Page 69 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
Jonty almost moaned when he heard Tay.
He’s here until Sunday morning and then you’ll never see him again. You think he’s going to move to Northumberland to be near you?
I could move.
Tay didn’t answer.
Could I move?
Jonty wanted to slap some sense into his head. They were having fun. If he daydreamed about more than that, he’d end up disappointed. He walked Blue through the loose sand down to where it was more firmly packed. The beach was almost empty and the tide was partway out so they’d be able to gallop.
He wished he could just enjoy the time he had with Devan without trying to make it into something it wasn’t. Jonty liked him. After that rocky start, Devan had warmed up. And now Jonty knew why he’d arrived in a bad temper, he understood how hurt Devan felt. Though he still didn’t understand why he’d come all the way from London to stay in a mediocre hotel. If he needed to lick his wounds, he could have done that somewhere warm, smart and luxurious. It was hard to fight the feeling that Devan was hiding something. Yet, what he’d told Jonty about Ravi and his brother was so bad, what could be worse than that?
“Take a canter,” Gill called. “Let me see if Devan can keep his seat.”
Jonty urged Blue on. “Come on, Blue. Show me what you’ve got.”
He kept out of the water to start with, then edged Blue into the shallow surf, kicking up foam as he raced along, spray splattering his face. He could hear Devan behind him and glanced back to see a broad smile on his face. When Jonty pulled up, Devan came alongside, then Gill joined them.
“Wow,” Devan said. “That was fantastic.”
“You’ll do.” Gill smiled. “I’m going to go back. One hour. Take it easy, Jonty. Don’t push too hard.” She turned and galloped back the way they’d come.
Mungo nosed Blue’s rump and Devan laughed.
“These two are very attached,” Jonty said. “Where Blue goes, Mungo goes too. He’s completely stupid, so it’s just as well Blue doesn’t take advantage. Ready?”
Devan’s eyes were shining. “Ready.”
Jonty heard Devan whooping behind him as they raced along the sand. How could you be sad when you were doing this? Like surfing, it gave him the chance to stop thinking and just…be. The great thing was that the horses loved it too. The freedom to race, wind in their faces, splashing through the breakers, the smell of the sea, the sheer joy of thundering along the sand.
He wasn’t surprised when Mungo overtook them, his desire to follow Blue only lasting so long when he had the opportunity to gallop. He worried for a moment that Devan might have lost control, but he hadn’t and pulled Mungo up a little way down the beach. Jonty joined him and slowed to a walk.
“Did you hear about the man who was hospitalized with eight plastic horses inside him?” Jonty asked.
“No.”
“The doctor described his condition as stable.”
Devan groaned.
Chapter Eleven
BY THE TIME DEVAN CLIMBEDdown from Mungo’s back, his thighs and backside ached, but it had been fun. If it hadn’t been for what Jonty had told him about Brad, he’d have said it was the best day he’d had in a long while. But Jontyhadtold him, not all of it, yet enough for him to see Brad was dangerous. When the guy had been leaning on his car, Devan had thought for a moment, he was about to get a fist in the face. The guy looked…tough and not right for gentle Jonty.
Gill came out into the yard and raised her eyebrows. “Still in one piece? How did it go?”
“Brilliant,” Devan said.
“Jonty, walk Blue down to Hazel and she’ll look after him.”
As Jonty led Blue away, Gill took Mungo’s reins from Devan and studied him for a few seconds. “Please don’t hurt Jonty. He’s not been here to ride since…” She sighed. “Be kind to him.”
Devan was torn between annoyance that everyone seemed to think he was going to hurt Jonty, guilt that he might, and envy that Jonty had friends who cared enough to warn him off. Had they supported him when Brad turned into a stalker? And not been riding since when? Was this about Brad or something else? Did he really need to get involved with another guy with issues? He almost laughed at that thought. As ifhedidn’t have issues.
“Can I pay you instead of Jonty and you give him his money back at a later date?”
“When you’ve returned to wherever it is you came from?” She huffed. “He said you might offer to pay. He also saidWhatever you do, don’t take his money. I’m pretty sure he robbed a bank.I doubt that’s true, but I’m not taking your money.” She took Devan’s helmet and led Mungo away.
