Page 16 of The Past

Tommy squared his shoulders and offered his hand, which my father took because he’s a business professional.“Blackburn?”my father said with a frown.“I know a lot of people in Kentucky, but I don’t recognize yer name.”

“We breed the American Saddlebred, sir,” Tommy said as they shook.

Upon hearing that piece of information though—that the Blackburns had nothing to do with thoroughbreds—he dismissed Tommy as uninteresting and pulled his hand away.

Turning to me, he stared pointedly.“Yer fiancé will be here at seven.Be ready.”

My jaw locked so hard, I was afraid my teeth would crack.“He’s not my fiancé.”

“He’s as good as,” my da replied before he turned and walked away.I stared after him, frozen in both rage and disbelief that my father would say such a thing.

Sure, I’m playing his game by agreeing to go out with Brian, mainly to keep the peace, but I have no intention of marrying that man.

Tommy whistled low and I twisted my neck to look at him warily.“Well now,” he said with brows furrowed.“That was… weird.”

I let out a slow breath, leveling the glare I’d had pinned on my father to Tommy.“Weird doesn’t even begin to describe it,” I muttered.

“So, you’re getting married, huh?”His head tilted and as if by divine planning, there was a break in the clouds.The sun came out and although I knew it wouldn’t last long, I closed my eyes and tipped my head back to let the warmth caress my face.I prayed for patience with my father and to give me the strength to stand up to him when the time was right.

When I opened them again, I looked at Tommy.“No, I’m not getting married.I’m being forced to go on a date with someone my father wants me to marry.Big difference.”

Tommy stared at me, almost transfixed.I felt the intensity of it so keenly, I subconsciously rubbed at my face, thinking I had dirt on it.“What?”

His lips quirked upward, but he just stared at me.

“What are ye lookin’ at?”I rubbed at my cheek.

“Your eyes,” he said, bending slightly because he was quite a bit taller than me.He stared at me even harder.“I think they might be the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.They put the green pastures here in Ireland and back home in Kentucky to shame.”

My jaw dropped slightly and I couldn’t find it to dismiss such garbage, because… the way he looked at me told me he wasn’t just spouting off.He believed what he just said.

“Yer eyes are okay too,” I muttered, because if mine rivaled the verdant grass, his rivaled that peek of blue sky we can see through the parted clouds.

He grinned at me.“I’m relieved to know you’re not getting married.”

“Why would ye care?”I asked, turning to walk back to the training center.I was ready to drop off this impossibly gorgeous and all too charming rogue of a man and be done with his platitudes.

Tommy looked at me playfully.“Want me to take you away from here and marry you to save you from Brian?”

I huffed a laugh despite myself.“Ah, go way with ye.I’ll sort meself, thanks.”

He chuckled.“I’ll hold you to that.”

Tommy chatted about Blackburn Farms as we made our way back to Rory, but I couldn’t help but steal glances at him.

I had a feeling Tommy Blackburn was going to be nothing but trouble.And in my crazy, disordered world where I didn’t feel like I had control over anything, trouble didn’t seem like such a bad thing.

CHAPTER 6

Tommy

Sweat rolled offmy brow and I swiped at it with the back of my gloved hand before pushing the heavy wooden rail into place.It braced perfectly against the uprights, and I huffed out a long breath.I’d been hard at work all afternoon with Rory and I suspected he was testing me, but I was up to the task.I might have liked to party, but I learned a solid work ethic from my father and could pound nails and work horses until my hands bled if necessary.

I didn’t mind it.Hard labor had always been the best way to shut off my brain, keep my hands busy and my thoughts focused.

But today, my thoughts were quite scattered.

No matter how many rails I lifted or how much dirt I kicked up, my mind kept circling back to the same thing.

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