I eyeballed the tree in question. It looked sturdy enough. “Then why are we waiting?”
He gave me a quizzical look, then dropped a kiss on my forehead. “I thought it was obvious, Lennon. I’m wooing you.”
The gymkhana was setup in the large arena off the main horse barn. It was kind of like the field day we had in elementary school, except the games and races were played on horseback. As I had now had a grand total of three riding lessons with Jeremiah, I did not expect to win. But it looked like fun and I was down to try.
Jeremiah didn’t stick around for the event. He turned me over to Liam and Holly like I was being sent to the principal’s office and disappeared with Mateo. Whatever they were up to, it was about me. That made me nervous. Benny’s problems had nothing to do with the stalker postcards, but I didn’t need federal agents and mafia kings added to the mix. One problem at a time.
I would rather have Jeremiah with me, but Liam was a close second. The man was built like a fortress. Nothing was getting past him. Despite his ocean-blue nail polish—courtesy of Blair—there was a mean grumpiness to him. I got the feeling he would enjoy a fight.
“We’ve got the egg race, the bucket race, and musical saddles.” Liam took up a ridiculous amount of space with his legs akimbo and his arms loosely at his sides. “Holly is going to be no more than two feet from you at any given time. She’ll be your shadow. Even if someonemanaged to get past me—to be clear, they fuckingwon’t—she’ll be right there. Nothing bad will happen to you on Holly’s watch.”
Holly gave a toss of her black hair. Her smile reminded me of a serial killer. Not that I had ever met one in real life, but if I had, that was probably how they would smile at me right before they put the knife in my chest.
I turned back to Liam with a dubious look. “Has it occurred to you that Holly mightbethe bad that happens to me?”
He didn’t respond. His gaze was already tracking the field, searching for threats. Ignoring the one standing right next to me.
Holly grinned. “Come on, city girl. Are you ready to play?”
I spun back to Liam. “You heard that, right? That was clearly a threat.”
He gave the tiniest shake of his head.
I sighed and trudged forward.
Holly was going to kill me.
26
JEREMIAH
“Jeremiah Ezekial Bell!”Lennon’s voice boomed from the office doorway, startling Mateo and making my spine snap straight like a guilty child.
“That’s not my middle name,” I said automatically, but I was more concerned with Lennon looking like something my dog had dragged through the mud. She was soaked through and filthy. Next to me, Mateo slapped a palm over his mouth and nose, whether to hide his laughter or ward off the stench, I didn’t know.
“Then what’s your middle name?” she demanded.
“I don’t have one.”
“Well, you do now. Congratulations.” She stared at me, fuming. “Aren’t you going to ask?”
“Honestly, I’m a little afraid to.” I eyed her warily.
“I’ll ask,” Mateo cut in. “Lennon, what the fuck is that smell?”
Lennon stormed forward like a furious hurricane. Mateo and I pushed our chairs back in a hurry. She slammed her hands on my desk and leaned in. “That is the smell of an innocent woman who was hit with raw eggs, pushed into a horse trough, and then somehow found herself in a wheelbarrow full of horse dung.Thatis what you smell, Mateo. You smell me.”
Mateo vibrated next to me, covering his cough with a laugh. I glared at him, sending a silent message with my eyes.Are you trying to get us killed?
“What happened, honey?” I sensed more than saw Mateo’s head whip toward me at the endearment. Shit. I had told them about Lennon’s stalker because that was necessary for everyone’s safety. But I had left my feelings out of it.
“Holly happened to me,” Lennon gritted out.
Goddammit.
Mateo shook his head. “You left her with Holly? Jesus, Jay.”
“I left her with Liam,” I said defensively. “I would never leave her with Holly.”
