Read Kate Sherwood - Dark Horse 01 - Dark Horse Online
Authors: Kate Sherwood
Chaucer gives a celebratory buck when he’s turned out with his friends, and Smokey trots over to greet him. The little cow horse has made friends with the big geldings easily, and seems to have appointed himself the social convener for the group. Tatiana thinks it’s adorable, and Dan thinks it’s nice that the little guy has got something to do. And nice that he, at least, is able to get along with everybody.
He heads back to the barn with some reluctance, not wanting to deal with the tension in general or Jeff’s opinion specifically, but when he gets there things seem to have calmed down. Tat is showing Evan how to groom Sunshine, and Jeff is looking over some papers in the doorway to the tack room. It seems idyllic, but Dan feels a lurch in his stomach when he recognizes the papers. They’re his rough notes for the competitions, and he’d had them at the barn because he was working on them and trying to get people’s advice, not because he thought he was done, not because he’d wanted anyone to judge them.
Jeff looks up and sees him staring at the sheets, and says, “I saw these on the desk, thought I’d have a look….” He trails off as he sees Dan’s frozen expression, and slowly lowers the sheets. “I can put them back if I’m stepping on your toes or something.”
“No, it’s fine.” Dan tries to smile in a professional manner. “They’re just really rough, still. I mean, we’re coming into the season halfway through….” Evan has looked up, apparently monitoring the conversation, and Dan speaks to him a little. “We talked about that, remember? Said this year we could just feel out the competitions. We’re not going to be winning any championships or anything starting this late, so it would just make sense to poke around a bit, see what’s out there?” Dan can see the confusion on Evan’s face and knows that it’s more in reaction to his tone than to his words. Fuck! Professionals do not act like this. Professionals are not insecure. They’re confident, and they don’t freak out because somebody is looking at a few sheets of paper!
“Yeah, no problem.” He holds the papers out to Dan. “I was just going to say that it looks good. Looks like you’ve hit all the big competitions and found a couple interesting smaller ones.”
Dan nods, but doesn’t go any closer to pick up the sheets of paper. “Yeah, okay, thanks.” He looks at the three of them, so peaceful before he’d arrived, and knows that he’ll just ruin things if he stays. He can already see Evan watching Jeff closely, as if he’s waiting for a sign that Dan is dangerously deranged rather than just painfully awkward. “So, you guys are fine here, right? I was thinking I’d go have some lunch. If that’s okay.”
Tat looks disappointed. “Already? It’s only eleven! I thought we were going to do jumping. You said I could ride Kip.” She catches herself, and Dan can feel her trying to sound more mature, less spoiled. “I mean, are you coming back after lunch? We could do it then, if that’s better for you.”
Dan doesn’t really feel like spending the rest of the afternoon confirming his employer’s low opinion of him. But he also doesn’t want to look like he’s ducking out of work, or breaking a promise to Tatiana. “Well, if Jeff’s staying, you could ride Kip for him. I’m sure he’d have more to say about the riding side of things than I do. No point in having two teachers for one lesson, right?”
Evan breaks in. “Dan’s not your personal slave, Tat. He’s allowed to have time off.” He turns to Dan. “She’s been going on about what you’re doing every day this week. Have you had a day off since you got here?”
Dan shrugs. “I like the horses, so I don’t really need time off. I’d just sit at the house and wish I was at the barn.” He catches himself. “But today I’ve got stuff to do. Laundry, and… house… stuff.” He struggles a little. “Groceries? And… errands.” He’s done.
Evan gives him an odd look. “Yeah. Uh, are you getting out at all? You know, having fun?”
That’s none of Evan’s business, but Dan isn’t quite sure of the polite way to say so. “I’m fine, thanks.” He turns to Jeff. “Are you okay working with Tat this afternoon?” Jeff nods, but as usual he’s looking somewhere over Dan’s shoulder. “And, Tat, you can ride with Jeff, right? You’ve got all summer to work with me.” He smiles at her, and after a momentary pout she smiles back.
Dan grins at her and nods. “Yeah, that sounds fair. First thing, before it gets too hot?” She smiles back, and Dan heads out of the barn, on his way back to the guest house. He’s halfway to the gate when he hears a voice calling out from behind him, and when he turns he sees Jeff jogging after him. Evan is standing in the doorway of the barn, watching them but not coming any closer. Dan stops. Did he forget something? He turns and waits for Jeff to catch up.
“Hey, k—” Jeff catches himself. “Dan. Can I just…. Can we just talk for a minute?” And then he looks Dan in the eye. There’s no heat, but there is warmth, and Dan finds himself relaxing a little.
“Yeah, sure. What’s up?” Jeff seems a little uneasy, and Dan’s in the unusual position of trying to help Jeff relax. Unfortunately, he really has no idea how to go about doing that. Well, he has lots of ideas, but he doesn’t think any of them are really appropriate for the current situation.
Jeff sighs. “Dan, look… I just wanted to let you know… I mean….” He sighs, and then smiles ruefully. “Sorry. I just wanted to apologize—for not being a better friend since you got out here.”
Dan frowns. “Jeff, you’ve got nothing to apologize for. I mean… you were great in Kentucky, but honestly, man… we barely know each other. I’m not expecting you to be my best friend or something.” Dan remembers Evan’s question in the barn, asking if he’d been getting out. “And I’m not totally pathetic. I
can
make my own friends. I’ve only been here for a week, and I’ve been busy.” Dan puts as much warmth as he can into his smile. “Seriously, man, it’s not your job to baby-sit me, and I never expected you to do it.”
“Dan, come on. It’s not babysitting. I enjoyed spending time with you in Kentucky. I mean, it wasn’t the best circumstance, but I enjoyed getting to know you.” Jeff frowns. “But things got a bit complicated out here. You know?”
“Yeah, man, sure. I mean, this is your real life.” Dan wonders whether he’s really getting what Jeff’s saying. It seems like there’s more to it, but Jeff isn’t really being clear, and Dan doesn’t want to make things more awkward than they already are, so he doesn’t want to ask a lot of questions. “It’s fine, seriously. I came here for the job, for the horses, not…. I wasn’t expecting anything.” He glances back over at the barn, sees Evan still in the doorway, looking down at the ground and scuffling his feet. “Is Evan afraid I’m going to make a nuisance of myself? Is he… I’m doing the best job I can, and I think I’m learning about the business stuff. Is he thinking he should have hired someone else?” Now that the idea’s in his head, Dan wonders if it makes the most sense. Evan’s a nice guy, he wouldn’t want to fire someone, but he’d probably been expecting someone who could be a little more self-starting, and would know more about running a barn.
Jeff jumps in. “No, Dan, not at all! Seriously, he’s thrilled with how much Tat’s enjoying herself, and he said you seemed to have a good grasp on how to make things work, business-wise. There’s no problem with your work at all.” Jeff looks at Dan again, and his eyes seem to be sincere. “We’re just… he and I are working some things out between us, and we’re just trying to make sure that nothing spills out of that. You know?”
“Uh, no, not really… but look, man, I probably don’t have to, right?” Dan knows that complicated emotional situations are not his strong suit, and he’d rather avoid them if he can. “I mean, your business is your business. I don’t need to know everything.”
That doesn’t sound quite right. “I don’t mean I’m not happy to help…. I mean, I owe both of you. A lot. So if you need something, I’m there—no problems, no questions. I just meant… if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too.”
“I think… I think we’re going to have to leave it like that for a while.” He looks like he’s thinking about something, and then nods decisively. “It’s just a lot easier for everybody. All right?”
Dan nods warily. He’s still not exactly sure what’s going on. Jeff had chased after him to apologize for something that he had no reason to feel bad about, and then told Dan that he liked him fine but didn’t want to hang out with him, even though he felt bad for not hanging out with him… Dan gives up. He’s beginning to feel like he’s listening to Tatiana talk to one of her friends. “So, everything’s okay?” he asks cautiously.
Jeff looks a little frustrated, like he knows he hasn’t got his message across but doesn’t want to be any clearer. “Yeah, man, we’re good. Sorry for all the drama.”
Jeff looks like he’s thinking about arguing that point, but he lets it go, and Dan sketches a wave to Evan and heads back out toward the guest house. He glances back when he gets to the main road, and he sees Evan leaning back against the side of barn, Jeff standing in front of him. It looks like they’re having a pretty serious conversation, and Dan is glad that he can’t hear what it’s about. He still doesn’t know exactly what’s going on with those two, and he guesses he’ll probably never know.
He goes into the house and looks around. He wasn’t lying, he does need to do laundry, and he really should get some groceries. He throws in a load of wash and then thinks about heading into town. Maybe it’s time to make some new friends. If nothing else, he can hope that Jeff and Evan will calm down a little if they see him spending time with someone else.
D
AN
showers and pulls on jeans and a snug black T-shirt. He checks his face and hair in the mirror and shrugs. Dark brown hair, lean face with a dusting of stubble, green eyes… he looks like he always does, and people don’t usually complain.
He drives into town and finds a parking spot on the main street. He seems to know what he’s doing, but he isn’t quite sure
why
he’s doing it. Or isn’t sure how much of it he’s going to do. Or whether he really wants to do it at all. Or… or maybe talking to Jeff has fried his brain, and he should stop thinking and start acting! He can always play it by ear.
It’s almost lunchtime now, so he heads for the Italian place, Zio’s. It has a fair size patio, looking out over the street. Dan finds a table where the sun shines on his face, adjusts his sunglasses, and reads. When the server comes Dan orders a beer and a panini, and then goes back to reading. He can keep an eye on things over the top of his sunglasses, and he knows he’s already picked up some interest. Most of it’s female, but if he sends the first few girls away, it won’t be long before a guy tries his luck. Dan’s lived in small towns before, and he knows that they just pretend to be conservative and slow-paced. It seems like the less fresh meat a place sees, the more interest there is in any that does appear. And the small town sharks don’t waste time before snapping up their prize. They never know when a bigger shark might come and take it from them.
Dan’s mind starts racing, but he makes sure that his face stays calm. He wonders how far he is going to go with this. It’s been a long time since anyone but Justin, and even before him Dan wasn’t exactly a fan of quick pick-ups. There had been times when he’d just wanted an easy release, and there had been times when the thought of spending the night in a clean, dry bed had been more attractive than the guy in question, but generally Dan preferred to know somebody before he slept with him. He assumes that five years with a boyfriend haven’t changed his tastes much. Which makes him wonder just what he’s doing on the patio. Is he honestly just trying to prove something to somebody? And is that somebody himself or Jeff or Evan?
He pushes his book away from him in an angry gesture, and almost knocks the plate that the server is in the process of placing in front of him. “Shit, man, sorry.” Dan blushes, but the waiter just laughs.
Dan glances up. He’s not sure he even looked at the waiter when he came in, which should have been an early sign that his head wasn’t in the game. Waiters are often hot, and, in Dan’s experience, often slutty. This one has longish blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a pleasant smile. Seems a bit too nice for what Dan’s looking for, though. If he’s actually looking.
“Yeah, thanks. It smells good—I’m glad it’s not on the floor.” The waiter nods and heads off to another table, and Dan takes a bite. The panini is incredible, with pesto and cheese and tomatoes and flavors Dan isn’t even really sure of, and he feels his eyes roll back in his head a little. When he comes back to himself, he glances around and sees three sets of eyes on him, enjoying his little display. Damn, he hadn’t even been trying. The sandwich was just that good. He takes another bite and tries to make his body language a little less welcoming. There’s no one on the patio right now who could ever tempt Dan to risk his relationship with the panini.
Dan takes a moment to explore the enormity of this. “Would you actually
die
? ’Cause otherwise, I really think it might be worth it.”
The waiter laughs. “I’ll think about it. Do you need another beer?”
Before the sandwich, Dan had been thinking about heading out, going back home and getting his head on straight. After the sandwich, he’s thinking about ways to stay on the patio forever. “Sure, yeah, thanks.” He’s only halfway done with the first panini. He wonders how long he’d have to stay for his stomach to have room for a second.