘Gone with the Wind’.”  I roll my eyes at the question I get whenever someone learns my middle name. 

“I met your mother today, you look like her,” he says.

“I’ll take that as a complement.  Caroline Chase has always been the beauty of her time.”  My mother is beautiful in a more delicate way than I am, but the resemblance is definitely there.  She’s thin and small and has delicate features.  I, on the other hand, would never be called petite with my curves and long legs.  The biggest similarity is our large bluish green eyes.  On my mother’s small face, they make her look innocent and sweet.  In my face, they look mischievous and catlike.

Drake nods his agreement. “She reminds me so much of my mom.”  .

“What’s her name?”  I ask.

“Delilah.” 

“Are you close?”

“Yea, we were, but it’s harder now.  I left home a while ago.  She still lives in Sheridan.”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” 

“A step sister, Lauren.”  He says with a small smile on his face and his voice teems with adoration.

“Sounds like you really love her.  The doting big brother perhaps?”  I say smiling back at him.

“Yea, she’s a little spitfire.”

“Does she live here in town?” 

“She did, but it didn’t work out and she had to move back home.”  I can tell he’s trying to remain nonchalant.  I don’t question further, although the curiosity is killing me.

“Is your dad in Sheridan too?”  

“My step dad is.”

“What about your real father?”  I ask

I notice his fists tighten on the steering wheel and his normally passive expression turns hard and his voice is firm when he says emphatically, “I don’t have a father.”  His tone brooks no argument or comment from me, but my hand has a mind of its own and reaches up to brush a piece of his hair behind his ear.  His hand snatches up and grabs my fingers the second they make contact.  Startled, I look up to find him glaring daggers at me.  As much as my instinct is to meekly put my hand back in my lap, I refuse to let him intimidate me because of one innocent touch.  I drop my hand and feign indifference while looking out the window.

The rest of the drive is spent in an awkward silence.  When he finally turns into the long driveway
and parks the truck, I jump out of the tension filled space.  Drake takes his time getting out of the cab and doesn’t even glance in my direction as he walks over to one of the barns, leaving me to trail behind him.  He leads me to a stall at the end of the barn and opens the gate.

I walk in behind him and standing inside is a beautiful Palomino mare.  Her coat is a golden blonde and her mane is almost white.  She greets Drake with a groan, lifts both front legs excitedly and lowers her head for him to approach her.

“She’s beautiful.”  I breathe, suddenly feeling like an intruder in their moment. 

Drake beams at me, all the tension from earlier gone from his gaze.  It’s like being around his horse has the same calming effect on him that Taz has on me.  The mutual affection between him and Ruger is obvious.  “Can I see her move?”  I ask, although I’m tempted to accept his offer on the spot just from seeing her.

“Sure, come pet her first.”  He offers and gives her a scratch under her jaw earning another one of those horsey groans.

“Hey, pretty girl.”  I coo and hold my hand in front of her nose, palm up and flat so she can smell me.  She puts her nose in my palm giving me permission to run my hand up her head and over her neck.  She groans again and Drake and I laugh together at her vocals.  “She has a lot of personality, doesn’t she?”  I say, giggling further when she bumps me in the shoulder with her forehead because I stopped petting her.

“Yea, she sure does.  She’s a sweetheart.  She thinks she’s the boss sometimes and isn’t afraid to let you know what she wants.”  He narrows his eyes at me and chuckles.  “Sounds like someone else I know.”  I stick my tongue at him and he laughs harder.  “Well girl, should we show Lo what you’re made of?”  Ruger stomps a few times excitedly, and Drake opens the gate to grab a halter as Ruger follows him out into the entryway of the barn and out to the hitching post.

 He saddles her quickly and efficiently.  He’s obviously done this a time or two, and personally, I don’t think there is anything sexier than a man who can ride.  Drake leads her into the round pen and starts to trot her around the small space.  Drake barely seems to have to move his torso and arms in the direction he wants to go, for Ruger to flow right into the turn.  Her responses are smooth, natural and graceful.  I’m sold after three full minutes, but watch him ride for at least ten more before motioning him over to me.

I slip through the bars of the fence and walk up to Ruger and feed her a treat I stole from the feed room and pat her on the neck.  “Good girl Ruger.  You just got you and your daddy a deal.”  She groans at me and whinnies, and I look up to a smiling Drake who dismounts and reaches out to shake my hand.  I put my palm in his and lose my breath completely.  Gravity seems to have shifted vertically and is trying to force me closer to Drake.  I beat back the urge to walk straight into his arms and give his hand one firm shake before ripping mine away.  I’m not a touchy feely person and this needy sensation is totally unfamiliar and even more unwelcome.  I don’t do entanglements of any kind.