River's End (River's End Series, #1)(24)

The guys returned from their ride, and had dinner, but Erin did not reappear to him. He didn’t get his brother’s lack of interest in her outside of the bedroom. For that, Joey’s interest hadn’t waned. But why didn’t he make any kind of effort to go out with her? Do things with her? Date her? There wasn’t a woman in five hundred miles as beautiful as Erin Poletti. Why wasn’t Joey making a real play for her?

Jack mounted his horse and decided he wasn’t training tonight. He was riding… for himself… and his horse. He spurred Augusta forward and she reacted by shaking her head and rearing onto her back legs. Augusta was half-wild, and half untrained. No one else could ride her. Tonight, however, Jack welcomed the intense concentration, the fire, and the aching muscles as he rode the hell out of the horse by galloping in circles around the arena. He stopped abruptly. Then he started again. He made the horse go in and out of the obstacle course he had set up. He used Augusta to help him pound out his frustration.

She was in his house.

The knowledge kept echoing through his head. Erin was right now in his house, and in his brother’s room. Jack glanced at the clock in the arena and saw it was nearly midnight. He’d already put Charlie in bed and Ben was watching a movie. He only came out there to avoid the rest of them. Erin came in while it was still daylight. He heard her voice when he was up with Charlie. He even stayed longer than usual in his younger son’s room, just to avoid her. Finally, her voice was quiet and she was in his brother’s room.

Winded now, Jack dismounted his horse. Augusta was breathing in long, deep snorts. Her stomach went in and out under the sweat-slicked fur. He took the saddle and bridle off, before rubbing the horse down with a towel and patting Augusta’s head. After he led his mount into her stable for the night, he replaced the saddle, blanket and bridle where they belonged before locking up the barn office for the night. He crossed the yard and noticed the stars were out tonight. It was still quite cold at night and his breath looked smoky in the chilly air. He pressed his hands deeper into his jacket as he stepped onto the porch, and entered the house. It was dark and everyone was in bed. He grabbed a beer from the fridge, popped the top off, and threw the cap towards the sink. Heading towards his brown leather recliner, he sank his whole body into it.

Erin and Joey were none of his business. Ian was right and their conversation kept replaying in his head. Didn’t he make an effort with Erin today? Trying to be nice to her? Actually, he was more than a little surprised that he didn’t totally hate her company. She asked intelligent questions and seemed genuinely interested in their operation. She was almost sweet in the way she handled the horse. And how she conscientiously did as he said. And how she didn’t think she was allowed to enter the barn. Of course, it could all be an act. She knew he was suspicious of her. Still, she got naked next to his little brother not even days after meeting him. So… not his type of girl.

Jack sat forward when he heard a noise, and glanced toward the stairs when one of the treads squeaked. Erin stopped dead in her tracks and her hand came to her mouth.

“Mr. Rydell,” she said, sounding so stunned, it was obvious he startled her. “I didn’t think anyone was up.”

He took a drink of his beer as his gaze went over her. At least, she was dressed. Her hair was crazy curly like always. She kept it off her face with a headband and a rubber band at the nape of her neck.

“I was just going ho…” Her voice faded as he waited to find out where she was going.

“To my trailer, you mean?”

She nodded and took the steps to reach the bottom of the stairs. “I just thought I should leave. You know, Charlie and all. I didn’t think I should be here when he woke up.”

Jack considered her. Was she for real? He never gave it that much thought. He wondered sometimes what other things he and his brother missed about raising kids. God. His kids needed a mother. A grandmother. An aunt. A woman from somewhere to teach them the softer side of life.

“We’ve shared more than one meal with a woman. Four men live here.”

“Oh. Still, it didn’t seem right.”

Jack took another drink of beer and stared at the last embers of the fire that glowed as the only light in the dark room before looking through the dark windows. Then he let out a big sigh as he got up. “Where’s Joey?”

She looked away. “Asleep.”

His brother was too tired to walk her home? And why was that okay with Erin? Why did he waste time with women who required a modicum of effort on his part just to have sex? Things like buying dinner. Or, at the very least, he would expect to walk the girl he just screwed home. Apparently, not so for Erin and Joey.

“Right. So you’re walking across the yard alone? Do you have a flashlight?”

She shook her head. “I planned to run.”

He sighed and set his beer down, then walked towards the door, grabbing the coat he just hung on a chair. He went into utility room off the kitchen and grabbed a flashlight.

“What are you doing?” She came closer to him.

“Cleaning up my brother’s mess, as usual. Do you at least have a coat?”

Glancing down, she shook her head sheepishly. He handed his to her. She stared at it as if it would lift its sleeve and bark at her. “I’m okay. It’s just across your yard.”

“That’s debatable,” he muttered, now shoving the coat at her. “You should think about demanding a bit more from your boyfriends, Ms. Poletti.”