Read Online Kate Sherwood - Dark Horse 02 - Out of the Darkness by Kate Sherwood - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Sherwood
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the coffee and bagel, Tia,” he says, and she just waves him away. He goes outside and sees Blaine standing by the railing, looking off over the pool toward the distant ocean. Dan goes and stands near him. “So, what’s up?”
Blaine doesn’t turn around. “I went looking for Jeff last night. We were being a bit obnoxious, and he took the dog for a walk, and I went after him to apologize. Bring him back.”
Dan wonders just how obnoxious they were being and why Evan hadn’t been the one to go. But he doesn’t know why Blaine’s telling him any of this. “Okay….”
“But when I found him, he was already talking to somebody. Well”—Blaine drags it out, makes it clear that he’s making a point— “he wasn’t really doing that much talking.”
Oh. But still, why does Dan need to explain himself to this clown? “Okay….”
“Okay? That’s what you have to say?” Blaine sounds pretty pissed off. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to be fucking around with your boss’s boyfriend?”
“Thanks for your concern, man, I’m touched.”
“Fuck you. Does Evan know?”
Dan’s tempted to walk away, but he forces himself to see the situation from Blaine’s perspective. The guy’s trying to be a good friend. “You should ask Evan.”
“I should….” Blaine seems a bit taken aback. “Seriously? What, you want to get caught? Do you think Evan’s gonna dump Jeff over some fling with a slutty stable boy? ’Cause it’s not going to happen, man. I don’t know what game you’re playing, and I don’t know why the hell Jeff’s going along with it—” Blaine pauses and looks Dan up and down with a sneer on his face. “Well, okay, I know why he’s going along with it; I just thought he had better sense than that.”
That’s nice. A lovely way to start the day. “Dude, seriously. Talk to Evan or talk to Jeff if you want. I’ve got nothing to say about any of it. Not to you.”
“Not to me? What the hell does that mean?”
“What do you think it means? I don’t know you from a hole in the ground; I get that you’re trying to look out for your boy, but you’re talking to the wrong guy. I don’t owe you any explanations.”
“I’m just trying to give you a chance to keep things from getting messy.” Blaine sounds a little less sure of himself than he had been. “And I’m touched by your kindness. But, seriously, I don’t have anything to say. Talk to Jeff or Evan.”
Blaine stares at him for a second, and then wags a finger. “Don’t think I won’t.”
Dan returns the gesture mockingly. “Don’t think I care.” And he turns and heads down the stairs off the deck.
He’s about halfway to the end of the house when he hears a voice calling his name from the deck. He half turns and sees that Blaine has been joined by one of the girls and a shirtless Evan. Evan sees Dan turn and waves his arm, beckoning him back. But there’s no way on earth Dan is going to stand there and chat with Evan while Blaine stares at them. He taps his watch, indicating that he has no time, and calls back, “I’ll see you tonight.”
Evan looks like he’s thinking about coming after Dan, but then Blaine says something to distract him, and Dan is able to continue on to the barn. Robyn and Michelle are already riding, and he feels a bit guilty about his late start until he remembers what time he’d gone home the night before.
He sets up some jumps and takes Monty out. One of the challenges of training eventers is that the horses can get confused about the different styles of jumping that are required to complete a crosscountry course and a stadium-jumping course, and Monty’s been getting a bit reckless with his stadium jumping lately, apparently deciding that if the jumps collapse anyways, it’s okay for him to be sloppy with his hind feet. It’s a bad habit but it isn’t fully formed yet, and Dan needs to get to it before it is. They work together for a while, and if Monty hasn’t
Blaine doesn’t turn around. “I went looking for Jeff last night. We were being a bit obnoxious, and he took the dog for a walk, and I went after him to apologize. Bring him back.”
Dan wonders just how obnoxious they were being and why Evan hadn’t been the one to go. But he doesn’t know why Blaine’s telling him any of this. “Okay….”
“But when I found him, he was already talking to somebody. Well”—Blaine drags it out, makes it clear that he’s making a point— “he wasn’t really doing that much talking.”
Oh. But still, why does Dan need to explain himself to this clown? “Okay….”
“Okay? That’s what you have to say?” Blaine sounds pretty pissed off. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to be fucking around with your boss’s boyfriend?”
“Thanks for your concern, man, I’m touched.”
“Fuck you. Does Evan know?”
Dan’s tempted to walk away, but he forces himself to see the situation from Blaine’s perspective. The guy’s trying to be a good friend. “You should ask Evan.”
“I should….” Blaine seems a bit taken aback. “Seriously? What, you want to get caught? Do you think Evan’s gonna dump Jeff over some fling with a slutty stable boy? ’Cause it’s not going to happen, man. I don’t know what game you’re playing, and I don’t know why the hell Jeff’s going along with it—” Blaine pauses and looks Dan up and down with a sneer on his face. “Well, okay, I know why he’s going along with it; I just thought he had better sense than that.”
That’s nice. A lovely way to start the day. “Dude, seriously. Talk to Evan or talk to Jeff if you want. I’ve got nothing to say about any of it. Not to you.”
“Not to me? What the hell does that mean?”
“What do you think it means? I don’t know you from a hole in the ground; I get that you’re trying to look out for your boy, but you’re talking to the wrong guy. I don’t owe you any explanations.”
“I’m just trying to give you a chance to keep things from getting messy.” Blaine sounds a little less sure of himself than he had been. “And I’m touched by your kindness. But, seriously, I don’t have anything to say. Talk to Jeff or Evan.”
Blaine stares at him for a second, and then wags a finger. “Don’t think I won’t.”
Dan returns the gesture mockingly. “Don’t think I care.” And he turns and heads down the stairs off the deck.
He’s about halfway to the end of the house when he hears a voice calling his name from the deck. He half turns and sees that Blaine has been joined by one of the girls and a shirtless Evan. Evan sees Dan turn and waves his arm, beckoning him back. But there’s no way on earth Dan is going to stand there and chat with Evan while Blaine stares at them. He taps his watch, indicating that he has no time, and calls back, “I’ll see you tonight.”
Evan looks like he’s thinking about coming after Dan, but then Blaine says something to distract him, and Dan is able to continue on to the barn. Robyn and Michelle are already riding, and he feels a bit guilty about his late start until he remembers what time he’d gone home the night before.
He sets up some jumps and takes Monty out. One of the challenges of training eventers is that the horses can get confused about the different styles of jumping that are required to complete a crosscountry course and a stadium-jumping course, and Monty’s been getting a bit reckless with his stadium jumping lately, apparently deciding that if the jumps collapse anyways, it’s okay for him to be sloppy with his hind feet. It’s a bad habit but it isn’t fully formed yet, and Dan needs to get to it before it is. They work together for a while, and if Monty hasn’t
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