upright. “Come on, sugar britches. You gotta do this whole thing again tomorrow, and we have a party to look forward to in a couple more days. I can’t have you crippled. I’m taking you to dinner and taking you home to bed.”
Right at that moment, Ethan walked back into the tack room with a stricken look on his face, glaring at Lawrence’s hand on mine. “Hey, sorry. I just forgot my wallet. I’ll leave you guys to it. Lissa, please lock up the office behind you.” Flustered, he turned to go.
I started to speak, wanting to clarify what he must have heard.
But Lawrence threw his arm around my shoulders and interrupted. “Have a good night, man. We’ll see you tomorrow!”
And Ethan let the door slam on his way out.
I shoved Lawrence away. “You ass. That wasn’t nice.”
“Oh, just trust me. He needs to live with you being unavailable for a while so he knows how life feels without you.”
“He’s never had me!”
He just raised a knowing brow and gestured for me to lead the way out.
Chapter 12
I t was late afternoon on New Year’s Eve. Steph and I were at my house, drinking champagne and getting ready. I’d spent the past couple of days continuing the routine of riding all morning and working with the babies in the afternoon. Lawrence had been there each time, and Ethan alternated between being surly and friendly. Fact was, no one could stay in a bad mood around Lawrence, but every time Ethan caught himself lightening up, it immediately pissed him off. But the horses were going well, and I was able to sit on them normally and ride them around the stall myself. The following week we would start taking them out with a pony horse. But I have to say I was beyond ready for a fun, dressy evening and a day off tomorrow.
My hair was setting in curlers, waiting to be pinned up, while I lined my eyes and swept mascara on, doing my best to play up what I considered to be my best feature. The dark green of my dress managed to bring out the bright green of my almond-shaped eyes, and I kept the rest of my makeup light and natural.
I’d always been envious of Steph’s curly hair that she could wear any which way. Even a ponytail looked good. For that night, though, she left her hair loose and also kept her makeup toned down. Her dress was stunning on her and really didn’t need anything else to adorn it.
“I’m going to hang downstairs while you finish your hair so I can sit before I have to put any shoes on. Paul’s gonna be here in twenty minutes, so hurry and finish!”
“Okay, mom,” I answered, rolling my eyes. “I promise not to be late. Have you figured out what this fund-raiser is for, anyway?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s the annual Humane Society benefit. They switched to New Year’s this year to create a bigger event, I guess. Hopefully I can talk some of the old folks into donating to therapeutic riding instead. Help horses and humans, you know?”
“It’s a thought.”
She gave a thumbs-up and headed down the stairs. I quickly took my hair out of the rollers and flipped my head upside down to spray it with hairspray, then straightened and looked in the mirror, twisting my hair this way and that to see which way the curls fell. In a few minutes, I had an artfully messy updo that I was pretty proud of. Saved going to a salon, anyway. I grabbed my champagne glass and my shoes, which I carried downstairs to procrastinate actually putting them on until the last second.
Lawrence walked in as I reached the bottom step, looking sexy and suave in his classic tux, with a dangerous edge added by his shaved head.
“Whoa,” I said, unashamedly ogling him top to bottom. “You look hot.”
He did the same to me, and I turned in a little spin to show off my dress.
“Back atcha. You sure I can’t take that off you later?” He grinned.
“I’m sure right now. But who knows, maybe if you get me really drunk, I’ll let you sneak a peek at midnight.” I winked.
Steph walked around the corner
Right at that moment, Ethan walked back into the tack room with a stricken look on his face, glaring at Lawrence’s hand on mine. “Hey, sorry. I just forgot my wallet. I’ll leave you guys to it. Lissa, please lock up the office behind you.” Flustered, he turned to go.
I started to speak, wanting to clarify what he must have heard.
But Lawrence threw his arm around my shoulders and interrupted. “Have a good night, man. We’ll see you tomorrow!”
And Ethan let the door slam on his way out.
I shoved Lawrence away. “You ass. That wasn’t nice.”
“Oh, just trust me. He needs to live with you being unavailable for a while so he knows how life feels without you.”
“He’s never had me!”
He just raised a knowing brow and gestured for me to lead the way out.
Chapter 12
I t was late afternoon on New Year’s Eve. Steph and I were at my house, drinking champagne and getting ready. I’d spent the past couple of days continuing the routine of riding all morning and working with the babies in the afternoon. Lawrence had been there each time, and Ethan alternated between being surly and friendly. Fact was, no one could stay in a bad mood around Lawrence, but every time Ethan caught himself lightening up, it immediately pissed him off. But the horses were going well, and I was able to sit on them normally and ride them around the stall myself. The following week we would start taking them out with a pony horse. But I have to say I was beyond ready for a fun, dressy evening and a day off tomorrow.
My hair was setting in curlers, waiting to be pinned up, while I lined my eyes and swept mascara on, doing my best to play up what I considered to be my best feature. The dark green of my dress managed to bring out the bright green of my almond-shaped eyes, and I kept the rest of my makeup light and natural.
I’d always been envious of Steph’s curly hair that she could wear any which way. Even a ponytail looked good. For that night, though, she left her hair loose and also kept her makeup toned down. Her dress was stunning on her and really didn’t need anything else to adorn it.
“I’m going to hang downstairs while you finish your hair so I can sit before I have to put any shoes on. Paul’s gonna be here in twenty minutes, so hurry and finish!”
“Okay, mom,” I answered, rolling my eyes. “I promise not to be late. Have you figured out what this fund-raiser is for, anyway?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s the annual Humane Society benefit. They switched to New Year’s this year to create a bigger event, I guess. Hopefully I can talk some of the old folks into donating to therapeutic riding instead. Help horses and humans, you know?”
“It’s a thought.”
She gave a thumbs-up and headed down the stairs. I quickly took my hair out of the rollers and flipped my head upside down to spray it with hairspray, then straightened and looked in the mirror, twisting my hair this way and that to see which way the curls fell. In a few minutes, I had an artfully messy updo that I was pretty proud of. Saved going to a salon, anyway. I grabbed my champagne glass and my shoes, which I carried downstairs to procrastinate actually putting them on until the last second.
Lawrence walked in as I reached the bottom step, looking sexy and suave in his classic tux, with a dangerous edge added by his shaved head.
“Whoa,” I said, unashamedly ogling him top to bottom. “You look hot.”
He did the same to me, and I turned in a little spin to show off my dress.
“Back atcha. You sure I can’t take that off you later?” He grinned.
“I’m sure right now. But who knows, maybe if you get me really drunk, I’ll let you sneak a peek at midnight.” I winked.
Steph walked around the corner
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