Bridles and Bribery

It’s good to be back.
 

Jordan Jacobson stepped off the bus with a suitcase in each hand, blinking through the sudden blast of brightness. The long white bus he’d ridden in from Dallas to Heart Lake had tinted windows. It was also half empty, so he’d slept most of the way.
 

He drank in the rippling blue water of Heart Lake and the craggy Christmas Mountains in the distance. The sun was starting to set on the horizon, sending pink and orange streaks of light across the water. Man, but he’d missed this view! During his twenty-one years on the horse racing circuit, he’d visited some of the biggest cities in the country. However, none of them looked or smelled like home. He gave the air an appreciative sniff, wishing his father had lived to see this day.
 

The toot of an automobile horn jolted him mid sniff out of his bittersweet jaunt into nostalgia. He glanced toward the sound and discovered a woman in a red, open-top Jeep Wrangler idling at the curb behind the bus. She waved excitedly in his direction. She was cute, not that most women cared about his opinion on that topic — certainly not one that stunning. She had on a blue halter top, and her brunette ponytail was blowing in the breeze like the mane of a horse in full gallop.
 

He glanced over his shoulder to see who the lucky guy was, but no one was standing behind him. The dozen or so passengers who’d gotten off the bus at the same stop were scurrying down the sidewalk in both directions. Not a single person waved back at the woman.
 

He couldn’t resist glancing her way again. She was that pretty. She was also still waving frenziedly in his direction.

While he squinted through the sunlight at her from beneath the brim of his Stetson, she leaned over the top of her door and hollered, “Over here, Jordan! I’m your ride.”
 

You know my name? He nearly swallowed his tongue, trying to figure out if he was dreaming. Maybe he was still asleep on the bus. If his hands weren’t so full, he would’ve pinched himself to find out. Hard.

The bus closed its doors and rolled away from the curb. The woman in the Jeep immediately drove forward and braked beside him. Up close, she was older than he’d originally assumed — probably in her mid to late thirties.

“I’m Cassie Cordell, the new veterinarian technician at the Heart Lake Animal Rescue Sanctuary,” she explained in a rush.

Ah. They were coworkers. Her presence at the bus stop was starting to make more sense. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He hastily set down one of his suitcases so he could shake her hand.

“Ma’am?” Despite the rush she seemed to be in, she snickered as if he’d said something hilarious. Her slender fingers curled around his. Though she only gave him a quick up-down shake, it was long enough for him to see faded pinkish-gray scars crisscrossing the top of her right hand. Whatever had happened to her wasn’t recent, but it had been painful.

“Pretty sure we’re about the same age, cowboy.” She cocked her head playfully at him.

Pretty sure we’re not. “I’m fifty-three.” The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted divulging that detail. He seemed to recall his mother saying it was rude to talk about a woman’s age. And by revealing his own age, he was challenging Cassie to reveal hers.

“Thirty-nine going on a hundred.” She didn’t hesitate to pop back, rolling her eyes as she spoke. “Like I said. We’re practically the same age.”

They weren’t, but he let it slide. Her gaze held the shadows of someone who’d suffered beyond her years, something he could relate to all too well. Though the hardships he’d endured at the hands of his demented mother had toughened him up from the inside out, the thought of anyone trying to hurt Cassie roused every protective instinct in him. Nobody had a right to extinguish the kind of light and life radiating from her.

No one!

 

He made an inward vow to watch her back for as long as they had the privilege of working together. She was one of the friendliest, most outgoing people he’d ever met. It was a wonderful feeling to be the recipient of her smiles and bubbliness. He didn’t have many friends.

 

While his brain scrambled for something interesting to say, Cassie dropped his hand and pushed open her door. “Just throw your suitcases in the back.” She hopped to the ground like a jack rabbit and yanked open the back door.

 

That was a first. He wasn’t accustomed to folks doing stuff like that for him. Then again, she was acting like she was in a hurry. Maybe it was her way of ending their encounter as quickly as possible.

 

Though he was no good at small talk, his good manners kicked in as he stepped closer to the Jeep. “Thanks for the ride.” His new boss, Jillian Phillips, had mentioned sending someone to transport him to the animal rescue sanctuary. Not in his wildest dreams, however, had he pictured her sending the lithe, tanned driver bouncing around him like a frisky colt.

 

“You’re welcome,” Cassie chirped. She was practically vibrating with impatience to be back on the road.

He tried not to stare at her as he set his suitcases end-to-end behind the front seats. That way, they wouldn’t jostle around too much while she was driving.

 

Cassie Cordell. He rolled her name around in his head, liking the way it sounded — fun, peppy, and outgoing. Everything that he was not.

 

As he stepped back and straightened, his natural inclination was to duck his head and block out the rest of the world, while slinking around the hood of the vehicle to ride shotgun. However, there was something about the lovely vet technician standing beside him that made him want to try harder to be social.

 

As uncomfortable as it was for him, he forced himself to meet her gaze. “Here. Lemme give you a lift.” His heart pounded from his rare display of boldness as he held out a hand to her.

 

Her almond eyes rounded in appreciation on the rugged surface of his palm. Since he rarely wore gloves, his hands were heavily callused. “You’d think they would’ve warned me how charming the great Jordan Jacobson is.”

The way she spoke in a near whisper made him wonder if he was supposed to hear her statement. Her cheeks blazed pink as she accepted his assistance to hop back into the driver’s seat.

 

He was pretty sure his own neck and face were as red as lava while he jogged around the Jeep to climb into the seat across from her. The great Jordan Jacobson, huh? It sounded like she was familiar with his racing record. He wasn’t sure that it qualified as great, but it was far from shabby. As he buckled his seatbelt, he tried to think of a way to steer the conversation toward the one topic he was comfortable with — horses. However, he didn’t want to come across as self-centered or cocky.

 

While he sat there tongue-tied, he noticed that Cassie didn’t continue driving around the water’s edge toward the Heart Lake Animal Rescue Sanctuary. Instead, she turned on her right blinker and curled the Jeep around to head in the opposite direction.

 

This isn’t right.

 

Jordan twisted around in his seat to glance at the glistening lake water that was fast fading into the distance. “Where are you taking me?” He grated out the words, hoping his mother wasn’t in the middle of engineering another attempt on his life. She was supposed to be in jail, for crying out loud!

 

“To the medical center, if that’s okay with you.” Cassie sounded as anxious as he felt. “Listen, I know it’s been a long day, and you’d probably rather I drop you off at your cabin to get settled in, but…” She paused her exhaustively long explanation to drag in a breath. “I just found out Bliss Remington is in labor.” She gave him a quick sideways look. “The sheriff’s wife. Retired sheriff’s wife,” she amended hastily. “I’m still wrapping my brain around the fact that he’s no longer wearing the badge. Me and everyone else in this town.”

 

“You mean Gil Remington?” Jordan raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

 

“Yep. The one and only Gil,” she affirmed.

 

His mind raced over her previous statement. “By labor, you mean—"

 

“His wife is in the middle of giving birth to twins.”

 

Oh! Jordan slumped down in his seat, unsure what sort of response Cassie was expecting from him. He had zero experience with babies. From what he knew about foaling, however, they could be facing a very long evening in the medical center’s waiting room. So much for his hope of familiarizing himself with the sanctuary facility before starting work tomorrow!

​

“I’m sorry.” The apology tore out of his driver. “You must think I’m an awful person, dragging you across town like this.”

​

He flicked a worried look at her. “I don’t think you’re an awful person.” Far from it. Sure, she was a bit impulsive. Her biggest crime, though, was being so beautiful that it made his chest ache with a brand of longing he had no right to feel around a woman he’d just met. Though he refused to disrespect her with shameless ogling, it was impossible to miss the curve of her legs from the corner of his eye. She’d paired her blue halter top with cutoff jean shorts and cowgirl boots.
 

Nope. She wasn’t thirty-nine going on a hundred. She was thirty-nine going on irresistible.

“If you want me to turn back, I will,” Cassie offered in a hesitant voice that begged him to say no.

“Not if you don’t want to.” She had no idea what it cost him to say that, and he didn’t enlighten her. Besides wanting to get the lay of the land at the animal sanctuary, he was dying to see his horse again. He and Western Storm had been separated during transit, since horses weren’t allowed on buses. They’d only been apart since this morning, but it felt more like a week. Somehow it didn’t feel manly, though, to admit he had a closer relationship with a horse than he did with any other living creature on the planet.

“I don’t want to turn around,” Cassie bleated with another apologetic look at him. “And before you write me off as completely crazy, I should probably tell you this. Back when Gil was the town sheriff, he saved my life.” She sniffed damply. “I, um…had been kidnapped by one of my mom’s ex-boyfriends. Most folks had long since written off my messed-up family, but not Gil. You know how he is. Every blasted person in this town matters to him.”

Jordan nodded wordlessly. He could certainly relate to that. Gil had been one of the two guys in high school who’d been nice to him — Gil and his best friend, Dave Phillips, who just so happened to be the husband of Jordan’s new boss. Both men had earned varsity letters while playing football for Heart Lake High School, but that hadn’t kept them from befriending the skinny introvert in their chemistry class. A guy who’d eventually been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism.

Me. Though Jordan wasn’t big on showing his emotions, the memory of Gil’s and Dave’s kindness came close to making him smile.
 

“Long story short,” Cassie sighed. “Gil put together a search party and combed the mountains all night long until they found me tied up in a cave. I don’t know what would’ve become of me if he hadn’t, er…” Her voice broke, making her stop and clear her throat. “He’s the one who found me. And followed my ambulance to the hospital in his patrol car. And sat beside my bed until my aunt arrived the next morning from out of town.”

“I’m glad he was there for you.” Without thinking, Jordan reached for her hand. He understood what she was feeling since Gil and Dave had saved his life twice during the past few months. The first time had been from a forced overdose of meds by his whack job of a mother. The second time she’d attempted to shove him over the edge of a cliff. Regrettably, she’d succeeded in ending his father’s life.

Poor Dad. He hadn’t deserved to die at the hands of a deadly gang of gamblers, certainly not those acting on the orders of the woman he’d been married to.
 

“Thanks for listening to my rambling.” The sun dipped below the horizon as Cassie turned into the parking lot at the medical center. The building cast a long, dark shadow over the section she parked in.

“Thanks for telling me your story.” He wasn't sure where the words came from — normal, conversational words that made him sound like a normal, everyday guy. All he knew was that Cassie Cordell was easier to talk to than most folks.

“You’re welcome. Now it’s your turn to tell me your story.” She turned off the motor and squeezed his hand.
 

That was when he realized they were holding hands. Did I do that? He stared in disbelief at their joined hands, more than a little surprised she wasn’t acting in any hurry to pull away from him.
 

“There’s not much to tell.” He hated how hoarse his voice came out.
 

She looked disappointed. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
 

“Fine.” He grimaced. “I don’t like to talk about myself.”
 

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” She crinkled the corners of her eyes at him. “Don’t stop now.”
 

“I don’t talk much at all,” he admitted quietly. “This is the most I’ve ever done.”
 

“With me?” Her whole face lit up.
 

“Yeah.” He shifted awkwardly in his seat, surprised they were still holding hands and half-terrified he would say or do something to scare her away.
 

Her eyes widened. “More than you talk to your girlfriends?”
 

His shoulders tensed, knowing this was the part where she would start running. “I’ve never had a girlfriend. Never even been on a date.”
 

She grew still. “How is that possible?”
 

He shrugged. “All I’ve ever done is race horses.” He wasn’t ready to share the fact that his mother had made him sleep out in the barn most of his life, like he was no more than another piece of livestock. That’s all he’d ever been to her. He could see that now.
 

She didn’t look convinced. “You’re the great Jordan Jacobson. You can date any woman you want to.”
 

Her matter-of-fact tone suggested there were women lined up to date him, which was far from the truth. “Not sure what you think is so great about me.” He would really like to know, though.
 

She looked astounded. “Everyone who is anyone in horse racing claims you would’ve won a Triple Crown this year if you hadn’t retired.”
 

“But I did retire.” He had his reasons, ones that involved escaping the clutches of the same criminal ring who’d targeted his dad. “And I didn’t win a Triple Crown.” There was no point counting the endless would of, should of, could of moments in life.
 

She sniffed. “You do realize you’re being nominated for the Racing Hall of Fame?”
 

Yeah, he was aware of it, but he was afraid it was mostly due to the struggles he’d overcome with his health. For reasons he might never understand, that’s what had made the biggest headlines during his career. He was known as “the famous autistic jockey” in the tabloids. For some reason, they considered it a compliment.
 

“Not bad for a guy with autism, huh?” He muttered the question bitterly, voicing what others didn’t dare say. He gently withdrew his hand from hers, hating that the intimacy of the moment had been shattered.
 

She gripped his hand more tightly, halting his withdrawal. “It’s not bad for anyone, Jordan. You’re an amazing jockey. I know that, because I’m one of the bazillion hometown girls with your posters on my bedroom walls. I’ve followed your career and screamed myself hoarse — no pun intended — while watching your races on television. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person.”
 

An honor? To meet me? His breath came out in a huff. “Do you really have posters of me?” A guy whose own mother had tried to erase him from the face of the earth.
 

“Lots of them, cowboy,” Cassie affirmed in a breathless voice. “You’re a big name here in Heart Lake.”
 

He frowned in confusion, unable to get past the fact that she actually owned posters of him. “Why are my posters in your bedroom?” Why not hang them somewhere else?
 

“Um…” She gaped at him. “Because you’re seriously hot!”
 

He yanked his hand away from hers, realizing she’d only been messing with him all along. He should’ve known better. Blindly pushing open the door, he leaped to the ground. He wasn’t sure where he was going. He didn’t particularly want to be at the medical center. All he knew was that he couldn’t take another mocking word from the beautiful woman sitting beside him. Against his better judgment, he’d allowed himself to get his hopes up in her direction.
 

What was I thinking? He wasn’t angry with her. Not really. He was mostly angry at himself for being so stupid.
 

Cassie hopped out of her side of the Jeep and ran around to his side of it. “Did I say something wrong?” Her voice was pleading.
 

“Nah, it’s okay.” He averted his face from her, clenching his jaw.
 

“Oh, my goodness, Jordan,” she exploded. “We’re about to become coworkers. I don’t want to have to face you day in and day out while you’re spitting mad at me.”
 

“I’m not mad at you.” A little hurt, maybe, but it wasn’t her fault that he didn’t know the first thing about romancing a girl.
 

“Well, I’m mad at me,” she spluttered. “Because we were having the most amazing time getting to know each other until I blew it. Just tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize.”
 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He didn’t blame her for being too young and too beautiful for the likes of him. He slammed his door shut and pivoted away from the Jeep.
 

And nearly plowed right into her.
 

“Then what are you running from?” she taunted, stepping close enough for him to catch a whiff of her vanilla-scented shampoo.
 

Since he’d been cursed with brutal honesty, he didn’t hold back now. “The way you make me feel.” It was impossible to look her in the eye when he said that. He knew he had no right to feel this way about a woman he’d just met. He must be losing his mind.
 

“You make me feel things, too, Jordan.” There was a vulnerable catch to her voice that gave him the courage to meet her gaze again. “That’s why I’ve been babbling up a storm and acting so nervous.”
 

“I thought it was because you were in a hurry to get to the medical center.” And away from me. He couldn’t quite bring himself to admit that part.
 

“Not that much of a hurry,” she squeaked.
 

“What sort of things do I make you feel?” he rasped. Man, this was torture!
 

“This.” She shyly slid her arms around his neck and tugged his head down to hers. Then her warm mouth brushed against his.
 

His arms remained frozen at his side for a moment. Then they grew a life of their own, reaching for her and cuddling her closer.
 

He wasn’t sure if she deepened the kiss or if he did. All he knew was that he was drowning in more emotions than he’d ever felt in his life.
 

Helpless attraction to the woman in his arms warred with his natural penchant for caution. How was it possible to feel this way about someone he’d just met? There was an overwhelming sort of tenderness welling between them, one he was powerless to resist.
 

And longing on his part for things he’d never dared to hope for. Before this evening. Before meeting her.

Whatever was happening between them was potent and real. Though he was anxious to get to know her better, he already felt like they’d known each other much longer than this evening. It was as if his whole life had been leading up to this moment. Like something inside of him had recognized her the second she’d leaned out of her Jeep in his direction.
 

“I care about you, Cass.” He had no idea if that was something a guy was supposed to say to a woman right after he’d kissed her for the first time. He also wasn’t sure if it was too soon to give her a nickname. Cass had just slipped out.
 

“I care about you, too, cowboy.” She drenched him with a smile that felt like a light being shone into the darkest recesses of his heart.
 

“Does this mean we’re dating?” He didn’t want to walk away from the Jeep without being crystal clear about what she expected from him going forward. Would they return to being nothing more than coworkers? Would they pretend this never happened?
 

Humor twinkled in her eyes. “Only if you ask me out and I say yes.” She stretched onto the tiptoes of her boots to touch her lips to his again.
 

Hope erupted in his chest. It was several seconds before he regained his sanity long enough to growl, “Will you be my girl?”
 

“I thought you’d never ask.” She gave a happy trill of laughter. “Of course, I’ll be your girlfriend.”
 

My girlfriend. I actually have a girlfriend. It was all Jordan could do to quell a cowboy whoop of elation. “Is this really happening?” It felt like every last one of his wildest dreams was coming true at the same time.
 

Another chuckle escaped her. “Maybe you should kiss me again to be sure.”
 

He eagerly claimed her lips, not sure he was ever going to be able to stop. He kissed her until the blare of an ambulance siren made her shudder in his arms.
 

“We should go inside,” he said quickly. He’d kept her from her friends long enough.
 

“We should,” she sighed as she reluctantly slipped from his embrace.
 

On their way into the medical center, however, she reached for him again, wrapping her hands around his left arm and snuggling against his side. She didn’t seem to mind the fact that they were about to be seen together.
 

In public.
 

By their employer.
 

“I seriously can’t believe I’m dating the Jordan Jacobson,” Cassie gushed as they stepped into the elevator together. “The guy in my posters.”
 

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Are there posters of any other guys hanging on your walls?” It had just occurred to him that she might be fan-girling over other jockeys besides him.
 

She blushed. “Will you think I’m crazy if I say no?”
 

It was the second time she’d used that term this evening. Yeah, he was keeping count. “Crazy isn’t a term I use lightly,” he said carefully. It wasn’t a term he was a fan of at all. For as long as he could remember, his mother had called him crazy. She’d almost made him believe it.
 

“You’re the only guy in my posters, Jordan.” Cassie tipped her head against his shoulder. “You’re my celebrity crush, okay? You have been for years.”
 

He was so floored by her announcement that he was rendered speechless. The elevator doors slid open, and she tugged him into the hallway outside the maternity ward.
 

They entered a waiting room filled with so many people that Jordan wanted to spin around and take off running.
 

“Next visitors,” someone shouted. “Only two at a time!”
 

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he found himself being towed along the tide of humanity into one of the patient rooms.
 

Cassie kept a tight grip on his upper arm as they faced retired Sheriff Gil Remington and his wife, Bliss. She looked exhausted but supremely happy. One tiny baby was asleep against her shoulder.
 

“Hey, Jordan!” Gil didn’t hesitate to step forward with a hand outstretched. “Glad to see you finally made it to town.” A second tiny baby had its head snuggled into the curve of his neck. He was wrapped in a white blanket with blue stripes.
 

“Thanks.” Jordan couldn’t have been more stunned when his longtime friend and former high school classmate held out the baby to him.
 

Jordan swallowed a gulp of terror. He’d ridden some of the most spirited horses on the planet. He’d taken risks in the saddle that other men wouldn’t have dreamed of taking. He’d also taken a few personal risks that he’d somehow lived to talk about.
 

Funny how holding a newborn baby felt like taking the biggest risk of all.
 

“This is Gilbert Branson Remington II,” Gil said proudly. “To avoid any confusion between the two of us, we’re going to call him Bran.”
 

Jordan gazed down at the sleeping bundle resting in his arms, a little envious at what a good life Baby Bran had been born into. He had two parents who loved him — intelligent, educated, mature parents who possessed impeccable moral character. They would ensure he received the best upbringing and education. He’d probably have his own bedroom. He might even become the captain of his high school football team someday like his father had been. He sure as all get out wouldn’t be raised in a barn.
 

“This is Carrie Rose Remington.” Cassie glided his way with a second bundle in her arms. This baby was wrapped in a white blanket with pink stripes. “Her hair is even redder than her brother’s.” The look she was giving the baby was remarkably wistful.
 

My new girlfriend wants a family of her own. The discovery slammed into Jordan like an avalanche. It made sense. She was thirty-nine and still very capable of bearing children. Children, as in plural. He swallowed another gulp, not sure why he was thinking in plurals.
 

Maybe because everything suddenly seemed possible now that he had her in his life. There was no point in getting the cart before the horse, so to speak, but—
 

“Are you two…?” Gil abruptly waved a hand between Jordan and Cassie.
 

Cassie caught Jordan’s gaze. “Yes,” she said softly.
 

“No kidding? When did this happen?” Gil demanded, looking both fascinated and oddly approving.
 

Cassie gave him a mocking look. “I can’t tell you all my secrets, sheriff! You know enough of them already.” There was a world of gratitude in her voice that wasn’t lost on Jordan.
 

The sheriff knew a lot of his secrets, too, and now he knew one more.
 

I’m dating someone I could love. Someone he could fall for in two snaps. Someone he was already falling for.

He couldn’t wait to find out where their relationship was headed. Little did he know the challenges that would soon tumble their way. Then again, he was in no hurry for a peek into the future.
 

He was too busy enjoying the here and now with his new girlfriend. It was the happiest he’d ever been.
 

He sent up a silent plea. Please don’t let it end, Lord. Don’t ever let this end.