Leaping Hearts(36)

The mere thought was enough to make him get hard. Every night, in his dreams, she came to him, drifting up the stairs, through his door, into his bed. He would feel her skin against his, get lost in her mouth, smell the lavender in her hair. And then he would wake up and wonder why the hell she was sleeping anywhere else but beside him.

His jaw tightened.

“You look fierce,” she said softly.

“Sorry. I guess I’m keyed up myself.”

Liar, he thought. He wasn’t anxious about the event. He wasn’t even thinking about it. It was A.J. that was on his mind. The fact that they were alone in his house. That with two steps forward she would be close enough for him to kiss her. On the lips. On the neck. On the—

“I want you to know, I won’t let us down. I’m going to give it my very best tomorrow.”

“Of course you will,” he said, trying to focus. “You’ve been giving it your very best every day in that ring. You’ve been amazing to watch. You’re so much more than I ever expected.”

“I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” Her blue eyes were downcast and her face flushed, as if she was embarrassed by his praise as well as pleased with it.

He cleared his throat, feeling like he should offer her more support. “Your entire future doesn’t rest on tomorrow. Not your riding career, not your chances at turning Sabbath into a champion. It’s one competition in what hopefully will be a long list of shows with you on his back. You’re just starting down the road, and if you stumble in the first few feet, it doesn’t mean you can’t go the distance.”

A.J. smiled at him and he felt as if she’d stolen the breath from his lungs. Standing in the doorway, wearing that pair of flannel boxers and the old T-shirt, she was the most enticing woman he’d ever seen. Her hair was around her shoulders in thick waves and her skin glowed in the dim light. As his body throbbed, he realized it wouldn’t matter what she was wearing; he’d always be attracted to her. To him, she could turn a burlap sack into a negligee.

Devlin cleared his throat. “Listen, I know Chester is more your go-to guy for pep talks, but if you need an affirmation for tonight, I think I could scare one up.”

She laughed huskily in a way that made him itch to get his hands on her.

“What would you suggest?” she asked. “Something like ‘Believe in yourself and all things are possible’?”

“I think mine would involve more scotch.”

“I’m not much for liquor. It makes me feel loopy.”

“Then, as your guru for the evening, I’d advise you to stick with the believing in yourself part.”

“Good advice,” she said as she turned to go. “See you at first light?”

Devlin nodded.

And all through my dreams, he thought.

As she was leaving, he raked his hand through his hair and took a steadying breath. He decided it was just as well she was going downstairs. He’d learned his needs got stronger in the nighttime, so they were both better off if she was on a different floor. Hell, on that logic, he should be sleeping in the barn with Sabbath.

Devlin looked around his study, trying to remember what he’d been hunting for. All that came to mind were images of A.J., so he gave up his search. As he turned off the light, he thought it was a pity he’d have to go past her to get to the scotch.

*

It was a little after seven o’clock in the morning when the McCloud Stables trailer pulled into the fairgrounds where the competition was being held. The rig wasn’t as big as the one A.J. was used to, but then, she’d seen double-wides smaller than the Sutherland behemoth. Funny thing was, she preferred Devlin’s to the one she used to go around in. It was easier to maneuver and far less ostentatious.

Devlin had been behind the wheel for the hour-long trip through the Virginia countryside while A.J. and Chester sat comfortably in the cab beside him. The three had been up since the crack of dawn, falling into a precontest routine of checks and balances designed to ensure that no piece of equipment was forgotten and no contingency left unanticipated.

As Devlin piloted them to the competitors’ area, which was down a dirt road past lines of cars that had been parked on the grass, A.J. surveyed the scene. Teenagers, looking bored and embarrassed in their orange bibs and matching baseball caps, were directing traffic on either side of the road. Beyond them, the fairground was a vast open area, marked by white fences and a few modest buildings. The field had been used for growing corn and wheat for generations until it became a casualty of big-business farming. Now it was owned by the county, a big draw for rodeos, jumping shows and the odd traveling circus or two.

And that drive-in retrospective on Godzilla hadn’t been bad, A.J. reflected. There was nothing like seeing Mothra up on the big screen.

As Devlin scouted around for an open spot to park in, she found herself bracing to see the Sutherland logo plastered on the side of a trailer or on the back of a T-shirt worn by one of the grooms. A team from Sutherland’s would be at the competition; she was sure of it. Knowing she was going to have to compete against people she used to see every day, but now had no stable affiliation with, made her feel the gravity of her dislocation. As long as she was sequestered at Devlin’s, it was as if the compound didn’t exist. Her days were so full, and her mind so preoccupied with training, she hadn’t had time to think of much else.