Mistaken Gifts (14 page)

But then again, why should she be stressed? Andi was marrying the man of her dreams in less than twenty-four hours. A baby would only be an added blessing to them. Not a reason for worry.
 

"I’ll be by first thing tomorrow to help you get ready," Eva said. "Have a great evening. It’s your last one as Andi Williams."
 

"Don’t I know it?" Her smile was huge and contagious. "Where are you headed to now? I thought everything was ready for tomorrow?"

"It is," Eva said quickly. She didn’t need the bride concerned about anything. "There’s just one little detail I need to take care of with Jeff."

"Is that right? And what might that be?"
 

Eva swatted her friend on the shoulder. "Stop it. I need to choose your horse, is all. Besides, you know that Troy is my date tomorrow." The lie felt toxic on her tongue and by the look on Andi’s face, she knew it too.

"About that," Andi said. "Turns out that Troy is gay. Colin got a good laugh out of it when I told him you were dating him." She emphasized the word
dating
. "So maybe your trip to see the horses tonight is about a little more than just my ride tomorrow?"

Eva looked away, not ready to tell Andi anything. Not when she didn’t even understand things herself. "I’ll see you in the morning," she said, and gave Andi one last hug.
 

She wasn’t sure what to expect when she arrived at the stables, and she was certainly no more dressed for it than she was the first time she’d ventured down, but there was a nervous anticipation in her belly. And even though Eva wasn’t sure what was going on between her and Jeff, she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss, and the way it had twisted her insides in a very good, incredibly exciting way.
 

But she’d have to tell Jeff the truth about Troy, because the other thing Eva couldn’t stop thinking about was the look on Jeff’s face when he’d seen her with Troy’s arm around her shoulders. And he hadn’t shown up for dinner either, so maybe she was wrong about everything. Maybe he really did only want to talk to her about the horse.
 

"Hello," Eva called out as she picked her way across the yard. The only light was coming from the barn, so despite her better judgment about being so close to a building full of horses, she headed towards them. "Jeff?" she called as she got to the door. The large sliding door was open a crack, so she poked her head in and almost jumped out again.
 

There were at least six horse heads hanging out of the stalls and they all turned towards her when she stepped inside. But Jeff was there as well. And his presence was the only thing keeping her from turning and running before the horses could hurt her. She knew she was being irrational, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
 

"Hey," Jeff said. His face split into a genuine smile when he saw her and something inside Eva calmed. At least he was happy to see her. He stepped forward and held his hand out to her.
 

She took a tentative step inside and took his hand. She had to resist the urge to close her eyes and savor the sensation of his warmth. There was something protective and safe about his presence and being near him allowed her to relax.
 

"There’s nothing to be worried about," Jeff said, reading her body language. "I know you said you didn’t like horses, but I can’t believe how tense you are. I promise, they won’t hurt you. Not unless you’re twelve and at summer camp."

She couldn't help but laugh at how silly she was being. "Point made."

"It really is okay," Jeff said. His voice was soothing but the way he looked at her was anything but calm.
 

"I wanted to tell—"

"Let me show—"

They spoke at the same time. "You first," Eva said. She’d wanted to clear the air right away, but maybe the time wasn’t right. She’d wait. They should probably take care of things with the horses first.
 

Jeff looked at her strangely, but continued. "Okay," he said. "Come with me. I want to show you how gentle these guys are." He led her down the center of the barn, and stopped in front of a stall with a completely white horse. "This is Snowball."
 

"Snowball?"

"I know. It’s not the most creative name, but when she was born it fit. She was like a little ball of snow."

Eva looked up at him in amazement. "You were here when she was born?"
 

He nodded. "She’s only a few years old, and she was born right here at the Lodge. So I was lucky enough to be around for the big day. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?"
 

Eva returned her gaze to the horse, and had to admit, she was a pretty good-looking animal. She nodded. "Is she the one you think would be good for the wedding?"
 

Jeff patted the horse’s nose. "Don’t you?"
 

She took a long look at the horse and nodded. "Actually, I think she'd be beautiful. That is, if you’re going to let Andi have a horse in the wedding."
 

Jeff grinned. "I was always going to let Andi have the horse," he said. "But I needed a reason to get you down here."
 

"What?" She tried to look mad, but she was pretty sure he’d be able to see through her act.
 

"I wanted you to see for yourself how amazing the horses could be."
 

She returned his smile and on her own, reached out to stroke Snowball. They stood in silence for a few moments, and Eva was just about to spill the truth about Troy when Jeff surprised her by asking, "Do you want to ride her?"
 

"Do I what?" Eva shook her head and instinctively backed off.
 

"It's totally safe," he said. "She's really gentle."

"I'm sure she is." Eva forced herself to take a deep breath. "But I’m not really dressed for it."

Jeff looked down and took in her outfit. His eyes slowly worked their way up and held hers again. "You look perfect to me," he said softly.

Neither of them looked away and Eva couldn't think of any other objections.
 

"You said yourself she was beautiful," Jeff reasoned. "And you can see how gentle she is. Here." He took her hand and gently placed it on the horse’s head. Her first instinct was to withdraw and run, but Snowball was soft, almost like velvet, and she felt nice under Eva’s hand.
 

After a moment, Eva tentatively moved her fingers, surprising herself with how much she enjoyed the feel of the animal. She barely noticed when Jeff took his hand away, and she was touching Snowball on her own.
 

"She’s so soft," Eva whispered, as if afraid to break the spell.
 

"She is, isn’t she? And she absolutely loves to be scratched behind the ears. Watch." Snowball lowered her head, and Jeff obliged by rubbing her. The horse whinnied her approval and Eva slid her hand up to reach the horse’s ears.
 

"She likes it," Eva whispered.
 

"See? So how about that ride? You know, to make sure she'll be safe for Andi's big day?"
 

Eva surprised herself by not immediately saying no. Instead, she looked at Jeff, and knew she could completely trust him. He wouldn’t let her fall off and break her arm. She knew that without a doubt.
 

"Okay."
 

"Okay?"

Eva nodded. "Okay."

Jeff’s face lit up as if she’d just told him he’d won the lottery, and he sprang into action. "Let me go grab the saddles. It will just take a moment to get her ready."

Eva watched as he moved about, readying the horses. He saddled up Snowball and a dappled horse he called Clover for himself. She thought she’d be terrified to mount the horse, but when Jeff led them all outside into the cool winter night, and boosted her up into the saddle, she felt strangely at peace. Something about Jeff and the quiet night soothed her, which almost made her laugh since only days earlier everything he’d said irritated her. Or had it? Hadn’t she loved the way he challenged her? Wasn’t that part of the attraction she couldn’t deny?
 

She didn’t have time to analyze it any further because Snowball whinnied beneath her and when Jeff and his horse started moving, Snowball followed behind. It took every bit of concentration for Eva to focus on staying on the horse. She squeezed her thighs tightly, and closed her eyes.
 

"She knows where she’s going," Jeff said. "But you should open your eyes. You wouldn’t want to miss this," Jeff said, his voice light. "Look around."
 

She did. And immediately sucked her breath in. The snow that had threatened earlier had started falling while they were inside. The moon lit up the snow-covered ground and with the gentle flakes falling from the sky, the whole effect was magical.
 

"It’s like we’re in a snow globe," Eva said. She tilted her face up to the sky and let the cold flakes melt on her hot skin. The horse moved slowly beneath her and she let her body meld into the movement. "This is amazing."
 

Jeff pulled Clover up so the horses were walking side by side. "Do you see now why I wanted you to try it?"

Eva lowered her head and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you for convincing me. It’s not nearly as bad as when I was a kid."
 

They laughed together, but then a thought crossed Eva’s mind. "But why did it mean so much to you that I get on the horse?" She hoped she knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him.
 

Jeff looked down and ran a gloved hand through his hair. "I wanted you to know how amazing it could be and I needed you to trust me because I…" He trailed off.

"You?"

He opened his mouth and Eva held her breath. It’s a good thing the horse knew where she was going, because Eva couldn’t focus on anything but the man on horseback next to her.

He shook his head and muttered something to himself. "It doesn’t matter."
 

"What?"
 

"You have a boyfriend and I shouldn’t—"

"I don’t."

He didn’t seem to hear her. "I never would have kiss—"

Relying on instincts, Eva jerked back on the reins, bringing Snowball to an abrupt stop and eliciting a whinny of protest from her. "I don’t have a boyfriend," Eva said, raising her voice to be heard. "Troy agreed to be my fake date to keep Andi from trying to set me up all the time. I’d just broken it off with…it doesn’t matter. What matters is…Jeff? Look at me, please."
 

He’d already brought his horse to a stop beside hers, but he still hadn’t looked up.
 

"Jeff.” Eva tried again. "What matters is, that kiss, it was…well…"
 

When she didn’t finish, Jeff finally looked up, and with a smirk on his face he asked, "It was what?"
 

"You knew." Eva narrowed her eyes and tipped her head, assessing his demeanor. "You knew Troy wasn’t my boyfriend."
 

He nodded. "I knew," he agreed. "Sorry, I wanted to see if you’d tell me and…well, I couldn’t keep a straight face."
 

"I see that." She tried to look mad, but he looked so handsome sitting there in the saddle with snow falling around him, all she really wanted to do was kiss him again.
 

"But I didn’t always know," he said, turning serious. Jeff maneuvered his horse so they were as close as they could be without actually touching. "When I saw you with him the other day, after we kissed. I hated it. It tore me up. You’ve been driving me crazy, Eva. I’ve never met a woman like you and…oh, forget it."

In one swift move, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her, pulling him towards her. His lips, cool from the night air, were on hers and instantly she melted into him. He held her firm, and even with the jostling of the horses, she knew he wouldn’t let her go. She focused completely on the taste of him, and the earthy smell of him she couldn't get enough of, as they explored each other’s mouths. The kiss was passionate, but there was also a sweetness in it. Like
 
he was telling her exactly how he felt, and she responded in kind.
 

It was over too soon. He pulled away, trailing his fingers across her cheek before leaning back. She righted herself in the saddle and took a moment to catch her breath.
 

"We should probably get the horses back," he said.
 

Eva tried to hide her disappointment, but he must have read it on her face.
 

"Besides," Jeff added. "The sooner we get back, the sooner I can kiss you properly and show you exactly how I’m feeling.”
 

With a smile on her face, Eva didn’t even notice the biting cold as the wind picked up on their way back. The heat from Jeff’s kiss lingering on her lips and the promise of what was to come, was all she needed to keep warm.

~ ~

As promised, they’d barely brought the horses into the barn when Jeff wrapped his arm around her waist, and spun Eva so she was pressed up tight against his body, her back against the rough barn wall.

Their clothes were cold from the winter air, but all she could feel was heat between them as his mouth found hers again. A moan escaped her as his mouth claimed hers with a possessiveness she hadn’t felt before. Was it because of everything with Troy?
 
A primal instinct to claim what he wanted?
 

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the way her body responded to his need with a ferocity that surprised even her. Their kisses up until that moment had been down right chaste compared to what was happening between them now.
 

Her jacket slid from her shoulders, and Eva hadn’t even realized he’d undone the buttons. In the same instant that it fell to the ground, his hands were on her. Exploring her body through her blouse and she knew he had to feel the heat coming off her. It was almost unbearable. The need to be exposed to him. With him.