Janet Evanovich - Full House

Billie felt herself frown. "It doesn't make sense. She broke up with him."

Deedee focused on Billie. "Maybe she realized what a stupid mistake she made.

"It's weird. These presents just appear from nowhere. They're always gifts Nick likes. Who else would know him so well?"

Billie had already resolved herself not to get involved in Nick's love life. If Sheridan wanted to send him gifts, that was fine. If they decided to get married, that was their business. She was prepared to be Nick's friend and nothing more.

"Nick doesn't talk about them, of course. Usually they're left on the doorstep at night." Deedee stretched and gave an enormous yawn. "I suppose I should get dressed. Frankie is sending the car around." She held up a lock of red hair. "I need my hair done, and then I'm going to do some shopping, and then dinner with Frankie. What are you doing tonight, honey? You're not going to sit home and do something domestic, are you?"

"Nope. Nick's giving me a riding lesson early this evening."

"Eeyeuuw."

* * * * *

Billie kept one eye on the road leading to Nick's stable and one eye on the apple pie, which occupied the seat next to her. She'd intended the pie to be repayment for the steak and homemade ice cream, but now she worried that it might be categorized with the gifts Sheridan or other women left for him. It was a simple thank-you gift, one she planned to use to establish their new friendship. By doing so, Nick would feel no obligation toward her. He would not have to feel guilty about hurting her feelings when he announced the engagement was back on. And this would be her last riding lesson.

She'd inadvertently stepped between a man and woman who still loved one another but had unresolved problems. It was up to her to make a graceful exit so they could work out those problems without interference.

Billie had resigned herself to maintaining a healthy distance from Nicholas Kaharchek by the time she parked her van in the lot by the barn. She was a happy, well-adjusted mother of two, and the last thing she needed in her life were problems.

She took a moment to enjoy the small breeze wafting across the green fields. There was a certain freedom in knowing she had made a decision that was healthy for her. At the same time she felt an acute sense of loss. Nick meant more to her than she'd originally thought. Sheesh, this nobility thing was tough, and she was already feeling the sting of it.

The clip-clop of hooves made her turn. Nick approached, leading two horses, already saddled. Billie breathed a sigh of relief to find that Zeke was not among them. Even though it was her last lesson, she did not want to end up in the emergency room again.

Nick came to a halt at the sight of her, fresh and lovely in the late afternoon sun. How could the woman give him an adrenaline rush one moment, and then soothe his weary soul the next? he wondered. He'd spent most of the day scouring the woods for Max. The kid had, once again, eluded him and his men, but only after going beneath the hood of Nick's Mercedes and literally dismantling integral parts in ways that only a seasoned mechanic could accomplish. It didn't matter that Max, to Nick's knowledge, had never looked beneath the hood of a car. The genius in him made it possible to do whatever necessary. There was no telling what the boy was up to now, and that's what had Nick worried, but somehow Billie managed to calm his frayed nerves.

He smiled. "Hi."

Billie's breath caught in the back of her throat. She'd never heard anyone instill so much sexuality in a single word. No wonder Sheridan dropped presents on his doorstep. A voice like that could make a woman go nutso. "Hi, yourself," she managed.

Nick motioned to the sleek black horse to his right. "Billie, I'd like you to meet Ryan's Velvet. He's a seven-year-old Arabian gelding and perfectly named. His gait and his personality are as smooth as velvet."

Billie touched her hand to Velvet's smooth muzzle. "He's beautiful."

"He's the reason I went to Upperville yesterday. I bought him for you."

She snapped her head around, facing him fully. "What?"

Nick smiled at her reaction. "I promised you a lifetime of free riding lessons. And I promised you no more Zeke. So I thought it prudent to get you an appropriate horse."

"Prudent" wouldn't have been her first word choice. "Extravagant," "insane," "outrageous" seemed closer to the truth. She was no judge of horseflesh, but it was obvious, even to her, that this was a megabucks horse. "Nick, I can't possibly—"

"I was hoping for a simple thank-you," he interrupted.

Billie looked at the exquisite four-footed animal standing patiently beside her and then looked at the exquisite two-footed animal standing close in front of her. "He must've cost a fortune." Her brow puckered. "Why on earth would you give me such a gift? You barely know me. This is something you would give a wife or a child, Nick." She met his gaze. "Or a lover." Like Sheridan, she added silently.

Nick was caught off guard by her question. He gave women gifts all the time, especially those with whom he was intimate, but he couldn't admit as much to Billie. Gifts came easily to him because he could afford them, but instead of looking pleased with the horse as he'd hoped she would, Billie looked confused, and maybe a little hurt.

She took a step back. "I can't accept this," she said softly. "This is too much." She thought of the simple pie sitting in her front seat that was meant to establish their friendship, set boundaries. She had spent a lot of time thinking about it, coming to terms with the fact that nothing would ever come of her relationship with Nick. She looked at him.

"Why would you even consider giving me such a gift?" she asked, her thoughts playing havoc in her head. For all she knew he'd spent the previous night with Sheridan. Billie had chosen to back off in order to give him time to work on the relationship and win back the woman he'd claimed had broken his heart.

"I promised you free riding lessons. You need a good horse. I thought—"

"What did you think, Nick?" she demanded, already suspecting the truth. He had no guarantee that Sheridan would reconcile with him, although she seemed hell-bent on it. Was Billie his backup plan, someone he could come to if things didn't work out with the woman he really loved? Someone who would soothe his wounded ego the next time Sheridan flattened it against the stable door? And what did he expect in the meantime? Was she supposed to hang around and wait for him out of sheer gratitude?

Billie had to admit she was not only angry but hurt. If Nick thought he could buy her, he was looking in the wrong direction.

"Listen, I could have bought you a box of stationery or a scarf to show you my thanks for taking Deedee off my hands, but this gift was as meaningful for me to give you as I'd hoped it would be for you to receive."

"A box of stationery would have been more appropriate."

"I know. But I wanted to give you Velvet instead. It would mean a lot to me if you would accept him."

He touched her hand. "Would it help if I told you there are no strings attached?"

Billie took a moment to reconsider. Had she misunderstood Nick's motives? Had he only meant to show his appreciation because she had taken Deedee off his hands so he could turn his attention to Max and now Sheridan? Their worlds were vastly different — a box of stationery was a nice gift to give as far as she was concerned, but a millionaire like Nick could afford to be more generous.

"Nick, I can't possibly accept this horse. I can't afford to board him."

"You can board him here for free."

She wondered how many horses in the stalls belonged to girlfriends, ex— and otherwise. "What about Sheridan?"

He blinked. "What about her?"