Happy Hour (10 page)

Jamie and Alyssa stood too. “That’s okay. I have an early morning
meeting,” Jamie said. “I have to get Maddie up extra early and take her to
morning care.”

“I should get going too. I’m a bit tired. I also have some things I need
to take care of early tomorrow.” Alyssa set her glass down.

“Come on. Stay. The girls won’t mind, and you know I want you to stay.”
More than anything, Danielle was afraid to be alone with Shannon. Then there
was Cassie, who seemed to be reveling in the fact that her sister had one-upped
her on the
Oh boy, you are in a world of shit
chart. No, Danielle
preferred the company of her friends, their wine, and the food to her girls
right now. But her pals were already heading to the door with their purses and
insisting they needed to leave, obvious that they didn’t want to get caught in
the crossfire of pregnant daughter and soon-to-be grandmother.

Last night and all day, Danielle had tried to process Shannon’s pregnancy:
the ramifications, the possible positives, the many negatives. But not once,
until that very moment that her best friends were checking out on her had the
thought crossed her mind that in less than three months she was going to be a
grandmother. Now it did, and suddenly Danielle felt very old and she knew that
even if her daughter might be ready for this, which she doubted, she seriously
wasn’t ready at all.

Jamie left work a half hour earlier than usual to get Maddie from the
after-school program and to her second riding lesson, taught by a perky, long-legged
blonde woman of about twenty-five. The woman was fantastic with Maddie—soft
spoken, easygoing, and at the same time, firm on safety and focus. She was a
perfect fit for her little girl. What wasn’t so perfect about the riding
lessons was the expense. Jamie, already stressing over what to do with Maddie
during the summer while she worked, knew that day camps were costly, but
leaving her at home with Nora and Dorothy seemed cruel. She’d have to figure it
out and make it work, along with the riding lessons.

When she’d inquired about the lessons she’d spoken to a different young
woman than the riding instructor, one whose name she couldn’t for the life of
her recall. That woman had told her the lessons were thirty-five dollars for
the hour, but when she’d brought Maddie out for her first lesson last weekend,
the instructor Gwen told her that it was fifty dollars for the hour. Jamie had
been shocked and said something to Gwen about the price difference. Gwen
apologized, saying she wished she’d known who had told Jamie this because they’d
raised their prices over two weeks ago.

Jamie would normally not press the issue. Maddie wanted the lessons and
Jamie wanted her to have them. Not only because it made her feel like she
finally had more control over her child than her in-laws, but because Maddie
had fallen hard for horses. For Maddie to fall for anything and then really
connect held a power of its own.

Jamie had taken Gwen aside while Maddie brushed down a paint horse named
Patches. “But I was told that it was thirty-five and fifty is a lot more. I’m
kind of on a budget.” It was a nice way of saying that she was flat-ass broke.
She knew if she put a pencil to paper that she’d be in the red every month, and
she was. She chose not to pick up neither pencil nor paper. She’d borrowed
money off of credit cards and even had a couple of unsecured loans at high
interest rates. It had been difficult getting banks to loan her money after
Nate died, and when the economy tanked things got even tighter. The medical
bills piled up and, truth be told, she knew that she and Nate lived a pretty
high life before he got sick. A life that included five-star vacations,
designer clothes, expensive dinners out, and all sorts of lessons for Maddie,
like piano, ballet and tennis—none which ever stuck. Then Nate had gotten so
sick and the insurance hadn’t covered the experimental drugs they’d tried. Yes,
he’d had life insurance. A half million dollars, which at the time sounded like
a lot, but when there are medical bills upwards in the six figures and a
mortgage to pay and private tuition for Maddie, and now Dorothy to take care
of…With the cost of living so high these days, making ends meet was getting
harder each day. Jamie knew she should sell the house, put Maddie in public
school, and do what she could to save some cash. Thus paying for riding lessons
did not fall into the saving cash category. But Maddie didn’t deserve to have
her entire life change because her mom was deep in debt.

Jamie had gone ahead and asked Gwen what she could do about the cost of
the lessons.

“You’ll have to speak with Tyler. He’ll be here next week.”

While Maddie attended her second lesson, Jamie put some steel in her
backbone and headed to the boss’s office to discuss the issue. The ranch was
pristine with three large barns, housing rows of stalls in them. The pungent
smell of manure wafted through the air combined with hay, soil, and something
floral. It might have been neroli orange blossoms or maybe jasmine? She wasn’t
sure. From what Jamie could see, there were also three large arenas, one with
jumps in it. Olive and orange trees were scattered all over the property. A
good-sized log home stood in the background with a front porch swing included.
Kind of like a Norman Rockwell painting.

Tyler Meeks’ office was at the end of the main barn, opposite a large
tack room.

Jamie expected to round the corner and walk into the office to find an
attractive man. After all, Danielle had mentioned he was a looker. She’d seen
plenty of attractive men in her day, but none of them had taken her breath away
like Nate had when they’d met. None of them until that very moment when she
laid eyes on Tyler Meeks.
Wow. Oh wow.

Tyler Meeks looked up from the papers on his desk. His hair and skin were
both sun-kissed and golden, his green eyes were the color of the Mediterranean
Sea, and his lips were shaped perfectly with a little bow meeting in the
middle. He had a three-day shadow and Jamie knew that her thoughts were
downright ridiculous. Movie stars looked this good, not horse trainers. But
goodness, he was like this amazing blend of Brad Pitt and that adorable boy
from all the
High School Musical
movies that Maddie said she wanted to
marry some day. What was his name? Zac Efron. That was it.

And then it hit and it hit hard. Guilt. More guilt. First off, Tyler
Meeks was at least ten years younger than she was, and secondly she was a
married woman. Technically. Sort of, anyway. Well, she should have been. She
wanted to be. Why couldn’t Nate be here right now? To watch his little girl
ride a horse? To not care if her riding lessons cost them thirty-five dollars
or a hundred dollars? And in those strange few seconds looking at Tyler Meeks
and preparing to argue about his prices, she felt tears try and make their
annoying presence.

“May I help you?” Tyler asked. He picked up a remote control and turned
off the TV in the corner. “Sorry. I like Judge Judy,” he quipped.

“Yes. Maybe. I hope so.” Jamie swallowed and collected herself. “I’m
Jamie Evans.” She reached across the desk as Tyler stood and shook her hand.
“My daughter Maddie is taking lessons from one of your instructors. Gwen.”

“Nice to meet you. Gwen is very good with the youngsters. She’s taking my
place with the kids right now. I’ve got my hands full just running the place.”

“Yes, Gwen seems to be really great. My daughter is very excited and she
loved her first lesson. She’s out there right now getting ready again.” She
paused, her fingers clasping the band on her purse tightly. People didn’t make
her nervous. She was an editor-in-chief. She handled people all of the time.
But this guy made her nervous.

“Great. I’m sure you and your husband will find that we have a great
program here. Our focus is on safety first and developing a real passion for
the horse.”

“I’m not married. My husband passed away.” Now why in the world had that
come out? She never said stuff like that, especially to strangers.

“I’m sorry.” His face reddened a bit.

“No. Please. Thank you.” She couldn’t sound any more ridiculous if she
tried.

“I thought that, well, that’s a beautiful ring.” He pointed to her hand.

She glanced down at the marquis diamond surrounded with tiny emeralds, her
birthstone. Her wedding ring. Jamie knew she’d better get to the point before
this situation became any more strained. “I’m here because of the pricing.” He
raised his eyebrows. “You see I was quoted one price by one of your employees
and then when I brought Maddie for her first lesson, I was told it was another
price.”

Tyler clucked his tongue. “What were you initially told?” He sat back in
his chair.

“Thirty-five dollars an hour.” She looked down.

“Then that’s what it is. If one of my employees told you that, then
that’s what it is. What did you pay last week?”

“Fifty.”

Tyler stood again, reached into his back pocket and took fifteen dollars
out of his wallet, handing it to Jamie.

“No. No. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“I think I’ll be okay without the extra fifteen. Please take it.” He
walked over and placed the money in her hands. Something terrifying went
through her. Something she vaguely remembered as lust. And as she looked from
the dollars in her hand up into those sea green eyes, she thought for a second
there that he felt what she was feeling.

“Thank you,” she said. “I better go watch my daughter.” She pointed to
the opening of the office, but she didn’t move. It was almost as if some force
stronger than her own will kept her there in the presence of this illegally
gorgeous young man.

“Why don’t I walk out with you? I have a horse I need to check on. Mare
colicked last night. She’s a stoic one. Had the vet out and he oiled her, gave
her some Banamine and we walked her for hours.”

Jamie had no clue what he was talking about, but it sounded good to her
and she nodded with a smile. 

“You don’t ride, do you?” he asked, glancing sideways at her.

“No. I mean I like horses. I think they’re beautiful, and I’ve ridden,
you know on the trails, like when you go on vacation.”

Tyler laughed. “Right. You get a poor old nag who gets one rider after
the next until she finally breaks down.”

Jamie frowned.

“No. I don’t mean that what you did was wrong by doing that. Lots of
folks who go on vacation take those rides. Let me guess, was it in Hawaii?”

She nodded. “Maui.” A distinct memory flashed through her mind of riding
up through Haleakala on her honeymoon with Nate, his face golden from the
sunlight, almost translucent. He’d looked like an angel. The image of him like
that, breathing in the tropical fresh air of the island, looking so peaceful
and content, was engraved on her soul. She could never forget that day. Whether
or not she rode a poor old nag she had no clue, because all she’d thought about
that day was how lucky and happy she was to be married to Nate.

“I’ve never been there, though I’d like to go some day. Lots of
responsibility here and with my parents passed on, and neither of my sisters
wanting to deal with this place anymore, it’s all mine.” He smiled and dimples
creased both cheeks.

Wouldn’t you know the man would have dimples too?

“Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we saddle up one of the horses and give
you a chance to ride a real horse. I mean a real nice horse.”

“No, no. I can’t do that.”

“Why not? I think you’d enjoy it. You can ride Pickles. He’s one of my
good old boys and won’t do anything nasty. Come on. Your daughter is out with
Gwen. I can give you a bit of a lesson.”

Jamie shook her head. “No. I can only afford Maddie’s lesson. And I
thought you didn’t give lessons any more. That’s what you said.”

“I won’t charge you. And I make a few exceptions. Come on. Give it a
try.”

“I’m not exactly dressed for it.”

Tyler eyed her from the ground up and back again. She felt her face heat
up. Why did it feel like this guy was undressing her with his eyes? Did he make
moves like this on every woman? What was she? The poor widow that he could now
put his smooth cowboy moves on?

“I see what you’re saying First of all, you would need some boots.”

She was wearing a pair of clogs because she had not been able to find her
tennies that morning.

“The jeans are fine and unless you have some real affinity for not
getting that particular T-shirt dirty, then that’s okay too. I’m sure one of my
sisters or one of the instructors has a pair of boots that’ll fit you. Hang on
a sec and let me peek in on my mare and see how she’s faring.”

How could she say no to that kind of enthusiasm? Jamie didn’t think Tyler
was going to take no for an answer, but she tried one more ploy. “I’d really
like to watch my daughter take her lesson.”

He stopped walking and turned to her. “You’re afraid.”

“I am not.”

“See it all the time. Stop worrying. Your daughter is in love with the
horses already. I’m pretty sure of that. If I know anything, I know that when
little girls start begging moms for riding lessons that it’s a done deal, and
there is no going back. At least not until she hits high school and discovers
boys.”

“Comforting.”

“True, though.”

“I say you ride my horse. I’ll give you a short lesson. Then you’ll have
a bit of an idea as to what Gwen is teaching your daughter. The two of you can
have some fun later on talking about it. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it so
much, you’ll want to do it again. You’re going to have plenty of days out here
to watch your little girl ride a horse. Shoot, before you know it she’ll be
pleading with you to lease or buy her one.”

Why couldn’t Maddie have picked a sport like soccer? “I guess I’m sold.
I’ll ride your horse.”