Horse Play (Horse Play #1) (13 page)

The painkillers Dr. Davis prescribed were pretty good. Within the first thirty minutes, I was feeling pretty dazed, but not completely high. I definitely shouldn’t have been operating heavy machinery, but I was lucid enough to have a conversation. They helped ease the pain in my ribs immensely.

I heard a knock at the front door before it creaked open, and Dad could be heard entering. “Good morning, Jensen. How is she this morning?”

“She’s good. She’s awake and watching TV if you wanted to go and say hi. I’m just finishing her breakfast before I come out to the barn,” he responded, and I swooned again. I was really getting the hang of that whole
swooning
thing.

“You’re a good man, Jensen Davis.”

I smiled, a soft blush warming my cheeks as I thought about just how good a man Jensen really was. I couldn’t believe I misjudged him so hastily. Ultimately, he was the entire package. A package I shouldn’t want, but did. Even if just for a rebound.

Dad appeared in the living room, walking over to me and kissing the top of my head before sitting next to me. “You scared the hell out of me, Madison.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I thought I’d be okay on Glory. I really did. I guess my side was bothering me more than I thought.” I felt horrible that I frightened him. As accident-prone as I was, this was the first major injury I’d ever sustained on horseback. I hoped it would also be the last.

“Nice shirt,” Dad said with a smile as he read it.

“Thanks!” I said excitedly. “Jensen gave it to me.”

“No, he didn’t,” Jensen corrected as he walked in just then, balancing not two, but three plates and handing one off to Dad before he handed me mine. “Jensen let you
borrow
it.”

“You know,” I began, smirking at him as he sat next to me on the arm of the couch since Dad had taken the seat next to me, “you should really stop talking about yourself in the third person. People might think you’re crazy.”

Jensen chuckled at my teasing and took a bite of his breakfast. I followed suit and enjoyed the first bite. I don’t know what the heck he did to those eggs, but I swear they were the best eggs I’d ever eaten. Jensen was a great cook. His stock just kept rising as I made all these tiny discoveries.

While we ate, Dad and Jensen talked shop about what all had to be done around the ranch, and it made me a little sad that I wasn’t going to be out there helping. I was just supposed to stay in the house, sit on my ass and do nothing. Jensen and Dad also forbade me from doing anything slightly physical. I tried to remind Jensen I had laundry that needed to be rewashed, but he assured me he’d worry about it when he got home from work.

When his breakfast was gone, Dad stood up and kissed the top of my head. “Remember, take it easy. I need you back in one piece sooner rather than later, kid.” He made his way to the kitchen to put his dish in the dishwasher. “I’ll see you out there, Jensen?” he called from the front door.

“You bet. Just let me make sure Madison’s all right and I’ll head right out.” Jensen stood, taking both of our plates and leaving me alone with my television. I still hadn’t really decided on anything to watch. I was so bored already, and I had
weeks
of this.

Jensen finally reappeared with the phone in one hand and another glass of water in the other. “Okay, here’s the phone. Your dad and I will have our cell phones on in case you need any help. I just want you to take it easy, okay?”

“I’m bored already,” I pouted, repeating my previous thoughts and jutting my bottom lip out.

“Then have a nap.”

“I just woke up. I’m not tired,” I argued, sounding more and more like a child as I refused to relent.

“Well, just wait for the Oxy to fully kick in. That’ll knock you right on your ass.”

“Oooh,” I groaned, wrinkling my forehead. “I don’t think that sounds like fun. My ass already hurts.”

Jensen laughed, shaking his head. “Okay. Remember, call if you need anything. We’ll all be eating lunch here. You won’t be cooking though, so don’t even think about it.”

I released an exasperated huff. “Fine.”

“Good,” Jensen said, happy with my finally giving him what he wanted. “All right then, I’m heading out.” He started to leave the living room before turning sharply and pointing at me. “You … stay.”

“Woof,” I barked softly, causing him to chuckle as he left.

With Jensen gone, the house was too quiet. Yes, he had only been here a few days, but in that time I had become accustomed to once again having a roommate. And even before that, I was rarely home, so the quiet never bothered me. I guess the truth was I really just liked having him around.

“Bored, bored, bored!” I cried out, letting my head fall onto the back of the couch. How the hell was I going to pass the hours?

Unable to take much more of this, I stood up and decided I needed to do something. Anything. Yes, Jensen and Dad both told me not to, but I was going bat-shit crazy here. I went out to the kitchen, but Jensen had left it spotless. Deciding maybe I would turn on the washer and at least re-wash my laundry, I went into the laundry room to find the washer already on. Jensen beat me to it. Again. The man was two steps ahead of me.

So, that left my bedroom. I walked to my room, and upon entering, my jaw fell. “That jerk made my bed!” The question was,
when?
“When he grabbed my blanket,” I whispered to myself as I turned from the room, because I had no one else to talk to.

With nothing to do around my house, I decided to go and lie back on the couch and watch TV until I fell into a drug-induced slumber. I carefully lowered myself onto the couch and laid on my right side in order to get comfy, turning on last weekend’s episode of
Saturday Night Live
. I maybe made it fifteen minutes in before I passed right out with visions of a naked Jensen dancing in my head. Okay, well maybe he wasn’t dancing … because dancing naked? Nah, it was never pretty … or maybe he could have made it pretty? Food for thought, I suppose.

There was a good possibility the drugs had kicked in.

Anyway, as the dream progressed, it found Jensen and I alone. I was unclear where we were—somewhere outside—but we were together and alone. That was all that mattered. Oh, and he was no longer naked. Dream Jensen (that’s what I called him) wasn’t like that all the time. His soft blue eyes looked down into mine and he smiled softly before cupping my face in his hands and lowering his lips to mine. I moaned as our lips moved together, allowing his tongue to trace my lower lip insistently.

“Oh, God, Jensen,” I mumbled against his mouth as he continued to kiss me, his hands twisting delightfully into my hair as he pulled my face closer to his.

“Yes, Madi?” he whispered back as I moved my hands to his chest and clutched the awesome Star Trek shirt he was wearing—wait, when had he stolen it back? Shit. Of course, as our tongues slid against each other, I couldn’t be bothered to think about a shirt.

I hummed softly

“What do you want?”

“You,” I told him breathlessly between kisses. “Just you.” I released my hold on his shirt and snaked my arms up around his neck, pulling our bodies impossibly closer to one another’s. The way our bodies fit together was so unbelievably right.

“I’m here,” he told me. “I’m here.”

It wasn’t until I realized his lips and tongue were too occupied with my own to allow him to speak that I realized something wasn’t right.

Chapter 9. Playing House

M
y eyes snapped open, and my hand shot out like a rocket, connecting with a solid wall of muscle. My gaze locked on Jensen. “Jensen?” I sighed, confused. Still slightly hazy from sleep and my meds, my hand clutched his shirt softly before drifting up to move along his rugged jaw.

“I’m here,” he said, just like in my dream.
Wait …

“Um,” I said in a strained voice, still trying to separate fantasy from reality. “H—how long have you been here?”

“Not very,” he assured me. “I came to check on you and start lunch before everyone arrived. I heard you mumbling something in your sleep, so I came to see if maybe you needed anything.”

I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks as I remembered my dream. “Oh. Oh!” I cried before narrowing my eyes at him. “You made my bed!”

Jensen laughed. “Yeah. I told you to
relax
.”

“You know, that’s gonna cost you,” I informed him as I relaxed my head back onto the soft, pillowy arm of the couch.

“Is that so?” he asked. The inflection in his tone indicated he wanted me to continue and tell me exactly what it was going to cost him.

“Yup. It’ll cost you one kickass Star Trek shirt.” It was a long shot, but who could blame me for trying?

“Dream on,” he retorted. “This …” he placed the tip of his forefinger to my sternum directly above my heart, pointing either at me or the shirt—I wasn’t entirely sure “… belongs to
me
.”

“Okay, come on, let me help you up. Everyone will be here soon. Are you hungry?” he asked, holding his hand out for me to take. I nodded.

Very carefully, he helped me to my feet. “Um, I’m going to go to the bathroom,” I said quietly.

“Sure, you’ll be all right?”

I cocked an eyebrow at him as he released his hold on my hand and waist. “Yes. I think I remember how to pee.”

“Fair enough,” he conceded with a laugh. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

“Okay.” We turned to go off in separate directions before I stopped and turned back around. “Jensen?”

He faced me with a look of curiosity. “Yes, Madison?”

“Thank you.”

“I told you, you can borrow the shirt—”

I shook my head and cut him off. “No, not for the shirt. For being so nice and taking care of me. Sure, it’s kind of annoying, but I get it. I just wanted you to know I appreciate everything you’re doing—just in case I become a pain in the ass in the next few weeks.”

His lips turned up into a smile. “It’s what friends do.”

“Yeah,” I agreed softly as Jensen continued on to the kitchen. “Friends.”

Closing myself in the bathroom, I took a moment to register Jensen’s use of the word
friends
. It kind of put the kibosh on my rebound idea, but it was a little comforting to know where we stood with one another.

As soon as I heard Dad, Jeff, and Tom’s loud voices, I ran a brush through my hair and brushed my teeth before heading out to join them. The pain in my left side was starting to return. I could feel it with every step I took. So, I held my left arm tight to my body and entered the kitchen.

“There she is!” Tom exclaimed. “How are ya feelin’, Madison?”

“I’ve had better days,” I replied, making my way to the fridge for something to drink. I was just reaching for the apple juice when I felt a warm hand on mine.

“Hey, go have a seat. I’ll get you whatever you need,” Jensen assured me, his voice too low for anyone else to hear. As our eyes locked, I swore I saw more than mere friendship reflecting back at me—felt it in the way he touched me, even. The look disappeared just as quickly.

“It’s ok. I can grab a glass of juice.” As I grabbed the carton, Jensen retrieved a glass from the cupboard for me.

“Are you in pain?” he asked, once again being sure to use a voice too low for anyone but me to hear.

“It’s not so bad,” I told him, pouring my juice before taking a small sip.

Jensen shook his head and reached for my pills. It had been almost eight hours since my last dose, so it seemed right that I’d be feeling this way already. Jensen dropped the pills in my hand, and I took them before he ushered me to the table and out of
his kitchen
.

I sat in my chair, sipping my juice as Tom and Dad talked about going fishing the next weekend. They tried to go fishing every weekend, but this summer had been so busy with the ranch’s expansion that they hadn’t had very many opportunities. So, they planned to go now that the new barn was complete. Which meant it would be Jensen and me alone on the ranch. Jeff was going to be spending time with his friends that weekend, and Jillian had no lessons because she was going on a girl’s trip to Vegas. Yup, just the two of us.

Jensen arrived at the table with a plate of freshly cut vegetables, causing my dad to groan and carry on about “rabbit food.” “Relax, Wayne,” he simply said with a chuckle before looking over at me. “I’m making soup and sandwiches, too.”

I reached across the table and grabbed a handful of broccoli and cauliflower to munch on until lunch was ready. I didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation because talking about fish guts and worms wasn’t really my thing. Why did fishing have to be so gross?

In an effort to get the new, disturbing thoughts of torturing worms out of my head, I looked over at Jensen. He stood behind the island, facing me, and was making sandwiches. Every once in a while, he’d look up and smile at me, which made my tummy do a little cartwheel and a back flip. I no longer tried to pretend I wasn’t staring at him, because I was fairly certain I didn’t want to hide my feelings from him anymore. Hide it from my father? Most definitely. From Jensen? Nah, I didn’t think so—not that I was particularly good at lying to him, anyway.