Jockeying
for You
By Stacy
Hoff
Publisher: Soulmate
Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Ryder Hannon, a
thoroughbred horse trainer, has a big problem—fighting her fear of racing
again. The emotional scars run deeper than her physical ones. But her romantic
feelings towards handsome, uber-rich, stable owner Jake Carter is a bigger
problem. Is Jake truly in love with her or is he using her to get back at his
smug family?
Jake Carter is
on a mission—to prove his family wrong. He may have bought a troubled horse,
but he’s hired Ryder Hannon, a “horse whisperer,” to get his horse back on
track. She’s more than just a trainer to him, she’s the woman he’s been looking
for.
When Jake’s
jockey gets injured, he wants Ryder to race. He knows deep down she wants to
live up to her family’s legacy. So why does she keep fighting him—and her
destiny—so hard?
Jake felt his
eyebrow arch up. “Dr. Doolittle, I presume?
A slow smile
spread across her lips.
“How far have
you gotten with Handsome?”
“He’ll let me
ride him now.”
Jake’s eyebrows
shot up to his hairline. “My God, Ryder, you’re amazing,” he let out. With a
shake of his head and a hard cough he corrected himself. “I mean, your results
with him are amazing.”
Ryder’s grin was
now Cheshire cat sized. “Thanks for both compliments.”
Damn. She
couldn’t let my mistake go.
Then it hit
him—his comment was a slip, but was it really a mistake? Her beautiful face,
which had been beaming with pride now had a shy aspect that was even more
endearing. She bore a schoolgirl’s blush and averted her eyes from him as she
busied herself petting Handsome’s nose.
If only she
could stroke me the same way. Though somewhere lower down than my nose. He
tensed up at the thought. Focus, Jake, damn it! This is business. I need
to get back to it.
“Show me,” he
said.
She looked back
at him and blinked. “Show you what?”
“Show me
Handsome Dancer can be ridden. I want you to ride him for me.”
“Now? He’s
already had his exercise for today. I don’t want to tire him out.”
Handsome’s head
batted her shoulder with a determination that was comical.
“You know,” he
quipped, “if he actually understands you then you really are Dr. Doolittle.”
“I’m sure he
just wanted me to give him an apple,” she answered, flustered. She wiped a
stray blonde bang from her hot forehead and looked the horse in one of his
eyes. “What are you saying, babycakes? That you want to go on a short ride with
me?”
Yes, yes, I do. Jake
cleared his throat and gave her a tight smile. “Go ahead you two. Impress me.”
A few minutes
later he was outside the training track, his hands casually resting on the
guardrail while he waited for the “show” to begin.
Soon, Ryder and
Handsome entered the track. He heard her cluck her tongue at the horse, and
then watched her lightly kick Handsome’s rear. The horse took off around the
track in a fast gallop. The horse’s “flight” was fluid and astoundingly fast
for what was supposed to be an easy go-around. She was doing more than merely
riding Handsome Dancer. It looked like she was a part of him. One cohesive
whole.
Thinking the
demo was about to end, he had almost turned around to head back when something
caught the corner of his eye. It was a flash of color, a fast burst of brown. What
the…? Whipping his head around to the source, he stared open-mouthed at
the sight. Handsome Dancer was bolting down a stretch of training track at a
speed unheard of for a newbie horse. Or maybe any horse. In all of Jake’s
experiences, he doubted he had seen a horse move that fast when not performing
in an actual race.
Stacy Hoff is a
writer, as well as an attorney. She has practiced law for almost two decades,
specializing in contracts. Romance novels have always been her secret passion.
She writes her romantic stories until the wee hours of the night. Stacy lives
in New England with her husband and two boys.
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