His Tempest

by Candice Poarch

  Colin turned from his father and stalked away. He went directly to Diamond Spirit’s stall and fed him an apple. It took awhile for him to calm down, but watching the horse had a tendency to soothe him.

  He thought of Noelle. He’d set her up to conform to some impossible standard, the same as his father was doing to him. Why hadn’t he seen it before now? His love for her hadn’t dissipated, not one bit. And he’d treated her unfairly. By now she’d probably sock him if he approached her. It would be nothing more than he deserved.

  Noelle spent some time drinking a cup of apple cider and talking with Leila. Colin still hadn’t come to the house. Leander and George were at the barns. The buyer had left half an hour ago.

  “I tell you it just pains me,” Leila said. “The boy works so hard. He loves this place every bit as much as his grandfather did. I just wish he could catch a break.”

  “So do I,” Noelle said.

  “You care about this place. You don’t know squat about horses, but it doesn’t matter. It’s in your blood,” she said.

  “If you say so.”

  “I do. Colin ran around here wild as could be for years, but he was always good with the horses, even when he was a young one. As much as his father complained, his grandfather was patient. Said the boy would find his way eventually. And, of course, he did.” She put together the fixings for a casserole for the next day. “Then it was the women. Colin was like a starving man with a feast. Didn’t know which one to choose. They all looked good to him. And I told his grandfather that one day he was going to find one woman who’d tie him into knots until he wouldn’t know which way was up.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “His grandfather said he couldn’t wait for that day.”

  “I think you were wrong.”

  “I wasn’t wrong. So when are you going to put him out of his misery?”

  On a morning later that week, Noelle was working in her office—at least she was trying to work when she wasn’t thinking about the mess she’d made of things—when Trixie started yapping beside her. She pranced back and forth to the door. Noelle had gotten somewhat used to the creature. She’d fixed up a soft pallet beside her desk. The dog liked being near her for some odd reason. At night she slept beside the bed, now that Noelle had trained her not to sleep on the bed or on her furniture. Noelle was scared to death she’d step on her one night on her way to the bathroom, but Trixie wouldn’t sleep in another spot.

  Seconds later, she heard a car door slam. “Now I know what the prancing was about,” she said as she went to the front door to answer it. “Soon I’ll know all your little quirks.” But before she twisted the lock, a hard pounding shook the door and nearly scared the daylights out of her. Her heart thumped as though it had been jump-started with a defibrillator.

  “Open up!” a male voice thundered. “I know what you and Colin are up to. You’ve cooked up some scheme and I’m going to put an end to it.” A fist rattled the door again. “You’re not going to get away with it.”

  What in the world? “Go away,” Noelle called out.

  “I’m not leaving until you open that door.”

  Was he out of his mind? She wasn’t about to open the door.

  “Fine, then maybe the police will take you away.”

  “Open up!”

  Noelle was actually trembling. Who was out there?

  Trixie danced, barked and clawed at the door as if she couldn’t wait to take a bite out of whoever was on the other side. Noelle eased over to peer out of the side window, but she couldn’t see the door.

  The fist rattled her door again. She rushed to the phone and started to dial 911. Then she remembered he’d mentioned Colin.

  Noelle didn’t know what the lunatic was talking about, but she dialed Colin’s cell number instead. The person obviously knew of him and of her. With an impatient voice, Colin answered immediately.

  “Someone’s banging on my door as if they’re about to break in, yelling about a scheme we’ve worked up,” she rushed out. “I’m about to call the police.”

  “I’ll be right over,” Colin said. She could barely hear his voice over the dog’s barking. “Don’t hang up,” he cautioned. “Stay on the line with me.”

  “Okay,” she murmured nervously, glancing at the rattling door. She was glad to have contact with someone sane. Her hand was trembling. Her stomach was jumping. The door was going to crash in any minute now. Noelle was never so happy to have an animal in her life. It occurred to her that she should get some other protection. There was a bat in the hall closet. Colin’s voice was droning in the background, but with the dog’s barking, she couldn’t decipher his words.

  Pulling on the dog’s collar, she dragged her with her to the closet and retrieved the bat. Between the dog and the bat she should be okay until Colin arrived.

  “The police are on the way. You’d better leave right now,” Noelle yelled out, hoping her voice projected over the dog’s barking.

  “I’ll be happy to tell them about your scheme and the two of you will go to jail just like you should. Open the damn door.”

  “Leave my house immediately. You’re trespassing and you’re crazy. I don’t know about any scheme.”

  “Lady, you’re hip-deep in it. I’ll find out who you really are if it’s the last thing I do.”

  The dog started tugging at the leash again, frantic to get to the intruder. Noelle didn’t try to silence her.

  “If you come in here, my dog will tear you to shreds.” Thank God George had brought her the dog.

  “Do you think I’m going to let a stupid mutt keep me away? I’m going to get the truth out of you. Who are you, some actress Colin hired? Or some cheap floozy he picked up somewhere?”

  Finally Noelle gave up. Trixie was so worked up she could barely hear the man anyway. And since he wasn’t trying to break the door down anymore, she could wait. But the trembling wracking her body wouldn’t stop.

  Finally she saw another truck drive into the yard and a couple more behind it, all with River Oaks Thoroughbred Farm emblazoned on the sides.

  She could barely hear the vehicle doors slam over the din. Then she heard voices. The other trucks drove off. Only Colin and the intruder were left on the front porch. Obviously he knew the man.

  Noelle grabbed the dog’s collar and gingerly opened the door. She recognized George’s nephew immediately. He was her cousin somewhere down the line, she realized.

  “You!” William spat the words like bullets and glared at her. “He brought you here, didn’t he? You’re not Mackenzie’s daughter. If he could have had children, his wife would have conceived years ago. They tried hard enough.”

  Colin stepped between them. “Noelle is George’s granddaughter and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. Get the hell out of here. Who do you think you are coming over here like this? If you have issues, take them up with George.”

  “You’ve got Uncle George wrapped around your fingers,” William shouted at Noelle.

  “It’s not your business,” Colin barked. “Now get out of here. And don’t ever come back.”

  William pointed a shaky finger in Noelle’s direction. “He changed the will because of you.”

  Noelle moved around Colin to face William. Now that she knew who he was, she wasn’t hiding. “I don’t need the farm. But you’d destroy everything George has built. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “You’re getting everything when you don’t deserve a damn thing. You won’t get away with this. You watch and see.” Although it was February and below freezing, William was sweating.

  “It’s all about the money with you, isn’t it?” Colin sneered. “What you can get out of him. You don’t give a crap about George. So take your deranged self away from here, because the deed’s done and you can’t do shit about it.”

  They watched William stomp to his car and drive off. Noelle rubbed Trixie’s fur. The dog had finally stopped barking and sniffed Colin. He reached down and stroked her
.

  “You okay?” Colin asked Noelle.

  She nodded.

  “It’s freezing. Let’s go inside.”

  Trixie clearly wanted to stay outside, but Noelle feared if she let her out now, she’d follow William’s car to the road and get hit.

  “Thanks for coming over,” Noelle said. She pressed a hand to her chest. The adrenaline was still flowing and she couldn’t calm herself.

  “I don’t think he’ll be back. He’ll be too busy checking out your background.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t,” Noelle said.

  “How do you know I didn’t?”

  “I don’t.” Noelle wished he’d just leave. It was obvious he wanted nothing more to do with her, and try as she might, she couldn’t banish him from her thoughts or her dreams. But the pain wouldn’t last. She kept telling herself emotions had a way of healing. It was just happening too slowly to suit her. Or maybe she was giving up too quickly.

  Women had always been easy for Colin. Maybe he didn’t know what it took to work at keeping a relationship.

  “Giving up is easy for you, isn’t it?” Noelle said before she could stop herself. “You’ve chased women so long that you don’t know how to fight for anything. You’re running scared, aren’t you? Because you put yourself on the line for this relationship. Women have just fallen at your feet in the past. You never cared about their feelings or about what they needed. It was all about you.”

  “They knew the score.”

  “Did I know the score? I love you. But it’s my problem if you don’t love me.”

  When he walked to the door, she thought he was going to leave without responding. Then taking his hand from the doorknob, he turned and faced her. “The funny thing is, I can’t stop loving you—and believe me I’ve tried.”

  “I know you have.” That fact saddened her. Two people who loved each other were separated because they couldn’t find a way around their problems.

  “We need to talk,” Colin said. “But we can’t right now. Diamond Spirit has to cover a mare soon,” he said. “Come back to the farm with me.”

  “I don’t—”

  “George asked me to bring you,” he said.

  “I think you’re using George as an excuse. He doesn’t know you’re here, does he? If he knew William was here, he’d have come with you.”

  Colin didn’t acknowledge her one way or the other and Noelle knew he hadn’t told George.

  “I have to go, so could you please get your coat?” he asked.

  “I was willing to trust what we shared even though I knew you’d probably break my heart. No. You aren’t afraid of wild creatures or even some lunatic, but you’re afraid of love, Colin Mayes.”

  “Can we talk about this later?”

  She stared at him a long time, then she sighed. “I never would have kissed you if I hadn’t had feelings for you. And I certainly never would have made love to you. Whether you believe me or not, my feelings were not lies. In the beginning I was afraid to trust you because of your reputation. You weren’t exactly squeaky clean with women, but from the beginning, I thought you were truthful with me. That you were worth the risk. That you weren’t lying. That you felt something for me, too.”

  Colin didn’t know what to say. He needed time to deal with this, time he didn’t have right then.

  “So you’re going to ignore me totally,” he finally heard Noelle say. Deep in his own thoughts, he’d completely zoned her out.

  “Get your coat, please,” Colin finally said.

  “Fine.” She headed to the back of the house.

  For the first time since his son’s death, George entered Mackenzie’s room. Dust covered every surface because he didn’t allow Leila to clean it. And since he was grieving so, she wouldn’t fight him on it.

  There were trophies and ribbons on the bookshelves. He touched them lovingly, remembering the time he’d spent at his son’s games, and school and church plays. He was grateful that he’d participated in his son’s life, that he hadn’t let work interfere.

  George picked up a photo of Mackenzie. There were many of him at different ages, and most of them were either on horseback or with horses.

  Mackenzie was a large-animal vet. He’d enjoyed horses from the time he was no more than a young lad, when George would set him in front of him on the horse. George’s wife—Mackenzie’s mother—would come running out the door afraid the horse would rear up and tumble them both to the ground. But Mackenzie could never ride enough.

  And then he saw pictures he’d never paid much attention to before. Pictures of Mackenzie and Noelle, taken when she’d spent summer vacations at her grandparents’ home. Some were of her at summer camp when Mackenzie had taught her to ride. One was in Mackenzie’s veterinary office. One was of her when she was older and riding a bicycle in a neighborhood of adobe houses and tropical plants. She looked unaware the picture was being taken.

  George didn’t realize that tears were running down his face until he felt the wetness on his cheeks. He swiped them away.

  God had a way of working things out, he thought. If Mackenzie had asked his counsel on doing something as crazy as being a sperm donor, George would have argued with him day in and day out. But look at the precious gift he’d left his father. George smiled past the tears. Noelle looked just like a female Mackenzie. She was a beauty—and he wasn’t prejudiced just because she was his granddaughter.

  George spotted the register from Mackenzie’s wake. Leila must have placed it there. Franklin and Harriet Greenwood’s names and phone number were in there. He remembered they’d attended Mackenzie’s funeral.

  He’d jumped the gun, he realized suddenly. He should have spoken to Noelle’s parents before he made plans for the party. It was never his intention to exclude or disrespect the couple who’d raised her, who were still the most important part of her. It was Mackenzie’s decision to bow out of her existence after giving her life.

  George sat on the bed and picked up the phone. It was seven in the morning in California. He dialed the Greenwoods’ number, hoping they didn’t leave early for work.

  “I’m George Avery,” he said when Franklin Greenwood responded. “It recently came to my attention that your daughter, Noelle, is my granddaughter. With your permission I want to announce her to my family. If you agree, I’d like to invite you to attend the party along with Gregory. He’s a wonderful young man. I’m aware that both your parents are deceased, so I’m hoping you’ll let me be a grandfather to her.” He held his breath while he waited for the response. He knew Noelle was old enough to make her own decisions, but if he wanted a stress-free relationship with her, he had to get along with her family. George believed in family.

  Franklin and George had a lengthy and pleasant conversation before Franklin said he would talk it over with his wife and call him that evening.

  George knew he’d have to include Noelle’s brother, too. He didn’t want to create a division among siblings. And he remembered the two were close. He liked that. Many times he’d wished he’d given Mackenzie the siblings he’d wanted.

  After hanging up the phone, George collected some of the pictures and placed a few in his room and more in the den downstairs.

  “Leila!” he called out.

  She came running out of the kitchen with a dish towel in her hand. “What is it?”

  “Can you get one of the cleaning women to clean Mackenzie’s room?”

  Leila’s just stared at him until she gained her composure. “I’ll do it myself…right away.”

  George stifled a smile. She continued to stand as if rooted to the floor while she watched him don his coat and boots and leave the house. “I’ll be back for lunch,” he called over his shoulder. He frowned when he saw two of the farm trucks arriving filled with men. Why were they gallivanting about when they had a mare Diamond Spirit needed to cover?

  Colin didn’t want to think too much about his conversation with Noelle. The good thing about a thoroughbred farm wa
s there was always enough work to keep his mind occupied. Right now he’d just gotten off the phone with the vet who had called to update Colin on the breeding session. He’d used a teaser horse to test the mare to see if she was ready for Diamond Spirit to mount her. When it was apparent the mare wasn’t, he’d used the horse for foreplay.

  Colin shut his phone and urged his truck faster to the farm. He’d picked up Noelle, who sat beside him, asking questions about the breeding while absentmindedly petting the dog she’d insisted on bringing.

  How was he going to make up for the way he’d treated her? He wanted to make things right, but it wasn’t going to be easy. He smiled. At least she still loved him if he could believe that long speech she’d given.

  He came to a halt at the house and hopped out, bringing the dog with him. The last thing he needed was that animal disturbing the horses. He ran into the house.

  “Leila! Leila!”

  “What is it?” she asked just before she appeared at the top of the stairs. “Everybody’s screaming today.”

  “I’m leaving Noelle’s dog with you.”

  “Not in this house, you’re not.”

  “She’s not coming with us to the breeding shed. I have to go,” he said, leaving the dog in the foyer. As he left, he heard Leila muttering as she descended the stairs. That’s what she got for talking George into getting the dog for Noelle in the first place, although, after William’s escapade, Colin was glad for it.

  By the time they drove to the shed, the men were leading the teaser away. Colin walked up to the vet. “Is she ready?”

  “Red-hot,” the shorter man said. Colin introduced him to Noelle on the way into the shed.

  She looked puzzled, seeing the mare’s hind feet being covered with padded boots.

  “The boots keep the mare from damaging Diamond Spirit if she kicks,” Colin explained.

  And then a handler led Diamond Spirit into the shed. He was frisky and seemed to know exactly why he was there. One of the workers held the mare’s tail while Diamond Spirit approached the mare. When he covered her, the handler held her reins. A video camera recorded the session just in case the owner questioned them.