Gary was circling the paddock when Donna approached the gate. She opened it and mounted her horse. Gary stopped his horse beside hers. “Ready to chase the sunset, partner? I got us some vittles’ in my saddlebag.”
Donna laughed. “Where are we riding?”
“Along the riverside, unless you’d rather ride somewhere else.”
“No, that’s fine with me. Richard took me there yesterday. Care for a bit of friendly competition?”
“Sure, but I need to warn you.” Gary leaned down and swung the gate open. “I’ve been riding since I came to the UK.”
Donna latched the gate when she went through. They lined up. Donna took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “I was taught how to ride by a real cowboy.” She grabbed the reins and leaned forward, whispering something in her horse’s ear. She patted the horse’s neck and straightened in the saddle. She positioned her feet in the stirrups, and prepared to flank her horse.
“Ready?”
Donna nodded.
“One….”
“Three!” Donna shouted and kicked her horse hard. The Appaloosas reared slightly and took off at full gallop.
Gary shook his head and laughed. “That’s cheating!” he shouted and chased after her.
“No…” she shouted over her shoulder and laughed. “…it’s called winning.”
After she’d thoroughly proven her point, Donna slowed down, allowing Gary to catch up with her. They stopped, looking down at the water while their horses drank. Gary patted his horse and straightened in his saddle. “So, D, are you going to tell me what happened?”
“You want the truth?”
“Yes, I do.”
Donna’s eyes glossed. “I miss Jared, Gary. Every breath I take is like a stabbing knife. I feel like part of me has been ripped out.”
“Then why in the hell did you spend the night with Sam?”
“Because he reminds me of Jared. His eyes are a different colour, and he certainly doesn’t have Jared’s deep southern drawl, but they do have some things in common. I like Sam, Gary. He makes me laugh. He’s taught me how to feel again, at least with my body. I’m not sure my heart will ever feel again, and I’m prepared to live with that.” She laughed sarcastically. “I mean, what choice have I got?”
Gary frowned and nodded. “None, I guess. Are you ready to go on? I think the horses have had their fill.”
“Yeah, sure,” Donna responded, pulling on the reins. “Oh, I almost forgot. Richard bought me a sample of some really interesting perfume while we were at the Metrocentre,” she said as they cantered alongside the Tyne.
“What were you and Sam doing at the Metrocentre, anyway?”
“It’s kind of a long story. I had actually planned on spending the weekend with him, but I needed some clothes to wear. I had wanted to buy some new clothes anyway.”
“What’s wrong with the ones you have – just curious – not that it’s any of my business. Wait a minute. You were going to spend the weekend with Sam? At his apartment?”
Donna grinned and tucked her head. “Yes, Gary. I had… fun. I was actually enjoying myself.”
“OK,” he chuckled. “So, first tell me what happened and then tell me about this interesting perfume. What’s so interesting about it?”
“The claims the salesperson was making and how expensive it was.”
“How expensive was it?”
“For a single application – about a microlitre of Euphoria, which is what it’s called, it cost him twenty pounds,” she smiled. “He didn’t bat an eye. I only wanted it so I could analyse it.”
Gary frowned. “Well, you still haven’t told me what’s so special about it, other than its exorbitant price tag.”
“The way the salesperson was talking, it’s supposed to be something like liquid pheromones. The part that bothered me is that it sparkled like the stuff I told you Jared used in my bathwater. The stuff that changed me.”
Gary sighed. “I’m sure it was just coincidental.”
“She also said it was manufactured in the US. When I passed out, I woke up in Forrest’s bed in his penthouse apartment, Gary. Jared got there before he did it, but Forrest’s doctor was fixing to take a blood sample so he could find out what made me faint.”
Gary’s eyes widened. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“No! I started taking birth control pills the day Jared, and I went to Arizona. We didn’t do anything until they took effect. I had Juanita give me a shot not long before Jared and I… not long before he left me. So, unless the shot she gave me was ineffective, there is no way I could be pregnant. My shot will last at least until the end of September.”
Gary breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness for that. I had horrible visions of you having to deal with that on top of everything else that’s been going on.”
“Well, Big Brother, that’s one thing you don’t need to worry about. There is one thing I’ve decided about the project.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t think it would be a good idea for Sam and Richard to be around each other for any length of time. One of them is eventually going to put the other’s lights out, and I don’t want to be in the middle of that.”
Gary laughed. “You’re probably right, but Sam is going to be disappointed. He was looking forward to working on this project. He knows how big it could be if we figure this out.”
“Tough!” she snorted. “I’m sick of him, and Richard growling over me like I’m a piece of meat.” She urged her horse along the narrow footpath.
They continued the rest of the five mile ride. Donna explained more about what happened to her when she went with Forrest to see her new department. She also explained a little more about what Jared had told her about her enhanced healing abilities. Gary was shocked at how fast the unknown substance had integrated itself into her DNA structure. He also showed some concern, since they knew nothing about the side effects.
“And Jared said you were the first person that mother’s milk has affected this way?”
“Yes. Jared said it was supposed to work like a balm and heal on the outside. He was just as surprised as I was that it had affected me internally, as well. Have you been able to isolate the antibodies?”
Gary exhaled. “We’ve found something odd about the shape of your chromosomes, and if I didn’t know better, I would swear you were dying from some rare form of leukaemia. Your leucocyte count is multiplying so fast, you shouldn’t have any red blood cells in your body, but yet, you do. I know you don’t want Sam on the project, but D, I think we need him, at this stage. At least until we can figure out exactly how this substance has become part of you. Another thing I’m curious about is whether or not it’s transmittable. Could you be some kind of carrier?”
Donna grinned slightly. “Then the person we would need to test would be Jared. Since that’s impossible, I guess Sam would be our next option. He’s the only one who’s had intimate contact with me.” No way am I telling him what happened between me and Richard.
Gary frowned and swallowed hard. “TMI – D – TMI.”
Donna chuckled. “Well, it’s true. There’s no use denying it, and I can tell you something else, it was….”
Gary held up his hand, forestalling her. “I don’t need to know any more about what happened between you and Sam. You’re a big girl, and I’m not going to try and tell you what to do. All I will say as far as Sam and Richard are concerned is be on your guard.”
Donna grinned. “Perhaps you should be warning them, then. I’m going on instincts. I’m trying to survive, what to me, is a living hell. As far as real emotion is concerned, I’m numb, Gary. Part of who and what I am, or was, is shut down. It’s the only way I can deal with what’s inside my head.”
Gary swallowed the lump in his throat. “Time will heal, D.”
Donna snorted. “Sure it will, but by then, how much of me will be left? Already so much of me is boxed up and sealed away; time will come when I’ll be little more than a walking zombie!”
Gary chuckled. “Now that would probably put Richard and Sam off you!”
“Smart Ass!” Her cell phone rang. She unlocked it and grinned. “Speak of the devil. Whoa, girl,” she said, pulling on the reins to stop her horse. “Hi Sam.”
“Hi, sweetheart. It’s been almost two hours. Have you cooled down enough to talk to me, or should I ring you back in a year or two?”
“I’m still pissed…” Donna softly laughed, “…but I’ll listen. If I feel like responding I will. If I don’t….”
“Where are you?”
“Not far from the Hall. Gary and I have been horseback riding. I needed to cool off and Gary’s been my sounding board.”
“I miss you.”
Donna sighed. “Oddly enough, I miss you too, but I’ve had enough of the heartstrings tug-o-war. If you and Richard don’t stop trying to mark me as your territory, I’m going to neuter you both.” Donna actually found it exciting to have two alpha males fighting over her. Jared had led her over to the wild side, and she liked it.
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Sam drew a short breath through his pursed lips. “Ouch! I think I’ll pass on that experience, but you can neuter Richard if you want to. What are we doing tonight?”
“Who said ‘we’ were doing anything?”
Sam picked up a throw pillow from off his sofa and breathed deeply. The smell of Donna’s perfume still lingered there. “Aw – come on sweetheart. I need the rest of my stripes.”
“Is that all I am to you Sam, a cheap thrill? Have you put a red check mark beside my name in your little black book?”
Donna’s cold words cut like a knife of ice. “No, sweetheart,” he answered truthfully. “You’re much more than that. There is a red mark by your name, but it’s not a check. I was just being cute.”
“Sam, I can imagine you being a lot of things, but cute is not a word that comes to mind.”
Sam thought about her hot sweat slicked skin next to his and groaned. “All kidding aside, I’d like to see you.”
“I was thinking about torturing myself tonight.”
“I can help with that? Should I bring the handcuffs?”
“Only if you want to wear them. I’m not into the kinky stuff, Sam. I’ve already told you that.”
“Sweetheart, with what you did to me last night, we don’t need kinky. What kind of torture did you have in mind?”
“As you know, Triplet Hall has a full-size movie theatre. I was thinking about watching my music video tonight.”
“I was about to watch it on my 60-inch smart screen.”
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“Oh well, I guess you’re not interested, then.”
“I didn’t say that. I’d love to see your hot sexy body squirming on a movie-size screen.”
“We won’t be alone. I was thinking of inviting everyone to see it. Gary and Sir Richard haven’t seen it yet. Let me talk to Sir Richard and see what he thinks. I’ll call you back and let you know if it’s on.”
“And if it’s not?”
“We’ll think of something else to do. I gotta run.” Donna ended the call.
Gary grinned. “So, do I finally get to see you in action?”
Donna softly smiled. “Maybe….”
“Are you going to be able to handle this?”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Donna sighed, leaned down and opened the paddock gate.