Chapter Four Wade

CHAPTER FOUR

Wade

" Y ou could've just pissed around her ankles, Sarge. Might have been easier than committing to hundreds of thousands of dollars on a horse," Haden says smugly from my office doorway, his arms folded over his chest. I've known him since he was thirteen and sometimes it makes him a little mouthier than the other hands I have on staff. "We all know the ranch rules. She's off limits," Haden adds.

"For fuck sakes." I pull my hat off and throw it on my desk. "She has nothing to do with my decision," I grunt. I have zero patience for this, I've been calling Nashville hotels for reservations for an hour. Of course, the horse auction would be the same weekend as the Nashville Marathon so there's nothing available online. I'm hoping by phoning I may get lucky. So far, I'm coming up empty-handed for a trip I supposedly already booked. This is why I never do things without thinking them through.

"So, if she's got nothing to do with your decision, you won't have any issue with me taking her fine ass to dinner? Maybe a movie? Snuggle in the back row?" Haden grins.

I give him a look of warning. One he knows well by now.

"You're pushing your luck, and you already know my answer to that." He's taking her to dinner over my dead body. "You just said you knew the rule. The last thing I want to do is have to look for another new trainer when you pull your fuckboy routine on her," I add.

Haden chuckles and pulls his hat up to rub his forehead.

"Just getting a rise out of you, boss. But hey, congrats on the path to racing again. Your pa would be proud," he says seriously. "And I mean it, anything you need, I've got you."

I nod in response. As annoying as he is, I know he's got my back around here.

Ivy's husky voice echoes down the hallway. I hear her before I see her, singing a Sierra Ferrell song, and the sound isn't bad. Alright, it's actually really fucking good, as she breezes through her office door, which just so happens to be directly across from mine.

She catches both mine and Haden's attention through my glass window that looks into hers as she pulls a trademark scrunchie, cherry red this time, from her long thick hair. Masses of shiny waves tumble down around her shoulders like water lapping the shore. Haden audibly gulps. To make matters worse, she bends forward to reach into her bag for something and her cleavage makes a spellbinding appearance as her hair falls in front of her. For the second time today, my dick takes notice of her in the most inconvenient moment.

"Fuck," Haden whispers, pulling the word right out of my head. I backhand him in the shoulder for looking at her.

"Sorry, but shit, you had to go and find the hottest horse trainer on the planet and then tell us all she's off limits?"

"You got enough notches on your bedpost," I reiterate, watching in my periphery the way her breasts curve to her slender waist. I bet I could fit both my hands right around her while I—

"Maybe it's time you head to Lexington with Cole, meet yourself a woman so you can follow your own rules," Haden snickers in a whisper, as he claps a firm hand on my shoulder.

I grunt, pissed that he noticed me looking at her when I'm supposed to be the example here.

"How are you making out, boss?" Ivy knocks on my door frame as she speaks, poking her head into my office and shutting Haden up instantly. He clears his throat and walks around the side of my desk.

"Have you had a chance to go through the auction registration yet?" She looks at her cell phone and approaches us, and from my full height I can see right down her shirt, which is not helping my dick to stand down. I avert my eyes, but fuck—tight, low-cut t-shirts and cleavage are a man's biggest weakness.

"I have an hour before the school tour gets here, if you need any help?" she asks.

I turn to Haden, who's wearing a shit-eating grin on his face that says he sees right through me.

"Sure, come on in." I nod toward the door while keeping my eyes on Haden's so he doesn't look down her shirt, because he fucking will. "Haden was just leaving anyway, got some mucking out to catch up on."

Almost an hour later, we've registered for the auction and have all our ducks in a row. We've also gone over the tempting year-old prospects or ‘yearlings.' Derby horses have to be three years old, date specific, to race, which means we'll have over a full year of training and qualifying ahead of us when the horse is two.

I look up at Ivy from my notes and speak.

"There are a few horses I'm looking forward to seeing in Nashville." You know, the place we'll be sleeping in my truck if I don't manage to find us a hotel.

Ivy is animated and full of hope as she talks about her plans and pulls up all the training research she's done that she'll have to execute over the next several months. It will be a full-time job for both of us, leaving Hornball Haden mostly in charge of Silver Pines with me as a consultant.

"This one's sire raced in the derby, and was mated with this dam," Ivy says, pointing a slender finger to names on the screen that mean absolutely nothing to me.

She looks up at me, her violet eyes expectant.

"You have no idea who these horses are, do you?" Ivy asks as I shake my head.

"Never was very good at homework," I say.

She rolls her eyes, and even that is something I can't seem to look away from as she continues. "This one's sire, Prince of Amarillo, came in fourth in the derby in '16, and his dam, Pearl of Night, raced in the Oaks two years ago," she says, mentioning another well-known race. "We'll have to get a small list of prospects together, but this is the one I really want to see." She points at my computer screen again. "Rustling Winds. He could win. Look at how beautiful he is. Look at his bloodlines." Her excitement is contagious as she rambles on. A spark of electricity trails up my spine unexpectedly, thinking about getting involved in racing again. I used to like it. Truth be told, I used to fucking love it. Those years with my dad, I remember feeling alive in the stands, watching with bated breath.

"These yearlings are strong and so well bred, I'm ready to train day and night. I'm determined."

"Well then, I suppose that's all we need," I bite out sarcastically.

"It actually is." Ivy cocks a brow at me. "One thing you may not know about me is when I want something, I get it."

The funny thing is, I don't really fucking doubt her. She just has an aura about her that says she's been through some shit and lived to tell the tale.

"We'll see how we do," I say as I stack up our documents into one neat pile and place them in a folder. I'm taking a big chance, planning something at the last minute like this. I just hope I don't live to regret it. My dad's voice rolls through my mind, telling me to loosen up a little and go with the flow more, just like he always used to.

"On a personal note, Wade, my dad and I used to watch the races together. He taught me to ride, taught me how to connect with the horses, taught me to train really before I was even grown, before he died." Her gaze is focused on a memory for a moment, then her baby blues snap back to mine. "To be a part of something like this has always been a dream, I've just never had the opportunity, so thank you for giving it to me." She places her delicate, warm hand on my forearm. I look down to where she's touching me for just a split second before she pulls away. It's nothing but a friendly pat, but her graze leaves its mark on my skin regardless.

"Sorry, what can I say? I've always been the touchy-feely type, boss. I can't help it, it's part of my makeup." Something about hearing how touchy-feely she is and how close she's sitting to me right now makes me set my jaw and look away from her.

Maybe Haden's right, a trip to Lexington with Cole might just be in order.

She smiles and brushes it off and starts talking because that is just what she does. "I'm really looking forward to the next few months. It's going to be great and amazing publicity for Silver Pines, if we qualify. A new challenge. You'll see." She looks over my shoulder, out toward our large round pen where the noon school tour is taking place and kids have started to gather.

Maybe it's her positive energy output, or the moment, or some combination of both, but for a split second, I almost feel myself grin as her energy and excitement connect with mine.

I can be spontaneous, and fuck, a new challenge might be just what I need.

"Fuck yes, you know what? Let's do this damn thing then," I say.

Ivy looks up at me and her mouth pops open for all of one second at my words, then she giggles as she stands. "That's the spirit, Chief," she says as she starts to gather her things at the same time Haden pops his head in to ask her a question.

My spontaneous mood is interrupted as I look down to my cell on my desk as it buzzes; it lights up with my mother's name.

Fuck.

BOSS LADY

You wanna tell me why I have to hear we're shopping for a derby horse from Haden Brooks?

Should've had that conversation with her first. She doesn't like to be left out and she'll remind me every chance she gets now for the next several weeks, I'm sure.

You knew I was thinking about it. It's what y'all want isn't it?

BOSS LADY

It is. I just don't like hearing information second hand on my own ranch.

BOSS LADY

Invite Ivy tonight. You both can tell me all about it.

I'm sure she has better things to do. I can fill you in.

BOSS LADY

Fine, I'll ask her myself, she won't say no to me, we get on like chocolate and peanut butter.

I grimace and face the inevitable before I answer.

Goddammit, Mama. I'll ask her since she's standing right here.

BOSS LADY

Good. I'll see you both later then.

I can almost see my mother's satisfied grin from here. No one ever says no to her.

I huff out a breath and clear my throat. Time to stop my resident horse trainer that no one seems to be able to get enough of before she walks out the door with Haden.

"Ivy …"

She turns to face me expectantly.

"You have plans for dinner tonight? My mother has summoned us to talk derby with her."

Ivy's smile spreads across her face like there's nothing on earth she'd rather do.

"An Ashby dinner? Hells yes." Her eyes light up even more, as if that's possible. "Tell your mama I'll bring a pie." She hums as she heads down the hall, and fuck if I don't watch her perfect ass go before standing up and spying something cherry red on the corner of my desk.

Another goddamn scrunchie.