21

CONNOR STARED IN DISBELIEF as Jo led Excalibur into the corral. She was supposed to be at the hospital with her father. Connor had counted on her absence to give him time to come up with a plan—a way to tell her she would no longer be able to work with the stallion.

He made his way over to the fence. Conscious of the other workers nearby, he called out, “Jo, can I speak to you a minute?”

She patted Excalibur’s side and started toward him. “Good morning, Mr. O’Leary.” The infernal hat hid half of her face.

If only she didn’t have to wear that horrible get-up, but the other men would refuse to work alongside a woman. Not to mention his father’s reaction should he find out.

Yet he couldn’t seem to ignore the part of him that wished she could release her beautiful blond hair from its hideous prison and uncover that pretty face.

Connor leaned over the fence. “Why aren’t you at the hospital?”

She frowned. “I can’t sit at Pa’s bedside for weeks on end. Besides, some of the other hands said Excalibur’s owners are coming to check on his progress. I didn’t want us to lose momentum in his training.”

“Us?”

She tilted her chin. “That’s right. If you’re going to make any progress, you need my help.”

He clamped his mouth shut. Despite his father’s orders, Connor knew Jo was right. He would never have the stallion ready before the owners arrived unless she assisted him.

Jo pushed up the brim of her hat and smiled at him. “If we work as a team, I’m sure we’ll see results.”

He jerked at the realization that he’d never seen her really smile before. The effect was . . . disconcerting . . . to say the least. He took a deep breath to rein in his emotions and focus on the task at hand. Working together was a risk Connor was going to have to take. “Fine. Let’s get started.”

He pulled his work gloves out of his jacket pocket and entered the enclosure, praying his father wouldn’t come out to check on the horse today.

Over the course of the next few hours, Connor and Jo developed a rhythm. They worked in tandem, each taking turns walking Excalibur and trying to ride him. By the end of the morning, the horse had actually allowed each of them in the saddle.

When they broke for lunch, Connor ate at his father’s desk while finishing up some paperwork, yet he found his thoughts drifting to Jo. She was right about one thing—without her help, Excalibur would never be ready for inspection. He closed the ledger with a smile, surprised to be so eager to get back to work.

Back to Jo.

He admired so many things about her. Her strong work ethic, her love for the animals, her loyalty to her family. Not to mention her flawless blue eyes that gazed at him as if he were some sort of hero.

He shook his head as he rose. He needed to keep that type of thinking far away from his work.

On his way to the stables, a burst of male laughter rang out in the barn. Connor’s feet halted on a wave of regret. He missed the camaraderie he’d once enjoyed with the men. Instead of continuing on, he entered the barn in the hopes of joining the fun.

Several hands were huddled around the tack room door. The sound of scuffling came from inside.

Connor’s light mood vanished.

Mac hung on the outskirts, his brow furrowed. “Leave the kid alone, why don’t ya? Can’t you see he’s scared?”

The tallest hand—Lanky Luke, as they called him—shoved at Mac’s shoulder. “We’re just having a little fun. He’s gotta learn to be a man somehow.”

“It’s about time we see what’s under that hat,” a voice drawled from inside the room, “or under those baggy overalls.”

Another round of guffaws rang out.

Connor’s gut tightened. On a surge of adrenaline, he pushed forward. “What in the blazes is going on here?”

The men parted like ants scurrying from the hill, leaving Connor access to the open doorway.

Inside, Jo sat huddled on a bench, both hands clutching her hat.

Eugene Jones had his fist around the shoulder straps of her overalls.

A red haze clouded Connor’s vision. He leapt into the room, grabbed Gene by the shirt, and shoved him against the nearest wall. Tightening his grip, he lifted the man until his toes barely skimmed the ground. “If I ever catch you manhandling Jo again, you’ll be finding yourself unemployed. And I guarantee you won’t get another job around here.” He let his hard gaze swing to the other men in the room. “Have I made myself clear?”

With Connor’s fist at his windpipe, Gene could only nod. Slowly, Connor relaxed his grip until the man’s boots hit the ground. “Now get back to work—all of you.”

Eugene glared at Connor, tugged his shirt back into place, and stalked out of the tack room. The others followed, muttered oaths the only evidence of their dissent.

Connor took a breath to get his temper under control and turned to face Jo. “What was that about?”

She swiped her sleeve across her face. “Nothing.”

“Don’t give me that. Something made them go after you.”

She lifted her head, her eyes luminous with unshed tears. Connor’s heart stalled like an automobile with no gasoline.

“They’ve never liked me since the day I started. Called me a baby and made fun of my clothes. All except Mac. He’s always been sweet.”

An irrational annoyance toward Mac itched at Connor’s neck.

“Now they’re jealous because I’m allowed to work with one of the racehorses.” Jo shrugged. “They call me the ‘boss’s pet.’”

Connor paced the small area. “Of all the small-minded, immature . . .”

Jo stood and adjusted the straps of her overalls. “Let’s forget it and get back to work. I want to finish on time so I can go to the hospital.”

She squared her shoulders as though willing herself to be strong, yet a sweep of sadness passed over her features.

A horde of emotions slammed through Connor’s system—emotions he didn’t care to examine too closely. “Fine. But if anything like this happens again, I expect you to come and find me. I won’t tolerate bullying on my watch.”

“All right.” She slipped by him into the main corridor.

Connor remained behind to clear his head. He needed to focus on Excalibur, not on a certain female who was creating more problems by the minute.

And not only with his staff.

After one last workout on Saturday morning, Jo brushed Excalibur’s coat until it shone. The McCreadys were expected in less than two hours, and Connor had asked her to be on hand to keep the stallion calm. She couldn’t help the nerves that jangled her system, wishing for some way to predict the outcome of the day’s events. All she could do was pray things would go well—for Connor’s sake.

Her heart quivered at the mere thought of the man. A man who’d allowed her to keep working here despite her deception. A man who treated her like an equal and who valued her opinion with Excalibur. A man who defended her against the bullying of the other hands.

How was she supposed to guard her heart against someone like that?

She sighed and ran her hands over Excalibur’s flank. No point in wishing for the impossible. She was the uncultured daughter of an alcoholic drifter. He was the son of one of the richest families in the county.

And on top of it all, he was her boss. One more reason to keep her emotions in check.

“Hey, Jo. How are you doing?” Connor’s head appeared over the stall door.

She gave a small start, then resumed her brushing. “A little nervous.”

“That’s only natural.” He lifted his hand to reveal a package. “I figured you might like a change of clothes, something more suitable for a champion horse trainer.”

Panic rushed in. “But I can’t—”

“I got trousers, a shirt, and a large vest. Plus a riding cap. All very masculine.” He handed the package to her. “Try it on and see what you think.”

“Where?” She couldn’t exactly just take off her clothes in front of him.

“In Sam’s quarters. I’ll show you.”

She followed him to the far end of the secondary barn, where Connor stopped in front of a door that apparently led to the trainer’s private quarters.

“Don’t worry. Sam won’t mind,” Connor said as he opened the door. “There’s a mirror above the sink.”

Jo entered and closed the door behind her. Though small, the room was cozy, with a single bed, a chair, and a bedside table. On the far wall, she found a chest of drawers and a sink with a rectangular mirror above it.

Jo quickly changed into the clothing Connor had brought and pulled the riding cap on. She secured the chin strap and squinted in the mirror to make sure all of the netting was covered. Without the floppy sides of her usual hat, Jo felt naked. She tugged her kerchief from the pocket of her overalls and knotted it around her neck. Thank goodness the weather was cold. If it were summer, she’d look ridiculous wearing all these layers of clothes buttoned up to her ears.

She walked to the door and opened it an inch. Connor, who’d been standing guard, whirled around. “Let’s see.”

He pushed the door wider and scanned her from the hat to her boots. “Big improvement.” He grinned.

“But do I still look like a boy?” she whispered anxiously.

“Sure. Unless anyone gets too close, which they’ll have no cause to do.”

“What about the other guys? They’ll notice right off and . . .” She gulped. What would Eugene do?

“You can change back right after the race. The guys won’t even notice.”

Jo swallowed her nerves and laid her things on the wooden chair beside the bed. “Won’t your father be expecting you to ride Excalibur?”

Connor had been strangely vague about his father’s view of her work with the stallion.

“Let me worry about my father. Come on. Let’s show these folks what their horse can do.”

Half an hour later, Jo sat astride the great stallion at the starting position of the racetrack and willed her heart rate to lessen. Her nerves would not help Excalibur perform his best, even if it was only a mock race. They’d opted not to use the gates, since they hadn’t had a chance to reintroduce the horse to that yet. Today was simply about running.

Connor had chosen three other horses with even temperaments to race against them. The best-case scenario, he explained, was to show the owners that Excalibur could run the track in a competitive manner. Winning wasn’t a requirement yet. All the McCreadys needed was a show of good faith that their money wasn’t being wasted and that Connor was making progress.

Please, God, just let Excalibur finish the race cleanly.

As if in answer, the stallion let out a whinny and tossed his head. Jo leaned forward to give him a rub of encouragement. “We can do this, boy,” she whispered.

She pulled her cap down as tight as it could go and leaned forward in the saddle, crop in hand, though she would never use it.

The starter’s pistol rang out, and the horses shot forward. Jo kept her hands loose on the reins, giving Excalibur his lead. And he did not disappoint. He surged around the track as though flying. After rounding the second bend, Jo finally relaxed and relished the sheer joy of the ride. They kept a steady pace back from the second horse. At the last turn, Jo gave Excalibur a light kick, and he responded with a burst of speed. He reached the first-place stallion, inching forward just past his tail. But in the end, the other horse crossed the finish line before them.

Jo released a breath as she gradually slowed their pace. They hadn’t won, but she hoped the owners would be pleased with a solid second place.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Connor, Mr. O’Leary, and the McCreadys watching them ease to a stop. Her heart still thundered in her chest. She’d done what she needed to do—and now she had to quietly disappear.

Before anyone could question her.

Still glowing in the aftermath of Excalibur’s triumph, Connor whistled his favorite tune on the way to find Jo. Without her assistance, Excalibur would never have been ready to race, never mind come in second. That talented girl had saved his pride and his reputation—and he owed her a big debt of gratitude.

Thankfully, his father hadn’t said a word about Connor not riding the horse, likely due to the McCreadys’ ecstatic reaction.

Connor couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he practically ran into the barn. Jo should be finished changing her clothes by now. He hoped she hadn’t left for home yet.

His grin widened when she emerged from Sam’s quarters and closed the door behind her. Why did he suddenly find that ugly hat so endearing?

“We did it!” Connor swooped her up in a bear hug, twirling her around until her feet left the floor.

Her eyes widened and she let out a squeak. “Put me down.”

But he didn’t release her. “Do you know how amazing you are?” He swung her around in another circle.

A few seconds later, he slowly set her feet on the ground, not letting her go. She felt too good against his chest. “You saved my life. How can I ever thank you?”

A rosy blush invaded her cheeks as her lashes swept down. “You’re exaggerating.”

He tipped up her chin. “You have no idea how much was riding on this. If Excalibur had done badly, it would have cost me my pride, as well as my father’s respect. More importantly, you saved us from losing a valuable client.”

Her lips lifted in a soft smile. “It’s the least I could do after you let me continue to work here. Not to mention what you’ve done for my father, paying his hospital bill.”

A burst of irritation momentarily dampened his euphoria. “That’s not—”

“Don’t deny it, Connor O’Leary. Dr. West told me what you did.”

He frowned, incensed that the doctor hadn’t kept that information to himself.

“I don’t know where I’d be right now if not for you. I’m only glad I could do something to repay your kindness.”

She looked at him with such admiration, such affection, such . . . longing, that Connor labored for breath. His pulse pounded like a hundred hooves in his chest. Before he could think, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. She gave a small gasp. He pulled back, his mouth hovering over hers, waiting for her to push him away . . . or not.

“Connor,” she whispered.

Taking that as permission, he captured her mouth again. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer until he thought he would explode with the sensations rioting through his system. She tasted like honey and smelled like the outdoors. Her lithe figure melded perfectly with his. The world shrank to the feel of her lips, the caress of her hand on his neck, the warmth of her body.

“What in tarnation am I looking at here?”

His father’s bellow sliced through the haze in Connor’s brain.

With a gasp, Jo jerked out of his arms. An expression of horror flashed over her face.

With no other recourse, Connor came forward to face his father. “Dad, this is Josephine Miller, the person responsible for Excalibur’s amazing progress.”

His father’s brows slammed together. “Josephine? You mean to tell me you have a girl working here? Training one of the most expensive horses this side of the country?”

Nerves trembled in Connor’s stomach, but he would not give in to his father’s intimidation tactics. He lifted his chin. “That’s right. And she’s done a fantastic job, as you saw today.”

Daddy grunted. “Stand aside.”

Every instinct in Connor wanted to protect Jo, but he moved to one side, ready to jump in if needed.

Daddy reached out to raise the brim of Jo’s hat. “You rode in the race?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Why were you pretending to be a boy?”

Connor expected her to shrink back against the verbal barrage, but instead she squared her shoulders. “Folks don’t hire girls as stable hands, and I needed the job.”

He turned to Connor. “So you didn’t know she was a girl?”

“Not at first, no.”

A nerve ticked in his father’s jaw. “As much as I appreciate what you’ve done for Excalibur, I’m afraid we can’t have a female working here. It will cause too much dissension among the men.” He raised a brow at Connor. “Among other things.”

Heat blasted up his neck, but Connor refused to cower. “No one needs to know she’s a girl. The disguise has worked so far.”

A slight flare of sympathy crossed Daddy’s features. “I’m sorry, but I can’t go along with this. I’m afraid you’re out of a job, young lady.”

Jo’s gaze slid to the floor. “I understand, sir. If you’ll excuse me, I need to be going.” She jammed her hat down and dashed toward the door.

“Jo, wait!” Connor went to chase after her, but his father grabbed him by the arm.

“Let her go. We need to talk.”

Connor watched Jo’s retreating back and sighed. He’d talk to her later, in private, when things had calmed down. He turned and steeled himself for his father’s reaction.

Sure enough, anger simmered in his father’s eyes. “Have you taken leave of your senses, boy? Kissing a stable hand?”

Connor’s stomach sank to his boots. It sounded so demeaning when Daddy said it out loud. “I didn’t mean to. I came to congratulate her and . . . got caught up in the moment.”

The vein in his father’s temple pulsed. “You’re lucky the McCreadys weren’t with me. They certainly wouldn’t appreciate knowing some unqualified adolescent girl was training their prize racehorse.” He raked a hand over his face. “You went against my express instructions concerning Excalibur and compounded that by acting inappropriately with an employee. It’s clear I can’t trust your judgment right now.” Daddy straightened to his full height, as if firming a decision. “Until further notice, I’m removing you from your training duties. You can take the vacant stable hand position—if you think you can handle that.” He gave Connor a long look, disappointment shadowing his eyes, and then walked away.

Stunned, Connor sagged against the barn wall, as deflated as a punctured tire. How had everything gone so wrong? One minute, he’d been riding high on a wave of victory. The next, he’d lost his father’s respect and approval.

One lapse in judgment had cost Jo her job and derailed Connor’s future.

And he had no idea what to do to fix it.