Read Online Killing Casanova by Traci McDonald - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Traci McDonald
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of gear to the dirt floor, kicking them back at Jake. “I’m good with fillies. Especially the sleek, high-spirited ones. No one knows how to teach them how to be rode better than me.”
Jake shook his head again, in an attempt to ignore Carter’s snide remarks. The hint of sinister in the other guy’s words suddenly pricked in the back of Jake’s heart, and his blood began to race. “Carter, if you think this is going to work, you’re dead wrong. Whoever you’re threatening or have threatened doesn’t change anything. Do your job or get the hell off my property.”
“Is that what Lilly was, your property? I was all over her, and there wasn’t a damn thing you could do about it.”
Jake was turning back to Starlight’s stall when the icy fingers of Carter’s words seeped into his heart. He whirled back toward Carter.
“Jake!” Robert Caswell’s voice was quiet and dark, and Jake automatically took a half step back from Carter’s enraged features. Jake’s hands uncurled from fists, and he relaxed his furious scowl. Carter’s expression only darkened with Robert’s appearance but he, too, stepped back from the boiling confrontation. Robert stalked through the swishing of mares’ tails to stand between the two young men. Robert’s black hair salted with sun and age caught dim lights from inside the horses’ stalls.
“I thought the two of you were moving the horses to the pasture. What’s the hold up?”
Robert did not dignify the hands with responses when their anger erupted in more shouting. He simply reaffirmed his instructions to them and turned his back to leave as soon as they had both responded with “Yessir.”
Heat and tension still hung heavy in the air, but Robert only glared at both of them, then left them to their jobs. Jake strode to the rear of the stable and began haltering the few sorrels that had not made the grazing pasture. Fighting with Carter was a losing proposition, but his dad was right. Carter’s problems would have to wait for Starlight’s needs to be met first. Carter was silently compliant as well, forking dry straw into Starlight’s stable while Jake released the horses into the pasture, turning back to choke on the brown cloud of dust Carter’s fancy Ford truck was leaving as he exited Caswell Farms.
Jake coiled the bridles around his fist as he cleared the heavy dirt from his nostrils and glared after the hand. They would have been all right to finish this job if Carter had not started in about Lilly. Jake couldn’t afford to let his temper get the best of him, and he was fairly certain that had been exactly what Carter had wanted. Jake spit into the dirt at his feet and fought the urge to call Lilly as fast as he could. Starlight and her foal would not wait for that, and he needed to keep his head.
Glancing at the mares Jake turned back for the horse stable, catching the sound of Ruiando’s irritated snorts and clomping feet. Jake picked his pace up to a jog as the horse’s discontent grew more desperate, and Jake feared Starlight was in labor.
Chapter Ten
Jake? Cassie thought forlornly, as she twisted her hair into a clump at the back of her head. She was sure to run into him today, and the idea prickled the skin at the back of her neck. He was never close enough for them to have more misunderstandings, but she could feel his eyes on her and his unmistakable presence, almost lurking.
Troy climbed into the truck beside her. “Trailers ready. You?”
“Explain this to me again,” she said, latching her seat belt as Troy pulled away from The Rocking J. “Miriam just told me that Heidi won’t come to work with Applesauce without Jake, and he’s working with the horses today and can’t bring her.”
As the truck pulled onto the paved highway three miles from Caswell Farms, Cassie rolled down her window and let the warm wind blow across her hot skin.
“So we’re taking Applesauce to the farm?” she shouted above the noise.
Troy grunted in
Jake shook his head again, in an attempt to ignore Carter’s snide remarks. The hint of sinister in the other guy’s words suddenly pricked in the back of Jake’s heart, and his blood began to race. “Carter, if you think this is going to work, you’re dead wrong. Whoever you’re threatening or have threatened doesn’t change anything. Do your job or get the hell off my property.”
“Is that what Lilly was, your property? I was all over her, and there wasn’t a damn thing you could do about it.”
Jake was turning back to Starlight’s stall when the icy fingers of Carter’s words seeped into his heart. He whirled back toward Carter.
“Jake!” Robert Caswell’s voice was quiet and dark, and Jake automatically took a half step back from Carter’s enraged features. Jake’s hands uncurled from fists, and he relaxed his furious scowl. Carter’s expression only darkened with Robert’s appearance but he, too, stepped back from the boiling confrontation. Robert stalked through the swishing of mares’ tails to stand between the two young men. Robert’s black hair salted with sun and age caught dim lights from inside the horses’ stalls.
“I thought the two of you were moving the horses to the pasture. What’s the hold up?”
Robert did not dignify the hands with responses when their anger erupted in more shouting. He simply reaffirmed his instructions to them and turned his back to leave as soon as they had both responded with “Yessir.”
Heat and tension still hung heavy in the air, but Robert only glared at both of them, then left them to their jobs. Jake strode to the rear of the stable and began haltering the few sorrels that had not made the grazing pasture. Fighting with Carter was a losing proposition, but his dad was right. Carter’s problems would have to wait for Starlight’s needs to be met first. Carter was silently compliant as well, forking dry straw into Starlight’s stable while Jake released the horses into the pasture, turning back to choke on the brown cloud of dust Carter’s fancy Ford truck was leaving as he exited Caswell Farms.
Jake coiled the bridles around his fist as he cleared the heavy dirt from his nostrils and glared after the hand. They would have been all right to finish this job if Carter had not started in about Lilly. Jake couldn’t afford to let his temper get the best of him, and he was fairly certain that had been exactly what Carter had wanted. Jake spit into the dirt at his feet and fought the urge to call Lilly as fast as he could. Starlight and her foal would not wait for that, and he needed to keep his head.
Glancing at the mares Jake turned back for the horse stable, catching the sound of Ruiando’s irritated snorts and clomping feet. Jake picked his pace up to a jog as the horse’s discontent grew more desperate, and Jake feared Starlight was in labor.
Chapter Ten
Jake? Cassie thought forlornly, as she twisted her hair into a clump at the back of her head. She was sure to run into him today, and the idea prickled the skin at the back of her neck. He was never close enough for them to have more misunderstandings, but she could feel his eyes on her and his unmistakable presence, almost lurking.
Troy climbed into the truck beside her. “Trailers ready. You?”
“Explain this to me again,” she said, latching her seat belt as Troy pulled away from The Rocking J. “Miriam just told me that Heidi won’t come to work with Applesauce without Jake, and he’s working with the horses today and can’t bring her.”
As the truck pulled onto the paved highway three miles from Caswell Farms, Cassie rolled down her window and let the warm wind blow across her hot skin.
“So we’re taking Applesauce to the farm?” she shouted above the noise.
Troy grunted in
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