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Reyes blinked. She didn’t know he was her new trainer for the next month?
No, of course not. After all, he was nothing more than a stable boy. It wouldn’t even cross her mind that he might be more than just the guy who shoveled shit for the senator.
This was going to be interesting.
4
With her running shoes pounding the pavement, Raine made the final turn off the road, back into her aunt and uncle’s long, paved driveway a little after seven a.m. the next morning. She didn’t usually work out until after jump practice, but being cooped up in the transport truck yesterday left her restless and full of pent-up energy.
It was cooler up here in Colorado than Texas, and the Rocky Mountains made a beautiful backdrop in the bright sunlight. If only the gorgeous scenery made a difference. Usually, a run helped her relax and decompress, but this morning, thoughts of Reyes Torrez dominated every step of the way.
She shot a glance toward the barn. Last night, his vehicle had been parked outside the doors again when she left Fire, and when she glanced back, she’d noticed lights on in the apartment above the stables. With her aunt and uncle back in Washington, she’d been mildly relieved she wasn’t alone at the estate, yet also disturbed to realize the man taking up so much of her mind space lived so close by.
Yesterday, she’d hated admitting to him she didn’t know what the hell was going on. She hated even more the smug little grin that had tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if knowing something she didn’t was highly amusing to him. She hated most that when she’d fallen into bed, she’d dreamed about both smacking the smile off his face and kissing it off.
It made no sense that she was attracted to a man so wholly infuriating. She’d erroneously figured sleep would give her a reprieve from thinking about him.
“My dad’s gone for the next three weeks,” Reyes had informed her last night. “Which means I’m in charge. Your trainer will be here at eight a.m. sharp. Don’t be late.”
Even though she had plenty of time, she increased her stride past the stables and headed toward the guest house to take a shower and grab a quick breakfast.
“I’m in charge.”
His firm tone when he said those words made her hate that fact as much as everything else. If his, “Don’t be late,” were any indication, the jerk would probably be a major pain in her ass on purpose. He was already halfway there after getting Fire to follow him out of the trailer like he was the Pied Piper.
Reyes had stalked away last night before she could ask any more questions. Like, who exactly is this magical, secret trainer my dad thinks will fix everything?
Why are you such a jerk?
Do you have a girlfriend?
Nope, skip that last one. She didn’t need to know, because it didn’t matter one bit. She was here for work, not to be distracted by the sexy stable guy. If only Dad had given her the details of this month-long exile instead of making himself scarce so she couldn’t hound him about it and change his mind. And with Mom in Vancouver on a business trip, she’d been no help.
Raine hurried through her shower, ate a quick bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit, and then braided her long, damp hair so it would stay out of her way during the training session. Dressed in a long sleeved T-shirt, breeches, and riding boots, she entered the barn at quarter to eight to the sounds of hooves rustling in the stalls as horses munched their morning hay.
The comfort of a horse barn had always been her sanctuary—until it wasn’t.
Reyes stepped out of a stall on the far side of the aisle from Fire, making her heart rate speed up. Geez, was he the only one who worked here? She realized with his father gone, and
only eight stalls occupied, the answer was likely yes.
He paused when he saw her, his expression slightly surprised as he glanced at his watch, but then his jaw set, and he continued forward.
Clearly he’d expected her to be late. She gave him a tight smile and reached for the stall latch as he walked past. When her conscience got the better of her, she spoke over her shoulder while sliding the door open. “Thank you for taking my things to the house last night.”
“All part of the job,” he quipped.
His dry tone drew her head around, but he’d already disappeared into the office. So much for trying to be civil. She huffed out a breath and tried to put him out of her mind while getting Fire tacked up for work. Thankfully, he seemed closer to his regular self, nudging her shoulder as she tightened the saddle cinch. She took a moment to hug his head to her chest, placed a kiss on his forehead, and said a small prayer today went well.
Well would mean a decent trainer, successful jumps, and Reyes too busy here in the barn to be anywhere near the arena as a distraction.
After strapping her helmet on, she led Fire from the barn a couple minutes before eight. A glance around revealed no vehicle other than the hunk of junk Reyes had driven last night, and nobody waiting for her in the arena. Maybe her trainer should’ve received the, “Don’t be late,” warning, too.
Raine shook off her frown as she led her gelding toward the mounting block. No big deal. She and Fire would start warm-up until they arrived.
“I’ll give you a leg up.”
Reyes’ too-close voice made her jerk around with a gasp. How the heck had she not heard him walk up behind her? Only, he really was too close, and her helmet visor bumped right into his chest.
