They remained quiet as he led her out the back and into the nearest patch of woods. They followed the trail along the base of the mountain until they reached the lake. The moon reflected off the surface, and Joey gasped at the painting the scene created.
"This is gorgeous."
"One of my favorite spots on the ranch."
They walked out on a dock and dangled their feet over the end, the bottom of their boots just inches from the water.
"Illegal drinks'' means just that. Percy runs a tight ship regarding alcohol, which is zero tolerance regardless of any type. Spirits, beer, wine. It's all the same to him. You get caught drinking, and you're out." She told him the story about Oscar. "Poor guy probably still has no idea what actually happened."
"If I ever see you carrying a shovel, I'll be sure to give you a wide berth."
He was rewarded with a giggle, but then she turned to him. "I've never trusted anyone enough to really be open about Percy."
"That he's a crook?"
"And an asshole, but most of us need to be where we are." She told him about her mom. "It's up to me to have big paydays to keep her in a home that she's safe in. We all have stories, and Percy knows it. He preys on it. He knew I'd be going with him even before I did."
He covered her hand with his own. "That's admirable. We all have to work with people we may not want to."
"I've tried to get people to listen to me about how he abuses the animals and competitors. I should be ashamed saying this, but when you caught me stealing the feed, it wasn't the first time. I try not to help myself, but when I'm desperate..."
"I didn't say a word about it. You're right. The animals need to be fed. I don't fault you for doing what you have to do, and I don't hold it against you."
"That's for sure," she snorted. "You helped me dole out the stolen goods."
"And your horses will never forget me."
"I don't know what else Percy is into," she continued, "and I don't want to know. But someone should shut him down, and while I'm totally contradicting what I just said about how we all need our jobs, I hope he gets caught by the right person."
"I'll do whatever I can to help you. I've already seen enough to understand the situation. If I see an opening to change your circumstances, I'll let you know."
"Thanks." She shifted just enough that, in the glint of the moon, he saw her pendant.
It was now or never. "That's a cool pendant you're wearing. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."
She reached for it and twirled it in her fingers. "Thanks. My dad gave this to me before he died."
"What is it?" Drake hoped she couldn't hear the strain in his tone.
"It's an idol of some kind," she answered. "Other than that, I have no idea. I figured sure enough with my dad gone, information would pop up as we cleaned out his basement laboratory and office."
She seemed very lackadaisical about the whole thing, so he was hopeful that it meant she truly had no idea what the idol was. "You didn't find anything?"
"Never did. I'm sure he just picked it up somewhere in his travels. He was always bringing home little trinkets. This was just the one he told me to always wear and never take it off. I always teased him that it held a curse or something."
"Or prevented you from having to deal with a curse."
"Maybe." She stood and stretched. "I'm sorry, but I have to get back and go to bed. If I don't get some sleep, my performance tomorrow is going to be very weak."
He stood up and turned to her just as a slight breeze stirred her hair and blew it aways from her face. He reached up and cupped her cheeks and lowered his mouth to hers. A jolt ran through him as her lips responded to his own, and he knew in that instant that she was his mate.
When she pulled back, her eyes were wide. "Wow. What was that?"
He planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Magic. Pure magic."
They walked back to the barn and parted ways. He spent a long time after going to bed just lying there staring at the ceiling. By the time he finally dozed off, his alarm was ringing.
Vinia had coffee on when he found her in the kitchen. He told her about the pendant. "She has no idea where it came from but she's not about to give it up. It was like the last gift her father gave her."
