A Change of Pace (7 page)

Drew looked at Ridge, who was staring at him, smiling as he waxed enthusiastic about his horse. “Now that she’s here, I can ride both of you.”

“Drew!” Flushing hotly, Ridge quickly looked around to see if anyone was standing near them. With relief, he saw that they were well away from any other humans at that moment. “Jesus!” Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he stared at the ground, unsure of himself. Drew’s boldness both thrilled and unsettled him.

“What?” It was a stretch for such a tough-looking guy to sound innocent.

Releasing a huffed breath, Ridge looked around again, a quick darting glance. “Somebody might hear you.”

“Hey. I kept my voice down.”

“This is North Carolina, you know. Even though this part of the state is fairly gay-friendly, um, you might want to watch it. This isn’t Chicago.”

Frowning, Drew gave him a look. “I know that.”

“Yeah? Well, you better stick to hugging your horse.”

“Fine. Harsh my mellow, why don’t you?” Drew jerked his head to the side. “Come on. I want to put her in the turnout.”

Ridge followed, keeping off to the side, away from Bella’s hind feet. “Look. It’s just that, um, well, don’t they have macho stable guys around here?” He watched as Drew led the big mare to a shady paddock.

Snorting, Drew unlatched the gate. “Yeah, maybe. But I’ve met my share of riders who are in the club. Danny -- now there was a real prince.” Inside the gate, Drew removed Bella’s halter, then gently rubbed her muzzle. “Go on, girl. Relax.”

“Who’s Danny?”

Shrugging irritably, Drew closed the gate and started walking to the barn. “Just some asshole who thought he could get away with screwing around on me.” He waved toward the stately building. “I’m going to check my tack. C’mon.”

It took Ridge’s eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkened interior of the wooden building. Sniffing, he glanced around. There was most definitely an animal smell, but it was clean and earthy, layered with the scents of wood shavings and hay. The aisles had concrete floors and the stalls were built with what his experienced eye noted was tongue-in-groove cypress, with metal bars topping the wood and a half-gate at each entrance. Huh. As high-end inside as outside.

Turning his head, he spotted Drew disappearing into a room halfway down the aisle. He walked in behind his cranky lover. There were saddles and other horsey stuff everywhere.

“Wow. I haven’t seen this much leather since the time I was at The Exit.” At Drew’s suspicious look, he grinned crookedly. “It’s a leather bar up in town.”

“You’ve been to a leather bar.” Drew’s skepticism was obvious.

How to answer? “Um. Well, Shelby -- that’s my friend -- and I were goofing around one night and, um, we kind of dared each other to, well, go inside.” He lifted his shoulders in an awkward shrug.

“Uh-huh.” Drew bent down and grabbed a large moving box, setting it on top of a big wooden trunk. “And how’d that go?”

“Uh.” Ridge rolled his eyes, grimacing. “Okay, we were stupid, all right?”

“You were fresh meat, you mean.” Drew ripped open the tape along the top of the box, then began pulling out packing material, tossing it on the floor. When he pulled out a big, black saddle, Ridge reached over to help him work it clear of the cardboard.

Ridge ducked his head and made a face. “Yeah. We were.” He could feel his cheeks burning.

“I can just picture it. You had to stand out like a sore thumb.” Drew set the saddle on a rack, then came to stand close to Ridge. “Pretty thing like you. Bound to get hit on the minute you walk in the place.” He used two fingers to lift Ridge’s chin. “Bet you didn’t know whether to shit or wind your watch.”

“Um.” He stared into Drew’s turquoise eyes. “It was kind of fun for a while, but--”

“But?”

“But, I just didn’t find anybody there that I... uh, that interested me.”

“How about now?” The fingers left his chin and slid around to cup the back of his head. “Anybody interest you?”

“Uh-huh.” He whispered it just before their lips met. They pressed together, then back, tongues tangling for a brief moment. “Somebody for sure does.”

Smirking briefly, Drew kissed him again, hands dropping down to grip his ass, pulling him in tight.

“Ah-hem.” A throat was cleared nearby.

Drew tensed, cursing under his breath. He pushed Ridge back a couple of paces.

Ridge blinked in confusion. He looked over to see a man dressed in riding gear standing in the doorway, grinning at them.

“George.” Drew’s tone was short. He took another step away from Ridge. “I thought you were in the arena.” His tone was accusing.

Guh. Ridge shuffled his feet, a little put off and not quite sure what to do. The current of Drew’s anger was flowing over him.

“I was.” George’s voice was smooth, with the faintest of accents. “Well, well. So who’s your friend?” He moved into the tack room, his smile kind.

“My friend was just leaving.” Voice sharp, Drew stared at Ridge, his intent obvious, an imperious eyebrow raised meaningfully.

Ridge darted a quick look under his brows at the stranger, then at Drew. What the hell? His stomach clenched at the hard, closed look of Drew’s face.
Okay, then.
Turning away, he walked around the newcomer, shoulders hunched. Shoving his hands in his front pockets, he trudged slowly back to his truck.

Asshole.

***

“That was unkind, my friend.” George’s voice was soft.

“Stay out of it, George.” Drew eyed the other man, pissed at himself. He knew better than to be caught unaware. Especially in an area where he didn’t know anybody. Except George. “Just stick to training my horse. That’s all I need from you.” He and George had an unwritten understanding, gained after they’d knocked heads a few times back in the beginning. George knew damned well that Drew liked to keep his private life just that -- private.

George watched him closely. “I’ve never known you to bring anyone you’re involved with to the barn.” The trainer pondered for a moment, and Drew gritted his teeth as he watched George thinking. He could almost hear the wheels turning.

“Ahhhh,” Even after twenty years in the States, George could still sound very European. “This one is important, yes?”

Drew turned sharply away. “Just stay out of my business,” he repeated.

Chapter 7

When you feel dog-tired at night, it might be because you growled all day long.

Ridge Huntington

“There. That ought to do it.” With a satisfied sigh, Ridge put down the sander he’d just shut off. His dusty fingers flipped up the safety goggles he wore, then pulled down his particulate mask. A reluctant smile formed on his lips as he smoothed a hand over the wood slab he had been working, appreciating the complex edging. Finally. He’d gotten the curved edge of the desktop just the way he wanted it.

There was certainly plenty of work to keep him busy, if his mind would just stay focused on the job. But damned if it didn’t circle back to a certain son of a bitch named Drew Cunningham. Grunting in disgust at his tendency to obsess, he stretched and twisted his back, trying to release the tension in the muscles. He still had a repair to do in the inn’s kitchen as soon as he finished this section of his desk project. His customer wasn’t going to wait forever, and Rae could be just as demanding when there were problems at the inn.

God, he was tired. Some days he just wanted to go back to bed.

Instead, he heard a scratching at the shop door, and he turned his head toward the sound. Trudging over, he looked through the glass, shaking his head and snorting slightly. Henry stood there, staring up forlornly. The dog uttered a low whine.

Ridge pulled open the door and Henry wandered inside. “You are a piece of work. Where’s your girlfriend, huh, buddy? Did she leave you all alone?” He crouched down to rub the shepherd’s silky head, scratching behind the big ears. “You’re not the only one, my friend.” He was rewarded with a doggie groan, Henry leaning into his hand for more.

He’d been trying to concentrate on his woodworking this evening. In addition to the desk he was building, he had a custom bar cabinet to finish, and that was due in a couple days. That piece was going to end up in the man-cave Ridge had built for Tommy Braden, a friend of Tony Lopez. He’d gotten several referrals from Tony, and they were definitely helping the cash flow of his woodworking business.

He worked on his projects when he wasn’t working for Tony, and he got a lot of things done in the evenings and on the weekends. But, he’d lost work time over the last couple of days because of his wild night with Drew and then the cruel dismissal at lunchtime. He’d spent last night drinking beer, sitting on his stairs, and talking to himself. Now, he needed to get back on course and concentrate on his work commitments. “That’s what pays the bills.” He grunted again, standing up.

What the hell was Drew’s problem? Why had Drew acted like that yesterday? It was just a kiss -- and they’d been hidden in the tack room, for crying out loud. Who was that guy to make Drew react like that?

Hissing to himself in disgust, he put his goggles and mask back on and bent his head over the worktable, determined to finish. He needed to see Drew again to get to the bottom of things. And he would find him, sooner or later.

***

Drew assured himself that he wasn’t a fifteen-year-old with more hormones than brains. Or, uh, that he usually wasn’t a moonstruck teenager consumed with infatuation.

He honestly didn’t know himself when he was around Ridge. He could stay cool and calm in the most trying of circumstances, and certainly had, especially the last few years working in the mayor’s office. With all the backstabbing jerk-offs around him and his father, he’d had to be on his toes every moment. Now, though? Now was a different story.

Maybe I’m just making up for lost time
.

Drew smiled grimly to himself.
That has to be it.
And the clusterfuck with Danny had put him off guys for quite some time.

Well, it had to stop. Right now. He was going to meet with Tony Lopez and get started on his new job. He’d just pick one of the damned houses he’d seen and buy it. What difference did it make anyhow?

Yesterday, when he’d gotten back to the inn, he’d sent Henry home to Ridge. He hadn’t wanted -- or needed -- any reminders of his hot young lover. Uh-uh. He needed to control this... this obsession. He needed to remind himself why he was in North Carolina and quit thinking with his dick.

The meeting with Tony Lopez went surprising well. Drew had been prepared to be taken on sufferance and tolerated, but, after spending an hour with the man, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he liked Tony.

“I’m amazed at what you have going on here. The fact that you’ve been able to create a marketable product and continue to sell it is something to be proud of.” Tony’s company had been successfully building and selling lower-cost homes in and around western North Carolina for two decades, and the entrepreneur now wanted to develop mid-size rental and condo projects.

Tony was quite candid with him. “Drew, I’ve done most of this myself over the years. I’ve added some help here in the office -- my finance guy to help me run numbers on new deals, an office admin. But I’ll tell you the truth. I know that I need more than that if I’m going to grow this company. I’ve been trying, but... I’m an entrepreneur. I know that. That’s what has made me successful -- but it’s also what holds me back. I’ve talked with management consultants from time to time, and they tell me the same thing, over and over. When your dad called me, it all came together for me. It’s time I listened to the experts -- and you’re just the man I need to move forward.”

They talked for quite a while about the economy in general, the market in North Carolina, and, most specifically, what Drew could bring to Tony’s company.

Drew looked at Tony for a long moment. “Tony, I have to say I’m impressed by what you’ve done here.”

Tony chuckled. “What -- you thought you’d be seeing tarpaper shacks and old pickup trucks on concrete blocks?”

Coloring, Drew nodded sheepishly. “I guess I did come with some preconceptions.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it. I was the same way when I got here. I’m from Philly, and this was quite a change for me, too.”

Hearing that, Drew relaxed completely, and the two men talked about the big city versus the smaller towns, comparing their stories and misconceptions.

“You wouldn’t believe what I discovered my first week here. Have you ever heard of livermush?”

Drew stared at him, sure that Tony was pulling his leg. “What?”

“Livermush.” Tony nodded. “It’s pig liver and parts, pan fried.”

“Uh. Eww?”

Shaking his head, Tony grinned. “Uh-uh. It’s actually really good. It’s great at breakfast.”

Drew was going to reserve judgment on that one. “I’ll take your word for it.” He couldn’t help but grin back.

They agreed that Drew would come on board immediately as head of operations -- to work on managing the company in the tough economy and targeting its growth, while Tony continued to look for deals, find financing options, and bring work into the company. Right then, Tony was targeting some of the government programs that were part of the economic recovery efforts.

At the end of the meeting, Drew was satisfied that he could contribute his strengths of organization and business acumen and still learn from Tony what he didn’t know -- how to bring real estate deals to fruition.

“One more thing, Tony. I’ve been looking for a house and have a few possibilities. I’m going to decide very soon, but I might need a day here or there once I get it all figured out -- to close and move.”

“Not a problem,” Tony assured him. “Just keep me informed. Do you have any questions about the area or need any help with locations?”

Drew showed him some listing pages. “Well, I was looking at these three locations. I’ve been by the houses, and to be honest, nothing has excited me so far.” Drew asked some questions about transportation, area amenities, and the like, and got Tony’s opinions on the best areas, the places to avoid, and the best ways around the city.

They walked out to his truck together. Tony spotted Elsa in the back when her head popped up. “Whoa. Big dog.” He smiled and put his hand out for Elsa to sniff.

“Yeah, she is, but she’s a sweetie.” Drew smiled slightly as he watched the big shepherd make friends with his new boss. “I just need to make sure I find a place with a fenced yard for her. Now that I’ve got a couple of extra days, I think we’ll spend that time driving around and finding the right place.”

“How are things at Huntington’s? Are you comfortable there?” Tony rubbed Elsa’s head one last time before turning back to Drew.

Stiffening at the thought of Ridge and the inn, Drew tried to keep his face noncommittal. “Yeah, it’s fine. Thanks for recommending it.”

Tony smiled. “I like those two kids. They’ve worked really hard since their dad died eight years ago. Their mama took off when they were young, so they’ve had it rough.” He shook his head admiringly. “They’ve done a nice job with that old place. And that boy is quite a craftsman.”

Drew decided it was better to just nod and keep quiet.

His new boss held out his hand with a grin. “Well, I’ve got to get out to the jobsite. We’ll see you on Monday. And you let me know if you need anything before then, you hear?”

Sighing quietly in relief, Drew smiled back faintly and shook Tony’s hand. “Thanks, Tony. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

***

The following week, Ridge devoted all his free time to his woodworking. Getting behind on his delivery timelines was not what he’d planned. He had a retro 1950s desk to finish, as well as a new order for a reception counter at a luxury spa that was opening in a month. God! How had he gotten so off track? Each afternoon when he got home, he locked himself in the shop and knocked out the work.

The one bright spot of the entire week had been The Encounter. On Sunday evening, Ridge had just returned from delivering the custom bar to Tommy Braden’s man-cave.

Parking near his shop, he heard all kinds of commotion near the inn building as he got out of his truck. It was the edge of twilight, with a purple sky and a faint glow in the west providing some illumination.

His sister’s voice caught his attention, and he shot a glance over at the back porch of the inn. Rae was standing at the bottom of the steps, her arms waving around. Drew was snarling at her while trying to control a dancing, whining Elsa, who hopped around at the end of the leather leash, sneezing and huffing.

“What in the world is going on?” As Ridge approached, his nose started burning. “Oh, my God.” He covered the lower half of his face with his hand as he looked at the other two. “Skunk.” He spat out the word behind his fingers.

Drew whirled on him, trying to keep Elsa from touching him as he did so. “Yeah! I know! She stinks to high heaven. Christ!”

Wide-eyed, Ridge kept his grin hidden as he looked at his sister. Rae was looking flustered, hair falling out of her ponytail, cheeks reddened. “He thinks it’s our fault!” Her wail was accompanied by the finger she pointed straight at Drew.

“Oh, like it isn’t?” Drew was particularly snarky with that one. “How come nobody warned me about this?” Ridge heard him hiss as Elsa brushed up against him, trying to rub off the skunk spray. She’d apparently gotten it on the side of her head and on her shoulder, and she was repeatedly rubbing against anything conveniently close. Including her owner.

“Fuck!”

Ridge couldn’t hold his mirth in any longer, and he burst out laughing, then snorted as he breathed in the skunk stink once again. Choking, laughing, tears leaking out of his eyes from the stench, he bent over, holding his middle.

“Hey!” Affronted, Drew stomped a few steps closer, and Ridge immediately straightened and starting backing up.

“Oh, no!” Ridge held up his free hand, palm facing outward. “Stay away.” He covered his mouth again, both to keep out the stench and to also camouflage his huge grin. Served the arrogant asshole right. “Stay back.”

Drew just looked at him, helpless. “Well, what the hell am I supposed to do now?”

Ridge moved away a few more steps, closer to the skunk-free zone. He dropped the hand from his face. “Oh. You mean... you need
my
help?”

The look on Drew’s mug was priceless. Ridge watched closely as Big City Guy realized he just might need some direction from the country folk. One country folk in particular. Huh.

Drew’s lips tightened as he debated what to say. Elsa sneezed again, drawing his attention down to the wriggling, rubbing shepherd, and he sighed, dropping his shoulders. Dropping the attitude. “What should I do?”

“I told him she needs a bath right away.” Rae rolled her eyes, safely unseen behind Drew.

Shaking his head in resignation, Ridge straightened his shoulders, standing up tall. “Damned good thing Henry’s upstairs.” He blew out a big breath. “Well, city boy, looks like you’re going to need tomato juice and the hose.” He looked at his sister. “Rae, why don’t you get a couple of the big cans of juice?” He flicked his wrist, gesturing at Drew. “Bring her over here.” Turning back toward the shop, he led the way to the hose bibb he’d installed on the side. “The water is going to be cold, but it won’t hurt her.”

Enjoying himself immensely, he looked back over his shoulder, swallowing another laugh as Drew untangled himself from Elsa’s leash and began pulling her along. The wooden screen door on the inn’s kitchen smacked the frame as Rae disappeared inside. “I’ll grab a bucket and a sponge.”

Letting himself into his shop, he marveled at the cosmic justice that sometimes got handed out. “What are the odds?” He dug around near the stationary sink in his shop. Finding a large sponge, he grabbed a plastic bucket and headed outside. Drew was still standing, looking helpless, near the hose. Elsa was again rubbing on his legs, sneezing.

Life was good.

Balancing two large cans of tomato juice, Rae walked up to them. “Here. I had to remove the lids with the big can opener, so be careful.” The commercial-sized cans were completely open.

Ridge took one can and poured it into the bucket he set down. Turning on the water, he wet the sponge, and held it out to Drew, dropping the hose into the grass. “Okay. Here you go.”

Stupefied, Drew just looked at him. “What? But... but what do I do?” He gestured widely, his unease with his predicament crystal clear. “Uh, other than roadkill, I’ve never even seen a skunk!”