Deeper Than Lies

CHAPTER 3 | Caleb-1

CHAPTER 3 | Caleb

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It takes me five whole seconds before I can form words again. “You’re my what?” I manage at last.

“I’m your competition for the Jacks or Better job.” Ellie straightens her shoulders again, studying me with interest. My body tightens in response. “I know the Colonel told you about me.”

“He told me someone else was applying. He didn’t tell me she was—was—” I shake myself. “The job is mine, sweetheart. Not only am I his son, but I am very, very good at what I do.”

“So am I. Plus, I’m the rider who’s going to put his homegrown mare in the Grand Prix ring.”

I frown. She’s got me there. Beckon was the year before I left. The only thing I really remember about the filly was her size (smaller), her color (dark bay, no white), and her attitude (foul). Then, maybe two years ago, the mare started making a name for herself in the lower levels. She won two competitions in Wellington before returning to Jacks or Better for more training. The Colonel thinks she’s our best homebred yet, and he very well might be right.

“Cute that you think that matters,” I tell her. “Riders are a dime a dozen. Actual professionals? Way more rare.”

“Is that what you call sleeping with your father’s assistant trainer?”

I go still. It’s been six years since I fell for Mandy and that’s still the first thing everyone remembers? I nearly laugh. Who am I kidding? Of course it is. This is the horse industry. Everyone knows everyone and everyone gossips.

I step a little closer, crowding Ellie. “Jealous, sweetheart?”

She blinks. Good. I’ve caught her off guard. But she’s caught me too. This close, I can smell her perfume—something soft and clean—and I can see that amazing cleavage again. Christ, it makes my mouth go hot.

There’s a flurry of movement over Ellie’s shoulder, and I glance up. Smirk. “I think you may have a problem.”

Ellie whips around, spotting the ‘problem’ right away: her sister’s leaving. Wren strides away from Holly like a woman on a mission, and Tate dashes after her, his expression panicked. He should be. If I had any drink left in my glass, I would lift it in solidarity.

Good luck, my man, I think. You’re going to need it.

“Oh no!” Ellie gasps, and takes off after both of them.

I sigh and follow, Ellie’s little friend falling into stride next to me. “Holly,” she says in greeting.

I lift my chin. “Caleb.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I start to ask the curvy blonde if this all seems normal to her—because she’s sure as hell acting like it is—and shut my mouth. I don’t want to know. I just want to go home.

Outside the club, the air feels like a sauna, humid and overfull with the promise of thunderstorms. Welcome to the south. After so many years of rain and cold, I actually missed it. The sun’s been down for hours now, but everything is still warm and close.

Ellie catches Wren underneath a parking lot light and they begin to argue. Tate—probably because he learns faster than I do—stays out of it, hovering at a distance in case his girl needs help.

“Wren, please.” Ellie’s holding onto her sister’s elbow for dear life and Wren keeps trying to shake her off. “I just thought—”

“No! You didn’t think! You never think!” Wren rips herself away, and power stomps to Tate’s car. Ellie stares after her, eyes huge and round, and I have the sudden stupid urge to put my arm around her shoulders. Then, as if she feels me staring, Ellie’s gaze flicks to me. The haunted look disappears, replaced instead with cool determination. She nods in my direction as if we are about to start a game, which I guess in a way we are.

But not at all like she thinks. Competition for the manager position? Please.

“That actually went better than I expected,” Holly announces, but whether she’s talking to me or to herself, I can’t tell. She turns to me, blonde hair falling around her shoulders. “I guess I’ll see you around then, yeah?”

“Not if I see you first.”

She laughs, and pats my arm. “You’re funny.”

Crazy. Both of them. I watch Holly rush to Ellie’s side. She leads the other girl toward the line of taxis waiting by the entrance. They don’t look back and I can’t seem to stop staring.

Why am I still so annoyed?

“Caleb!” Tate waves me toward him, and I gotta say, the guy looks a bit wild-eyed. Poor bastard. I follow him to his car. Wren is already inside, chewing her thumbnail to death. Tate nods his head toward Ellie and Holly. “Think it’ll be better by the wedding?” he asks, dropping his voice.

“No.”

He pulls a face. “Yeah. Well at least, you don’t have to see her before then.”

“Ellie? Oh, I’ll be seeing her.”

Tate throws me a sideways W-T-F look.

“Remember the Colonel saying I had competition for the job?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

I glare at Ellie’s back as she climbs into her taxi. “Behold my competition.”

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