Blue Haven (Sunshine & Shadow Book 1) Read online

  Chapter 3

  April fell asleep that night in Kip’s arms. She was still exhausted when she woke up wrapped around him under the duvet. She shifted and felt him wake.

  This wasn’t the first time Kip had spent the night in April’s bed, or vice versa. April found comfort in Kip’s arms. It was almost like he was a human dream catcher; he kept the nightmares away. Their relationship had been purely platonic, but they were both continuously hassled by Hailey and Caleb about how perfect they were for each other. Sometimes April saw it, too.

  “Morning,” she grumbled, attempting to smooth her knotty hair and wishing she had remembered to take her makeup off before falling asleep. Her mascara was probably all over her cheeks.

  “Morning. Heading out today, I guess, eh?”

  April groaned. “This is gonna be a disaster. What horse do we put Lex on? He’s a complete beginner, Kip. And I’m assuming Cash and Gretchen are too.”

  “I can help. It’s what I’m here for. We’ll figure it out.”

  After an awkward and quiet breakfast, April hurried to the barn while everyone else packed the wagon. Her dad drove the team of Belgian pulling horses along with the ride to carry all the tents and supplies so as not to weigh the other horses down. Camp life was a simple life, as the Coopers tried to be as authentic as possible for the city-folk that usually attended, but everyone got three square meals a day and a pillow to rest their head on at night.

  The barn was filled with the usual, comfortable quiet that made April relax all the way down to her toes. She made her way to Chinook’s stall, admiring the way Caleb had swept the floor to make it look like it hadn’t been swept at all. Chinook was, as usual, happy to see her. The gelding’s small brown and white head turned towards her as she approached and he welcomed her with a soft nicker.

  “How’s my handsome boy?” April cooed as she unbolted the door and stepped inside. She clipped the lead rope to Chinook’s halter and led him slowly from the stall. As she groomed him in the aisle she spoke to him about the day ahead. She always spoke to her horse when no-one else was around. She didn’t think he minded. In fact, often when she stopped speaking he would lift his head and snort as if in complaint.

  April threw her saddle over Chinook’s muscular back, did up her cinch and fastened her breast collar. She hooked her bridle on her saddle horn and led the horse from the barn.

  Caleb and Kip had already begun tacking up the other horses when April tied Chinook to the hitching rail. A tap on her shoulder startled her.

  Lex stood behind her, a hesitant smile playing on his lips. “Hi,” he said, quietly.

  April turned back to her horse. “What do you need?”

  “Nothing, I...um, well I wanted to apologize. You know, for yesterday.”

  April nodded and didn’t say anything. She kept her back to him.

  Lex stepped around Chinook. “Seriously, I am sorry.”

  April bent down and picked the dirt from her horse’s hooves.

  “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

  “I guess I don’t really know what you’re apologizing for, Lex.” April turned around. “For causing the injury? Oh no, maybe for telling everyone that I overreacted? How about possibly ruining one of my horses just so you wouldn’t have to admit you didn’t know how to ride? Or maybe you’re apologizing for lying to us all in the first place!” She turned her back on him and stomped into the tack room. She felt like a child—but didn’t care.

  Why on earth was she so furious? She’d had guests lie about their experience levels before. Maybe it was because it had affected Triumph. Maybe because Lex had seemed so callous. There was something about this spoiled, uncaring, unappreciative...

  “April, don’t just walk away!”

  “I’m done talking to you. If you need help with something, go ask Caleb.”

  April grabbed her saddle bag and filled it with the hoof pick, a first aid kit, gloves, a spare cinch and a bottle of water. Her phone was attached to her belt and her jacket was already tied to the back of her saddle.

  Lex stood in her way as she tried to go back out to the hitching rail.

  “Get out of my way, Lex!”

  He didn’t move. “I know you think I’m a horrible guy and that I don’t care about the horse, but that’s not it, okay? I’m sorry about the horse. I’m sorry for saying you overreacted. I’m sorry for whatever Cash told you guys about my riding experience but if you think you have me all figured out then you are wrong!”

  “I don’t think I have you all figured out, Lex; I know I have you all figured out. I know exactly who you are. I’ve met a lot of people like you, who expect to get everything without having to lift a finger. You’re spoiled and unappreciative, and you don’t care about anyone but your...”

  Lex planted his lips on April’s and cut off her rant.

  April sucked in her breath and bit down on Lex’s bottom lip as hard as she could. She immediately tasted blood and her vindictive side smiled.

  She pushed Lex off her and watched a bead of blood run down his mouth. He touched his lip and winced. April clenched her fists and spat words in his face.

  “What the hell was that?”

  He shrugged, still holding his finger to the cut on his bottom lip.

  “You wouldn’t shut up,” he said.

  Anger danced in April’s mind. “Oh, you are such a...a...” She struggled for words. His kiss really had rendered her almost speechless and he was laughing about it! The nerve!

  She didn’t know what to say to him. She couldn’t find the right words in her mind. His eyes locked with hers. Sudden desire sparked inside her and she flung herself into his arms.

  Their lips found each other again. She closed her eyes and the kiss made her head spin. He smelled like peppermint, with a hint of spice, like cinnamon. His mouth was soft but pressed firmly against hers. Their lips moved effortlessly together, like they were made to fit, lock and key. She didn’t dare move. She almost didn’t want the moment to end, though she knew it had to.

  She didn’t know what it was about Lex. From the first moment she saw him, there was something different about his eyes. They were deep, mysterious, yet open. Like a cave. If you were willing to take the risk and explore, there was so much to discover.

  April was still angry, though. She felt herself leaning away from him but Lex grabbed her waist tighter, pulled her in against his tall, solid body and her anger melted.

  “Shh ...” he murmured against her cheek. She couldn’t breathe, let alone move or speak. Slowly, as if his every move was being carefully monitored, he reached up. His fingertips touched her cheek, as gentle as a rose petal, as if he thought she was fragile and would break. He traced a soft line from her temple to her jaw and tucked a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear.

  April swallowed and found her voice. She began to speak again, and he entwined his fingers in her hair and made a fist, forcing her to catch her breath.

  “I said, shh.” He kissed her again.

  This time all softness was gone. Passion overflowed and he released her hair to grip her waist. She wound her fingers in his hair and tried to pull him closer. Their lips moved in synchronicity, fast and furious. His lips were strong and solid; there was no tenderness left. Like fire, their lips danced together, making April’s heart flutter and chills ran up and down her spine.

  She could feel Lex, she could taste him. Even though they hadn’t kissed before, he knew what to do. He knew where to touch and what to say. He pulled her closer, held her tighter, as if this were the first and last time they would ever touch. April fought for control, her mind branding the memory into her soul.

  The kiss turned tender and gentle. It was magic, the way their lips connected. It felt right to April, and somehow, among all of the dizziness, something inside her changed, never to be reversed. This new feeling could be dwelled upon later. For now, she was content to feel his breath come and go with hers.

  A door slammed and the two jumped apart. Ap
ril’s cheeks flamed. What was she doing? She didn’t even know this man. And what she did know, she definitely didn’t like. She ignored the burning desire in her stomach and turned from the tack room, avoiding Lex’s eyes and rushing past him before he could reach out and stop her. She felt her eyes fill with tears at her own stupidity as she grabbed Chinook from the hitching rail and hurried from the corral before Lex had even come outside.

  Day one.

  The group found the cows and rounded them up, leisurely riding through the fields to get to the property line. The cows were used to the routine. They knew where to go and the task was easy and slightly boring for April and the other wranglers. But for Lex and his entourage, it was exactly what they had been hoping for. April couldn’t help but smile at their enjoyment.

  She watched a deer jump leisurely over a fence by the tree line and knew they were almost on crown land. The day was bright, with a calm, cool breeze moving the dark trees. It was warm enough for a light jacket, yet still cool enough to give the horses energy. April loved days like this and always enjoyed the first trips of the season.

  An eagle soared gracefully over the forest heights and called out to its mate. Stretching out his long wings, he beat the air before finding another pocket and gliding in the clouds, effortlessly. April watched him with admiration and a touch of jealousy. There he was, up in the sky, alone except for the sounds of the wind and the company of silent birds like hawks and whiskey jacks, and here she was, riding in a group of city slickers, doing everything in her power to avoid Lex.

  By the time the group had reached the first night’s campsite, the sun was setting. They hadn’t left the ranch as early as they usually did and hadn’t made as much progress as her dad had hoped. He grumbled about it while taking the harness and wagon off the two pulling horses. April kept her head down and helped untack the other horses and turn them into the paddock that Kip and Caleb had built the previous fall. She was doing everything in her power not to be alone with Lex, which wasn’t difficult. Hailey did a brilliant job of keeping him entertained.

  By nine o’clock, April was able to slip off into her tent and go to bed. She snuggled into her sleeping bag and listened to everyone else by the fire, laughing and singing along to Lex on the guitar. He really did have an amazing voice, somehow even better without the other instruments and electronic sounds.

  Lulled to sleep by the strumming of the old Gibson, April drifted into a restless slumber.

  A sound woke her a few hours later and she listened. She could hear the rustling of the wind in the leaves. An owl howled nearby and in the distance, a lone coyote yipped to the world. She smiled. Nights like these made her glad she had endured the boring trek out here. It was a small price to pay, putting up with city-folk, for the heaven of the wilderness.

  A stick cracked outside. April sat up in her sleeping bag. She doubted a wild animal would come into camp but it had happened before and the tanned canvas tent covers wouldn’t be much protection against a bear or a cougar looking for food.

  The fire still glowed in the fire pit and April could see the silhouette of a person illuminated through the tent wall. She breathed a sigh and checked her watch; 3:12 am. Only three hours until morning.

  April slipped slowly from her sleeping bag and slid her boots onto her cold feet, stepping outside. The moon shone bright and alone in the sky. April admired the strength it held, breaking through the darkness and illuminating the world, all on its own. The stars were weak tonight but the moon was strong and clear.

  Kip sat by the fire and turned around when April approached.

  “Hey,” April said, sitting down beside him and pulling her jacket tighter around her shoulders. The wind had a nip to it.

  “Hey.” Kip’s eyes were hidden in the shadows of his black cowboy hat. His shoulders were tight.

  “Couldn’t sleep?”

  He shook his head.

  April laid her head against Kip’s arm and snuggled closer to him. Kip was one of the happiest people she knew. But he was forever plagued with nightmares that reflected his childhood fears. Kip had never known his father, and he’d had many step-fathers over the years. His mother had been a drug addict and a terrible role model. April hadn’t heard specifics of what had happened to Kip, but she knew what state he had been in when he first started working at Blue Haven.

  The fire in the rock pit danced in front of them, after roaring back to life under Kip’s poking. Each flame chased the one in front of it through the gaps in the wood, burning holes and eating the blackness as it went. April watched the orange tango and let her eyes drift shut, warmed by the heat of Kip’s body next to her. He turned his face and kissed her forehead.

  “Lex kissed me,” April said. She held her breath, waiting for Kip’s reaction.

  She could feel him tense and then freeze. He didn't say anything for so long; April wondered if he even heard her.

  “I said, Lex ...”

  “Yeah.” Kip cleared his throat. “Yeah, I heard you.”

  “So what do you think?”

  Kip shielded his eyes from her and she reached for the brim of his hat, tipping it back as much as she could. “I mean, what do you think I should think?”

  Kip looked out into the forest, his face clouded by some emotion April couldn’t understand.

  “I thought you didn't like him ...” he murmured.

  “I didn't ...”

  “And now?”

  “Now ...” April thought about how she felt now. She was still angry that he had kissed her. But did she like him? Did she like the kiss? She wasn’t sure. “Now, I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?”

  April pulled away completely and shifted on the bench to face Kip. “No, I don’t know. I mean, how am I supposed to know? This guy that I’ve never even met before shows up and acts like a spoiled brat ...”

  “And injures your horse,” Kip said.

  “And injures my horse. And thinks he can just waltz in here and control everything because he’s so used to getting his way. And then kisses me and ...”

  “And what?” Kip finally looked at April.

  “Everything that he did before just doesn’t seem to matter anymore.”

  That was the honest truth. The second Lex’s lips had connected with April’s his attitude, his career, his selfishness...it all just didn't matter. It didn't matter that he was spoiled and used to getting everything he could ever want. It didn't matter that he had lied to them about his riding experience—and it didn't matter that he was Lex Mitchell. The second he kissed her, the only thing that mattered to April was his lips on hers. She forgot everything. She forgot the world and her place in the world. She forgot where she was, or when it was, or even who she was. It just didn't matter anymore.

  With Lex, she felt spontaneous. She felt free. The burden of her mind was lifted and instead of thinking, she just felt. And she felt good.

  “So do you have feelings for him?” Kip asked.

  April closed her eyes. Her mind was reeling. “I don’t know ...”

  A noise behind them made them both turn around.

  Lex stood in the trees in front of his tent. He seemed sheepish, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and April knew he had heard everything she had just said.

  “Hope I’m not interrupting,” he said, after clearing his throat. Even his voice sounded guilty, and he held his hands awkwardly at his sides.

  April and Kip looked at each other. Kip turned back to Lex. “No, you’re not. April is going to check on the horses down by the river, and I’m going to bed.”

  Kip stepped over the bench and offered his hand for Lex to shake. Lex took it, confusion clear on his face. Kip dipped his hat and disappeared into his tent on the far side of the campsite.

  April looked at Lex without speaking.

  He smiled, a small twitch at the corners of his mouth, and approached the bench. She was speechless. He had heard everything she said; what more was there to say?r />
  “Why are you up so early?”

  “The beds out here aren’t exactly comfortable...plus I heard you talking.”

  April stood, her cheeks getting warm. “I’m going to check the horses.”

  “Do you mind if I come?”

  April stared at him and shook her head.

  They walked in silence down to the river banks. The horses grazed quietly in the small paddock that bordered the river, watching them approach with curious eyes. When they were satisfied that the humans meant them no harm, their heads dipped back to the grass and their teeth nipped at the fresh, green shoots. April focused on the sounds of the water rushing past them and the smell of new pine needles, instead of the man standing at her side.

  Lex seemed uncomfortable, or maybe he was cold in the crisp, night air. He wore only a long sleeved t-shirt and jeans.

  She turned around to face him. No point avoiding the inevitable anymore. Looking up into his eyes, she was struck once again by the intense way his gaze seemed to penetrate her soul. She felt exposed, like he knew all her secrets and she had no walls left to protect herself from those eyes.

  His mouth twitched. “So, you don’t know, eh?”

  April shook her head, not breaking eye contact with him; not wanting to.

  “Hmm ...” Lex said.

  “I don’t even know you.”

  He nodded, but it seemed like he did it only to placate her. “That’s true.”

  “We’re so different ...”

  He nodded again and walked around the stump that separated them.

  “I’m so confused ...”

  Lex stepped closer and leaned his face down to hers. He was close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin and feel the warmth of his body against hers. She couldn’t move. Her feet felt like they had been nailed to the ground.

  “What can I do to help?” He dropped his head lower and let his lips graze her cheek.

  She closed her eyes and let the sensation overwhelm her. She was so mystified by her feelings for this stranger.

  “That’s a help,” she breathed into the crook of his neck as he lowered his lips to her throat.