“What are you, the Dr. Phil of the horse world?”
“Dr. who?”
“Never mind … what’s your great plan for getting out of here now?” Scott replied.
“Just pet and walk away,” Jessica answered, pressing her forehead against the horse.
“Then let’s get going before Riley blows a gasket.”
“Riley?” Jessica asked. She turned pale. Her eyes slid to the right but she resisted turning her head. “I thought he was training the dogs.”
“Nope. He’s standing right over there looking like he’s ready to hop the fence and take his chances with Ebony.”
Jessica’s hand shot out and grabbed Scotts arm. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I? I’m never going to get to ride the horses …”
“Not if you keep doing stupid stuff like this.”
Jessica blinked back some tears.
“It wasn’t stupid! I was helping you …”
“I don’t need this kind of help Jessica. This does not fall under the “behaving” category.”
“I had Josh’s permission.” Jessica countered.
“This isn’t a debate Jessica … you did?” Scott asked flabbergast that Josh would do such a thing. Jessica nodded. “This isn’t like the ‘permission’ you had from Jim to ride Ebony, is it?”
“No, there was no misunderstanding this time.” Jessica answered.
“Misunderstanding … “ Scott muttered. “ If Josh gave you permission, fine, but I have to hear this from Josh himself. Let’s go.”
Jessica barely had time to kiss Ebony’s nose before Scott took her by the arm and led her to Riley, Jim and Josh.
“Did you tell Jessica she could go in the corral?” Scott demanded as they neared the men.
Josh nodded, but it was clear from the expression on his face that he could barely believe it himself.
“Take her in the house Scott, “ Riley said. He was at a loss for a reaction. He needed time to think. Jessica lowered her head.
“Not going to argue with Riley?” Scott asked Jessica as she and he moved off toward the house.
“Ha, ha,” Jessica replied .
“I’m not kidding Jessica. Why do I get the attitude and Riley gets blessedly silent obedience?”
“I can be quite happy being blessedly quiet,” Jessica replied, “it just seems to me that you spend an awful lot of time bugging me to talk. You want silence … I can do that too.”
“Hey I never said I didn’t want you to talk to me … I just want to hear things like, ‘Yes Scott, you’re right Scott, I’ll do whatever you say Scott’. Any chance you can manage something like that?”
“Give me something to work with, and it’ll be no problem,” Jessica replied.
“Oh, you’re quite the comedian …What the hell?” Scott added, spying Angus coming from the direction of the road. He had a large item on his shoulder, and from the distance it looked like a dog.
“One of the dogs!” Jessica exclaimed quietly. They hadn’t gone far from the corral so Scott guided Jessica back, too curious to not investigate what had happened.
When Angus reached the corral he flung the dog’s body to the ground.
“One dead dog.” He muttered and looked at Jim as if he had single handedly killed it.
“Ginger!” Jessica gasped and ran to the lifeless body. “What happened?” she asked kneeling next to Ginger and looking in horror at the giant gash on the dog’s neck.
“Trap,” Angus replied.
He was unable to look at her. It had looked like she and Scott had been leaving, which had made Angus feel some relief. The past few nights he’d been having some disturbing dreams about Jessica. As if the dreams weren’t bad enough, the feelings that they were invoking were even worse. In the dreams he and Jessica were together. Together, together. And they were happy. Very happy. He was happier than he’d ever been in his life. There had even been a few mornings that he had woken up and to his horror found himself hugging Jessica. She’d been asleep each time, as far as he knew, she had no idea that it had happened. But each time he was angry with himself. He began to wonder if he could trust himself to be around her. Even now, he had a desire to be with her. The only thing he could do to avoid falling prey to it, was to keep a distance from her. He’d been having great luck with it, but now here she was, at his feet. At least some good could come from this, she was staring at a good example of what could happen to her if she tried to escape.
“Trap?” Jessica asked, still staring in horror at the wound, “Why would Ginger be near a trap?” She looked up at Jim, and saw Angus scowling at her. She averted her eyes to the ground.
“I believe you were on your way back to the house Jessica,” Riley interrupted. “Scott … “ and he thrust his head in the direction of the house.
“Right, let’s go Jessica.” Scott said.
Jessica stared at the dog. “What about the puppies?” she asked quietly. “What will they do without their mother? And what if they get stuck in the trap?”
“That’s a good question for Jim, “Angus replied. He had a self-satisfied look on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest and stood waiting for Jim’s reply.
“What?” Jim demanded.
“Why was it, again, that we had to litter the parameter of our property with bear traps?”
“Littered? The property is littered with traps? But why?” Jessica asked.
“You know damn well why those traps are there!” Angus thundered. Jessica shrank. “And you take a good hard look at Ginger Jessica, ‘cause if you try to make a run for it, you’ll be joining her!”
“Scott, get her out of here!” Riley ordered as Jessica seemed to collapse even closer to the ground.
“But they’re dangerous,” Jessica said.
“Excuse me?!” Angus demanded, grabbing Jessica by her arm and yanking her to her feet. He grabbed her by her forearms and pulled her to him.
“Did you say something?”
She was too close. He hadn’t fucked her in so long, and she smelled so good. Damn her. She stared at the red stubble on his chin. And there was just something about her look that made his pecker almost jump out of his pants. He felt out of control. Maybe, if he got her alone, got his rocks off, the feeling would subside and he could feel more in control.
“I said, did you say something!” Angus repeated himself.
“Would you care to repeat yourself Jessica,” Riley asked.
Jessica shook her head.
“Pardon?”
“No, “ Jessica whispered.
“Then I suggest that you stay out of our business.” Riley said.
“Maybe I should take a little alone time with Jessica, “ Angus said increasing the pressure on her arms, “make sure she gets the picture.”
“She gets it,” Scott said fearing a repeat of the incident a few weeks past. “We were about to go in the house, right Jessica?”
Jessica bobbed her head vigorously.
“Angus …” Scott urged when he hadn’t released Jessica.
“Next time, you won’t be so lucky!” Angus replied. His need was so strong that he nearly doubled over in pain.
Jessica moved beside Scott, relief flooding over her.
“Can I bring Baby with us?” she whispered to Scott.
“Good God Jessica, just get moving!”
“That’s just great!” Jim growled at Angus once Jessica was out of hearing range. “Now she thinks I killed the dog!”
“You pretty much did.” Riley said moving to crouch over the dog’s body and inspecting the wound.
“W .. w … what?” Jim demanded.
“Whose bleeding heart idea was it to take Jessica off her leash?” Riley asked.
“Jesus Christ Jim, the way you argued about it you would’ve thought that you were the one on the leash!” Angus said.
“You know Angus, sometimes it’s a good idea to try and put yourself in someone else’s place!” Jim replied.
“Give me a break …” Angus began.
“Let’s not rehash that.” Josh said eager to avoid the turmoil that the whole leash debate had caused, “Things have gotten better with Jessica since then, let’s just be satisfied with that.”
“Yeah, things have gotten a lot better. She’s also talking to us a lot more now … in case you haven’t noticed.” Jim added in an indignant tone.
“She’s talking alright,” Angus said, “about things she has no business talking about. Did it ever occur to you that nothing would work better for her than to have those traps removed? ”
‘That’s right,’ Angus continued to himself, ‘she’s just trying to find a way to screw us.’ He desperately wanted to rekindle the anger he used to feel about Jessica. To his consternation, all he was able to summon was fear. He feared the day that Jessica successfully escaped. He’d have to kill her. He’d have to hunt her down and kill her. Not for politics anymore, just for his sanity.
“D’you think?” Josh asked feeling a sense of disappointment. With her nightmares happening less frequently, and her general attitude change he had hoped that she’d decided to just be content there with him … them.
“While we’re on the topic of bleeding hearts,” Riley said, turning to Josh. “What the hell were you doing, letting Jessica go in the corral with Ebony?”
“She asked … she sounded so sure about how Ebony would behave … “
“Since when has Jessica been able to do whatever she asks to do?” Riley asked completely dumbfounded by Josh’s reasoning.
“She was right though, “ Jim said, “Ebony was fine. She’s told me that before Ebony just needs a good pet … “
“It seems to me that Jessica could sell you swamp land!” Angus said with disgust. It was all Jim’s fault. His soft hearted ways led Angus to the point where he could no longer dehumanize Jessica. Without that , he was succumbing to emotion.
“That’s uncalled for,” Jim exclaimed, “Riley, I thought we’d agreed that there’d be no more sniping … he’s sniping.”
“You know what Jimbo, when I decide to snipe, you’ll know it. The bullet will take half your head off.”
“Hey, that’s enough!” Riley interrupted. “We’re family, so let’s start acting like it!”
“Right.” Angus grumbled, “What do you want me to do with the body?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Riley said.
“Fine. I’ll go reset the trap just in case someone else should try to wander where they are not supposed to be!”
Angus stalked off.
“It’s no mystery why Jessica wants nothing to do with him!” Jim muttered and marched off in the opposite direction.
Jim’s words ricocheted in Rileys’ mind.
What he’d really meant was it was little wonder to Jim why Jessica wanted nothing to do with Angus, and what he’d left unsaid in Riley’s presence, was ‘and Riley’’. And what had he said before that? Jessica was talking to ‘them’ more. Jessica wasn’t speaking to Riley any more than usual. So she and he had had some positive interactions. Real communication, that did not make. In fact, if he didn’t pry things out of her, she’d barely say two words to him. Maybe it was just an exaggeration on Jim’s part … but then she had told Jim that Max was deaf and blind … what were the chances that she would have told Riley directly if he’d been near her at the time? Slim to none. Riley felt jealously growing.
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