“And it would be a shame to keep all that money to ourselves,” his brother said with a grin.
7
Joey kickedRomeo into a canter and enjoyed the bite of the wind against her cheeks. God, it was a beautiful day to ride, though it was cold enough to leave Waffles back at the stables. The January skies over Blue Moon were turquoise and cloudless. Being in perfect synch with well over a thousand pounds of thoroughbred muscle beneath her, always amazed her. That two beings could be so connected without technology, without words. To her, that was the miracle.
She guided the horse in a sweeping turn along the fence line lest he think she was giving him the go ahead for the fence.
“Another time,” she murmured to him. The bay’s ears twitched an acknowledgement. She let him run for a few more minutes before slowing Romeo down to a walk. Joey took a deep breath of the razor sharp winter air.
Gia had her yoga and Joey had her solitary rides. Just her, a horse, and Mother Nature. This was her window of sanity in days otherwise packed with work and responsibility.
She had two lessons tonight and the paperwork she’d been avoiding for days. But right now, she had this perfect, solitary window of peace. She loved it though. Every single second of it. She spent her time doing only the things that were important to her, except when Summer or Gia dragged her into something social. And even that she didn’t mind much anymore. She had friends, she had her horses, and she had her work.
What more could she want?Joey automatically brushed aside the restlessness that arose without examining it.
Joey could feel Romeo’s energy vibrating under her. He wanted to run, to play. And maybe she did, too. “Okay, buddy. Let’s have a little fun.”
She kicked him into motion again and slid both boot-clad feet out of their stirrups. Keeping the reins in her hands, she gripped the saddle horn and brought one knee onto the saddle.
She extended her free leg back and up, toes pointing and stretching to the sky. Romeo maintained a rock steady canter while she balanced carefully, every muscle active, every breath deep.
She wasn’t sure if she sensed him first, or if Romeo did. But he was there all the same. Jax. He sat just on the edge of the tree line astride Cyrano, a dapple-gray quarter horse with an attitude.
She took a moment to hate the echo of awareness she had for a man she didn’t know anymore.
Joey didn’t have to see his face to know he was pissed.
And that pissed her off. She thought about turning and heading back to the stable, but Joey Greer never ran from a fight. Sometimes she galloped into them.
She pulled Romeo to a stop in front of Jax, careful to keep a safe distance between their mounts. Cyrano had the tendency to get a little mouthy.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jax said the words quietly, calmly. But there was a dangerous anger simmering beneath the surface.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” she asked evenly.
“Like you’re trying to break your neck, riding like an idiot.”
Far smaller sparks had ignited infernos between them. Joey took one of those deep, cleansing breaths that Gia was so fond of. The set of his jaw, the snap of fire in those sharp gray eyes. If he wanted a fight, then who was she to deny him.
“I know what I’m doing,” she said coolly.
“Being incredibly irresponsible? What the hell kind of stunt was that?” Cyrano shifted nervously under him.
“One I’ve been working on for awhile, along with several others. You’ve been gone a long time, Jax,” she reminded. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“I can see that.”
She swore the heat from his gaze penetrated her winter layers and licked flames over her skin.
“Then using that stellar deductive reasoning of yours, you can probably figure out that a lot of things have changed around here in eight years, including my level of skill on the back of a horse.” She said it flippantly in a way designed to goad him.
“I’m not questioning your God damn skills, I’m questioning your sense. You flinging yourself around on the back of a horse without safety equipment or anyone to call 911 when you crack open your thick head is stupid.”
Romeo had wandered close enough that Jax grabbed his bridle. He pulled her mount closer until their legs were brushing. “Would you let a student come out here by herself and mess around like that?”
“I was just having fun. I didn’t realize that was illegal.” She hated that he had a very small, practically insignificant point.
“I need you to be more careful. Do this shit in the indoor ring. With a helmet. And your trick saddle. And someone else around.” He was waving his free hand around as if he was conducting a symphony of pissed-offness.
