AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Seth blew out a frustrated breath. "You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?"
"Yeah," Aiden shot back, grinning widely, "but that's why everyone loves me."
He was right; that was the most terrible part.
Chapter Ten
AIDEN
"Explain this," Tessa demanded, "because everyone looks crazy to me."
She was sitting beside Aiden on his lowered tailgate, holding a bag of trail mix in her lap and daintily selecting an occasional raisin to pop in her mouth. Her hair was longer and thicker than her brother's, tied in cute braids that poked out beneath her pom-pom hat and draped over her shoulders, and her makeup was expertly applied for a casual Saturday afternoon. She was a beautiful woman who'd already drawn a few glances sitting beside Aiden, but privately, he thought she looked like a little girl playing dress-up.
The weather was bright and crisp, filled with the kind of crystalline air that energized people with each breath. Better than a shot of B12. Fresh powder had fallen the night before, taking an eraser to the dirty sludge of Sweetwater's streets and wiping everything clean. Juncos and black-capped chickadees trilled from the bare tree branches, but townsfolk couldn't hear them over the loudest rendition of Devil Went Down to Georgia ever pumped from a two-hundred-watt speaker. Nobody was around to listen to birds, anyway; they were all gathered in the empty field behind the old Presbyterian church.
Vehicles were scattered like toy cars over the freshly plowed lot.The field was split into loosely organized chaos.Kids hopscotched over exposed power cords while crews in orange safety vests raised the scaffolding of a new open-air pavilion. Businesses were staking out spots along the perimeter for kitschy booths and food trucks. Participating events were marked with red flags, everything from children's snowmobile races to archery contests, but the skijoring practice had drawn the biggest crowd of onlookers. Most people had never heard of the sport, but mixing animals and speed was a guaranteed good time in any small town's book.
The scent of fry grease and cinnamon wafted from the diner down the road, making Aiden's stomach growl. He plunged his hand into the bag of trail mix and stuffed a fistful into his mouth.
"It's not complicated," Aiden explained with his mouth full. "See the course they carved out on that side of the field?"
"The one with the posts and the little red flags?"
He nodded. "That's the one. Skiers attach themselves to a tow rope held by a rider on horseback. That's what your brother is for; he's lightning at a full gallop. The riders pull the skier behind them as they race through the course. My job will be to make every jump and pick up those rings hanging off the posts—" He leaned close and pointed. "—without hitting any obstacles. Best time wins."
"Who the hell invented something like that?" Tessa asked, sounding both fascinated and appalled.
"Ah-ah, that's not the question," Aiden chided, ticking a mock-scolding finger at her. "The real question is—how drunk were they?"
Her laughter was an infectious, rolling sound, and Aiden was acutely aware of the way it drew attention from the men standing nearby. He looked Buck Carson dead in the eye, mean-mugging him until he glanced away in shame. The man was too old to be looking at young girls like that.
"Jesus, I think I understand why your brother never brought you into town much," he muttered.
"What?" Tessa asked, distracted by a group of girls who waved from across the field. She looked disinterestedly at the man Aiden was glaring at and laughed. "Oh, don't be silly. They're harmless, and I can take care of myself. Besides, they're all too scared of Seth to try anything."
"Scared, huh?" Aiden stroked his chin, thinking back on that day in the tack shop, and asked, "Anyone in particular?"
"No." But she glanced toward the Jensen brothers standing in the skijoring group when she said it. Riley Jensen was decked out in expensive-looking ski gear with a Go Pro strapped to his helmet, holding the reins of their black gelding while his brother, Ned, adjusted the tack. Every now and then, he glanced over his shoulder as if to make sure Tessa was watching.
Tessa dropped the bag of trail mix in Aiden's lap and jumped off the tailgate, blurting, "I heard Bethie Owens was back from college. I need to go say hi!"
Aiden chuckled as he watched her make her escape. Riley wasn't a bad kid. He took online classes at the same university Tessa attended, and he and his brother helped at the Triple M during calving season. At least he was in a suitable age bracket. So long as he treated Tessa right, Aiden wouldn't need to give him a beating.
He couldn't say the same for Tessa's brother. They'd left Seth over at the temporary stable and paddock where riders were warming up their horses, but Aiden could practically see the dark cloud over his head from here.
Seth had been cranky and short-tempered since he'd pulled up with his horse trailer. No, not quite that early. He'd smiled at first, the moment he'd climbed down from the cab of his beat-up farm truck and spotted Aiden waiting for him. It had been too long since Aiden last saw that smile, and damn, it was a killer.
The smile didn't last long once Buck Carson strolled by and snickered, "Didn't know the festival committee hired a clown."
The only thing that kept Aiden from going after him was Seth's restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Don't," Seth said roughly.
"Just a little free attitude adjustment," Aiden said, grinning ferally through his teeth. "It's practically a public service. People would thank me."
"I wouldn't."
Aiden reluctantly allowed the big mouth to keep his teeth, but it was impossible to ignore everyone. People Aiden had known all his life were suddenly keeping their distance and avoiding eye contact. Most weren't nasty about it like Buck; they seemed awkward and vaguely confused.
