Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“He might be gone for a few,” Saxon told me.
I turned my attention back to the guy he’d dropped me on and dashed.
“Hughes Farm doesn’t have a horse in the next race, but Moses Mile, my family’s stables, does. Come on up close with me and watch. I can give you some Horse Racing 101.”
That sounded like a great distraction. Sax held out his hand for me to take, and I slipped mine in his as I stood up from the cushioned sofa I’d been left sitting on.
“Want another drink?” he asked me as he reached for the empty mint julep glass in my hand.
I shook my head. “No thank you,” I replied.
For a guy who had just been left with a strange girl to entertain, he was being nice about it.
Saxon took the glass and put it on a tray. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
“Thank you.”
He gave me a smile that caused dimples to appear. I hadn’t expected those. His strong jawline and the scar on his left cheek made him appear more rugged. The dimples seemed to wipe that away completely. As did his warm brown eyes. Saxon wasn’t Trev level of hot, but he was attractive. At least with him, I wasn’t entertaining perverse thoughts.
“Rig is running in this next race. I’ll point him out as soon as they’re let loose,” he told me.
“How many races do you have horses in today?” I asked him.
“We had one earlier, and we have two more after this one, but one of those isn’t our horse. It’s a horse we board. We don’t have a horse in the Kentucky Derby race. We had hoped Lava Run would get a spot, but he didn’t. Hughes Farm has Cohiba racing in it though. He’ll be hard to beat.”
I had no idea what winning a spot meant. I started to ask when I heard female laughter, verging on giggling, drawing closer to us. Glancing back, I tensed only a moment when my gaze found Trev giving a wicked grin to a stunning redhead as he held her close to him with his hand on her butt, then bent to whisper in her ear. She appeared to be completely enamored with him.
Not wanting to be caught watching them, I turned my attention back to the track. This was his way of handling the awkward position. He was going to find a replacement female to flirt with. But I’d already given him the player label. It hadn’t been a harsh judgment. The guy was charming, and he used it too well.
“Maybe I do want that drink,” I said to Saxon, hoping he didn’t realize why.
It was silly really. The fact that it even bothered me. I’d been around Trev Hughes twice for barely any time at all. Knowing the entire time that the fact that our parents were dating would end his flirting. It was also going to save him. When we got back to Florida, I’d need to keep my distance from him and Saxon. Until I knew it was safe to be around a guy again.
Saxon nodded and leaned back, held up a hand, then smiled down at me. “Same thing?”
I paused then, unsure if I needed to have money for this. Trev had gotten me the first one before ditching me. I didn’t have any money on me.
I scrunched my nose, feeling more comfortable being honest with Saxon than I did Trev. “Um, depends. How much are they?”
That dimpled grin flashed at me again. “Nothing. The drinks are all on Hughes Farm.”
“In that case, yes, please,” I replied.
He chuckled, turning to order my mint julep from the server and a whiskey for himself. The giggling started again, and I caught myself rolling my eyes.
“I wasn’t going to ask, but I’ve decided I am. Last night, when Trev spotted you at the gala, did he know who you were then?”
I looked up at Saxon, not realizing he’d been at the gala last night. I shook my head. He did a quick glance back in the direction of Trev and the giggling female.
“And he just found out today,” Saxon finished.
I nodded.
He sighed, then gave me that dimpled smile. “That sucks for him.” Then, he winked.
Here we go. He was going to flirt. I would have to be sure to keep him at arm’s length. Not give him any wrong ideas. He didn’t have a reason not to pursue me, like Trev did.
Saxon turned and took our drinks from the server I hadn’t realized was behind me. He thanked her, then turned to me, handing me the mint julep.
“So, tell me about yourself. I know you don’t live in Ocala. Your face isn’t one that a guy forgets.”
I felt my cheeks warm. Something about the matter-of-fact way he had said it—without the flirty tone of voice or flashy grin—made me feel as if he truly meant it. “Uh, well, I do currently live in Ocala, but we just moved there three weeks ago.”