Destined

“Just you wait and see.”

Now I was super curious, and I picked up the pace, hurrying through the arena sand and barely waving at Stark, who was handing a bow to Rephaim. Stevie Rae tried to blow him a kiss, but I kept her moving so basically all she did was giggle and wave. I tried to ignore Stark’s scowl and focused on not leaking any of the curious, excited, and downright confused feelings I was having.

I didn’t exactly know why, but I absolutely did not want Stark asking me questions about Aurox.

“There, that’s him. The tall, non-vampyre in a cowboy hat over there by the door.” Stevie Rae pointed to the wide side doors to the arena. They’d been rolled open. Just outside was a big horse trailer and one of those massive trucks Oklahoma guys liked to buy and drive and practically live in so much. Standing in front of the trailer was a super tall man. And Stevie Rae had definitely been right. He was seriously cute, even for an older guy.

“He looks like someone who should be on the Western Channel,” I said. “Playing one of those olden-day cowboy heroes.”

“Sam Elliott, that’s who he looks like.”

“Huh?” I gave her a question mark look.

She sighed. “He was in a bunch of cowboy movies. You know, like Tombstone.”

“You watch cowboy movies?”

“I used to, with my momma and daddy, especially on Saturday night before bedtime. So?”

“So nothing.”

“Do not tell Aphrodite,” she said.

“Do not tell Aphrodite what?” Aphrodite asked.

Stevie Rae and I jumped as she seemed to materialize out of the air behind us.

“Don’t be creepy and lurky,” I said.

“I’m not. I’m just naturally graceful. It’s because I’m delicate boned,” she said. Then she turned her icy blue gaze on Stevie Rae. “Again—do not tell Aphrodite what?”

“That Lenobia’s cowboy is super hot,” Stevie Rae said.

Aphrodite gave her a look that said she was a crappy liar, which she was, but her gaze was already snagged by the man’s broad-shouldered silhouette.

“Ooooh! That’s Lenobia’s…”

“Employee.” I provided the word, even though Aphrodite was paying no attention to me. “He’s supposed to be working for Lenobia.”

“He’s hot,” Aphrodite said. “Not like Darius hot, but still. H.O.T.”

“I told y’all. And he’s so tall he makes Lenobia look even teenier than she is.”

As Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, and I wandered into hearing distance and tried (unsuccessfully) not to be too obvious in our group gawk, the cowboy tipped his hat to Lenobia and in a perfect Oklahoma twang said, “Howdy, ma’am. I’m the new stable manager. I’d ’preciate it if you could point me to the man in charge.”

I couldn’t see Lenobia’s face but I watched her back straighten.

“Uh-oh,” Stevie Rae whispered.

“So much for the whole warm welcome thing,” I said low enough that only Aphrodite and Stevie Rae could hear me.

“John Wayne just totally fucked up,” Aphrodite said.

“I am Lenobia.” Her voice carried easily to us. I didn’t think she sounded pissed. I thought she sounded like an ice storm. “I am the woman in charge of these stables and your new boss.” There was a kind of uncomfortable silence when Lenobia didn’t offer a hand for him to shake.

“Brrr,” Aphrodite whispered. “She just reminded me of my mom, and for John Wayne that’s not a good thing.”

“Sam Elliott,” Stevie Rae whispered.

Aphrodite furrowed her brow at my BFF. I suppressed a sigh of hopelessness.

“He doesn’t look anything like John Wayne.” She continued her stage whisper. “But he looks just like Sam Elliott.”

“You watched too much regular TV when you were a kid, probably after you had dinner as a family on Saturday nights. Pathetic.” Aphrodite gave Stevie Rae a dismissive shake of her head. I was thinking about how bizarre it was that Aphrodite knew about Stevie Rae’s family stuff when the three of us turned our attention back to The Cowboy Show.

The man tipped his hat to Lenobia again, this time he smiled and even standing as far away as we were I could see that his eyes were sparkling. “Well, ma’am, seems I got me some misinformation. Glad that was cleared up quick. My name is Travis Foster, and I’m pleased to meet ya, boss lady.”

“And you don’t mind finding out your boss is a lady?”

“No, ma’am. My momma was a lady and I never worked harder or happier than when I worked for her.”

“Mr. Foster, do I remind you of your mother?”

I thought Lenobia’s voice could have frozen water, but Travis didn’t seem to notice. Actually, he looked like he was enjoying himself. He cocked his hat back on his head and looked down at Lenobia, like the question had been serious instead of sarcastic. “No, ma’am, not yet you don’t.” Lenobia didn’t say anything else and I was just getting that squirmy, embarrassed feeling that awkward conversations with adults can bring about when Travis kinda shrugged, hooked a finger in the belt tab of his Wranglers, and said, “So, Lenobia, could you show me where my mare and I are gonna bunk?”

“Mare? Bunk?” Lenobia said.

“This is some great shit. I wish I had popcorn,” Aphrodite said.

“She’s gonna burn him with her laser vision,” I said.

“Lenobia has laser vision?” Stevie Rae asked.

Aphrodite and I looked at Stevie Rae like she’d just asked if we thought Lindsay Lohan was really rehabbed.

“How ’bout I watch and not talk,” Stevie Rae said.

“Thank you,” Aphrodite and I said together, which made her glare at me before the three of us returned to gawking and eavesdropping.

“Well, ma’am,” Travis drawled. “I told y’all’s High Priestess when she hired me that my mare and I come as a package deal, and I’d need to stable her here. Since I just wrapped up a season managing the stables at Durant Springs, I’d need a place to lodge, too.” He paused, and when Lenobia didn’t speak he added, “Durant Springs is in Colorado, ma’am.”

“I know where it is,” Lenobia snapped. “What makes you think you can stay here on campus? We have no accommodations for humans.”

“Yes, ma’am, that’s what the High Priestess said. Since the job needed to be filled right away, I told her I’d get along just fine bunking with Bonnie until I could find a place nearby.”

“Bonnie?”

Travis rearranged his hat, the first sign he might possibly be uncomfortable. “Yes, ma’am. My mare’s name is Bonnie.” As if on cue, there came a giant thud! from inside the horse trailer. He moved to the rear doors while he continued to explain to Lenobia. “I’d ’preciate it if ya let me unload her. It’s a long way from Colorado for a big girl.”

“Do you think his horse is fat?” Stevie Rae asked quietly.

“Bumpkin, I thought you weren’t going to talk,” Aphrodite said.

“I think he just got his foot in the door,” I said. No way was Lenobia gonna let a tired horse be hauled away to goddess only knew where.

“Unload your mare. You and I will discuss your accommodations after she’s comfortable,” Lenobia said.

I noticed that Travis had already been undoing the series of levers and chains that held the horse trailer’s door shut, so we only had to wait a few seconds for the ramp to open.

“Come on, big girl. Baaack,” Travis said in a voice that had gone from polite and at times slightly amused, to warm and gentle and sweet.

Then his horse backed out of the trailer and gasps of shock and awe came from all around us. I took my eyes from the horse long enough to see that Stevie Rae and I weren’t the only gawkers. Darius, Stark, Rephaim, and