Heart's Desire (6 page)

“You're not so bad, are you?” She was completely focused on the horse, tuning out everything else. “You've just got a lot of spirit.”

Nathan's fingers gripped the top rail, using every ounce of self-control he possessed to remain outside the fence when everything in him screamed to rescue her. The horse bounced on his front feet threateningly, but Jessie remained alert, yet oddly relaxed, turning to face the beast before taking another step toward him.

“Come on, boy. You know better than this. I'm not going to hurt you.”

Nathan couldn't hold his tongue any longer. “Jessie, could you get your ass out of there before you give me a heart attack?”

Her eyes darted to him, and the horse snapped his teeth at her, his ears flat against his head. She immediately looked back at the horse, but a slight smile slid to her lips as she reached behind a post and grabbed what appeared to be a long stick with a piece of material tied to the end. “Watch and learn, Wall Street.” She took a length of rope from the post.

Nathan cringed as Justin laughed. “Wall Street?”

“Yes, Bailey's been calling me that, and it appears it's sticking.”

His eyes never left her as she pointed the end of the stick toward the ground and swung the rope at her side in circles. The horse immediately jumped into motion, taking off in a gallop around the pasture. Jessie moved to the center of the area and let the horse move out. Nathan watched as the animal circled the pasture twice before stopping and turning to face her. She stopped spinning the rope as he quieted.

He didn't look any less dangerous to Nathan, but Jessie saw what she wanted and walked slowly toward the horse. The animal pinned his ears against his head, lunging forward slightly. Calmly, she circled the rope, and he took off at a run, circling the pasture again. When he started to come too close, she would lift the stick straight in front of her, pointing ahead, and the animal immediately moved away from it.

Seeing that she seemed to not only be safe but also in control of the animal, at least for the moment, Nathan relaxed his grip on the railing and turned to Justin. “Isn't she just scaring him more?”

“He's aggressive because he's afraid. She's just making him realize he can't dominate or scare her. He's trying to bluff her, and she's not taking it from him. Watch,” he instructed.

After repeating the sequence several times, Nathan saw the horse stop and turn toward Jessie, this time, hanging his head slightly and licking his lips. He took a few steps toward her and stopped. Jessie dropped her hands to her sides, the rope hanging against her leg, but she didn't move toward the horse.

“He's quiet now; why doesn't she just lead him out like Deb did the other one?”

He'd been watching Jessie so intently, he hadn't even noticed Deb's return until she laughed beside him. “She's reading his body language. Dropping her hands like that and softening her body language means he's welcome to approach. But making him move toward her means he trusts her and respects her authority. He's acknowledging her as the leader of his ‘herd.' It's almost like she knows exactly what he's thinking. That's what makes her one of the best I've ever seen.“

Nathan arched a brow in disbelief. “She's
his
leader? She's five foot nothing and that animal has to weigh over a thousand pounds.”

“Yep, and if anyone can gentle that horse, it's Jessie. She'll teach him to lose his fear, but he will respect her.”

They watched as the horse approached her warily, his ears continually moving back and forth, as Jessie spoke softly to him. The animal stopped, stretching his neck as far as he could, sniffing at her while still trying to remain too far away for her to touch. Nathan was surprised to see her take a few steps back, away from the horse. He moved toward her again, his head low, but this time she allowed him to sniff her before sliding a rope halter around his neck. When he didn't pull away, she moved it over his nose and tied it on one side.

Nathan stared at Jessie, walking the horse around the pasture as the animal tried to bite her twice. What in the hell was she thinking? That thing was twelve hundred pounds of muscle and temperamental hooves. He was too dangerous ever to be sellable. Even if she could, who would want to ride something that mean? She was obviously great with horses, so why was she wasting time with animals like this when she could be training animals that would make the ranch money?

“Is this what you were talking about?” Nathan asked Justin.

Justin unlatched the gate for Jessie to exit. “Yep. It's a pretty rare gift, but now you can say you've seen a ‘horse whisperer' in action.”

Jessie walked past them, pretending not to hear the conversation, but Nathan saw a flicker of frustration in her blue eyes.

“Too bad it doesn't make us a dime,” Justin muttered.

W
HAT THE HELL
was Nathan thinking, coming into the pasture like that?

“A better question might be, what I was thinking,” she murmured to the stallion as she led him to the stall.

She should never have suggested Nathan watch. He shouldn't even be on the ranch, let alone near these horses. Resignation settled in her chest, followed closely by a burning resentment that found its target square on Nathan's broad back.

She'd hoped seeing the brutality done to these horses would give him a small understanding of what she was trying to do. That maybe he would help her find a way to keep the ranch afloat while she continued to rescue abused horses for rehabilitation. She'd assumed when Nathan saw how much these horses needed her, how much she could help them, she could explain how she and her father had planned to make the change before the accident and he'd be onboard. His approval would go a long way to convincing Justin.

But after what he'd just seen, she was certain Nathan wasn't going to help. Instead of seeing a scared animal in need, he saw a wild, dangerous beast. He'd questioned her methods and thought her incapable because of her size. She'd specifically told him just to watch and not get involved. When that stallion bolted from the trailer, charging Nathan, her heart dropped to her toes before speeding ahead like a locomotive. He'd nearly gotten himself killed because he couldn't follow her simple instructions—stay quiet and stay out. As soon as she finished with these horses, she was going to rip that pain-in-the-ass accountant a new one.

The stud balked several times on the way to the barn, but when he heard the other horses, he entered the stall eagerly. Still, getting him settled took longer than she expected. Jessie knew she had to be patient with him and take her time if she wanted him to respond with trust instead of fear. By the time she made her way back to the pasture, Deb was leading the third horse from the trailer. The mare looked battle weary, barely bothering to look at her new surroundings, even when the stallion whinnied shrilly from the barn.

Jessie hurried past, ignoring her brother and Nathan as she entered the pasture again, her eyes focused on the mare. “Has she been like this the entire time?”

The mare was in dire need of some good food, but the dulled look in her eyes spoke of an entirely different kind of need. This animal was depressed. Jessie ran a hand over the mare's shoulders and back, feeling her bones protruding.

Neglect had that effect on many horses. As long as this girl didn't show any signs of aggression in the next few days, she would be a great prospect for Michael and Aleta to work with on the ground. The love and attention they could give her would remind the mare that humans were friends instead of enemies and give all three of them direction.

Deb passed Jessie the lead rope, leaning in to her. “Who's the stiff?”

“Just a friend of Justin's who should be gone in a couple days.” She ran a hand over the mare's face, and the horse tucked her head against Jessie's side. The gesture of trust wasn't lost on Jessie, and she scratched behind the mare's ears.

“So, the stallion is the only one with behavioral issues?” she asked, changing the subject. She didn't want to talk about Nathan. She'd like to forget his presence altogether and hoped Deb would catch the hint.

“This one has been pretty down, but I think with some attention, she'll come around to be a nice mare. You know that stud colt is going to test you again, right?” Deb said.

“Of course.”

Deb jerked her chin toward Nathan who was still watching them intently from the gate, not about to let Jessie get away without telling her more. “I wouldn't turn that one away if he wanted to come by my place.” She winked at him, and Nathan quickly looked away, pretending he hadn't seen her.

Jessie snorted, trying to hold back her laughter. At nearly forty-three and divorced for over ten years, Deb was a gritty woman who didn't hesitate to speak her mind, bluntly most of the time, but Jessie adored her. They'd met over a common desire to rescue a horse from a feedlot. Deb quickly became a confidante and an advocate when Jessie wanted to broach the idea of starting a rescue and rehabilitation center with her father. Deb was there when Jessie was notified about her parents and was the first to offer to relieve her of a few horses if it became necessary. She hated that she might have to take her up on the offer because of her own incompetence.

“Finally. About time you laughed. You need to find a cowboy to ride so you can give these horses a break,” Deb teased, shaking her head and pursing her lips. She eyed Nathan again and frowned, suddenly serious. “I'm not sure he's the one for you. He doesn't know horses.”

“Yeah, well, apparently he knows business and finance, so Justin thinks he can get the ranch back in the black. Hopefully, he does it and gets out of here quickly.”

Deb nudged her arm with an elbow. “Nothing wrong with giving him a ride or two before he leaves. Ah, get it?”

Jessie snorted and shook her head. “You never learned the art of subtlety, did you Deb?”

Deb joined Jessie's laughter. “Subtlety is overrated. Enjoy life while you're still young and beautiful, Jess. Before you know it, you'll be as old as I am and regretting the things you never tried. You know the saying, ‘Take the bull by the horns?' Now's the time to do it.”

Deb ran a hand over the mare's neck, her attention on the horse again. “I'll take this one into the other stall. She'll be fine in a couple weeks. When do you have the farrier coming out to work on their feet?”

“Justin will give them meds here, and the shoer will be out tomorrow to do all the horses. I'm not sure when we'll be able to get that stud colt done. He's going to need more time before he trusts anyone.”

“You might have bitten off more than you thought with that one.”

“No, I think he just needs to adjust for a bit and realize I'm not going to hurt him,” Jessie assured her. “He definitely needs to be gelded right away.”

Deb laughed and pointed at Nathan, who was talking to Justin but had yet to take his eyes off Jessie. “I wasn't talking about the horse.”

“W
HAT THE HELL
is wrong with you? Do you have a death wish?” Jessie had already finished with the horses and saw Nathan sitting on the back porch with Justin as if he was one of her guests. “I told you to stay out of the way. You could have gotten us all killed.”

“That horse was crazy. I thought you were in trouble.” He shrugged, and she noted he didn't sound apologetic at all. Anger seethed again, bubbling in her chest like a geyser ready to blow.

“He wasn't crazy; he was scared. I know what I'm doing.”

She stood over him, looking down at him, and crossed her arms. She'd been hoping her position might intimidate him, but it didn't seem to be working. Nathan barely looked contrite and it infuriated her. Didn't he realize what could have happened?

“Why don't you stick to what you know—spreadsheets and numbers—and let me run my ranch?”

“Look, Jessie, I'm sorry, okay?” Nathan's voice drew her attention back to him. “You're right. I agreed to stay out of the way and I didn't do it.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he didn't give her a chance. “The fact is, from here on out, when it comes to the horses, I will follow your orders. That being said, I can't exactly do my job without your cooperation either. So, can we head to dinner and have that discussion you promised?”

“Are you kidding me? No.”

Her brother snickered beside him. “I warned you, Nathan.”

She glared. “What the hell are you laughing at?”

Justin tried for an innocent look, failing miserably. “Nothing. Just go to dinner. Take
Wall Street
,
here, into town and let him pick from our four-star dining establishments.”

Nathan cocked his head at Justin's sarcasm. “I used to eat whatever garbage you put in front of me. I'm hardly worried about a few local restaurants.”

“Yeah? Well, I hear your taste has changed a little since college,” Justin teased, oblivious to Jessie's irritation with them. “Sorry, but we don't have a place that serves caviar and champagne. You might just have to make do with beer and pizza.”

Nathan scowled—probably, Jessie thought, because Justin's comment hit too close to the truth. He was completely out of his element here, and they all knew it. Everything about him shouted it from the rooftops, from his expensive clothing to his inability to understand the basics of horse safety.

He'd managed to fit in better during his first visit, when he'd been completely green and needed her to show him the ropes. Jessie couldn't help but think about when she'd first taught him to ride, taking him to the river. How they'd spent that first afternoon trying to pretend there wasn't an attraction between them. Or the moment she gave in and stood on tiptoe, pressing a kiss to his surprised lips. She didn't want to think about the electric jolt of pleasure she felt when his tongue slipped past her lips. She tried to push aside the memories of him helping her unload hay and how his hands had moved over her body behind the bales, teaching her what desire felt like. She didn't want to reminisce about the many things he'd taught her or the broken heart he'd left behind.

Don't even go down that road again.

Nathan rose from the chair and moved to stand in front of Jessie, blocking Justin from her view entirely. He only took one step toward her, didn't even touch her, but she could feel electricity instantly spark between them, sizzling down her spine. It wasn't tension. That she would have been prepared for. This was different, as if her body was begging for his touch again.

Nathan's nearness sucked the air from between them, and she found it difficult to catch her breath. The look in his eyes was hot, making goosebumps break out over her arms as she remembered laying his in arms after making love, as he pressed tender kisses to her swollen lips. She saw yearning in the depths of his gaze, but it was gone in a flash, almost as if she imagined it, replaced by determination.

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, and were she in her normal frame of mind instead of this emotional upheaval, she would have laughed at how it remained perfectly in place in spite of his rough treatment. It was just one more thing that highlighted the differences between them. A few hours of work outside had her waves wild and unruly. She and Nathan had absolutely nothing in common. Why in the world did he have to be the one man who could turn her body into a live current of sexual tension?

“Jessie.”

The expectation in his voice drew her eyes to his, and she realized she'd been staring at his mouth, at those lips that had teased her skin so wonderfully in the past. A blush burned her cheeks, and she prayed he wouldn't notice.

“I really am sorry. I asked you to trust my knowledge, but I didn't give you the same benefit of the doubt. We were lucky that no one got hurt.”

She could read the genuine regret in his eyes, but there was something more she couldn't quite name. Nathan wasn't apologizing about the horse any longer. He stared at her intently, his gaze smoldering with desire she'd assumed was only in her mind.

“It won't happen again,” he promised, breaking into her thoughts.

She took a step back from him, trying to put a little distance between them, hoping that would help her breathe again and collect her scattered emotions. “Good, it . . . it better not.”

She tried to convince herself she had every right to be angry, but she knew it wasn't anger making her heart race like a wild stallion or causing the warmth that was settling south of her belt buckle.

“But,” he added, making her want to cringe, “we still have a lot to talk about and not much time to get this taken care of. I'm only here for a week, so why don't you get ready so we can head into town for an early dinner?”

A part of Jessie wanted to refuse, if only to assert her independence, especially when she glanced at her brother and saw the smirk he wore. He knew she really had no choice in the matter—she'd have to talk to Nathan about the ranch's finances eventually.

Regardless of her irritation with Justin, she had to do whatever she could to save the ranch. This place was all that was left of her parents, filled with memories of their hard work and love. And she couldn't continue being a burden on her siblings, who were both able to keep their businesses succeeding. If dinner with Nathan was what it would take, so be it. Nothing mattered more to her than her family, not even her pride.

“Jessie, I'm only trying to help, I swear.” Nathan's voice was quiet but insistent, and she felt her stomach do a nervous tumble.

“Geez, Jess, just go to dinner already. Nathan can't read your mind and figure out these expenses alone. Quit making the poor guy beg.”

“Fine, but I need a shower.” She glowered at her brother. “And you,” she pointed at Justin, “can figure out dinner for everyone else, Mr. Big Mouth.”