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Leaning against the fencing beside him, I watched the lesson for a moment before turning to him. Camden’s eyes were following the rider and horse from under his baseball cap. Most men would jump at the chance to wear cowboy hats and dress up, but Camden refused. He wore jeans, and flannel shirts when it was cold. But unless he was specifically trying to impress someone, he tended to avoid the cowboy hat, opting instead for the baseball cap of the team Graham played for in the majors.
I thought it made him look more authentic.
“So, what’s this big thing you needed to tell me?” I asked.
“Ah,” he said.
For a moment, there was nothing else, and I nearly gave up.
“Ah?” I asked. “Come on, tell me.”
“You won’t like it,” he said.
“You mentioned that part,” I said. “What is it I won’t like?”
He looked visibly uncomfortable as he shuffled his feet and leaned on the fencing again.
“I got a new client possibility. Asking about riding lessons,” he said.
I waited for a moment, expecting something else, and when nothing came, I shook my head in confusion.
“I don’t know why that should be upsetting. That’s what the ranch does. Horse riding lessons are a big part of the business here. Why would I be upset you got a new client? Is it because I have to run the lessons? Is it like some spoiled rich kid?”
“No,” he said, looking anywhere except my face. Mostly at his boots. “It’s not a kid. It’s your friend Jade.”
My throat clenched shut, and my heart thudded in my temples.
That made perfect sense then.
“Ex-friend,” I corrected quickly.
“Ex-friend,” he muttered back.
“Why would Jade want horse riding lessons in Murdock?” I asked. “Did she say? She moved away with Trevor a year ago.”
“I have no idea,” he said.
“I just don’t get it. Why would she come back here? And why would she ask my brother of all people to do horse riding lessons?”
“Not a clue,” he said. “But listen to me. I won’t take her on as a client if it will bother you. You’re my sister, and if you say no, I’ll tell her to take a hike.”
I bit my tongue, hard.
The first words that wanted to come out of my mouth were a string of very degrading expletives that I had often used for Jade in my thoughts, and then several suggestions of alternative things Camden could do for or to Jade that I thought would be a better use of his time than teaching her how to ride a horse. Namely, flying lessons with no parachute off a rocky crag somewhere.
Admitting I didn’t want him to do business with Jade would be me admitting there were still feelings there. I absolutely could not give her that win.
I shook my head.
“No,” I said. “Don’t be silly. All that stuff was a while back. You shouldn’t turn down work. I’ll be fine. Absolutely fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said, literally capable of hearing my voice go up an octave as I lied through my teeth. “It’ll be just fine. No worries.”
Camden seemed relieved by that and let himself grin a little bit.
Him feeling better about it so visually meant I must have done a good job selling it, and his shoulders sagged as he relaxed. But then they tensed right back up when a loud car door sound came from the front of the ranch, by the main house. Camden grinned, though, and I felt a sense of dread flood through me that tilted almost full-on into panic.
“That’s not her, is it?” I asked.
“No, no,” he said, almost laughing. “No, that’s not her.”
“Good,” I said. “I just… I would need to prepare for that, I think.”
“Gotcha,” he said. “No, that’s someone else.”
“Who?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Oh, Lord,” I sighed.
I wasn’t prepared for any more surprises that day. After learning Jade was going to be hanging around my happy place, I felt like any other surprises were just unknown elements of potential suckage. The mere possibility they could be good surprises was gone with the wind.
“Come on,” Camden said. “Looks like Will’s got this.”
Will, the man riding the horse, did indeed seem like he was doing fine. He was a portly, older man, another veteran that Ryan had suggested come by. He hadn’t taken immediately to the horses, but in recent weeks, his aptitude had been growing.
I followed Camden as he walked across the back of the house grounds toward the gravel driveway. I tried to steel myself for whatever the surprise would be. As long as it wasn’t Jade, I would probably be fine.
Unless it was Trevor.
Irrational terror struck my heart. He wouldn’t just spring him on me, would he? No, of course not. He would know better than that. My brother might have a bit of a prankster’s sense of humor, but he wasn’t cruel.
