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Jo shook her head. “Okay, let’s not encourage them.” She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “Cheyenne! I asked you to give Lee a pep talk and gentle nudge, not drag him over the ground.”
“Get up!” Cheyenne shouted, heaving once more at Lee’s arms.
Sure enough, that last pull did it. Cheyenne managed to jerk Lee to his feet and shove him forward a few steps.
“Aha!” Earl, smiling ear to ear, stuck out his hand, palm up, and wriggled his fingers. “Pay . . . up.”
Frankie grumbled but smiled back, dug two dollar bills from the pocket of her jeans and shoved them in Earl’s open hand. “There. Don’t spend it all in one place.”
Brooks frowned, watching as Lee jogged a couple steps, then deliberately stopped, waited for Cheyenne to shove him in the back, then laughed and jogged a couple more steps, starting the pattern over again.
“You call that getting in shape?” Brooks asked as he looked on in disapproval.
“I call it a start,” Jo said, walking over to his side and joining him at the edge of the deck. “He’s already completed one jog around the makeshift track I marked out, and once he finishes this second round, he’ll start his first set of workouts, then take a break and do it all over again.” She looked up at him, noting the tight clench of his jaw. “You have to admit it’s progress of some sort, Brooks. I mean”—she waved a hand toward Lee, who jogged around the side of the pasture with Cheyenne close behind—“he’s moving, isn’t he? Getting fresh air, strengthening his lungs, and he hasn’t had a sip of alcohol since you dropped him off here two days ago.”
Brooks dragged his attention away from the two figures jogging around the pasture and looked down at her, a small grin twitching his sensual mouth. “You call being chased in the backyard by a teenager progress?”
“Well . . .” Jo shrugged, smiling. “At least he’s not throwing up.” She closed one eye and peeked up at him. “Did you have your truck cleaned?”
Brooks’s grin fell. “Yes. But I would’ve been better off buying a new one. My memory of that truck has been tarnished by Lee forever.”
Jo laughed. “Cut him some slack, please?” She stopped laughing, her eyes following Lee as he fell into a rhythm and started jogging with purpose, leaving Cheyenne behind and undertaking a second lap around the track she’d laid out for him. “He’s had his misfortunes in life—like everyone else—and at least he’s showing a hint of drive now, as though he might actually follow through.”
Brooks continued staring at the younger man as he ran around the pasture, the tense set of his broad shoulders easing slightly. “Do you think he has it in him to pull this off?”
“I know he does,” she said. “He just needs a fair shot and plenty of support.” She hesitated, looking up at Brooks, weaving her arm around his muscular bicep and tugging his gaze back to hers. “Lee lost his uncle years ago and he’s been on his own for a long time. He had everything going for him back in the day when he’d started out in this sport, but life dealt him a tough hand and he’s had trouble recovering.” She studied Brooks’s face, encouraged by the empathy in his expression. “Here he’ll have the support he needs to make something of his life again and, hopefully, help us in the process. He was the best part of our team years ago and, with support and encouragement, he will be again.” She snuggled closer to his side, her belly fluttering at the feel of his muscular frame against hers. “Besides, you said you trusted me. And . . . adored me. And that you were at my beck and call. So, you can sit back, relax, and know that I have this under control.”
A slow smile rose to Brooks’s lips as he looked down at her, his eyes darkening to midnight pools. “Are you trying to bat those beautiful lashes of yours and manipulate me into giving in to your wishes without question?”
She grinned and tilted her mouth up closer to his, a heady sense of pleasure moving through her at the thought of feeling his warm mouth again. “Maybe . . .”
“You’ve succeeded,” he murmured, lowering his head and touching his lips to h—
“Hey.” Earl’s growly tone cut across the deck. “P-pay attention,” he said, jabbing one finger toward the two figures running around the pasture as he frowned up at Brooks. “Business . . . first.”
Brooks cleared his throat, his cheeks burning brightly as he straightened. “Yes, sir.”
* * *
Late October had arrived at Lone Oaks Crossing, bringing with it a burst of color that splashed the trees surrounding the rolling green acres with patches of orange, red, brown, and yellow, lighting up the landscape with vibrant energy.
Jo, leaning against the white fence of the pasture in the backyard, smiled as she watched Another Round gallop past her, his glossy mane and tail rippling in the crisp autumn wind. The thoroughbred had taken to the change in temperature and season immediately, seemingly falling in love with the feel of the cold autumn air sweeping over his hide and the mix of autumn scents lingering on the air.
“He loves a good run first thing in the morning.” Brooks, standing beside her, his forearms propped on the top rail of the fence, tilted the screen of his cell phone toward her. “And it’s showing.” He tapped the screen with one blunt fingertip. “Check it out. He’s shaved even more off his time. Last I averaged, he’s clocking upward of thirty miles an hour. That gives him a good shot at winning the Derby.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a good shot. But it’s definitely a decent one.” Jo glanced at the digital stopwatch ticking away on the phone, then looked to the opposite side of the pasture where Another Round and Lee shot around the curve and over the hill in the distance, out of sight. “And you have to admit, Lee’s surprised us all.”
Brooks nodded, his brows rising. “He’s certainly surprised me. But you?”
Jo grinned. “Yes. Most definitely.”
Over the past month since Lee had arrived at Lone Oaks Crossing, he’d shown remarkable dedication despite getting off to a rocky start.
After Lee had detoxed and abstained from alcohol for a substantial amount of time, his strength had seemed to return slowly but steadily. Each day, he’d roused himself at dawn, sauntered down to the stables to spend a few minutes introducing himself to Another Round before Cheyenne began her grooming routine for the day, then walked across the grounds to the backyard, where he and Jo had put together a workout routine.
First, Lee would run the half-mile trail Jo had marked out for him across the grounds, the distance gradually increasing each week until Lee could run three miles with ease first thing in the morning. Next, he’d cool down on the deck and drink some water, then jump into circuit training in the backyard, running through various sets of repetitious lunges, squats, and bear crawls as well as burpees, which he hated with a passion.
Lee had always been a hard worker, but even Jo had experienced doubts during the first week when he’d struggled to jog the half-mile trail and dragged during the exercise circuits. He’d seemed pale, weak, and unsteady on his feet. Clearly, he’d been living hard over the past ten years and had neglected his health.
