Jay chuckles. “Did you get tossed?”
“Broke my arm,” I admit. “I was heartbroken, had dreams of myself as some kind of cowgirl, but I couldn’t even stay upright on a horse.”
“And you never tried since?”
“Well, let’s say the experience left an impression. Besides, I never really had the opportunity.”
He sets his elbows on the table and leans forward.
“You do now. It’s been a while since I’ve been out on Hunter, but there’s a nice trail along the river. What do you say?”
“You want me to get on your horse? Have you seen his size?”
“No, not Hunter, but Sierra. She’s the small paint horse.”
“The black and white one? Doesn’t she belong to someone else?”
I peer out the window, where I can just see Dave lift up the hoof of the horse I think Jay is talking about.
“Yes, she belongs to a family with kids, but the father’s work took them to Abu Dhabi for a year. Sierra’s a sweetheart, sedate, and she could use the exercise.”
As appealing as it sounds, I’m not twelve anymore and a fall off a horse could have bigger consequences at my age. If I broke a wrist now, I wouldn’t be able to do my job for months. Still, I’m tempted. It’s been too long since I’ve done something that exhilarating. Not counting sex with Jay, because that was an adventure in itself.
“You seem torn,” he observes. “What can I do to convince you?”
I love that he persists, but without being too pushy or overbearing.
“I’d probably feel more comfortable with a few pointers before you take me out on trails.”
I’m warmed by the appreciative smile he aims my way.
“We’ll get you used to her in the corral after Dave is done.”
Now? I was thinking more along the lines of some arbitrary point in the future, a safe distance away.
“I don’t have the right clothes.”
It’s the only excuse I can come up with. Apparently, it’s funny because Jay throws his head back and laughs. The more time I spend with this man the more he surprises me. In the years our paths have crossed, I’ve never seen him any other way than a little unapproachable and a lot reserved. I always thought it was a waste of a gorgeous man.
Boy, was I wrong. Just these past twenty-four hours I’ve seen sides of him I never expected, and now this man is cracking up at my expense. Not even a hint of restraint. It’s beautiful to see.
Still chuckling he leans down and looks under the table.
“Jeans and you’re wearing your Doc Martens, they’ll work just fine.”
“Okay.”
At this point I’d agree to anything just to see that smile on his face.
“Good.” He points his fork at my plate. “Eat up. I’ve gotta be at the station at noon, which gives us an hour to get you and Sierra introduced.”
I grin at him, but when I take a bite of the scrambled eggs I’m not so sure I can get it down.
Beside the other horses Sierra didn’t look that tall, but standing right next to her I’m not sure I’ll be able to get on, let alone ride.
The vet left a few minutes ago, Carlos disappeared somewhere, and Jay let the other horses back into the field. At least there will be no witnesses to what, I’m becoming convinced, will be an unmitigated disaster.
The mare is sweet, nuzzling me as I rub her forehead. Jay said she likes that. He was good with her, relaxed and confident. More facets to the man that only deepen my attraction to him. I’m doing my best not to overthink every little thing, but I’m already falling hard, I’m afraid I’ll land on my face.
“Put your foot in the stirrup.”
I look at it hanging down from the saddle but it only comes down as far as my hip.
“No,” I tell him honestly, because there’s no way I’ll be able to get my foot up there. “You’re going to have to lower it.”
He drops his head to hide a smile, shaking it as he walks toward the barn before returning with an old milk crate.
“Will this help?”
I tentatively step up but Jay’s hands keep me balanced. Glancing over my shoulder at him, I catch him grinning.
“You’re laughing at me.”
“I’m not, I promise,” he lies, and he does it badly, unable to hide his amusement. “Try now.”
Instead of forty-five I feel about eighty as I try to fit my foot in the stirrup while teetering on the square-foot small platform. At this point the only thing keeping me upright is Jay’s hands firmly holding onto my hips.
“Now put one hand on the horn and grab the back of the saddle with the other. Then pull yourself up.”
A few embarrassing moments later, which involved Jay using his shoulder under my butt to hoist me up when I get stuck halfway, I’m sitting on Sierra. It’s really fucking high.
“Relax. We’re just going to take a little walk.”
It takes three circles around the corral before I start enjoying it and some of what I picked up all those years ago starts coming back.
He’s right, the horse is calm, her gait is easy, and I’m starting to get into the rhythm of it.
“Let go of her?”
Jay looks up at me to make sure before he releases the lead and moves to the center of the circle, still keeping a close eye on me.
It’s a beautiful morning, the sun is warm on my back, and I’m starting to enjoy myself when I catch Jay fishing his phone from his pocket.
“Yeah,” I hear him answer and after listening for a minute he responds with, “she’s with me. Give us half an hour,” before he ends the call and his eyes find mine.
“What?” I manage to bring Sierra to a halt.
“That fire drum Ramirez found on his search of the Ward property yesterday? The forensics lab found bone fragments among the ashes. That was Tony, Benedetti wants us to meet up with them.”
Reality is back. While we had a nice little respite, Joe’s call with the disturbing discovery makes it clear this case didn’t go anywhere.
Jay
It had taken some doing to convince Meredith the animals would be fine at my house.
She’d been worried about Belle using my couch or bed as a litter box, and didn’t seem convinced Carlos would be able to handle Beau. I’d called him over right away to look after the horses and explained about Meredith’s animals. He said he’d take care of them.
“Wait, aren’t we going to my office?” Meredith asks when I turn onto US-160, away from the downtown core.
“The chief said to meet him at the CBI lab.”
The Colorado Bureau of Investigations’ building is a stone’s throw from the FBI satellite office on Rock Point Drive, and their lab services not only the coroner’s office but the Durango PD as well as the local FBI team. It’s not a surprise that, despite being in high demand, the lab’s parking lot is almost empty on a Sunday morning.
The lobby is empty when we walk up to the locked door and Meredith rings the bell. From a door behind the front desk Ramirez appears, rushing to let us in. He starts talking the moment we step inside.
“Joe is already with Pat back there and Gomez is returning to the Ward property to widen the search.”