Storm Called

by Susan Copperfield

  “With his reputation? More than reasonable. But if you’re willing to go up to twenty thousand, that gives me negotiation room. I’ll do what I can to get you the best price possible.”

  “Thanks, Elana.”

  “Just try not to find any more rescues, Pat. I don’t think my blood pressure can handle it.”

  I snorted. “You’re the one who started this, Elana. You mentioned him first.”

  “So I did. I can’t even say I’d made a mistake, because you’re the best chance that horse has, and I refuse to regret that.”

  I refused to regret it, too, even if it meant a good night’s sleep would become a pipe dream.

  Chapter Nineteen

  With six hours and twenty minutes to work with before lunch was to be served, I made the most out of every minute, careful to work with the kitchen staff to make sure my work didn’t interfere with breakfast while I got everything done on my list. Instead of my three usual checks, I did two additional passes to account for my general exhaustion. My precautions proved unnecessary, but it eased my anxiety and made certain I kept busy.

  At noon sharp, everything was ready, and I made a point of ordering one of the staff members to deliver extra to the attending royals to ensure there were no issues when the time for seconds came around. Judging from everyone’s laughter, I’d made a good call, although I wondered just what Jessica did to make sure she got more than her fair share of my chicken.

  Only once the last of the chicken was out the door, did I realize I’d made one oversight.

  I hadn’t saved anything for myself.

  Laughing, I perched on one of the stools scattered around the kitchen and caught my breath. The tightness in my chest had returned, something I’d gotten uncomfortably accustomed to when I pushed myself too hard. It had gotten worse over the past week, which I assumed was from the stress of trying to preserve the black’s life.

  Keeping the black permanently might let me relax some. Without worrying if his life would be cut short, I could slip in an extra hour or two of sleep. I clung to the possibility while I waited for the kitchen to settle and the next phase of my day to begin.

  There was a lot of cleaning to do, and I appreciated returning to my roots and the familiarity of loading the dishwashers and making certain everything was restored to order.

  “Why are you still working?” Elana asked. I sucked in a breath and turned, wondering how long she’d been in the kitchen. “You should be eating, not cleaning the dishes. The other staff can handle the dishes.”

  “While I should be eating, I was so busy making sure the royals wouldn’t have to fight anyone for their share to pay attention to my share,” I admitted with a laugh. “Not one of my better moments. I’ll pilfer something once I’m done with the dishes.”

  Elana pulled out her phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Adolf? Pat forgot he needs to eat, too. Grab him a plate, would you?”

  When she hung up, she grinned. “Problem solved. He’ll make sure you eat. He says he’ll bring your plate to our table. He managed to snag one, and there’s plenty of room for you, too. The royals probably won’t remember to ask for you until later.”

  “Did the black’s auction happen?”

  She winced. “It did.”

  Shit. “What happened?”

  “You were outbid. He’s going to a good home, though. I was hoping he’d go home with you, but no horse ain’t been abused where he’s going, and they’ve the money needed to treat his soring. I’m not worried about that.”

  I was, and the tightness in my chest strengthened. “You think he’ll be all right?”

  “I think he’ll be spoiled rotten within a month, and I imagine the new owner will ask for your help taming the beast. When he was purchased, I tried to talk to the owner, and well, I gave a rundown on the things you did. His old name was stricken from the record, and he was renamed.”

  “To what?”

  “Baby Boy, Baby for short. Baby’s what will stick unless he competes, and I’ll laugh at the announcers forced to call his name.”

  My brows shot up. “Baby Boy?”

  “It’s marginally better than Good Boy, which almost became his permanent name because you’ve been calling him that for the past three weeks.” Elan bowed her head. “I’m so sorry. I did my best, but the new owner was determined. Really determined?”

  “Who bought him?”

  “I’m not allowed to say, but I am allowed to say you’ll find out soon enough. The owner wants to talk to you directly about him. That’s really promising, though. The owner cares about that horse.”

  But he wasn’t my horse. The disappointment cut deep, but I did what I always did in the face of things I couldn’t change: I accepted it. Moving on would hurt. Moving on would be a challenge, but I’d have more time for Morning Glory. I wouldn’t like it, but I could find her a new friend to keep her company.

  “That’s all I can ask for. If he’s going to be cared for, that’s what matters.”

  “There are still a lot of good horses up for auction today. We could look them over and see if any catch your eye. I’d be glad to help you with the transaction and how to fill out the papers.”

  I considered her offer, and after a moment of hesitation, I nodded. “I wouldn’t mind looking.”

  I did mind looking, but I refused to worry Elana with my misgivings over my inability to ensure Baby had the best home possible. She could be right. He might’ve gone to a good home.

  But she could be wrong, too.

  Determined to get through the day with my head lifted high, I asked, “How many horses are left up for auction?”

  “Too many. The auction might run until midnight at this rate. There has been a lot of lively bidding, which slows things down. I think some folks are following in your steps.”

  “In my steps?”

  “Pat, we’re gossiping busybodies. Everyone here knows you’ve been trying to work miracles with that black to keep him off the meat market. I don’t think a single horse is going to end up going to the market this auction. I asked someone who bought such a horse, and he shrugged and said he didn’t have enough freeloaders, and maybe his new filly will surprise him like your filly keeps surprising us all.” She smiled and relaxed. “Come on. Let’s go to the table, you can get something to eat, and you can watch the auction and see if there’s a horse you want to bid on. You might get a promising horse for only a few hundred. You’ll want a four or five year old.”

  “So I can ride my own horse.”

  “Yes, although you won’t have a shortage of owners happy to let you ride their horses. As I said, you’ve got a lot of people walking in your steps right now. A change of perspective. They like saying they’re horsemen, but they’ll cull a horse that isn’t up for performing like they want. You? You see the horse, and you’ll do whatever you can for your horse. You’ve reminded them they’re more than prize purses. We need that now and then. And most of us? We can afford a freeloader or two eating our grain. There’s worry there won’t be enough horse meat on the market, but we’re trying to figure out how to counter that.”

  “I know a way, but people won’t like it.”

  “I can take a guess, and you’re right. The old horses.”

  “Or the ones that are dying anyway from injury. Burying their bodies when it’s good for meat seems like a waste. The leather can be used, the bone, the hooves, and yes, the meat. It’s not like the horse needs it anymore.”

  “That’s so practical it’s painful, but it’s also a very good point. Old horses don’t produce good meat, though. And injured horses may not, either.”

  “Do Texans really enjoy eating horse? Isn’t it more of a drought food?” I countered. “We’re not supposed to enjoy it. We just need to do it when necessary.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Are you ever not practical?”

  “I do my best to be practical, as I’m surrounded by many impractical people.”

  “Well aimed.” She pointed at the kit
chen door. “March, Pat. We’ve got good food to eat and horses to look over and possibly buy. I’m allowed to buy exactly one horse today, and I will be hung up to dry if I buy more than one horse. I’ll probably buy two and get into trouble. Again.”

  “How many horses do you have?”

  “About ten too many, but I need another horse. I’m selling some young horses to be family pets or school horses, and I’ll have too many empty stalls. I don’t like empty stalls, Pat. Empty stalls are made of sadness and need to be filled.”

  “How many horses are you selling this year?”

  “Today? I’ve ten on the market. They’re trained to be a child’s first horse. They sell for a lot because they’re trained with the help of a horse empath to make sure they take care of the kids. I only sell horses flagged for kids if they’re gentle, not prone to spooking, and are able to teach a young rider to be a good rider. Because they’re training horses, they’ll sell for a premium.”

  “How much, exactly, is a premium?”

  “The first horse sold for a hundred and fifty thousand this morning; the family has a young girl who wants a solid horse who might be able to do beginning level competitions. My horses can definitely do that, and the training will help a lot. If the girl does well in her riding lessons, she’ll go far riding that gelding.”

  Okay. I’d underestimated how much the elites would pay for a horse. “How much did Baby go for?”

  “Seriously, Pat? You’re really going to call him Baby?”

  “That’s his name, and I like it,” I announced. “He’s a good boy, and Baby is a good name for him.”

  “You would’ve named him Good Boy if you’d won him,” she accused.

  Thinking about it, I discovered she was probably right. “Either that or something like Chocolate Cupcake.”

  “Chocolate Cupcake?” she blurted.

  “Dark but sweet.”

  “You’re a lunatic. He’s not sweet.”

  “Baby most certainly is sweet.”

  “You and his new owner might both be mad.”

  “I can live with that.”

  “Lunch first, then we’ll do the properly Texan thing and talk horses. I’m sure we can find you a new friend today.”

  I appreciated her determination, and I forced a smile. “Thanks, Elana.”

  The elites seemed to enjoy being herded around like cattle and eating in close quarters. Most of the executive floor had showed up for the auction, and I wondered how the hell everyone present would get a share of lunch. Then I remembered I hadn’t handled acquiring the meat, and I’d just cooked everything without putting much thought into the quantity.

  I’d cooked a hell of a lot in six hours, and I was amazed there’d been enough stoves and grills to handle it all.

  “I don’t know how you do it,” the Tech Menace announced.

  “I don’t know how you managed to completely fill your office with LEGOs.” I pointed my fork at him. “I left you a present on your desk, and you might get them back next week. Maybe. I’m thinking you’ll get a set back every time you master a good habit. We’ll start with your trash can. Should I just thank you now for my new LEGO collection?”

  The Tech Menace bowed his head and sighed while everyone else snickered.

  Elana nudged me with her elbow. “That’s just heartless, Pat. Look at him. You can’t just take his entire LEGO collection.”

  “Heartless is his trash can habits. He fixes his trash can habits, he can get his LEGOs back. In the meantime, I think I’ll enjoy assembling them for him during my breaks.”

  The Tech Menace heaved a heavier sigh. “He’s not heartless. He’s cruel and ruthless. He should be a politician. He’d latch onto everyone’s weaknesses and exploit them for his gain. Actually, never become a politician, Pat. You might guilt us all into better manners and acceptable trash can habits.”

  “I wasn’t aware becoming a politician would let me work miracles.”

  Elana snickered. “Damn, Pat. You’re something else when tired. Who has been teaching you sarcasm?”

  As I hadn’t been fired for overstepping my bounds, I picked the best target for my reply, the Tech Menace’s brothers. “I’d say the other Darmills hold primary responsibility. They set the example.”

  The Tech Menace’s brothers grinned and saluted me with their beers, and Harold replied, “Glad I could help, Pat.”

  The table talk turned to horses, which I only partially followed while focusing on eating my lunch without falling asleep on my plate. To my pleasure, I’d gotten the chicken just right, something I classified as a miracle. I avoided the cake as I valued my taste buds and didn’t savor the thought of the crash later should I have a single bite.

  What surprised me was how many at the table had gotten horses they otherwise wouldn’t because they didn’t want to see young horses butchered.

  “How many younger horses end up going to the market?” I asked, drawing everyone’s attention. “At a usual auction, that is.”

  “I’d say twenty to thirty,” Elana admitted. “But to be fair, they’re usually more like your Morning Glory, with defects and a slim chance at a good life. “If she hadn’t gone through rehabilitation, she’d be up for market this session since she’s old enough for it now. She might not have made it to market, though. Her defect was pretty severe, and she would’ve been cremated instead in that case. She’s grown a lot.”

  “Worse than a weed,” I complained. “I’m going to have to replace her toy saddle again soon.”

  “Toy saddle?” the Tech Menace asked.

  “She’s always following me around and wants to mimic the other horses, so she wants a bridle and saddle whenever I go to the arena for a lesson. I have this really lightweight saddle for her that she wears. And her bridle is a hackamore because I don’t want her using a bit. I’d like to keep her off a bit altogether if I can, but I don’t know if I’ll be a good enough rider for that,” I admitted. “But I’m still learning, and they’re trying to find a school horse trained on a hackamore I can learn to ride so when it’s time to train Morning Glory, I’ll know what I need to do her some justice.”

  “I think you’re worrying yourself a little too much. Sure, you’re a green rider, but you work hard, and you care about your horse. We all know you care about that black you were working with.”

  Somehow, I kept from grimacing. “It’s not his fault.”

  The Tech Menace stared at me, raising a brow. “We’ve figured that out. He’s in good hands, and his old owner is investing the profit into his vet bills, so he’ll be better off down the road. And they’ve figured out who was responsible for his mistreatment, so there’ll be an animal cruelty trial in the very near future. If he’s found guilty, he’ll lose his right to own horses, and his animals will be put up on auction. It would not surprise me if you’re hired to help them be settled, treated, and cared for. If that black is any indication, he’ll have a lot of broken animals needing a great deal of attention. With your work with that black, you’ll give them all a fair chance to be placed.”

  I had no idea how I’d be able to fit anything else into my schedule, but I couldn’t force myself to say no. “If that happens, I’d be glad to help.”

  “The trial should begin within a week. The preliminary hearing has already been done. Evidence is being gathered. It wouldn’t surprise me if you’re called as a witness, as you’re the reason the abuse was discovered,” he warned me.

  Great. Just what I needed. “Will I need a lawyer?”

  “No, you won’t. Just answer the questions honestly. I expect a truth seer will be present at the trial. No one wants to guess at a trial like this, especially since the accused will lose all his animals if it proves the truth. Soring has been illegal in Texas for over a decade.”

  “And Baby isn’t ten years old.”

  The Tech Menace sighed. “Did you really have to tell him his name was Baby, Elana?”

  “Yes, I did. He likes Baby’s name. It’s better than Go
od Boy. Barely.”

  “He’s Pat. Of course he likes it. That horse is his little angel, and everyone knows it.”

  “Well, he’s not my little angel, and he’s not really little,” I pointed out.

  “We’re thinking about trying to approach the—” The Tech Menace’s eyes widened, and he looked at something behind me.

  A moment later, a slender pair of arms slid down my shoulders and hugged me from behind. “Pat,” Jessica cooed in my ear.

  I blinked. “Yes?”

  “I’m making a scene and require your participation.”

  Knowing her parents were in attendance, I expected an immediate escort to my execution.

  She loosened her hold on me, and I twisted around on the picnic bench to face her. A bay horse stood beside her, barely fitting between the benches and tables, and she wanted to love everyone who’d pay any attention to her at all. I got a dose of her affections, and I laughed and stroked her soft nose.

  Jessica handed the lead line to Elana and said, “Hold her for a sec?”

  Elana obeyed, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

  I wanted to keep petting the sweet horse, but I gave Jessica my attention. “What do you need?”

  She cupped my face in her hands and kissed me like she meant it. Before I could decide if I should give up, surrender, and become a perfectly willing participant in her making a scene and using me to do it, she pulled away. “That’s a good start.”

  My heart rate elevated straight into orbit, and if she kept up her antics, I’d run a high risk of falling over dead from a heart attack. “A good start?”

  “I got you a present.”

  She had? Then my eyes widened. “You bought Baby?”

  Jessica’s smile bloomed. “I wasn’t sure what to name him, but you’ve been so in love with that horse I just started thinking of him as your baby boy, so Baby Boy.”