Audrey, Livy and I stayed at the bar until it closed. We laughed and chatted about school. Olivia had told us all about her job at the advertising firm. She loved it and had already been promoted. I knew she was going to be extremely successful, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that girl was going to rule that firm one day. Audrey and I quizzed her for details on what her dating life had been like since we left for Vanderbilt, but Livy was like a steel trap not giving us any real information. All she would tell us is that she had been seeing someone on and off. I was very curious about the mystery guy but I knew Livy would tell us only when she was ready.

I had outed Audrey to Livy about dating a new guy at school, his name was Brad. He was a total preppy frat guy but Audrey seemed to like him okay. He was in med school and was equally as busy so they had only gone out on a few dates. She seemed excited about him and I was happy for her, but I couldn’t help but compare Brad to Derrick. As much as Derrick could get on my nerves I could tell there had been something between them. I also knew for a fact they still talked all the time. Audrey doesn’t always tell me because she thinks that it reminds me of Jamieson. I haven’t told her that I knew they talk often, I just let her think it’s a secret. I can always tell when she has talked to him as she gets giddy and smiley for hours after. I had a sinking suspicion that Brad couldn’t do that and only Derrick could, which scared me. Derrick was a playboy and quite frankly a bit of a douche. I worried Audrey may just be setting herself up for the ultimate fall.

When we left the bar, we turned down the side alley to get to the main street to hail a cab. It was cold and all three of us were bundled up and huddled together as we walked behind the bar. We were almost to the main street when the back door of the bar flew open clattering against the brick wall startling us. All three of us watched shocked as the tattooed bartender and Ethan stumbled against the doorframe completely making out. I felt like a voyeur watching as Ethan pushed the dark haired girl against the brick and hungrily devoured her lips. We all stood open-mouthed as he slid his hands down her torso and under her shirt. I shivered watching him take what he wanted from her.

“Get a room!” Livy shouted at them and we continued to walk past them.

Ethan titled his head just enough to look at us while he was still kissing the bartender. His eyes locked with mine and I saw a devilish grin spread across the side of his mouth as he moved down to bite the girl’s neck. And to think this was the guy who was just confessing his love for my sister and now he was practically fucking the bartender in the alley. What a prick!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Jamieson continued to drive me to the barn while my car was in the shop. He would come home mid-morning from work drive me to the barn, and then return in the afternoon to pick me up. Things between us definitely had become more comfortable. We easily chatted to and from the barn, mainly about riding and how my job search was going. I had gone on two interviews already this week but unfortunately had not received any call backs. I was convinced now more than ever that Cain and his family had something to do with it. I had made stellar grades in law school, graduating in the top of my class. It made no sense that I was being shut-out of every job out there. I was starting to consider looking for something other than an attorney position. It was either that or think about moving. As much as it would pain me to do it, I was getting desperate. The time was counting down on the ninety day requirement before I could secure a divorce and I wanted to be living back on my own with a secure job by then.

I considered how the next two months were going to go while I urged Leo the big gray gelding over the next set of three rail jumps. When we made it over the last jump, I felt Leo shift underneath me not sure about his landing. I tried to adjust to where he was going to land but I overcompensated and went over the side of the saddle landing hard on my right shoulder and leg.

“Shit! Jenna!” I heard Jacks scream from across the pen.

I had the wind knocked out of me so I couldn’t respond. I wanted to call out and tell her I was okay. It looked worse than it had been.

“I’ll grab Leo.” Grayson said hoping down from his mare and chasing after the loose horse.

“I’m alright,” I choked out as Jacks knelt down beside me.

“Can you stand?” She questioned.

“I think so.” I said taking her hand to help steady myself. I rose to my feet slowly and felt the shooting pain in my right ankle. “Shit, that hurts.”

“Let’s get you back to the barn,” she said propping me up by the waist as we hobbled back to the barn.

Jamieson found me sitting in a chair with an ice pack Grayson had found for me. I had texted him to let him know I would be ready whenever, but I left out the reason why. I hadn’t meant for him to drop everything and come to pick me up, I was just merely letting him know that whenever he was ready to come get me, I would be able to leave.

“What happened?” he asked as soon as he spotted me nursing my hurt ankle.

“I took a spill off the side of Leo,” I explained nonchalantly.

“Is it broken?” He kneeled in front of the chair, examining my leg.

Jacks rolled her eyes at me from down the aisle at Jamieson’s overprotective reaction. Falling off your horse was a common occurrence in jumping. Sometimes you overshot the jump and missed, sometimes you went over the jump and your horse forgot to follow and sometimes you didn’t plan your landing exactly right, like I had done. The unspoken but common rule was if you weren’t going to the hospital then you needed to get back on. I’d had my fair share of spills and this one didn’t even rank on the list of bad ones.

“It is fine, it’s just tender. I will wrap it and stay off it for a bit and it will be alright. Probably just a sprain,” I reassured him.

He looked back at me, unconvinced.

“Jacks, do you need my help with anything else today?” I shouted down the barn aisle to her.

“Nope you can take your fragile butt home,” she kidded.

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I slowly rose out of the chair.

Jamieson scrutinized me as I tried to hobble on one leg—ever so slowly.

“’Bye Grayson!” I called back toward the tack room where he had been.

“Take care, Jenna. Call if you need anything.” He stuck his head out the door and waved.

Jamieson grumbled something low and then I’m pretty sure said a cuss word or two before swooping over and picking me up.

“What the hell Jamieson?” I demanded trying to push out of his hold.

“You can’t walk and if you strain it worse, it’s only going to take that much longer to heal,” he said clutching me to his chest.

“This is embarrassing,” I grumbled knowing full well Jacks and Grayson were watching the ridiculous scene play out between us.

Jamieson walked me to the truck and lifted me up into the cab effortlessly. When he got in the other side, I thanked him for his help. He didn’t reply just smiled gently at me.

“How did it happen?” He asked quizzically.

“I was being stupid and not paying attention. I had just finished the course and was coming down my last set of three rails but I got distracted. I didn’t think about my landing. Leo went in one direction and I went in another.”

“What distracted you?” He asked.