Southern Seduction (65 page)

His grey eyes met mine again a strange look on his face. His jaw tightened, “Thanks,” he finally said.

“No problem.”

He stared at me a minute longer before stepping around me and heading over to the wall of reins to get one down. He turned back towards me and flapped the rein in the air. “See yah.” Then he was gone.

I watched after him a tick before going back to Thunder’s stall, “Are you going to tell me what the hell that was about now?”

Wesley wiped his brow, “It’s nothing.”

“Oh really? You hide in horse poop for nothing?” I had no idea why Wesley seemed so anxious, so scared around JR. JR seemed, well, I’m not sure what JR seemed like. Every encounter I’d had with him was brief. Like last night when I saw him in his briefs. The way the wet material clung to his wet skin revealing a very adequate package.

Stop it
. But if I closed my eyes I could smell JR’s cologne, feel his chest beneath my fingers and see the cotton fabric outlining his … damn did he put Donovan to shame.

“Oh no, you like him,” Wesley said, snapping me from my thoughts.

“What? No I don’t.”

“JR isn’t what he appears to be Maddie.”

“And what’s that exactly?”

“Don’t trust him, he’s a snake in sheep’s wool.”

“He seems nice enough,” I said looking again towards the door JR exited through. “Cocky for sure, but nice.”

“Every girl wants to be under JR’s gaze but trust me his eye wanders quick and before you can blink he’ll have moved on to his next target and left you with an achy heart.”

“Oh my god, dramatic much? He’s easy on the eyes that’s it, so are you.”

“Shut-up,” Wesley said, “I got to get back to work.” He hurried around me and threw the broom against a wall before leaving the barn the opposite way of JR.

What the hell was his problem?

I stepped around the tree catching it through my lens from different angles. I squatted and clicked. Stood up and clicked. I backed away snapping pictures as I went. After I snapped at least a hundred photos I walked over to a nearby grassy spot and sat down. I placed my camera besides me and took a drink from my water bottle.

Wesley wasn’t wrong, this was a great place to get pictures. What in the hell was his problem? He acted downright terrified when JR showed up. What could Wesley’s problem with JR be? It couldn’t be jealousy, could it? Wesley didn’t act interested in me either. No, he acted more like a brother than someone desperate to sex me up. Besides, even if I was interested in JR I’m certain he didn’t return the sentiment.

Though it was beautiful it was too darn hot. I decided to head back to dad’s and the pool. Take a swim, but the sky was so beautiful. Vibrant pinks and purples streaked across it. I picked up my camera and snapped. Something pinched my leg. “Ow!”

Several more pinches and then my leg was burning like it was on fire. I jumped up and that’s when I saw it, an ant hole. Ants, tons of them were now crawling all over my legs.
I started jumping around trying to get them off which angered them and they double timed their biting efforts.

“Get off me! Ow!” I swiped and kicked and screamed and they kept right on biting me. I grabbed my water bottle and dumped what was left down my legs. Though it removed the ants it didn’t stop the burning.

“Son of a bitch.”

My legs were hurting. I was still a good distance away from the house and I was starting to feel woozy. Maybe I should have ridden one of the quads out here or at least Thunder. The fire sensation spread up my leg to my thighs intensifying with every step. White spots flickered in my vision. My breathing grew ragged and my chest hurt with every breath.

I needed a break. A large rock at the edge of the path looked promising. My water bottle was empty, my head was spinning, my legs were aflame and I couldn’t catch my breath. Maybe if I closed my eyes for a minute or two.

When I opened my eyes again a horse’s head was before me and the silhouette of a man was looking down on me. “Maddie?”

I knew the voice but I was having trouble placing it at the moment. I tried to wave, to stand up but only managed to tumble over and bang my head then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, plush velvet greeted me. I was in my room surrounded by my pillows, but I didn’t remember getting here. The sun was setting outside my window casting my room with an orange glow. Looking around at the walls of my bedroom I could say with certainty this room needed serious redecoration. Too many NSync posters and lace ruffles for my taste now. Never mind the shelf of My Little Pony memorabilia. Such stupid things I did in an attempt to impress my dad. Hip hop and toys would never impress, just like photography wouldn’t make him think more of me.

I sat up too fast, making the room spin. I held my head between my hands. My head hurt and there was a dull ache in my legs but the pain was nowhere near as intense as it had been earlier when I was …

What—better yet—how did I get home? Last I remember I was nowhere near dad’s house …

There was a rider on a horse … but …. hmm.

I looked around my room. I was alone, but voices carried from the hallway.

My voice croaked out a, “Hello?”

A knock on my door before the knob turned and the door opened. Dad stood in the doorway, a look of relief on his face, “You’re awake.”

He came over to my bed, followed by an older gentleman with a bushy head of white hair and tortoise rimmed glasses. “Sweetheart, this is Doctor Baese, he’s going to examine you, is that okay?”

I nodded. Dr. Baese placed his doctor’s bag on my nightstand before sitting on the edge of my bed. He took my wrist into one of his hands and looked at his watch. “How do you feel?”

“My head hurts, and my legs feel like I rolled in poison oak before jumping into bleach.”

Dr. Baese nodded and pulled out a stethoscope and listened to my heart, “Take a deep breath for me.”

I did as told and Dr Baese moved the stethoscope around my chest listening. Once satisfied, Dr. Baese took off his stethoscope and tucked it back into his bag. “What happened?”

I swallowed. “I was taking pictures down by Arrowhead Trail when I was attacked by ants, aggressive little bastards that wouldn’t stop biting me. Then when I tried to make my way back here I got real woozy, had trouble breathing.”

Doctor Baese nodded along with my story as though it made perfect sense. He checked my eyes and ears, looked at both my arms before asking if he could see my legs. I nodded and he pulled back the covers. I looked down in horror at the sight of them. They looked like I had the worst case of chicken pox covered up by a severe mosquito attack on top of a nasty rash. In short, they looked hideous and I blanched.

“Claude, I know you don’t have allergies, but did Charlene have any?”

Dad rubbed his chin, “She had an allergy to soy, but not serious, hmm come to think of it she had a severe allergy to bees. Carried epi-pens everywhere. Other than those two I can’t think of anything else. What about you, Maddie, can you remember any allergies your mom had?”

I didn’t even know mom had allergies. How did my dad? Instead of answering I stayed silent.

After Dr. Baese finished looking at my legs, he pulled the covers back, hiding the hideousness beneath. “By the looks of the stings I’d say definitely fire ants, very aggressive fire ants. Based on the amount of stings and the hives, I’d say you experienced an allergic reaction to their venom.” He pulled a tube of cream from his bag and showed it to me, “Rub this on your legs twice a day, it should help with the soreness and itching,” he then produced a notepad and jotted down something then ripped it off and handed it to my dad, “I recommend taking a Benadryl for the allergy and an Ibuprofen for the pain. If you you’re not feeling better by tomorrow call me.”

“Okay,” dad and I said in unison.

Doctor Baese stood. My dad stood too and extended a hand out to the good doctor, “Thanks so much Adam.”

“No problem. See you on the course Saturday?”

“Of course. Don’t think helping my daughter gets you off the hook.”

Dr. Baese laughed. “What hook? I’ve been going easy on you.”

“You’ve been taking it easy on me? We shall see on Saturday who’s hooked.”

Both men shook hands and then Dr. Baese turned to me, “Maddie take care and watch out for those buggers,” and with that he left.

Dad stood at the foot of my bed, green eyes locked on me. “I don’t care what you were doing out there, but next time you feel the need to go off and do what it is girls your age do, please have the decency to take someone with you or at the very least your cell phone. I can’t even begin to think what might have happened if JR hadn’t found you.”

“JR found me?” Oh my god JR found me.
How embarrassing
. “I should thank him I guess.”

“You will stay away from him, do you understand me?”

My dad could not possibly be picking now to pull out the father card. What did he care who I dated? “Why?”

Dad shook his head, “This is not up for negotiation.”

“What negotiations? I can talk to whoever I want, besides isn’t it proper to say thank you? Won’t they throw me out of the elite club if I don’t? Manners are everything blah, blah, blah, wouldn’t want to ruin connections for my master network.”

Dad stared, shook his head. He didn’t elaborate further, slamming the door behind him when he left.

Could my dad really be that much of a snob? I mean mom complained that money made him blind but I didn’t think a man who came up from nothing would forget that. I sighed back against my pillows, pulled the blankets up to my neck and closed my eyes. I’d debate it more after a nap.

Soft knocking at my bedroom door awoke me. It was either Gram coming to check on me or Brayden wanting to tease me. Hopefully it was Brayden and he could explain to me what in the hell dad’s problem with JR was. “Come in,” I said.

JR poked his head in. I quickly sat up trying to strike a casual pose. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he said, “I thought you might want this.” In his hand was my camera.

“I didn’t even realize I left it behind, thank you but you didn’t have to bring it.”

“I know.” He smiled and quietly shut the door behind him then made his way over to the bed. He placed it on the nightstand beside me.

“I appreciate you bringing it to me.”

“No problem.” I thought he was going to drop off my camera and leave but instead he moved around my room. Examining my pictures, raising an eyebrow to each boy-band poster and stopping in front of my My Little Pony collection. He picked up one of the ponies and turned towards me. “How old are you?”

“Shut-up.”

He laughed and put the pony back. “I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

“I am, thanks.” I propped a pillow against my headboard and leaned back against it.

“Good.” He moved one of the pillows beside me and took its place. He put one leg on the bed while his other leg bounced on the floor.

He was close. His right shoulder brushed mine when he leaned back against the headboard. I froze not wanting to break the contact.

“So,” he said.

“So,” I replied. If I didn’t say something witty and engaging he’d leave. My window of opportunity was quickly narrowing. “Are you stalking me?” Oh my god that was neither witty or engaging. It was insulting. He bristled. His shoulder no longer touching mine.

“You’re lucky I decided to go for a ride.”

I grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep him from moving any further away from me. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be bitchy or sound ungrateful, I’m from Palo Alto and the ants there aren’t so aggressive.”

He looked at my hand on his arm—his mighty fine arm— “But the people are I see.”

“Sorry,” I said and let go.

“I don’t mind a little aggression.” He smirked. “At the right time …”

God he had a beautiful mouth. Men shouldn’t be allowed to have such full lips.
Flashes of him pressed against me, pulling my hair, while that gorgeous mouth of his explored my skin flooded my thoughts.

He waved his hand in front of my face. “Well?”

“Yeah exactly.”

“You have no idea what I just said do you?”

There was that damn smirk again. It was hard to pay attention when all I could think about was kissing him. He knew he was distracting and relished it.