The Black Sheep and the Hidden Beauty Read Free Page B

that.”
    It struck her then, as she finally calmed down enough to look at the situation, and him, more objectively, that for all his apparent interest…he wasn’t exactly really enthusiastic about this whole idea. “Is it…job-related? Because your partners ride?” she asked, before thinking better of it. In the end, it didn’t really matter why he wanted to learn. In the Dalton Downs hierarchy, he ranked somewhere on the level of her boss, or higher, so from a professional standpoint it behooved her to do what she could to make him happy. Kate might not have sent him over here, but she’d very likely expect her employees to accede to any of the Trinity partners’ wishes.
    Thankfully, he didn’t seem put off by the question. Quite the opposite. “Finn grew up on horseback, probably rode before he walked, and yes, Mac learned last year, mostly so he could impress Kate. They go on these weekly picnic rides now and—whatever, that’s not important. I just thought it was a skill I should have, and, being as they’re right here, I’ve probably put it off too long as it is.”
    Elena tried not to smile. He was awfully chatty all of a sudden. His gaze moved from her to the occupied stalls nearby, then back to her. It was the first time she’d ever seen him as anything other than the enigmatic, intense, controlled man who observed her while she worked. The very idea that he was at all nervous about learning to ride charmed her. Just a little.
    â€œAre you all planning a horseback ride or event of some kind? I only ask because if there is a deadline by which you have to be a decent rider, or if there is something specific you need to learn, that would factor in to how we’d go about setting up your lessons.”
    She thought about her newly adopted work program with Bonder. And Springer’s demands on her time. And all the other horses she was responsible for taking care of, and wondered when she’d have time for this. Not that she had a choice.
    â€œNo time frame, no event. Like I said, I just want to expand my horizons a bit. In my line of work, you never know what skills might come in handy.”
    Which begged the question: what was it, exactly, that he did? She didn’t know much about Trinity, Inc., and, frankly, the less she knew about them and vice versa, the better. But now that it looked like she was going to be stuck spending time with him, perhaps it was best to do a little digging. Information was power, after all. A brand of power that, in the wrong hands, could definitely be used to harm her. But in her hands, could only help her. At the very least, it would help gauge just how safe and secure her chosen little hidey-hole really was.
    â€œI know I’ve been here for a little while now, but I’m afraid I don’t know all that much about what you do. I know you, Mac, and Finn run some kind of foundation, so I take it Trinity is some kind of charitable organization, but—”
    â€œWe help people. But we’re not a charity, or a foundation.”
    â€œOkay.” She paused to see if he would elaborate, but he said nothing more, and she took that to mean her line of questioning was over. Perhaps for the best. Information was fine, but in hindsight, the more he offered, she supposed, the more she owed in return. Maybe the less they had to talk about, the better.
    As if to prove her point, he said, “How long have you been working with horses? I understand you work with racehorses as a rule.”
    She stilled briefly, surprised that he knew about her past. Not that it was a secret. Kate knew her work history when she hired her. Maybe it was common knowledge around the grounds—she really didn’t know, as she made a point not to engage in small talk with any of the other personnel. Still, it was more than a little unsettling to think that he’d been checking up on her, or asking about her. Her guard