The Prodigal Groom. Karen Leabo

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СКАЧАТЬ rubbed her back with one hand and stroked her hair with the other. Her hair was as soft as he remembered, and it still smelled like green apples. He struggled to keep his hormones firmly under control. She was not exactly receptive to his attempt at comfort; he could just imagine what her reaction would be if she sensed his desire for her.

      “It’ll be okay,” he crooned. “Flash is a tough guy, from what I hear. He’ll come through this just fine.”

      But Jake knew she wasn’t upset merely out of concern for the horse. Losing Flash’s stud service could be a fatal blow to the struggling Folly. But not if Jake had anything to say about it. As it turned out, Flash’s unhappy experience had given Jake the opening he needed, the ammunition that would convince Laurie he was the right man for the manager’s job.

      “Let go of me,” Laurie said haughtily when she’d gotten the tears under control. “I can cry just fine without you.”

      Jake chuckled. “But why, when I have this big wide shoulder here to accommodate you?” Just the same, he released her, giving her shoulder one final pat.

      She grabbed a paper napkin off the table and wiped her face. “I don’t know why I’m getting so upset about this. Flash is an old horse. His macho days were numbered, anyway. His sperm count was getting lower every time I had him checked.”

      Jake stifled a chuckle. The old Laurie he’d known, his child bride, would never have talked so casually in front of him about sperm count. He supposed that living on a breeding farm for four years had toughened her up a bit.

      “You have other studs, right?” he asked.

      “None with Flash’s lineage, or anything close to his reputation. People sought him out as much for his temperament as for his bloodline. He’s so gentle.”

      That’s what Jake wanted to hear. “So you’ve never kept one of Flash’s sons or grandsons around as a backup?”

      “Oh, we did, for a while. That was always Charlie’s plan. But I sold him. Some rancher from Oklahoma offered me so much money for him I couldn’t turn him down.”

      “What if I could get you the services of one of Flash’s sons…for free?”

      Laurie looked at him suspiciously, but curiously, too. “What are you talking about?”

      “I happen to own a certain stallion named Flash Lightning—sired by Flash in the Pan, out of Heat Lightning.”

      “Heat Lightning? The Heat Lightning?”

      “If you mean the grand champion barrel racer from Sulphur Springs, that’s the one.”

      “How did you come by this horse?”

      “His leg was shattered in a freak accident at a horse show I was at. They were talking about destroying him— his competition days were obviously over. But I couldn’t stand to see such a beautiful animal destroyed, so I bought him and rehabilitated him. He’s still lame, but I don’t think that would interfere with his other capabilities.”

      Jake could almost see the wheels spinning in Laurie’s mind. “How come I’ve never heard of this horse?”

      “He didn’t have much of a chance to earn a reputation for himself before his accident, but he showed a lot of potential. And I’ve never offered him up for stud because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself.”

      “But you’d let me use him…for free?”

      “Provided you give me the manager’s job. And, Laurie, Lightning is the spitting image of Flash in the Pan, right down to the white star on his chest. They could be twins.”

      She opened her mouth to object, then clamped her mouth closed. Her expression was pensive. Jake could tell she was warring with herself, weighing the temptation of having Flash’s son at her disposal with the inconvenience of having Jake himself underfoot.

      “What if things didn’t work out?” Laurie asked. “What if you turn out to be a worse manager than me?”

      “Give me five minutes’ notice, and I’ll leave.” But he was pretty confident that wouldn’t be the case. He would work his butt off to get this place back in shape.

      If Laurie did end up kicking him off Birkett’s Folly, it probably would be for a different reason. He’d had no intention of pursuing her, or engaging her in anything other than a friendly but professional relationship. He figured he’d given up the right to anything more the day he’d left her standing at the altar. But ever since he’d held her, filling his lungs with her scent, feeling her warmth and softness against him, he’d realized he would have a helluva time keeping his hands off her.

      Laurie gave him a penetrating look. He stared back, waiting for her decision.

      “When could you start?” she asked in a less-thanconf ident voice.

      Jake banked his elation. She was actually going to do it! “Is the house ready?”

      She nodded. “It’s clean, and the lights and water are turned on. There’s some furniture, though not much, and nothing in the way of sheets and towels.”

      “I’ve got everything I need. I’ll move in tonight, and I can start first thing in the morning.”

      Laurie nodded, not looking at all happy.

      “You won’t regret it, hon—Laurie, I promise.” Damn, he’d almost called her “honey.” It sure would be easy to fall into old habits, and that could get him in trouble. He shoved his Stetson on his head and got the heck out of there, before he could say or do anything else stupid.

      Before she changed her mind.

       Three

      Laurie stared out the kitchen window, mesmerized, watching Jake walk around the barn taking notes, while Maurice pointed out leaks and storm damage. In his comfortably worn jeans and western shirt, Jake looked leaner, tougher, than Laurie remembered. And although he’d never been what she would term “cheerful,” he used to smile every so often. Now it seemed as if that solemn scowl never left his face.

      His mood didn’t matter, she reminded herself. The only important thing was for Jake to do the job he’d been hired for, and so far his performance looked promising. He’d been at the Folly less than twelve hours, and already he was taking charge—inventorying the stock, making lists, setting priorities.

      On one hand, his presence was comforting. Laurie was tired of dealing with the endless problems of running the Folly, and letting someone else take control of all her worries had a certain appeal. On the other hand, having Jake so close by was disturbing, setting off a chain reaction of awareness within her that had kept her awake last night, her body thrumming uncomfortably.

      “Mommy, something stinks.”

      “What? Oh, no, the hash browns!” Laurie quickly pulled the cast-iron skillet off the burner and stirred the potatoes. A black layer had formed on the bottom of the pan, and she spent the next five minutes picking out the most burned pieces and dropping them into СКАЧАТЬ