“Jubilee turns heads wherever she goes. She’s as intelligent as she is sweet,” Kendra Desmond said and handed the mare’s reins to Chase. “Out in the pasture, she can be a little hard to catch, but she’s wonderful around children, dogs, cattle, and wildlife.”
“Sounds like a keeper,” Chase said.
He patted the exceptional and expensive mare’s nose and then handed her reins to his grandfather. To make room for the second Quarter Horse to be unloaded, Coop led Jubilee toward Jade and Chloe, who were watching from a few yards away. When Jade petted Jubilee’s nose, a Chinook breeze momentarily blended blond hair with snowy mane.That golden mare is Taylor-made for Jade,Chase thought. He gave himself a mental shake as Kendra brought out the stallion. The huge horse stood 17.1 hands high and was fourteen hundred pounds of muscle. At five years old, this athletic horse, like most Quarter Horses, was lightning fast. He was also smart and brave and excelled at ranching and roping. Hot-blooded, his temperament was best managed by a strong, experienced rider.
“Here’s Valor,” Kendra said as she handed Chase the reins.
“Valor and I have been on a couple rides,” Chase said as the stallion nodded as if to say he remembered.
“Valor performs like a boss when working,” Kendra Desmond began and added just loud enough for Chase’s ears, “and when he’s ridden for pleasure.”
“Sign of a good stud,” Chase said evenly.
Chloe called, “You outdid yourself, Chase! These horses are magnificent.”
“They sure are,” Kendra replied. In looking toward Chloe, Kendra seemed to take in Jade for the first time. Chase caught a glare on the horse rancher’s face before she turned away from them and smiled up at him. “Want to ride ‘em bareback to your stable?”
“Miss Taylor?” Chase addressed her instead of Kendra.
“Jade,” she reminded him.
“Do you ride?”
“I’d love to.”
Kendra snickered. “Maybe? When she’s not wearing a short dress and high heels.”
“Hey, Chase!” came yet another new voice to the group. From atop Captain Jack, a red dun stallion, his brother called out, “The horses from Castle Rock?”
“Well, the gang’s all here,” Chase said. “Yeah. Just arrived.”
“Good. We need some new blood.” Cash reined in his horse near Chase and dismounted.
“Kendra Desmond,” Chase began and then, with a nod in Jade’s direction, said, “Jade Taylor, this is my brother, Cash Cooper.”
“Hi there, Cash.” Kendra brazenly looked Cash up and down, from his brown hair and cowboy hat to his brown belt and cowboy boots, just as she had Chase.
“Same here,” Cash replied to Kendra and then made a half turn to acknowledge Jade, who smiled. “Nice to meet you.” Swiveling back around and apparently oblivious to the brunette, Cash looked at Chase and, in regard to Jade, mouthed, “Wow.”
“Jade, let’s get you settled in at my house,” Chloe said, accustomed to handling her brothers as well as her guests. “If you like horses, maybe Chase can ride one over our way.”
Noncommittal, Chase raised his hand in a farewell wave. He’d sensed a bit of his sister’s matchmaking in the air. He’d asked if Jade could ride mostly to throw Kendra Desmond off his trail. They didn’t even know Jade’s circumstances. She could be married. Besides, he’d taken himself off the market. If he wasn’t interested, Cash might be, although he usually went for redheads. Coop, always the gentleman, walked Jade to the Volkswagen and opened the door for her. Chloe hopped in her Jeep as Jade scooted behind the wheel of her Bug and followed Chloe around the horseshoe drive to the main road. Chase couldn’t deny a zip of adrenaline as he pictured seeing Jade again. What the hell was he thinking? No way.
“Chase!” a female voice seemed to be addressing him for the second or third time.
“What?” Chase replied to Kendra, pulling his eyes off the cherry red car heading west.
CHAPTERTWO
“Your house is beautiful,” Jade said as Chloe opened the front door. Jade was doing her level best to focus on the here and now. However, her thoughts had been hijacked by that intimidating cowboy back at the mountain house. “I love the hanging ferns and rocking chairs on your porch.”
“Thank you,” Chloe said, carrying Jade’s bag and leading the way over a decorative bridge inside the country-style, two-story house. Beneath the arched bridge, goldfish swam in a heart-shaped pond. Here, in the fancy foyer, rose a winding staircase. Beyond the foyer, a hallway was decorated in antiques, with airy, open rooms and a kitchen straight ahead. “My parents, Carson and Elle, used to live in the main house where Chase is now.” She paused and said softly, “Covid took them both.”
“Oh no, Chloe. I’m so sorry to hear about your parents.”
“Thanks. We all miss them,” Chloe replied, momentarily lowering her lashes over pretty blue eyes as they stood in the foyer under a crystal chandelier. Seeming to pick up her thoughts where she left off, she said, “Our Uncle Chester designed this house. Our Uncle Clarence built a big, rambling farmhouse where Cash lives. Neither house is as large as Chase’s, but Chester and Clarence had a competition of sorts as to which one of them could build the most unique house.”
Jade smiled and pointed. “Like this fabulous bridge and fishpond?”
