“Thanks, babe.” Jillian snagged another cookie. “I’m glad I ran into you two. Do you have time to come by my shop after lunch? I got a few new things in. I have a new dress that’s super feminine and sexy for you, Tempe, that will drive Nash wild, and, Trixie, the newest outfit in my Multifarious line is perfect for Friday night. Which reminds me, Tempe, do you and Nash want to meet us for drinks Friday? Jax and Nick will be there.”
“I wish I could, but we promised Flip we’d have a family movie night. Besides, I can’t drink for a while.” Tempest’s eyes brightened. “I’m pregnant!”
“Ohmygod!” Jillian jumped up and hugged her. “Another baby to spoil!”
“Speaking of babies to spoil.” Trixie pulled out her phone. “I have to show you the newest pictures of my niece.”
“Emma is so freaking cute,” Jillian said.
“Jilly is Emma’s honorary auntie,” Trixie explained.
“I’m everyone’s honorary auntie,” Jillian said. “It’s not like my brothers are giving me any nieces or nephews to spoil. I should call our cousin Josh. He and his wife, Riley, have a new children’s clothing line. I need to stock up now that Tempe’s having a baby.” Josh and Riley were world-renowned designers and split their time between New York City and Weston, Colorado.
“I love their stuff,” Tempest said. “I bought Flip the cutest pajamas from their summer collection.”
They chatted as they ate, catching up on each other’s lives. Jillian was excited about the possibility of Trixie working in or around Pleasant Hill so they could see each other more often. She offered to make wings and unicorn horns for the horses and gave Trixie the name of someone who could help her design a logo and make a website. Tempest talked with her about the differences between working with hospitals and other facilities, and Trixie took a million notes. As they were talking, they came up with other ideas, like making visits to schools with the horses for presentations and taking part in parades to help spread the word about Rising Hope.
After lunch they headed over to Jillian’s shop, where Trixie and Tempest tried on every outfit Jillian picked out. They had a blast. By the time Trixie headed over to Travis’s to see the horses, she had two shopping bags full of new clothes, including an outfit to wear to Tully’s, two dresses appropriate for business meetings, and a few cute things she simply couldn’t resist. She hoped Nick wouldn’t be able to resist them, either.
Chapter Ten
ROMEO AND LADY charged around the ring, heads held high, manes flying. Nick stood with one foot on the back of each horse, reins in hand, adrenaline pumping through his veins as the horses flew over the meter-high jump. There was no bigger adrenaline rush, or a better way to clear his head, than taking jumps while Roman riding, which took total concentration. He rode the horses over two more jumps before stopping for the day, and it did the trick. His head was finally clear. Trixie had once again knocked him for a loop, and he’d let her, which was the most surprising aspect of all the crazy shit going on with him. He never gave up control in any situation, to a man or a woman, but that hot little wild thing did him in. At least now he was back in control of his thoughts and his actions, and he planned to keep it that way.
His muscles burned as he dismounted, and sweat glistened on his skin. He whistled, and the horses followed him out of the arena to the corral for water. He picked Pugsly up in one hand and loved up Goldie and Rowdy on the way. When the horses had enough to drink, he took off their tack and set them free in the pasture. As he closed the gate, Jax’s slick black Lexus came down the driveway. Goldie and Rowdy sprinted off to greet him. Nick grabbed his hat from the fence post, where he’d left it earlier, and made his way across the grass.
His brother climbed out of his car in his designer slacks, crisp white button-down, and shiny black shoes, looking about as out of place on the dusty ranch as Nick did in Jax’s fancy design studio.
“Hi.” Jax crouched to love up the dogs.
“What’s up?”
“Mom made us all pot pies.” Jax pushed to his feet and gave Pugsly a quick pet. “When I went to pick mine up, she said you weren’t answering your phone.”
He patted his back pocket out of habit. “Yeah, I have no idea where I put it.”
“No surprise there. She was going to bring your pot pie over, but after the sparks that were flying between you and Trixie last night, I didn’t want her to catch you two naked, so I told her I’d bring it over.”
“What the hell makes you think we’d be naked?”
“Come on, Nick. You and I both know the steam coming off that basketball court wasn’t caused by my good looks alone.”
Nick gritted his teeth. “Then here’s a better question. Why would you come over if you thought we might be busy?”
Jax cocked a grin. “Trixie Jericho, naked. You figure it out.”
“You’re an idiot.” Nick put Pugsly down and went to take the equipment to the tack room.
Jax followed him into the barn. “Where is she, anyway?”
“No idea. Probably at Travis’s checking out the horses.” He’d been looking forward to seeing the horses with her and had hoped she’d come back after meeting with Tempest, but she’d been gone all day.
“The horses, right.”
Nick threw open the door to the tack room and put away the equipment.
Jax stood in the doorway, watching him. “By the way you’re manhandling things, I guess I read the two of you right, and you two hooked up. I’m also guessing you’re freaking out about it.”
“I’m not freaking out. But she is fucking with my head.” He strode out of the tack room and into the office.
“Well, that’s a first, and I’d say it’s a good sign.”
Nick scoffed. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and offered one to Jax.
“No thanks. I knew something was wrong with you these last few months.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.” Nick guzzled the water.
The truth was, Jax had been giving Nick hell for a long time about acting strange, but Nick had kept his thoughts about Trixie to himself. He trusted Jax. He was a great sounding board, and he always gave it to Nick straight, no matter how pissed off Nick might get. But what could Nick say? Hey, bro, you know my best female friend? The one who trusts me implicitly? Well, I can’t stop thinking about getting her naked.
“Then you tell me why you’ve been acting grouchier than usual, why you’re going to Virginia a hell of a lot more often, and why I can’t remember the last time you went home with a woman when we were out.”
Nick headed out of the office. “How about you tell me, Dr. Jax, am I totally fucking up here?”
“I don’t know. I’m ready to celebrate. I was trying to figure out how to fit Pugsly for a wedding dress.”
Nick laughed, but he quickly schooled his expression and slid an annoyed look to Jax.
“What? Think about it, Nick. The only women you allow in your house are family and Trixie, and she gets you, man. She puts up with all your moods, laughs at your dry humor, and you’re more comfortable around her than you are around anyone else. Including me.” Jax held his gaze steady. “But you’ve been telling me for years it wasn’t like that between you two. So what’s the real story?”