Chapter 62

Garrett had numerous items on his To Do list to tend to while he was in town.

Starting with picking up a reconditioned saddle for a rider and a new bridle for Storm from the tack and refinery specialists. Then he hit up the feed store for a special order he’d placed for his horse. Next, he had the post office to pop into, dropping off a package and a goodwill check to his mother—and also picking up a few pieces of mail from the box he rented.

Most of his business was conducted online, but he always submitted a forwarding address when he moved on, for any anomalies and such. And to ensure he could be reached via any mode of communication, no matter where he was.

Then he stopped by the local florist to order an arrangement he wanted delivered to Meredith at the beauty boutique later in the afternoon. He’d written out a card for her previously and he handed it over to the clerk so it’d be included with the flowers.

Garrett was whistling a snappy tune as he strode down the sidewalk, thinking of Meredith Jane and the fact that he was incredibly close to working out with a Chase an extension to his contract. An indefinite extension.

The most amazing thing about this new deal was that he and Chase had sat down with a full year’s schedule of competitions and shows and had then mapped them against the current clients Chase had taken on. The ones who’d signed up when word of Garrett arriving on the ranch had spread—as well as those on the lengthy waitlist, consisting of adult riders and parents of juniors in neighboring counties and states, who were serious about honing their craft. All of whom were chomping at the bit to get their horses to Wildfire, to get on Garrett and Chase’s roster, to be guided, trained and represented by a renowned professional and a world-class rodeo champion.

Chase had gone so far as to propose he and Garrett consider partnering up, taking on the business and the clients together. Making it their business, jointly.

And Garrett was not the least bit opposed to the idea. Not when he saw the talent coming through the doors and hanging on the line—not just by way of the riders and owners, but also the horses themselves.

So he sort of had his mind set in a certain direction when his iPhone rang and he whipped it out from the back pocket of his jeans—only to find it was the very wealthy and prominent Gage Halston giving him an unexpected jingle.

Well…it wasn’t totally unexpected.

“You son of a bitch,” Garrett said with a chuckle. “The Wall Street Journal reported just last week that you’ve got two new horses you’re grooming for the Derby.”

“You read correctly. Count them one and two, my friend. Greedy much? is what you’re currently thinking, is my guess,” Gage quipped.

“Naturally, that’s precisely what I’d contend,” Garrett told him. “‘Cept I know you too damn well. This isn’t about greed. You found a couple of gems and couldn’t decide between them. Am I right?”

“As fucking always, goddamn you. And wait’ll you see ‘em, Garrett. My assistant is emailing photos to you as we speak.”

Gage Halston was a real estate mogul in Georgia, who just happened to have an eye for two of the finest things in life—women and horses.

He’d married the winner of the Miss World-Something-Or-Other beauty pageant when he was just twenty years old. That had been a short-lived commitment, though, because she’d liked the Miss part of the Miss World-Something-Or-Other title. Thus, while on their honeymoon in Huatulco, Mexico, when the butler of their villa had called her senora, rather than senorita—because of the rock on her hand (which was absurdly huge, by the way)—she’d demanded an annulment on the spot.

Aloe alone was not a strong enough salve for that massive burn, even if Gage had dipped himself in a vat of it. So he’d done the next best thing—or the only thing, really—that he could do. He’d given up on the women and had concentrated his full attention on the horses.

Six years later, he was flipping ranches and using the money to help displaced ranchers who couldn’t afford their land or their livestock, while he searched for the ultimate in a racehorse.

The fact he’d found two of them was damn impressive. Not a surprise, though. That was kind of the way things rolled with Gage. He always came out smelling like roses and with all the cards stacked in his favor.

Garrett had no doubt his potential Derby horses were the finest Gage could have scouted out. Of course, that told Garrett what caliber of animal he’d be working with on both accounts—because he knew without Gage having yet laid out those cards he had stacked in his favor that his friend was going to offer Garrett an amazing fucking opportunity to train them.

With Gage’s selectiveness and Garrett’s expertise, one of those two horses could very likely be a Triple Crown contender.

Garrett would be lying if he said that prospect didn’t excite the hell out of him. Instantly.

It did. It also made him want to press Gage to say what Garrett inherently knew he was going to say about training his horses.

On the other hand…

On the other hand.

Garrett had, only a few moments ago, been thinking of Meredith Jane, of Chase’s ranch, of staying in Wildfire, indefinitely.

Indefinitely.

He’d had no inclination, five minutes ago, to search for or hope for a grander mission than the one he and Chase had recently discussed. And he sure as hell hadn’t considered leaving Wildfire so soon…Because that meant leaving Meredith Jane.

So Garrett now made a split decision to head Gage off at the pass, before he delved too deeply into just how spectacular his horses were, how state-of-the-art his setup was—and how much he intended to pay Garrett for his time and his highly sought-after skill set.

Garrett said, “I’m thrilled for you, man. Truly I am. And I have a recommendation for you, if what you’re looking for is a trainer. I can suggest an amazing team that will—”

“I need you,” Gage said, point blank. “It has to be you, Garrett. I want a winner in the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness Stakes. The Belmont Stakes. All three, goddamn it. For fuck’s sake, I want a winner. And you’re the one who can—”

“Gage.” Garrett drew up short and planted a hand on his waist while he pressed his cell to his ear. “Under any other circumstances, I’d be on the road as soon as I finished my commitment here in Wildfire, but—”

“Texas?” he interjected.

“Yes, Texas,” Garrett said. Then side-barred the conversation by asking, “You’ve heard of it?”

“Chase Maverick is from Wildfire, Texas.”

“And Chase Maverick is the one I’m working with right now. Aside from a long-term arrangement we’re ironing out, there’s also…Uh…Another reason I’m gonna be here for a while. As in, I’m not available to head to Georgia or to train your horses. Not at present and possibly…I don’t know…I mean…”

“Holy Christ, Garrett.” Gage whistled under his breath. “You telling me you’re settling into a job?”

“No, you ass-clown…What I’m telling you is that I’m in love.”

Gage let out a loud guffaw that had Garrett holding his phone away from his ear for a moment, before returning it.

“Come on, now! That just cannot be!” The female voice came from behind Garrett, not through the airwaves.

He whirled around and…

You have got to be kidding me!

There stood his ex…His ex-everything.

His ex-lover, his ex-vet, his ex-client.

Rachel Baxter was her name.

She was beautiful, blonde and buxom. The Triple Crown of women.

Except that Garrett wasn’t into that particular type anymore.

And the two of them had really only been a fleeting item, a passing fancy for each other…Like every other “relationship” he’d ever had.

Up to this point, he reminded himself.

Up until the moment he’d met Meredith Jane Carlisle.

Garrett gave a mental shake of his head.

What the hell was Rachel doing here?

And for God’s sake, why did Gage have to be calling him now about Derby horses when he was considering putting down stakes at Chase’s ranch?

He raked a hand through his hair as he felt the proverbial walls pressing in on him.

“Garrett, are you still there?” Gage demanded on the phone.

“Garrett, I need your help!” Rachel insisted while standing in the middle of the sidewalk on Main Street, her arms flailing in the air.

And all Garrett could think was…

Holy shit.

All of his lives had just collided at once, right here in Wildfire, Texas!