Leaping Hearts(99)

“Mornin’?”

“Ches, tell me she isn’t really quitting,” Devlin demanded. He just couldn’t believe it was true. After everything they’d done with the stallion, all her progress. Everything she’d sacrificed. Like their relationship.

“So ya’ read the article.”

“Why is she doing this?”

“She’s lost the drive.”

“But she’s good. I can’t believe she’s walking away. Is the arm not healing?”

“Arm’s fine. She just doesn’t have it in her anymore, so she says. She’s stayin’ on at Sutherland’s, though. Stepbrother’s moved on an’ gone. She’s runnin’ the place but says she’s not gettin’ in a show ring ever again.”

“But she loves to compete.” Devlin was shaking his head, incredulous. “And the stallion. She loves Sabbath.”

“The animal’s heartbroken. He hasn’t been eatin’ well. It’s a mess.”

There was a long silence.

“Ches, if I went to her, do you think she’d talk to me?”

“Depends on whatcha got to say. Should I tell her you’re goin’ over?”

But Devlin had already hung up the phone.

A knock sounded at her office door and A.J. looked up from her desk.

Her office. Her desk.

The possessive pronoun still sounded foreign. It had been a couple of weeks but she was still getting used to her new job.

“Come on in,” she called out.

One of the grooms stuck his head in. “When’s the vet coming?”

“Tomorrow morning. What’s up?”

“Sleeping Beauty’s got colic again.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Didn’t touch her feed and is walkin’ in circles in the stall.”

“Hell. Better call her owner. Is Johnson around?”

“He’s in the ring on Juggernaut. He’ll be done in a few.”

“When he dismounts, tell him I need to talk with him. If Beauty’s down for the count, we’re going to have to change the hacking schedule this afternoon.”

“Will do, boss.”

“Thanks.”

When the door shut, A.J. swiveled around and looked out of a window, seeing bare trees. Winter had arrived. There was frost on the ground when she came into work in the morning and she’d started wearing her parka around the stables. They were also using the indoor ring for training all the time.

Deciding to go find Johnson herself, she got out of her chair and pulled her coat on. With her cast, dressing was an awkward process and she didn’t seem to be getting any better at it. Over the past four weeks, she’d learned to hate the plaster deadweight and couldn’t wait to get rid of the thing. More than being a physical nuisance, it reminded her of things she couldn’t bear to think about.

Her hand was on the doorknob when another knock rang out.

“Johnson, Beauty’s off the hack schedule today….”

As she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat.

“Devlin.”

She thought he had to be a dream.

During the first weeks of their separation, she’d looked for him in every knock, every phone ring, every truck that pulled up to the stables. The letdowns had tortured her until finally, very recently, she’d given up. The loss of hope had been a terrible blow but at least she didn’t feel the agony of rejection every moment of every day.

When she blinked and he was still standing in front of her, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

Devlin didn’t answer her right away. Instead, she felt his eyes going over her as if he were memorizing her features.

“I hear you’re selling Sabbath.”

“I am.”

“Why?”

“I don’t ride anymore and he deserves to keep jumping.”

“Why are you quitting?”

“Did you come over here just to interrogate me?”

She was praying the answer was no.

His response was a long time in coming.

“I came to change your mind because it’s a waste of talent for you not to be in the ring. Now that I’m here, though…there seems like so much more to say.”

A.J. motioned for him to enter. She shut the door.

“Nice office,” he said.

As Devlin looked around, she watched him with greed while she waited for him to speak. He carried himself in that way she found so attractive and she noticed he’d just had a haircut. Remembering what it felt like to run her hands deep into those dark waves hurt so much, she had to close her eyes against the pain.

“How’s the arm?” he asked.

“Healing well.”

“Any reason you can’t ride when the cast comes off?”

“No, but it doesn’t matter.” She went around her desk. Sat in the chair. Fiddled with a pen to keep from telling him she loved him.

“How long until it’s off?”

Frustration got the better of her.

“Look, Devlin, I’m not sure why you came but if you don’t get to the point, I’m going to start screaming. It hurts too much to be in the same room with you and I’d just as soon get through this. Are you opening a door by showing up here or throwing more dirt on a grave?”