River on Fire (River's End #5) Read online

  No. No. He was flirting again. He was used to getting attention and manipulating his charm. Yes, that had to be it, because that made so much more sense than any other reason.

  ****

  They met at eight the next morning as planned and even Brianna showed up, dressed and ready to go. They took their first authentic horseback ride, which highlighted the point of choosing that destination. Joey was diligent in showing them how to saddle the horses and hold the reins. After telling them what the equipment was properly called and how to use it, he added specific facts and anecdotes about each horse. Then he helped them mount the horses with a hand up, getting them all settled and comfortable before he even contemplated taking them out of the main ranch area. Finally, they left the ranch and followed a smooth, dirt road for several miles. Joey asked if they wanted to climb up into the hills and look over the ranch, but they all declined, saying, maybe they could work up to that. At the end of the ride, Hailey hung back to help him with the horse tack, but he smiled and waved her on when he heard Brianna calling her. She lingered for a few moments, staring after Joey but finally went after her kids. She was utterly confused as to why she desperately felt like she wanted to help him put away the bridles and saddles in the tack room of the large barn.

  He yelled after her. “Hey, Hailey?”

  “Yes?” She whipped around at his unexpected call.

  “See you tonight? At the horse show?”

  She nodded and Joey’s huge grin nearly split his face. She grinned back with just as big and dopey a smile. What the hell was that?

  Hailey wished she had the words to describe it. All she knew was her heart bumped in anticipation, something that hadn’t rattled through her body in years.

  ****

  Hailey walked up to the large, covered arena where she saw several horses tied up and people lingering inside it. There was a small woman, much shorter than her, and so petite, she looked like a pixie with dark hair that fell to her waist. Cowboy boots, jeans, and a tank top with a cowboy hat completed her outfit. Inside the arena, she held a riding crop as she worked with a horse. She never once touched the horse with the crop. The horse spun around her, only to stop dead when she bent at the waist. Then she flicked her wrists and the horse circled her in the opposite direction. She did this repeatedly until she had the horse doing figure eights around her. Lulled by the fluidity of it all, Hailey leaned her arms on the boards that comprised the walls to the arena. High enough that the horses couldn’t jump over them, the walls had plenty of places for tying horses to them. Her head could barely peek over it to see. There was also a man in the arena who was talking to the woman, giving her explicit instructions. When he suddenly said, “Okay, now!” the woman would do something different with her hands, initiating a different reaction from the horse.

  Hailey knew she was early for the show. It was only five o’clock and she had nothing pressing. The kids were otherwise occupied, so she wandered up to the ranch, taking the path that was designated for the guests, which included access to the arena. Naturally, she assumed she had the right to be there.

  A jolt ran up her spine when Joey entered the arena and started talking to the woman who was taking a break from her magical horse-handling.

  They spoke for several moments, her face smiling up at him before she nodded and pointed in the opposite direction. He smiled back and walked in the direction she pointed. Now the girl was alone with the horse, which she coaxed to stand up on box before placing all four hooves on it. At her indication, the horse put its two front hooves down and shifted its weight until its back hooves remained elevated on the box while the front two stood securely on the ground.

  The man looked like he was her age or thereabouts, Hailey guessed, and he walked off towards the barn’s interior, which jutted into the arena on one end. Hailey almost started clapping and whistling. She couldn’t help it. She was utterly amazed by the odd and unnatural skills she saw demonstrated. All it took to make the horse go through the complicated maneuvers were very small movements of her hands. She never directly made any contact with the horse but rather used a gentle approach, and loving ministrations. Even the horse seemed to be loving it as it pricked up its ears and held its magnificent head a little higher.

  Hailey gasped in awe and held her breath as she watched them work and when she finally exhaled, her foot responded by kicking the boarded-up wall and making a dull thunk! To her dismay, it instantly drew the attention of the woman and Joey. Joey obviously recognized her and waved and smiled—and she swore it was definitely a big, delighted smile. Really. She wasn’t imagining that, or was she? Joey’s gaze met hers and an expression of pure pleasure totally combusted on his face at seeing her. It was no casual smile, not the kind she’d expect him to give the average guest… although, that’s what she was. And only that, just another one of their guests.

  He waved for her to come forward. She glanced to her left, and scanned the perimeter before locating the entrance to the arena. Briskly walking toward the gate, she entered, then remained back and hesitated, unsure whether she should venture further in but he waved at her again. Clad now in a pair of jeans, the usual resort polo shirt, and cowboy boots, he wasn’t kidding when he said he couldn’t pull off the cowboy role despite him holding the horse’s bridle as he rubbed the horse’s mane. But the other man who walked away could’ve pulled it off. He looked all sinewy, with a tough, weathered face and a long body. There was something seasoned about the man. Joey, on the other hand, looked new and fresh and ready to shoot a TV commercial or assume a leading role, yet there was something sincere about Joey. Hailey spotted it in his smile and facial expressions, which only made all that shiny, handsome appeal even more enticing than if he behaved arrogantly. Sure, he knew what he was to women but he did not mindlessly revel in that knowledge.

  “Hey, Hailey. Checking it all out early?” Joey called across the distance between them, obviously inviting her to join them, if only to make her feel more comfortable. She nodded, grateful for the casual opening.

  “Yes, I didn’t mean to interrupt. It was just so fascinating and amazing to watch… I had no idea what you meant by the horse show.”

  Joey rubbed the horse’s nose as it gently prodded him forward, sniffing his shirt for a treat. He laughed and tapped the persistent muzzle, indicating that he should knock it off. “Not interrupting. We’re just practicing. Erin and I.” He nodded at the girl beside him, and upon closer inspection, Hailey realized she wasn’t a girl at all, but a woman, probably thirty-ish. “We’re just barely adequate at performing this stuff. Jack, over there in the barn, is the older brother I told you about. Now, he’s the expert. He’s been working with us on our skills and training.”

  “Wow. When I think of training, I imagine you turning them right or left and just stopping.”

  Joey flashed a brilliant grin. “We do that kind of training too. Our bread and butter is teaching those skills to guests. But this stuff is highly complicated and much harder to do and rare; it literally captivates our spectators and guests.”

  Erin was watching them closely. Joey turned and waved at Hailey, saying, “This is Hailey Starr, she’s staying for the whole month with her son and daughter.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Erin.” With a grin, Erin stepped forward and held out her hand. Hailey took it and they greeted each other politely.

  “She’s married to my brother, Jack,” Joey added as Erin stepped back and her gaze flittered from Joey to her.

  “Jack? As in the brother who raised you?” Hailey filled in the names of the only story she knew about Joey thus far.

  “That would be him.”

  “That would be who?” The man in question suddenly came up behind them. He was close to forty with reddish hair that was turning gray just at the temples. He had blue eyes and a craggy, handsome face that was completely different in structure than Joey’s. There was nothing remotely similar about these two men that marked them as brothers. Jack was tall at over six
feet, and several inches beyond Joey’s stature.

  “My older brother that raised me. This is Hailey Starr, our ranch guest,” Joey added again. Jack smiled as he too shook her hand.

  “Nice to meet you. Checking out the show?”

  “I was going to. I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys. What you’re teaching them… it’s nothing less than amazing.”

  Jack grinned. “Finally, Joey agrees. Took him a few years to appreciate it though.”

  “Hell, it took you a few years to appreciate me,” Joey grumbled, although good humor laced his tone.

  Jack barked out a short laugh. “Looking for more compliments, little bro? Why don’t you show the lady how you can make that horse smile and bow for her?”

  Hailey backed up, taking the cue, and the three of them moved with the horse, changing positions until it was Joey controlling the horse’s movements rather than Erin. She walked back and stood beside Hailey. It was impossible not to be awed. And if Joey was the greenest novice at this, she could not imagine what Jack must have been able to do.

  For an hour, Hailey watched them work. Jacob and Brianna came up to the arena together. She introduced them to Erin, whose eyes brightened as soon as she spotted Brianna. “You should meet Cami; she’s our foreman’s daughter and about your age. She constantly bemoans the lack of young people around here; might be fun for you both.”

  Hailey’s ears instantly perked up. Someone besides Joey to engage her daughter? Yes. That sounded like a godsend.

  Joey ambled over as Erin excused herself and the couple went into the barn, but soon came out with three more horses. There were a few more guests wandering up and another man appeared that was the spitting image of Jack. Instant déjà vu, except she still had Jack in her line of view so she knew it wasn’t him. This man was younger, with no gray hairs or wrinkles around his eyes, but wow. They could have passed for twins. Father and son, obviously.

  “Ben, hey. You helping today?” Joey called out. Ben walked forward, and his stride was long while his gait was exaggeratedly loose-limbed. He was lanky. He and Joey carried on a private conversation. Hailey wondered if she should sit in one of the four rows of bleachers that faced the arena. That was where all the other guests sat. Right now, she was inside the arena with the horses and the trainers, standing beside Joey and this new guy, Ben. Jacob instantly scrambled up the wall and sat on top of it, dangling his feet while Brianna posed and preened near Joey, who ignored her as he spoke to his best friend and nephew. Then up walked a pair of teens.

  Joey called them over. “This is my nephew, Charlie. He’s Jack’s son, and this is our foreman’s daughter, Cami. Meet Jacob and Brianna, they’re staying here for the month.” Joey didn’t hesitate to turn so he could introduce them. The teens moved and undulated closer to each other while barely making eye contact as they mumbled Hey and Hi in strained, awkward voices while nervously shuffling their feet. Hailey was nearly in pain just watching them, but none of them turned away. Brianna talked to Jacob and Cami talked to Charlie but they all stood together until the show started. The two newcomers climbed the rail to sit near her kids. Her heart thumped with joy. Please let them get friendly. She wished for some interaction here.

  Cami was an interesting girl, but maybe not Hailey’s initial favorite. She had black hair that she wove in some funky-assed dreadlocks that skimmed over her shoulders. She was a small, frail girl, but really quite pretty in her unusual way. Wearing dark makeup that highlighted her dark eyes, further augmenting her pixie-like demeanor. She wore dark clothes, and her beyond white skin contradicted any notion that she lived in a sunny area of the state. Charlie, however, looked like a typical kid, dressed exactly like Jacob in his shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops. He sat next to Cami and they hit it off and talked away. Charlie finally asked Jacob a question to which Brianna answered for him. Strangely, that was when the ice started breaking between them all. The two who lived there were fascinated in hearing about where her kids came from, and likewise, her kids were intrigued to learn what it was like living there. Although it began as stilted, awkward conversation, in no time, they were actually conversing.

  Hailey glanced up at Joey who stood near her. He was consulting with Ben, discussing a horse named Clementine and what they should do about the vet’s advice on the horse’s daily supplements. Included were the complaints of exorbitant vet fees and the need for getting the newest colt vaccinated. While Joey spoke about the ranch issues with Ben, whom she gathered worked regularly on the ranch, judging by his pervasive knowledge of it, Joey kept glancing at her. At least several times, their gazes met and an odd small smile dominated his features along with hers in return. Intense, odd, and yet totally connected, the look they exchanged could have happened in a crowd and she would have still sworn they said more without any speech than everyone else who was speaking at length around them.

  She realized the show was starting as the crowd fell silent and Jack started circling the horses around him. First one, then the next joined, then the next and the next until he had all four horses twirling in step around him. It was breathtaking when they switched into following a figure eight with two running one direction and the other two going another, intermittently crossing each other on the figure eight without smacking right into each other. It was hold-your-breath scary. When they broke formation and came to a sudden halt, the entire crowd went crazy with its applause and cheers.

  Then to everyone’s delight, Jack went down the line of horses and at his command, each one bent one front hoof over the other, making all four horses bow to the applause. That was followed by a rise in pitch and a series of cat-calls and howls of encouragement. Then Jack did an almost funny, sweet show. The horses played around with his hat, taking it off with their teeth, and holding it up over his head before setting it back down on his head. It was hilarious and so strange to Hailey. She never imagined watching horses perform comedy. The horses smiled or nodded to all the questions Jack asked them. One of them dropped down to sit on its hindquarters, like a dog would sit, and another rolled over and played dead. He had others stretching out their backs or front legs at his command. Another lowered its neck to the ground so Jack could simply step over and scoot backwards until he was smoothly seated on the horse’s bare back. Then, he had the same horse lower its back end to the ground so he could easily slide over the tail until his feet touched the ground and he could stand up.

  Another horse walked in step with him. They marched together in an exaggerated lift of their legs, keeping totally in sync. The entire performance drew cheers, laughter, wows and oohs and ahhs from the transfixed crowd. Another horse ran an obstacle course of tires effortlessly. Jumping in and out and going around them, he always had one foot in and another out. It drew loud cheers from the awestruck crowd. They played a game of catch, tossing back and forth a giant blue exercise ball. The horses used their mouths and legs to toss it right back to Jack and over again. Eventually, Erin came forward and they each mounted the two saddled horses, which were brought out. Performing several tricks together that included standing on boxes and raised platforms, they were completely in sync the entire time. They circled each other and changed positions. In the end, they had the entire crowd on their feet, cheering with delight.

  Hailey glanced up at the bleachers. There were more people there than there were staying at the resort, of that she was sure. Joey didn’t fail to notice her puzzled look.

  “We get people from all around the valley that come to these now. We started doing them about two years ago. That was when Jack’s sister, the business consultant, recommended we create some kind of attraction. Jack was already skilled and able to do most of these tricks, before Kate persuaded him to include them in this formal show. He’s not a huge fan, and prefers to stay in the background, taking care of the horses, and training them on his own terms. He has no interest in showing off what he can do. But look what he can do. How could we not take advantage of that? I mean, look at this…” Joey stretched hi
s arms to encompass the crowd and their roaring cheers along with Jack, who was directing the horses to bow once again.

  Hailey cheered right along. She yelled and clapped until her hands hurt. “It’s breathtaking. I never expected to find something like this here. I mean, in the resort literature supplied by our travel agent, it may have mentioned this, but I never dreamed while vacationing at someone’s house—and for all intents and purposes, that’s what this is—I never dreamed we’d see something like this.”

  “Is that how you found us, through a travel agency? That was Kate’s doing too. Advertising throughout this state and Oregon and Idaho too.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I was browsing through places to go. I wanted to get away for a long while, and skip my husband’s absence, so to speak, and yet I couldn’t afford any exotic location. But this? This works for us, and I could swing it.” As she spoke, her gaze was pinned—no, riveted, really—on Jack and Erin, who had the horses circling around them as a final, exciting curtain call.

  “Are you learning to do that?” she asked as she waved towards the arena.

  “Eventually. I’m not sure I can get there. Ben has more of a natural knack than I do. It takes infinite patience, not to mention hours of trial and error. Jack would love to pass all of his secrets and performing skills along to the next generation. He likes training them and knows how to make horses do whatever he wants. He’s grooming Erin to be the next leader for what he does. She’s more into it than I am, and I’d assist her, of course, yeah. That’s our intent. But we both have a long way to go still. We’re not sure enough of ourselves to make them do this in any kind of regular and trustworthy way. I mean, Jack’s gifted, the original horse whisperer, and we’re just more like average people.

  “Ben is also learning Jack’s tricks and tips with us. He was just dealing with a newborn foal we had to call the vet out for. She was just born and her blood was too low on antibodies, the best source of immunity, which is derived from the colostrum. The vet doubted that she got enough of it when she first began to nurse. He recommended we use liquid gold to supplement the natural antibodies that were missing. It’s a series of four shots, one a day. Wasn’t cheap either; the cost is reflected by its name, and it’s just as precious as gold.”