Horse Play (Horse Play #1) (7 page)

Jensen raised his eyes to meet mine, offering me a warm smile, and I returned the gesture, smiling twice as wide. A flurry of butterfly-rific activity flourished in my stomach again, and I had to mentally kick my own ass to remind myself that I vowed to never get involved with an employee again.

There was so much to get done around the ranch that morning, so Jensen and I never spoke again. It definitely made it easier for me to stop wondering just how soft his lips might be.

Once all the stalls were empty, we got rid of the old straw so we could lay fresh stuff down. It didn’t occur to me at first, but every stall I cleaned, Jensen was directly across, watching me closely; it didn’t take me long to figure out why. Every time I would maneuver my pitchfork, pain would explode through my body. There were a couple of times he would straighten up and move to run for me, but I assured him I was fine with just a look. The way he seemed concerned was sweet, but also a little overwhelming and foreign.

With the five of us working in the barn, it didn’t take more than an hour to get all the stalls cleaned and re-watered. There was still a little time before Jillian’s first lesson started, so I grabbed a few halters for the lesson horses she would need.

“Mind if I tag along?” Jensen asked, jogging to catch up.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew it wasn’t just him “tagging along.” He was keeping an eye on me.

“Sure. We have to go to the paddock past the new barn to collect the lesson horses for Jillian’s first class,” I informed him, handing him one of the halters I had grabbed. We caught two of four horses before heading back for the last couple.

We had just tethered the last two lesson ponies in the barn, when I heard footsteps approaching. I turned around to see Tom strolling through the barn.

“Hey kids,” he greeted enthusiastically. “Madison, your dad’s looking for you. Jillian called in sick. She can’t teach her lessons. Your dad was wondering if you could handle her classes today?”

“What about training with Starla and Ransom? Plus, Glory still has a long way to go before we can use her in lessons,” I said. I preferred to be riding than training. It’s where I felt more myself.

“Madi,” Jensen interjected, focusing his smoldering gaze on me. “I think after your day yesterday, that maybe taking it easy isn’t such a bad idea.”

Even though we’d been getting along, being told what to do—by someone who I barely knew, at that—grated on my nerves. I was annoyed with him all over again. And just when I thought we were making progress.

“Look, I told you—I don’t know how many times—I’m
fine
.” My rage bubbled just below the surface.

“You keep saying that, and yet I don’t seem to believe you. You promised,” Jensen continued, his voice dropping into a low whisper and his eyes pleading with me.

“Madison, I have to agree. You can’t be feeling completely up to par after falling off twice yesterday. I’d probably be hurting after the first,” Tom told me. “Take it easy today, and if you’re still feeling antsy tomorrow, we’ll train all day.”

As soon as I started to consider his offer Jensen opened his mouth. “I don’t kn—”

“Zip it, Davis,” I said through clenched teeth, my eyes narrowing. He instantly backed off, and I turned to Tom. “Okay. I’ll take today off. If you see Dad before I do, let him know I’ll teach the lessons.”

Tom gave my arm a squeeze as he passed by, leaving me and Jensen alone in the barn. I turned for the lesson schedule to see who all I was expecting first, and Jensen followed. As I stood, looking up at the white board above my head, Jensen nudged my right arm lightly until I looked up at him.

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“I didn’t do it for you. So, don’t flatter yourself.” I nudged him with my elbow and shot him a little smirk.

He chuckled. “If you say so.”

We exited the small room together, and I slid open the large arena door to make sure all the jump standards and poles were properly stored so we didn’t have any early morning mishaps.

Jillian’s first lesson of the day was an intermediate jumping class, so I would need to arrange a few jumps. I headed to the far corner where the standards were and placed my hands on either side, ready to pull it across the arena.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jensen shrieked. Yes, shrieked. I may have giggled a little.

“Um, setting up for my class?” I retorted.

“Tell me what you need. You’re going to do more damage to yourself if you go around lifting heavy shit all the time.”

I exhaled heavily, admitting my defeat. “I’ll need six standards moved down the center of the arena. I want it set up so I can do a single and an oxer combination. Two full strides between each obstacle. Think you can handle that, superstar?” I teased.

Something challenging flashed in his eyes. “You’d be surprised just how much I can handle, sweetheart.”

“Irk.” Yeah, I had no idea what that was supposed to mean. All I knew was that it was a high and squeaky sound that escaped my strained vocal chords as he continued to stare into my eyes.

“What’s the matter, Madi?” he inquired, moving behind me until his right hand rested on my right hip and squeezed as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Still think I’m not
up
for it?”

Honestly? I had no idea … but I really fucking hoped he was. No, not for the set up for the lesson … but for other things. Lots and lots and
lots
of other, much dirtier things.

“I … um … I …” I stammered unintelligently.

“I’m waiting.”

The door to the arena suddenly flew open, and I flung myself away from Jensen as his breath continued to waft over the exposed skin of my neck. Dad stepped down onto the dirt floor, and in a sure sign of my guilt, I kept my eyes averted from Jensen’s as I turned to face him and give him instructions on what I needed. “So, yeah. I need that combination set up before my class starts. Just, lay the poles on the ground between the standards, I’ll warm everyone up over them before I raise them,” I said, my heart beating so painfully loud that it was all I could hear in my own ears.

Through my periphery, I noticed Jensen give a nod, and I think he said something along the lines of “Yes, of course,” but I still couldn’t hear anything. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes before turning to Dad with an insanely wide smile on my face. I felt like The Joker.

“Getting down to it, I see?”

“What?” I squeaked, and I heard Jensen curse as a pole fell on his foot. Clearly, he had understood my dad’s words to mean the same thing I had.

Dad looked between us for a minute, eyebrow raised and suspicious. I could almost hear the gears in his brain turning and coming up with a theory and knew I had to cut it off at the pass.

“Yeah, totally. My side is still a little sore, so I asked Jensen to help me set up a combination for my lessons. I don’t know exactly what Jill had planned for today, but being intermediate I figured a combination would be good to start,” I rambled without taking a breath.
Smooth, Madi. Real smooth. 

Dad still seemed uneasy regarding what exactly he walked in on, but he went with it. “Good to hear. Jensen, when you’re finished with my daughter …” I choked on my own saliva, coughing and sputtering to clear my air passage “… I’d like your help in the new barn.”

“Oh, sure, Wayne.” While I really didn’t want Jensen to go off and do other things, in case I needed him, I knew that he had a job to do, too.

Dad pulled me aside and looked down at me. “How are you feeling, Madison? I noticed you moving like your side was bothering you more than just a little.”

I shook my head and smiled. “I’ll be okay. I’ll refrain from riding today, and Tom said if I’m feeling better tomorrow I can get back in the saddle.”

“Good. Well, take it easy. I don’t need you hurting yourself any more, all right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I can’t really get into too much trouble here, now can I?” I asked sarcastically.

With a laugh, Dad rolled his eyes. “If it were anyone but you, Madison, I’d probably agree.” I couldn’t argue; the man had a very valid point. “Okay, I’ll leave you two to it. Jensen? I’ll see you out at the new barn when you finish up here.”

I turned to watch Jensen nod his compliance as he positioned the last standard in place before going back and retrieving the poles I would need. The air in the arena after Dad left us alone was thick. And, not just with the dust that had been stirred up from moving the standards and poles through the loose dirt. The sexual tension that we had encouraged between one another was heavy.

Once Jensen finished double checking the distance between the obstacles I asked him to set up, he walked over to me, his forehead still furrowed with worry. “Okay, I’m going off to see your dad … in an empty barn … with tons of tools and places to hide a body. Does it go without saying that I’m so sorry? The things I said … they were borderline harassment. I was only joking around with you because you … well, not to sound like a first-grader, but you started it.”

My mouth fell slack, and my eyes went wide as I gaped at him. “
I
started it? What about you? With the smolder and … and the sex-voice?”

That seemed to erase the lines of worry from Jensen’s face. Now the corners of his eyes were crinkled as he grinned at me. Yeah, it was pretty sexy. “Sex-voice?”

“Oh, don’t even pretend you don’t know
exactly
what I’m talking about, mister.”

“I assure you, I have no idea. Please, enlighten me,” he prodded, taking a step toward me.

Laughing hysterically, I shook my head, backing away from him with every step he took. “Forget it! Now, go. My father’s probably waiting to castrate you.” Jensen actually whimpered, and I couldn’t help but laugh harder when he hung his head and left me alone in the middle of the arena.

The hour-long lesson went great. I actually forgot just how much I enjoyed teaching. April, sixteen, and her thirteen-year-old brother, Carl had so much promise. April even got pretty excited when she realized I was teaching their class today. She assured me she loved Jillian as an instructor, but to have someone who had competed internationally was “beyond awesome.” It was quite flattering, and made me promise to maybe do a little more of it. April did have an amazing grace about her when she rode, and I knew that in the next few years, she could probably compete internationally, too. We’d just need to work with her a little more to hone her skills and find the perfect horse for her.

As the lesson wore on, I was definitely grateful for Jensen setting up my jumps for me. Even just lifting the poles into their cups caused me more pain than I’d have liked. I was glad I only had a couple of jumper classes today, and that they were all in the same level; it definitely saved me from having to set up an entire course and move things around. I had barely seen Jensen, and I knew that Jeff was probably busy with them as they did whatever needed to be done in the new barn. I was able to handle rolling more poles over, using my feet, for a beginner class to use as trotting poles, so that wasn’t so bad.

As I stood in the center of the arena during the last fifteen minutes of my final lesson of the day, I could feel my exhaustion settling in. My side started to throb, and I was really looking forward to another nice, hot bath.

“Okay, guys,” I said to Maria and Lucy as they trotted their horses around the arena. “One more lap and then slow to a walk and let Oscar and Gwen cool down. While they do, we’ll do a few stretches.”

The two young girls giggled and chatted for a bit before I started instructing them on how to properly stretch while they cooled down their mounts. As they leaned diagonally across and reached for their right toes with their left hands, I took the opportunity to lift my arms above my head to stretch my good side, hoping to not upset the left. The pull felt good, until it reached across my back.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Jensen in the viewing gallery with the girls’ mothers—alive and well, as it would seem. The two women cast a look in his direction and stared a little longer than I was entirely comfortable with.

Completely ignoring them, he offered me a smile, while also shooting me a look that asked if I was feeling all right. With a nod, I assured him I was fine, and he waved before taking off to do his job.

I helped Maria and Lucy dismount before opening the arena door so they could go and brush Oscar and Gwen down. After assisting them with their tack, I made sure to stick around until they finished up and their parents joined us. Their mothers were also fans of the sport and gushed about how incredible it was that I was teaching their daughters. As they retreated, I also heard them comment on the attractive new “stud.” I knew they weren’t talking about Ransom.

Cougars. They weren’t just a threat to our livestock.

After returning Gwen and Oscar to their outdoor paddock, I saw Dad coming out of the new barn and waved. “Hey, Dad. How was today? I feel like I barely saw you.”

“Really busy. We’re a lot closer to finishing the barn, though. Come on, take a look.” Even though I was exhausted, he was so excited, so I tagged along with him. When we stepped into the enormous space, I was stunned. It had been a couple of weeks since I had been in here, when it was nothing more than beams and dirt. But now? Now there was a concrete aisle like the original barn, and there were walls and doors on each of the stalls.

“Wow, Dad! It looks great!” He gave me a tour of where the wash stalls and supply rooms were. I still couldn’t believe just how huge it was.

“Yeah, we just need one final inspection and we should be able to start boarding in here.”

We were one of the more popular riding stables in the area, so to be able to offer the space for more potential clients was a giant step for our business. It could easily push our yearly projections far past what we had ever projected—or even experienced.

“How were your lessons?” Dad asked as we exited the new barn.

Remembering how fantastic my day was—even with my sore ribs—I beamed. “So good, actually,” I reported. “I’d forgotten just how great teaching was. I think I want to do it more often. In fact, April, from my first class is amazing, and I think with a little extra work, she could compete in a couple years’ time. I’d like to talk to her and her parents about working with her privately—with Jill’s permission, of course.”