River's End (River's End Series, #1)(23)

“What would you know of Joe and me?” Jack’s face went stony. She knew she said too much, and rambled too much. She shouldn’t have. It was none of her business. Especially with Jack. Joey was barely her business, and only a degree more than this man here, who was so suspicious of her.

She dropped her hand from Georgie. “I don’t know. I just noticed the tension. I mean…”

“Dad!”

Jack turned at the shout coming from outside the barn. There was a strange rumbling sound. Jack stepped around her and outside. Damn it. How could she manage to alienate Jack even more than she already had to date? She didn’t intend to. Especially after feeling how stunned she was to find him willing to show her the horses. Or let her inside the barn, something she considered his domain.

Dad. She forgot for a moment that Jack was a dad. Jack was the authority here. Jack could easily have her thrown off his land. She let out a long breath.

Turning, she went out of the barn and found Ben, Joey, and Chance on four-wheelers. The rumble of the three ATVs filled the air. All wore helmets and goggles that blocked out their faces.

“We’re heading out,” Ben yelled to his dad.

“Don’t break anything,” Jack called back. Then the three of them gunned their vehicles and took off with a cloud of dust trailing behind them. Jack watched them leave and Erin looked up at him.

“You let Chance use your vehicles?”

She almost clapped a hand over her mouth. Why did she persist in pointing out to Jack what a problem her brother was? Was she just trying to get herself kicked off the land sooner, rather than later by continually demonstrating to Jack what an oaf her brother was? The problem was, although she might not have liked Jack, she still respected the place he ran, and hated to think of what her brother might do to it.

Jack looked up from the road to her. “There again: not my decision. It’s Joe’s. He thinks Chance is fun, which, I’m sure, he is.”

Fun? She was surprised Jack cared if anyone had fun. He seemed the type who did nothing but work.

“Why don’t you go?”

She looked up sharply. “Go where?”

“With Joey on the four wheelers? They’re pretty fun to ride.”

He never asked her, she thought before dismissing it. Joey was no more into her than she was into him. They had decent sex together, but that was the extent of their connection. He no more wanted to hang out with her, than she did with him.

“Like the horses. I’ve never been on one. I didn’t even know you had them.”

“The boys like their toys.”

“What? Your boys? Or your brothers?”

“Both. Anyway, try them sometime; they’re easy enough.”

She eyed Jack, feeling puzzled, no shocked that he was being so nice to her. Why was he suggesting anything for her to do?

He turned to head back to the barn.

“Mr. Rydell?”

Jack stopped and looked back at her.

“Thanks. For showing me the horses, I mean. And again, for the stupid snake incident with my wretched brother.”

Jack turned fully towards her. “What was that, Ms. Poletti? Does your brother often leave bruises on you?”

She dropped her gaze to her feet. “No. Chance usually likes to embarrass me, or torment me with teasing and pranks.”

“So that was his idea of a prank?”

“Not so funny, huh?”

“No. Not so funny.” Jack’s gaze felt heavy on her. She could feel him staring and she looked off towards the river.

“I don’t want any shit like that again on my land.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll—”

“I didn’t mean you,” Jack snapped, interrupting her. “I meant Chance. You let me know if he does anything like that again.”

She jerked her eyes to Jack’s face. It was cold as a stone as his eyes studied hers. She didn’t get Jack, and couldn’t read him. His obvious dislike of her was evident, but then, these periodic flashes where he noticed her, and cared for her, were stronger than anything Joey ever offered her.

“Okay. Thank you, Mr. Rydell.”

He waved her off and disappeared into the barn. She just stood there, staring off at him. Why did he bother to show her the horses when he so obviously wanted nothing to do with her?

****

What the hell was wrong with his brother? Jack didn’t know what to make of Joey as he began brushing the horse he was about to ride. He told his brother what Chance did to Erin, and Joey responded by taking Chance out for a four wheeler ride? Leaving Erin behind without even a hello? Who taught Joey to treat his girlfriends like that? Certainly, not he.

He lifted the saddle over the blanket and began tightening the cinch. Erin wasn’t exactly like he first thought. Not that he felt any different about her. She just wasn’t as manipulative as he originally guessed. She was kind of, well, almost cute about the horses. He was a little surprised to learn not only had she never been near horses, but after weeks on a horse ranch, no one ever showed them to her. Not her brother; nor his own brother. Although he still didn’t like her, he knew it was the only decent thing to do, to show her the damn horses.

She was new to everything, from the horses to the snakes to the off-road vehicles. Her big eyes widened at seeing it all. What he first saw as her interest in wanting to get her hands on the ranch, now he was starting to think she was merely big-eyed with surprise. His world was really that far removed from hers.