thing.” He gave a slow, curling smile. “Let’s get you back on time. And you can tell me when you plan to ride that machine tomorrow.”
CHAPTER NINE
Megan waved good-bye to Scott and strode down the barn aisle, swinging the alfalfa bag, happier than at any time since Joey’s disappearance. She’d offered to walk back but Scott insisted he’d drive. He hadn’t flinched at tossing the hay into the pristine trunk of his car.
And he was meeting her tomorrow. Suddenly the Equicizer no longer felt like punishment.
She tossed an armful of alfalfa to Jake and Rambo. Barney had treat radar and gave a hopeful nicker. She pulled out hay for him and couldn’t resist Edzo’s wistful eyes, then ended up giving every horse in the barn a bite. They enjoyed it as much as apples or peppermints. It seemed a shame that the huge haystack was wasted in the cowshed.
“I’ll bring you some more tomorrow, Grumpy,” she said, when Rambo stuck his head in the hay bag and lipped off the last stalks. There was probably no longer a reason to call him grumpy. He seemed to like her when she was feeding treats. Didn’t even pin his ears.
Someone giggled beyond the end door, a flirtatious fun sound, and she glanced over her shoulder. Seconds later, Tami and Miguel appeared in the aisle.
“Oh, you’re here. Thanks for lending your truck.” Tami tossed Megan the keys and shot a conspiratorial smile at Miguel. “We almost missed curfew and had to speed a bit since your muffler is way too loud to sneak in. Miguel, this is Megan, my roommate.”
“We met this morning,” Miguel said, his dark gaze sweeping over Megan with blatant approval. “How lucky. The prettiest girls at the school and they’re both in one room.”
“We have a chocolate stash too,” Tami said, gazing at Miguel with adoration in her baby-blue eyes. Megan hoped she hadn’t looked at Scott like that, but feared she probably had. Love was definitely in the air tonight.
“Then let’s go, girls.” Miguel looped his sinewy arms around both their waists. He smelled of strong cigarettes and even stronger cologne, but she sucked in her breath and accompanied them, relieved curfew would prevent him from staying long.
It was almost ten o’clock and she craved privacy, wanted to listen to Joey’s music undisturbed. They climbed the steps while she tried to ignore Miguel’s familiar hand on her hip.
Tami pushed open the door to their room and tugged Miguel toward her cluttered desk. “Look at this.” She yanked open the bottom drawer. “We have three kinds of chocolate bars. Pick any one you want.”
Miguel grabbed a Snickers and ripped it open. A piece of wrapper drifted to the floor. He didn’t bother to pick it up. Instead, he stretched out on Tami’s bed, leaving dirt smudges beneath the heels of his snakeskin boots.
“These are my favorite,” he said, his mouth full of chocolate. “I eat a lot of these back home.”
Megan dragged her gaze off the wrapper on the floor. “Where do you live?” she asked, struggling to be polite. “Near the Baja Tinda?”
“Of course,” Miguel said, his words muffled. “My father owns it.”
“Oh.” She paused, momentarily at a loss for words. She’d thought he was a simple student, saving money to come up and finish his jockey course. No wonder he was so arrogant. No wonder he stayed with Ramon. Still, this opportunity to ask questions was perfect.
“Is there a racetrack there?” she asked, watching him now with genuine interest.
“A training track.” He stuffed another piece of chocolate into his mouth and smacked his lips. “Mainly we race Quarter Horses.”
“But I thought your father was trying to start Thoroughbred racing?”
“Yes, that too.” Miguel shrugged and hauled a giggling Tami onto his chest. “But he needs more staff as well as horses. We have some riders but they’re only experienced at short dashes.”
Tami slipped her arm around his neck and fluttered her
CHAPTER NINE
Megan waved good-bye to Scott and strode down the barn aisle, swinging the alfalfa bag, happier than at any time since Joey’s disappearance. She’d offered to walk back but Scott insisted he’d drive. He hadn’t flinched at tossing the hay into the pristine trunk of his car.
And he was meeting her tomorrow. Suddenly the Equicizer no longer felt like punishment.
She tossed an armful of alfalfa to Jake and Rambo. Barney had treat radar and gave a hopeful nicker. She pulled out hay for him and couldn’t resist Edzo’s wistful eyes, then ended up giving every horse in the barn a bite. They enjoyed it as much as apples or peppermints. It seemed a shame that the huge haystack was wasted in the cowshed.
“I’ll bring you some more tomorrow, Grumpy,” she said, when Rambo stuck his head in the hay bag and lipped off the last stalks. There was probably no longer a reason to call him grumpy. He seemed to like her when she was feeding treats. Didn’t even pin his ears.
Someone giggled beyond the end door, a flirtatious fun sound, and she glanced over her shoulder. Seconds later, Tami and Miguel appeared in the aisle.
“Oh, you’re here. Thanks for lending your truck.” Tami tossed Megan the keys and shot a conspiratorial smile at Miguel. “We almost missed curfew and had to speed a bit since your muffler is way too loud to sneak in. Miguel, this is Megan, my roommate.”
“We met this morning,” Miguel said, his dark gaze sweeping over Megan with blatant approval. “How lucky. The prettiest girls at the school and they’re both in one room.”
“We have a chocolate stash too,” Tami said, gazing at Miguel with adoration in her baby-blue eyes. Megan hoped she hadn’t looked at Scott like that, but feared she probably had. Love was definitely in the air tonight.
“Then let’s go, girls.” Miguel looped his sinewy arms around both their waists. He smelled of strong cigarettes and even stronger cologne, but she sucked in her breath and accompanied them, relieved curfew would prevent him from staying long.
It was almost ten o’clock and she craved privacy, wanted to listen to Joey’s music undisturbed. They climbed the steps while she tried to ignore Miguel’s familiar hand on her hip.
Tami pushed open the door to their room and tugged Miguel toward her cluttered desk. “Look at this.” She yanked open the bottom drawer. “We have three kinds of chocolate bars. Pick any one you want.”
Miguel grabbed a Snickers and ripped it open. A piece of wrapper drifted to the floor. He didn’t bother to pick it up. Instead, he stretched out on Tami’s bed, leaving dirt smudges beneath the heels of his snakeskin boots.
“These are my favorite,” he said, his mouth full of chocolate. “I eat a lot of these back home.”
Megan dragged her gaze off the wrapper on the floor. “Where do you live?” she asked, struggling to be polite. “Near the Baja Tinda?”
“Of course,” Miguel said, his words muffled. “My father owns it.”
“Oh.” She paused, momentarily at a loss for words. She’d thought he was a simple student, saving money to come up and finish his jockey course. No wonder he was so arrogant. No wonder he stayed with Ramon. Still, this opportunity to ask questions was perfect.
“Is there a racetrack there?” she asked, watching him now with genuine interest.
“A training track.” He stuffed another piece of chocolate into his mouth and smacked his lips. “Mainly we race Quarter Horses.”
“But I thought your father was trying to start Thoroughbred racing?”
“Yes, that too.” Miguel shrugged and hauled a giggling Tami onto his chest. “But he needs more staff as well as horses. We have some riders but they’re only experienced at short dashes.”
Tami slipped her arm around his neck and fluttered her
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