Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Marcie

Tipping the beer bottle for a tiny sip, I let my gaze sweep around the crowded pavilion. My sister just walked off to talk to some fellow horse friends, leaving me feeling a bit out of place. I've been to all of Carmen's shows over the past three years, but I've never attended a social event with Michelle. Hell, I wouldn't be attending this one if not for the invite from Ethan.

I'm not sure what it means. There are signs, I think. But I could totally be reading something out of nothing.

On the one hand, he directly invited me to this event. Could that be because he enjoyed spending time with me at dinner the other night? Or was he being polite because I'm Carmen's aunt and part of her fan club?

I felt him watching me during the show. The weight of his gaze alone sent my pulse tripping and I'm not sure what possessed me to wink at him. I'm not sure what possessed me to take my attention off my niece, who'd just won a blue ribbon. But something made me flirt with the man from across the arena.

It's practically scandalous—I'm not into Ethan.

Okay… that's not true. Any woman with breath in her lungs would be into a man like him. But he is clearly not into me. From all I can tell from the past three years of observing and listening to my sister, Ethan Blackburn doesn't do relationships.

No, I assure myself. I'm making stuff up in my mind. There is nothing there. Ethan is a nice guy to everyone and just because he happened to look at me across the arena doesn't mean anything.

"Enjoying yourself?"

My body locks tight and had I been trying to attempt another sip at the god-awful beer my sister pushed into my hand, I probably would've choked. As it is, I order myself to remain cool and turn to look at Ethan who's appeared at my side.

God, he looks good. The evening has turned a little chilly and he's wearing a black fleece pullover with the Blackburn farm logo embroidered in red over the left chest area.

His dark hair is mussed, as if he's spent all day raking his fingers through it in consternation. I know that he doesn't take an active role in training the riders anymore, but he is at every show. In particular, he's always ringside when the kids ride to have an extra pair of watchful eyes on them and to be ready to give advice when needed.

I didn't just come to watch Carmen but stayed the rest of the day with my sister to cheer on all the Blackburn riders. Sylvie and Carmen hung out and I had an amazing time watching the girls. Every time a Blackburn rider was in the ring, Ethan was there, watching and helping the other trainers as necessary. I kept my eyes on him far too long, and any time I thought he might even glance my way, I averted my gaze.

To my knowledge, he never looked back over at me the way he did during Carmen's ride, but I can't be sure since I was too nervous to verify.

Now that I think about it, there is definitely nothing there. He's just a friendly man and that's the only reason he's standing beside me now.

Never one to be less than a hundred percent honest, I hold up my beer and grimace. "Enjoying everything but the beer. My sister gave it to me and I hate beer."

Chuckling, Ethan pulls the bottle from my hand and brings it to his mouth. There is something very intimate about him not having a care in the world that I've been drinking from it. He tips it back and pulls on the amber liquid as I watch, mesmerized.

His eyes twinkle when he asks, "What do you like to drink?"

I wrinkle my nose. "Wine is my go-to."

"Most of these events are all about the beer and liquor, but I know just the place to get what you need." Ethan takes me by the elbow and steers me through the crowd to a large table in the corner where a bunch of people sit. I immediately recognize Ethan's sister, Kat, as well as his parents, Fi and Tommy Blackburn. They all wave and smile their greetings.

"Red or white?" Ethan asks.

"White," I reply.

Ethan moves around the table and bends at the waist. I can't see what he's doing but he pops back up with a bottle of chilled white wine.

In response to my widened eyes, Ethan grins and nods down. "Family cooler of the good stuff. Mom and Kat are wine drinkers."

"Well," I say, looking down at Fi who is beaming back at me, "thank you for sharing."

"Sláinte," Fi says in her pert Irish accent.

Ethan produces a clear plastic cup and pours it three-quarters full before handing it to me, then taps the tip of the beer bottle against my drink. "Cheers."

"Cheers," I murmur and take a sip.

Fi reaches her hand out and touches my forearm. "Carmen rode brilliantly today. I know you're dead proud."

"Very proud," I say, and nod toward Kat who is in conversation with a woman I don't know, but she's wearing a sweatshirt bearing another farm's logo, so I assume perhaps another trainer. "Your daughter is a genius at teaching kids."

Fi beams at the compliment. "All my kids are. Take after their pa." Then she nods at Ethan. "I wish I could get that one back to training because he's the best out of all of them. Unfortunately, he's tops at everything, so he's got way too many priorities ahead of that."

I tip my face Ethan's way to see if that compliment pleases or bothers him, but I find nothing other than a fond smile leveled back at his mother.

Fi's gaze slides off to the side and she stands from the table. "Ah, excuse me. I see Susan and I've got to have a word with her about the bachelor auction tomorrow night."

As his mother hustles off, I turn a questioning gaze to Ethan. "Bachelor auction?"

Ethan grimaces. "It's something the country club does every year to raise money for literacy, mostly to provide reading resources for underprivileged kids. She tries to recruit me and my brothers every year to put ourselves up for auction for a date with the highest bidder."

I laugh. "Tries to recruit?"

Ethan returns a sly smile. "Well, she succeeds where Trey and Wade are concerned but she's never gotten me on the block. She knows I'll revolt."

"I thought you were a confirmed bachelor," I tease. "So that means you are well suited for a bachelor auction."

I expect Ethan to deny how well suited he would be to such a thing but instead he turns the tables on me. "What makes you think I'm a confirmed bachelor?"

Is he flirting? I can't tell but my voice comes out a little husky as I reply, "It's common knowledge that you are the most sought-after bachelor in Shelby County. And no one has been able to land you yet."

Except Diane Turner, I think ruefully. I've heard the rumors around the barn that they are sleeping together but I'm not sure if it's true. It really isn't any of my business, but it still makes me feel awkward and a bit helpless. I like Ethan. Maybe deep in my heart I had hoped he might feel something for me based on the good time we had at dinner the other night. But just knowing that a beautiful woman like Diane might be warming his bed shoots a hole through my confidence.

I'm about to make an excuse to leave when he says, "I've got to go back to the show barn to check on the horses. Would you like to walk there with me?"

The horse shows usually last three to four days, and today is only the second. Even though the competition is right here at the fairgrounds in Shelby County, the Blackburns and all show barns transport their horses to stay on the fairground property so the animals aren't stressed out every day riding back and forth in a trailer. There are several barns set up for these events and Blackburn has a large one that holds several horses, which are cared for by the farm staff. It doesn't surprise me that Ethan feels the responsibility to check on them himself.

"Sure," I say, my neck twisting to look around the pavilion for Michelle. I want to let her know where I'm going but I can't see her in the throng of people. No matter, I'll be back soon.

I spot Sylvie and Carmen running around with some of the kids from other barns and it makes me smile. I have no clue whether Sylvie will end up being a rider like her dad, aunt, uncles and grandparents, but she sure is making some personal connections here this weekend.

I follow Ethan through the crowd, watching as he shakes hands with acquaintances but only spares a few moments for chitchat here and there. I'm also well aware of the way women look at him, eating him up with their eyes, staring after him hopelessly. I even catch a glimpse of Diane Turner practically licking her lips as her gaze narrows in on Ethan which makes me think there may be some truth to those rumors. On the other hand, the woman stays away and Ethan never looks at her once, so maybe they really are just tall tales.

I follow Ethan out of the pavilion and we walk through the darkness toward the show barns. "Sylvie and Carmen seem to be having a blast tonight."

"That was the best idea I've ever had," Ethan replies with a grin.

"Humble man," I deadpan, and he laughs. "Carmen is the same. I think she's totally enamored of Sylvie."

"Well, hopefully Carmen can talk her into getting on a horse. I'm itching to start teaching her how to ride."

That touches me because Ethan's merely expressing his desire to be a father.

"It'll happen. All the experiences that you want will come."

He turns away and although I can't see his expression in the darkness, I hear his yearning. "You really think so? Because although things have been good the last few days, it doesn't mean there's not a shitstorm brewing."

"Did something happen?" I ask. I don't like the concern in his tone.

He sighs as we continue walking. "Just some more family drama. I found out that Sylvie's mom named me as a co-trustee to the winery she owned and I have to run it with Gabe Mardraggon, Sylvie's uncle."

"Sylvie talks about him," I say.

That stops him in his tracks. "What does she say?"

This is not a good situation to be in. While I really like Ethan and enjoy the time talking to him, I won't betray confidences. "All I can tell you is she's fond of him. And while I have come to learn that your families don't like each other, if you've got any bit of leeway inside yourself to be magnanimous to one of them, I would suggest you give it to Gabe. That would probably go a long way with Sylvie."

"Fuck," Ethan mutters as he rubs at his jaw. "Can't stand the bastard. Never liked him. But admittedly, he's the one I can tell has a soft spot for her."

He starts walking again and I follow at his side. He doesn't say anything else about Gabe and I let it rest because I know in my heart of hearts that Ethan will do whatever is in Sylvie's best interests. I trust him on that.

We reach the Blackburns' temporary barn headquarters and I follow him down the length of the stalls as horses lift their heads to the bars in curiosity. Ethan stops at one stall with a placard written neatly in black ink that says WC CH Get Crackin' and underneath that, Squid, which I assume is his call name.

I don't know a lot about horses, but I've learned a few things being involved in Carmen's world of show riding. I know that WC means world champion because the horse my sister just bought for Carmen, Lady Beatrice, is a world champion herself. It was earned years ago, but that accolade never loses its shine.

Ethan opens the stall door after handing me his beer. I patiently wait to see what he'll do and wonder if his silence is because he's still ruminating about the Mardraggons. I admire his confidence as he moves to the side of the huge horse that intimidates me enough to stand well outside of the stall.

"What's up, big boy?" Ethan murmurs. The horse is dark brown with a white star on his forehead and a blaze of white along its nose. Ethan fusses around with the horse, adjusting the lightweight nylon blanket it wears. It isn't overly cold this evening, but I know that the Blackburns baby their horses. Ethan strokes Squid's neck but he doesn't arch into him the way a cat would. Instead, he snorts and tosses his head.

Ethan chuckles and gives it a solid pat. "Still full of piss and vinegar."

"Sounds like a personal relationship you have with him," I observe.

Ethan gives the horse another pat on his neck and steps out of the stall, accepting his beer back. "This was my horse once upon a time. He's an old boy now and the academy kids ride him in the shows. But he'll always be a favorite."

"Are you the one who earned the world champion title on him?" I ask.

Ethan shakes his head. "Trey did but I'm the one who trained him. This was the first horse I fully trained from start to finish. We foaled him on the farm. I was there when he was born."

I move closer to the stall gate before he closes it and Squid drops his head down toward me. I lift a hand but am hesitant to bring it any closer.

"It's okay. He doesn't bite, although that can't be said for all horses." My blood heats when Ethan circles my wrist to move it closer to Squid's face. He slides his fingers up and flattens my palm to press it against the big horse's jawline. "He loves it when you scratch him right here."

I scrub the tips of my fingers into his fur and lo and behold, Squid turns into a cat. He arches his neck and leans into me as I rub him, and I laugh in delight. "Why… you're just a big baby, aren't you?"

"Feed him a few apples and he will love you for life."

Ethan releases his hold on me and my hand drops away. We both step back from the stall and Ethan closes and latches the door. Squid lets out what sounds like a snort of disapproval that we're leaving, but Ethan does nothing more than turn around and lean against the wooden gate. He stares down at his beer a moment before lifting his gaze. "Gabe came to the barn the day you took the girls for ice cream. That's why I couldn't go. He let me know about the trust and promptly offered me fifteen million dollars to buy Sylvie's shares."

"Fifteen million?" I gasp. "That's a lot of money to turn down."

"Maybe," he replies thoughtfully. "But without knowing what it was worth, it was easy to turn down."

"No," I say with a shake of my head. It would never be strictly about money where Sylvie is concerned. "You turned it down for some other reason."

Ethan smiles in such a genuine way that I melt. "That winery was Alaine's. It was intended to go to Sylvie. It's part of her heritage. I'm not about to give away Sylvie's mother and all her memories."

Heart melting, I realize that Sylvie is exactly where she needs to be. Ethan will protect her at all costs and he knows what's important. But now I'm more curious than ever. "Her mother owned it? I assumed it was all part of the family holdings. I mean… they own the biggest bourbon distillery in the nation."

He chuffs down his clear frustration. "I'd assumed the same. I knew there was a trust for Sylvie fed by its earnings, but apparently Alaine owned the majority shares of the winery and left them all to Sylvie. As the majority shareholder, she had the right to dictate how the business was run, and she named Gabe and me as co-trustees. I can't fathom why she would do such a thing."

"To keep her family honest?" I suggest.

He blinks in surprise. "You don't know the Mardraggons that well. You've been very careful in your neutrality for Sylvie's sake. I'm surprised you would suggest such a thing."

"You're correct… I don't know them and I'm only on Sylvie's side. But when you think about the fact that Alaine revealed you as Sylvie's father and made it clear that she wanted you to raise Sylvie, I don't think anyone can doubt that she had some level of mistrust of her own family."

"A reasonable conclusion."

"Now you're forced to play nice with Gabe Mardraggon."

"So it seems." He sighs before tipping his beer up. After he swallows, he says, "I have to give the guy a bit of credit though. Sylvie has a dog back home in France and I want to get it sent here. I asked Gabe about it and he said he'd get me the contact information of the winery manager to help facilitate it on that end. Turns out… he went ahead and set the whole thing up. Emailed me the details yesterday and the dog will be flying in next week."

"That was kind." I sip my wine, having forgotten it was in my hand. "While it will be difficult for you to forge a working relationship with him, that's a good start. Sylvie will be watching it all unfold."

"Yeah, I know. I haven't told her any of this yet but I'm going to explain it all to her. I need to let her know that they offered money for her shares. I mean… she's a kid, but she has a say in things. It'll be confusing for her."

"And emotional," I add. "You know I'm here to help you navigate those things with her if you need guidance." I give him a pointed look. "I'm a child expert, after all. Well, at least compared to you."

Ethan bursts out laughing and tilts his head in validation. He slides into a chuckle and then his expression turns thoughtful as he stares at me. "There is actually something you can do to help."

"Sure. Be glad to."

"Be my date to the charity bachelor auction tomorrow night."

I feel the insane need to stick my fingers in my ears to see if they're plugged up because surely I heard him wrong. "Your date to the auction?"

"Yeah," he replies with a casual shrug. "I don't necessarily trust my mom not to try to get me on the block and you can be my shield."

My mouth falls open. "You want me to be your shield?"

He grins. "No, not really. I can handle myself. But I thought if for some reason you didn't want to actually go on a date with me, you would be more amenable to just helping a fella out."

"So, you're asking me on a date?" I'm flummoxed. Ethan Blackburn, confirmed bachelor, asking me out?

His eyes spark with amusement and he teases, "You're such a sharp, put-together woman. I wouldn't take you for dense."

I flush hot but readily come to my own defense, shooting him a very teacher-like look of warning. "I'm incredibly sharp and maybe I'm just a bit wary of you. You don't seem like the dating type."

He frowns sheepishly. "Yeah… I suppose I'm not, so admittedly, I'm a little out of my element. It's not easy asking a beautiful woman out when you're not sure what she's going to say."

He thinks I'm beautiful?

I blush, knowing it isn't a good look with my red hair. I take a sip of wine to quell my nerves, but it does nothing.

Ethan bends slightly to peer at me. "Is that a no?"

"It's not a no," I manage.

"Then that's a yes." His tone is confident, his smile radiant.

God, he really is beautiful and, at that moment, I feel like I could be in trouble.

"I haven't dated in a really long time," I admit.

"Same," he replies matter-of-factly. "But I'm sure we can figure it out."

"Okay, then… we'll try a date and see how it goes. We can evaluate after whether we're compatible—"

To my complete shock, he places a finger over my lips, causing me to stop talking. "Let's not worry about things that have no cause for worry. Okay?"

I nod, not willing to speak and dislodge his touch. I like it too much.