Page 59 of Dust and Desire
The silence stretched between them again, and I felt like I was watching something I didn’t quite understand. Ali, who could command a boardroom full of Manhattan executives without breaking a sweat, seemed almost shy. And Caroline, who I’d never seen anything but brash and direct, was practically tongue-tied.
“So, you train barrel racers?” Ali asked, gesturing toward the arena where the young rider was still working her horse.
“Among other things,” Caroline nodded. “Been ridin’ since I could walk. Started competin’ when I was eight.” She paused, then added with a slight smile, “You ever been on a horse?”
Ali laughed, the sound a little breathless. “God no. I’m a city girl through and through. The closest I’ve come to a horse is Central Park carriage rides. And I usually steer clear of those.”
“Well, that ain’t ridin’ anyway,” Caroline said, her grin widening. “That’s just sittin’ pretty while someone else does the work.”
“Are you implying I don’t know how to work?” Ali’s eyebrow arched in that way that used to make opposing lawyers nervous, but there was amusement in her voice.
Caroline’s eyes sparkled with something that looked dangerously like interest. “Wouldn’t dream of it. But there’s different kinds of work. City work and ranch work are two entirely different animals.”
“Is that so?” Ali stepped closer to the fence, her perfectly manicured hands gripping the weathered wood. “And what exactly does ranch work entail?”
“Oh, you know,” Caroline said, leaning against the fence post with practiced ease. “Early mornings, gettin’ your hands dirty, learnin’ to trust something bigger and stronger than you to carry you where you need to go.”
I had the distinct feeling they weren’t just talking about horses anymore. This was a full-on stand-off. There was a silent challenge happening that made me more than a little nervous.
“Sounds terrifying,” Ali said softly.
“The best things usually are,” Caroline replied, their eyes meeting again.
I cleared my throat, feeling like an intruder in whatever was happening between them. “Maybe we should head back. I’m sure Ali’s tired from traveling.”
“Actually,” Ali said, not taking her eyes off Caroline, “I’m not tired at all. The adrenaline of being somewhere completely new, I guess.” She paused. “Would you... would you be willing to teach me? To ride, I mean?”
Caroline’s face lit up like Christmas morning. “You serious? ‘Cause I gotta warn you, I don’t coddle city folks. You get on one of my horses, you’re gonna work for it.”
Ali’s chin lifted, that familiar stubborn set I’d seen her use in countless negotiations. “I didn’t ask you to coddle me. I asked if you’d teach me.”
“Fair enough.” Caroline pushed off from the fence post, extending her hand toward Ali. “Come on then. Let’s see what you’re made of.”
Ali looked down at her designer outfit, cream-colored slacks and a silk blouse that probably cost more than most people’s monthly salary. “I’m not exactly dressed for it.”
“That’s what we call ayouproblem,” Caroline said with a grin. “But I reckon I got some spare clothes in the tack room. You look about my size, maybe a little...curvier.”
The way Caroline’s eyes swept over Ali’s figure made something twist uncomfortably in my stomach. Not jealousy exactly, but something close to it. This was my ex-wife and... well, Caroline was quickly becoming important to me too, in a different way. Like family. Was this how girls complimented one another? Ali’s smile told me she wasn’t upset about it.
“Dustin?” Ali turned to me, and I realized I’d been staring. “Is this okay? I don’t want to impose on your friends.”
“It’s fine,” I managed, though I wasn’t entirely sure it was. “Caroline’s the best teacher around. You’ll be in good hands.”
Caroline’s grin widened. “Damn right she will be.” She jerked her head toward a weathered building near the arena. “Come on, city girl. Let’s get you properly dressed for the job.”
As they walked away together, Ali’s heels clicking against Caroline’s worn boots, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something significant had just happened. Something that I didn’t completely understand.
Chapter 22
Alex
Nerves had been running high all day with Ali’s impending arrival. Dustin had texted me, letting me know she’d arrived and that we’d all be having dinner together down at the diner. And despite every logical brain cell in my head, I was still terrified that I was going to lose him to her, that she’d come to take him back.
Maybe not romantically, but back to their old life, back to New York, back to the world where I didn’t exist. The thought made my chest tight with anxiety as I finished up my work for the day, brushing down the last horse and securing the stable.
I’d changed clothes twice before settling on my best jeans and a button-down shirt that Dustin had once said brought out my eyes. Not that I was trying to compete with his ex-wife or anything. That would be ridiculous.
But as I walked into Dolly’s Diner and saw them sitting together in a corner booth, all my rational thoughts fled. Ali was even more beautiful than I’d imagined, all polished elegance and designer clothes that probably cost more than I made in a month. She looked like she belonged in Dustin’s old world, the one with corner offices and expensive restaurants and culture.
