Once in Every Life

Because if there was one thing Tess had learned in the past few days, it was that her smile knocked Jack completely off guard.

It took Tess about twenty minutes to get to the barn, but she considered it a major victory. She was, after all, conscious when she arrived.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?" His answer came from the darkened corner.

She clutched the workbench's splintery end and slowly turned around. Her gaze narrowed as she searched the black, cobwebby corner. "Jack?"

"I'm here. What do you want?"

170

"I'm waiting for you to hitch up the team."

He stepped out of the shadows. A twig snapped beneath

his heel, and the sound echoed through the still, silent

barn. "You'll be waiting a long time."

"Are you saying you won't take me to the school?" "I said you'd be waiting a long time for me to hitch up

the team."

Tess fought a wave of impatience. Keep it light. "Yes, I heard the words you used, I was inquiring as to your

meaning."

Jack was in front of her in a heartbeat. "I meant that if

you want to go to school, go ahead. You can take Red." Tess got a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Red?" Jack smiled and cocked a thumb toward the nearest

stall. A big, Roman-nosed sorrel snorted in response. "Big

Red."

Tess swallowed thickly. "Do I ride?"

"Only thoroughbreds."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Well, saddle them

up."

His smile faded. "Them?"

"I'm not going alone."

"I'm not going with you."

"Of course you are. How else would I find the school?"

Jack stared at her as if she were something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. "You don't remember where the

school is?"

The plan fell in her lap. Perhaps a little ... misinterpretation was the best way to deal with Jack. She batted her big brown lashes at him. "Did I ever know?"