His Convenient Virgin Bride

Nine

The scattered showers of the new day made the jump course heavy and less than ideal. But Rosie-Joe had excelled in worse conditions than this.

“Make sure you give her time to get her footing before the triple combination,” Stephanie told Wesley.

He was dressed, pressed, trimmed and ready to go, his round coming up in only minutes.

“The rain won’t spook her,” Stephanie continued. “Keep her balanced, and she should run clean. Just keep your head in the game.”

Wesley nodded, his gaze suddenly focusing on something in the distance. A smile grew on his face that seemed just a little too confident.

“Are you listening to me?” she asked, as horses, grooms and competitors shifted around them. The announcer’s voice was clear on the PA. The crowd applauded as Bill Roauge and Zepher made it cleanly over the water jump.

“You worry too much.”

“Wesley-”

He leaned in close, brushing her arm. “Just wish me luck,” he whispered. Then he brushed something from her cheek and tucked her hair behind one ear.

Suddenly a blur of movement crossed her vision. Alec’s big hand wrapped around Wesley’s arm. Wesley staggered backward, as Alec propelled him ten feet to stop abruptly against the wall.

Stephanie was too stunned to move.

Had Alec lost his mind?

She couldn’t see his face, and she couldn’t hear his words. But she could see the set of his shoulders, and the width of his stance, and his hand was clamped tight around Wesley’s arm. Wesley’s cockiness turned to shock, while most of the blood seemed to drain from his face.

The groom holding Rosie-Jo stared in stupefaction, while Stephanie finally spurred herself to action, marching across the floor.

“Do you understand?” Alec ground out in a harsh voice she’d never heard before.

Wesley gave a rapid nod, and before Stephanie could say anything, he broke away from Alec and brushed past her.

She turned, torn between going after him and demanding answers from Alec. But Wesley was already mounting Rosie-Jo, and she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him that might help. So, she rounded on Alec.

“What is the matter with you?” she hissed, moving close to face him.

“Not a single thing.”

She gestured to Wesley. “He’s about to ride.”

“So what?”

“You’ve completely blown his concentration.”

Alec pasted her with a hard stare. “He should have thought of that before coming on to another man’s wife.”

“What?” she sputtered. What on earth was Alec’s problem? After last night, how could he possibly think she had any interest in Wesley?

“You going to watch him?” Alec grimly nodded to where Wesley was entering the ring.

She had to watch.

Of course she had to watch.

“We are not through here,” she warned Alec.

“We never are,” he sighed as she turned for the fence.

Alec fell into step beside her.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m coming with you.”

“It’s probably better if you-”

“This isn’t negotiable, Stephanie.”

“Then at least stop scowling.”

They stopped at the fence as Rosie-Jo cleared the first jump.

“He wasn’t coming onto me,” she muttered in an undertone.

“I agree,” said Alec.

And she turned to him with frank astonishment.

“He was testing me,” said Alec.

The crowd cheered as Rosie-Joe cleared the next jump.

“Testing you for what? You were there last night, Alec. You already won.” She reflexively scrutinized Wesley’s lineup for the vertical.

“To see what I’d do if he made a move on you. He saw me coming, Stephanie. He looked me straight in the eyes, launched that smug grin and moved in on you.”

Stephanie clearly remembered Wesley’s touch and his whisper. “I had dirt on my cheek,” she defended.

“No, you didn’t. You had a husband within eyeshot and a young pup looking to test the waters.”

The crowd cheered again.

“You’re paranoid.” But she had to admit, something had seemed off about Wesley’s gesture. And there was no denying he’d been pushing the boundaries with her since she’d told him about being pregnant.

“I’m not paranoid. I’m realistic.”

“He knows it’s a marriage of convenience,” she felt compelled to defend Wesley. It was probably her own fault for not being clear with him three days ago.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to him.”

Butterflies formed in Stephanie’s stomach as Rosie-Jo lined up for the triple. She held her breath.

Oxer, vertical, vertical.

He’d done it. Stephanie let out a breath and applauded along with the rest of the crowd.

But on the next jump, Rosie-Jo rubbed a rail.

Stephanie swore under her breath as the announcer acknowledged the fault.

They made the last three jumps clean, their time putting then in eighth place. A respectable showing.

As the pair approached the exit gate, Stephanie and Alec stepped to one side. Alec tossed an arm over her shoulder.

She knew what he was doing, but she also knew it was what she’d signed up for. And, while she wasn’t sure Wesley had deliberately taunted Alec, it was probably better if he understood the boundaries up front, particularly while they were working together.

Wesley scrutinized Stephanie. Then his gaze shifted to Alec. It immediately dropped to the ground. She smiled and congratulated him as he passed, but he didn’t look up again.

“What did you say to him?” she couldn’t help asking Alec.

“That another man would have taken his head off. And he would have.”

“I can’t believe this has got blown so far out of proportion.” She needed to talk to Wesley. The sooner, the better.

“He’s a punk kid,” said Alec, drawing her further back from the gate, out of the way of the horse and groom traffic, turning to face her. “It’s past time for him to learn right from wrong.”

“It’s partly my fault,” she acknowledged. “For telling him we were getting married because of the baby.”

Alec’s steel gaze burned into hers. “That doesn’t change our vows.”

“It gave him expectations.”

“Are they valid, Stephanie?” The noise of the crowd and loudspeaker disappeared under Alec’s intensity.

The question annoyed her. “What do you think?”

“Then tell him.”

“I did. I tried. He refuses to understand.”

Alec’s jaw went hard. “He understands now.”

She couldn’t help but worry about Wesley. “Did you scare him?”

“Absolutely. And I wasn’t bluffing. If he comes near you again-”

“I’m still his coach.”

“You know what I mean. And he knows what I mean.”

The crowd applauded, and Stephanie glanced behind herself to the board, seeing a new leader. Wesley was bumped to ninth.

She turned back to Alec and heaved a sigh. “This is going to be very complicated.”

“No, it’s going to be very simple. You’ll be professional. He’ll be professional. And nobody will get hurt.”

“Sometimes you sound like my brothers.”

Alec unexpectedly twitched a grin. “That’s definitely not what I was going for.”

And suddenly last night was between them, as vividly as if they’d had videotape. She remembered his body, the feel, the taste, the sound of his voice and the intimate things they’d said.

It was a crazy situation, a confusing situation. They had one last night before they separated and went back to their individual lives. She hadn’t the vaguest idea what would happen to them then. The only thing she knew for sure was that she’d spend this last night with Alec.

In the morning, Alec watched Stephanie preparing to load the Ryder stables trailers on the Brighton grounds. It was overcast, with rain threatening again. He’d pretty much blown his flight out of the Cedarvale Airport, but he didn’t care. He was staying right here until she was on the road.

Stephanie had flown in last week, but she was traveling home with the horses, a couple of grooms and Wesley. Alec wasn’t crazy about the arrangement, but he was the one who’d bought Blanchard’s Run. And now she insisted on accompanying the stallion back to Montana.

She was dressed in blue jeans, scuffed boots and a navy T-shirt, and he couldn’t help but contrast it to the way she’d looked last night. She’d worn a sexy, white nightie-for a short time, anyway. Then they’d made love and retired to the deep whirlpool tub. Afterward, they’d wrapped themselves in the plush robes provided by the hotel.

They’d sat up late on the balcony, talking about family, music, even politics. Anything to avoid the real topic, which was what happened next in their relationship. Afterward, she’d slept in his arms, while he let his imagination explore risky and unlikely scenarios, involving him and Stephanie, and their baby.

He was playing with fire here, and he knew full well somebody could get hurt. He only hoped it was him and not Stephanie.

Rosie-Jo’s hooves clanked on the ramp up to the cavernous trailer, while Royce appeared at Alec’s side.

“Any updates on the money?” asked Royce.

Alec nodded. “Damien called last night. Since Stephanie knows the truth, our negotiating position has changed, He thinks he can get back a million or two.”

“That’s it?”

“He thinks Norman Stanton liked women, ponies and high living. There’s a house in Miami, a sports car and an astonishingly small bank account.”

Royce crossed his arms over his chest. “Not enough to impact the corporation’s bottom line.”

“Nowhere near,” Alec agreed. “But I’ll have some final numbers on that for you in my formal report next week.”

Royce nodded, glancing at his watch. “You flying out of Cedarvale?”

“I am.”

“The Lexington flight leaves from there in forty minutes.”

“I’ll catch the next one.”

“The next one’s tomorrow.”

Alec shrugged. “I’ll get there.”

“I’ve got the jet. You need me to drop you off somewhere?”

There was something odd in Royce’s tone, and Alec searched the man’s expression.

Was there something he wanted to talk about in private?

Did he have more secrets?

If he did, Alec wished he’d do them both a favor and keep them the hell to himself. The last thing he wanted was to get embroiled in Ryder family politics again.

“I hear you put Wesley into a wall yesterday,” said Royce.

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Not from what I heard.”

“Who’d you hear it from?”

“It wasn’t Stephanie.”

Alec hadn’t thought it was, particularly since he hadn’t left her side for nearly twenty-four hours. He did wonder if it was Wesley himself.

“He was out of line,” he told Royce.

Royce gave a thoughtful nod. “I know how that goes.”

Alec wasn’t sure what Royce was getting at. Was he annoyed because Alec had gone after one of their stable clients?

“What did he do?” asked Royce.

He touched her cheek? He touched her hair? Both of those things sounded lame when they were out of context. “None of your business,” said Alec.

“Then, tell me something.” Royce turned away to watch the Ryder crew, prepping the trailer, widening his stance, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his blue jeans.

Alec followed his line of vision to where Stephanie was coiling a lead rope. Wesley was packing up the ramps in preparation to leave.

“About my sister.” Royce continued, tone thoughtful. “Would you shoot any guy who touched her?”

“In a heartbeat,” said Alec.

Royce clicked his cheek. “That’s how it starts.”

It wasn’t exactly a trick question. “Name one guy who wouldn’t?”

Royce turned back to Alec. “So, I take it you’re going with Plan A.”

“Plan A?”

“The one where you make her fall in love with you.”

“I’m not going with Plan A.” Plan A was fraught with peril.

Then again, he wasn’t going with Plan B, either-the one where he disappeared from her life for months at a time.

He hadn’t come up with any plan that seemed workable under the circumstance.

“I’m going to say goodbye,” he told Royce. Then he left him behind, crossing the small chunk of parking lot that brought him to Stephanie.

“We’re about ready to take off,” she informed him as he approached, smiling openly, her face scrubbed fresh, her auburn hair flowing in the wind.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather fly?”

She cocked her head. “Didn’t we already have this debate?”

“I wasn’t happy with the outcome.”

“I’m staying with Blanchard’s Run. I’m going to protect your investment.”

But his investment wasn’t the most valuable thing involved in this package. “You hired his personal groom to take care of him.”

“I’m driving to Montana, Alec.” Her expression sobered, and her clear blue eyes reflected the gathering clouds. “What about you?”

“Back to Chicago.”

She nodded, and her smile came back. It looked a little forced to him, but he couldn’t be sure.

“For a week,” he elaborated, watching her closely. “Then I’m coming to Montana.”

She sobered then swallowed.

“My report will be ready.”

“Oh. Right.” She gave a little laugh. “Of course.”

He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her he was coming for her, not for the damn report. He wanted to tell her they would work this out, that he was falling fast and hard for her, and he was having trouble picturing his life without her.

But it was too soon. And he couldn’t risk hurting her. He had no idea how she felt. And half a dozen people were watching them.

He should have asked her last night. But, the truth was, he was afraid of her answer. She’d told Wesley it was a marriage of convenience. And it was. And it might never be anything else.

“See you in Montana?” he asked.

She nodded. See you in Montana.