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JANET BAILEY WAS A media magnet. Over the next ninety minutes Allie gathered pens, supplied paper and snapped pictures as the Olympic hero posed with almost everyone in the room. Even Carter seemed enthralled, not even objecting when he was called back for another round of photos. His interest wasn’t entirely on Janet’s medal though. Allie noticed how his gaze kept drifting over the woman’s long shapely legs.
“Evaluating her potential race speed?” Allie asked.
“Something like that.” He spoke with an irritating lack of discomfort.
“Sharon wants this finalized tonight,” Allie said, handing him a pen and the full release and waiver. “Maybe you should step away from Janet and read it carefully. There are a few non-standard clauses.”
But Carter just enfolded the pen in his big hand, barely scanning the agreement.
Allie pressed her lips together, determined not to warn him again. He was starstruck, like everyone else in the room, and it was obvious why Sharon wanted the waiver signed tonight. Still, it didn’t seem fair to press him now, especially since, as Nikki had pointed out, he had a weakness for athletes. And though Allie always followed her boss’s orders, her sense of fair play left her conflicted.
She shifted closer, speaking fast and low. “This release gives Mustang River Ranch the right to use your photo. That includes any future calendars or the ranch blog or any other form of social media, printed or electronic.” She lowered her voice even more. “And there’s no compensation, whether or not you still work here.”
“I know.” Carter scrawled his signature then stared across the room.
Janet was doing a leg kick now, ostensibly demonstrating some sort of leaping technique, although likely she was aware of the sheer perfection of her body. And that everyone in the room was watching—at least every male.
“You should read the full document.” Allie shifted in front of Carter, trying to block his view even though he was so tall he could see Janet over her head. “You’ll have the next five days to check out the contestants.”
“I did read it,” he said. “And I already verbally agreed to this. Besides, my picture isn’t worth much.” He lowered his gaze, his brown eyes surprisingly candid, almost pained. “I do appreciate you pointing it out to me though. Thank you, Allie.”
He’d never looked at her like that and there was something different about the timbre of his voice, something that made her insides feel a bit mushy. But then he lifted his head, dismissing her with his usual indifference, his attention once again locked on the beautiful Olympian. Not just an Olympian but a gold medal winner in the women’s 100 meters hurdles.
“Think you and Monty will be able to catch her?” Allie asked, reluctant to leave his side, despite that he was admiring another woman.
“Depends if she’s any good at hiding her trail,” he said. “Obviously she has the ability and will to push past her exhaustion. It’s the inner drive that makes a winner. And Janet’s already proven she has tons of that.”
The respect in his voice was rather irritating. Besides, she had plenty of inner drive too. Lots of times she kept dancing with guests when she really wanted to return to her room. She’d endured squashed toes, bad breath and boot blisters, never once complaining. Not much anyway.
She turned her gaze from Janet, instead studying the woman’s partner, Rebecca Smith. Rebecca was also a track and field athlete but since she hadn’t medaled in the Olympics she was largely being ignored. She wore a staid blue track suit that concealed her arms and legs, as if she were content to stay in the background. Maybe that was one of the reasons Janet had chosen to partner with her. There’d be no danger of Rebecca stealing the headlines, or potential sponsors.
Of course, neither woman was accustomed to racing over rough terrain. They could choose to stay on the trails but that type of ground was easier for horses too. If they heard Carter and Monty closing in, they’d have to duck into the dense brush where horses couldn’t follow. The drawback to that strategy was the valuable time they’d lose by hiding. Allie always wanted the ranch to win. This time she found herself wanting it even more. She didn’t think she’d enjoy the sight of Janet preening as she ran across the finish line.
“What’s the time limit on this race?” she asked.
“Ninety-six hours,” Carter said.
Allie shuddered. Four days in the woods with bogs, black flies and bears, all the while trying to reach a secret destination while being chased by two mounted cowboys. She’d heard plenty of Man Tracker stories from Kate and the whole thing sounded like torture, especially for the quarry. Even so, if Janet Bailey’s fame was ebbing, this competition might propel her back into the spotlight.
If Janet won, she’d no doubt earn another round of lucrative endorsements, everything from ladies’ deodorant to 24-hour makeup. She’d already enjoyed a variety of sponsorships following the last Olympics. Allie had even ordered a sports bra after hearing Janet’s confident claim. The bra looked sexy, but it had proved useless for vigorous dancing. Eighty bucks wasted.
“I hope you catch her,” Allie said fervently.
“I hope we do too,” Carter said.
She glanced up, surprised that his vehemence matched hers. Of course, the outcome of the chase was as important to him as it was to Janet. This was his job audition, and it would be a big boost to capture an Olympic champion. Sharon would quickly want that victory posted on the website.
Conversely, if Janet raced to victory, he would likely be kept in a teaching position...which he wouldn’t keep very long if he couldn’t be nicer to the guests. Allie waffled, but as usual she couldn’t leave a co-worker hanging out to dry, even an unorthodox instructor like Carter.
“Tomorrow let’s organize the lesson a little differently,” she said brightly. “Especially since Janet and Rebecca will be there. It’ll be really hectic and we don’t want the other guests feeling ignored. We should be ready to start on time too, with hay bales already out.”
“There’s no need,” Carter said.
But there was a need, Allie thought. Sharon often confided in her and she already knew about today’s complaints. Of course, everything Sharon told her was confidential and she would never betray her boss. But she couldn’t stop herself from trying to warn Carter.
“At least try to use the guests’ names a little more,” she said. “They really like that. So does Sharon.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he muttered, staring fixedly over her head.
“But I am worried.” She tugged at his arm, determined to gain his attention. “We should have coffee too, maybe some cold lemonade for Tove.”
“Let me rephrase that. I meant to say: no.” His tone was curt and he stared at her hand in a way that said she’d better move it. And fast.
She yanked her hand back, hiding her hurt behind a tight smile. It was wasted on him though, since he didn’t care enough to look at her. It seemed one had to be an Olympic athlete or a horse expert to warrant his attention.
“This is so exciting!” Nikki bounced up waving a signed sneaker. “I got both their autographs and even touched Janet’s gold medal. You’re going to have a tough time catching her, Carter. What horse are you riding?”
“Probably Hawk or Freckles,” Carter said. “Depends on who Monty takes.”
Allie crossed her arms, feeling out of her element. She hadn’t even thought to ask Carter what horse he would be riding. And as she listened to them talk about stamina and big trots and which horse was best at crossing water, she wished she could ride like Nikki.
“What do you think, Allie?” Carter asked, surprising her with his abrupt question. His eyes were that soft caramel color again, as if he really wanted to draw her into the conversation. Or was he being superior? Trying to rub it in that her knowledge was limited to dancing and yoga.
“Is it better to take a big horse with a ground-covering trot?” he asked. “Or a smaller one that can fit beneath the trees?”
She studied him warily, searching for hostility. Didn’t see any.
“It’s impossible to say what ground you’ll be riding over,” she said. “The route is always secret. So I think you should ride whatever horse you like best.”
Nikki gave an enthusiastic nod. “Good point.”
“Kate says it helps to have an alert horse,” Allie said, encouraged by Nikki’s support. “She’s caught people hiding in the woods just by watching her horse’s ears.”
“Hawk then,” Nikki said. “He’s always alert for danger. I think that’s because he was gelded late.”
Allie nodded. She didn’t know why horses acted the way they did, but obviously she hadn’t sounded stupid. At least not to Nikki. Carter hadn’t spoken again but he hadn’t shot her down.
Maybe he was already refocused on Janet.
She peeked up, surprised to catch him staring at her. And he wasn’t scowling as if she were a foreign bug species. In fact, there was so much hunger in his expression it made her breath stall. Nikki’s voice faded to the background, swept away by the scent of man and leather and testosterone. And Allie couldn’t look away. Couldn’t move.
Not until he turned his attention back to Janet could she take a gulp of air. But it wasn’t normal breathing. It was fast and shallow and she was intimately aware of his proximity, so close her skin still felt hot, as if it were too tight for her body. Now she understood why he didn’t bother making nice. With a look like that, all he’d have to do is lift an eyebrow and he could have any woman he wanted.
And it was abundantly clear why Sharon wanted to lock up his photo rights. If they could capture that masculine image, the raw desire on his face after looking at Janet, the ranch calendars would make every woman’s heart pound with hope.
Just as hers was doing now.
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