by Nora Roberts
She turned on her heel and marched away, focusing intensely on measuring out grain.
“Why don’t we talk of something safe?” he suggested. “Like what I think about Royal Meadows. I’ve worked on farms and around tracks since I was ten. Stableboy, exercise boy, groom. Working my way up, hustling my way through. Twenty years means I’ve seen all sides of training, racing and breeding. The bright and the dark. And in twenty years, I’ve never seen brighter than Royal Meadows.”
She paused, and her gaze shifted to his face before she began to add supplements to the grain.
“To my way of thinking, there aren’t many people as worthy as one good horse. Your parents are admirable people. Not just for what they have, but much more for what they’ve done, and what they do with it. I’m honored to work for them. And,” he said when she turned to him again, “they’re lucky to have me.”
She laughed. “Apparently they agree with you.” Shaking her head, she moved by to start the feeding, and as she passed him he breathed in the scent of her hair, of her skin.
“But you’re not sure you do. Though you don’t seem to have much interest in the workings of the farm itself.”
“Don’t I?”
He studied the neatly typed list on the wall that indicated which supplements in what amounts were added for each particular horse for the evening feed. “I see your sisters and your brothers on a daily basis,” he commented as he began to fix Teddy’s meal. “Everyone in your family, down at the shedrow, or at the track, but you.”
She could have told him the time and placement of every horse they’d run that past week. Which were being medicated, which mares were breeding. Pride kept her silent. She preferred thinking of it as pride, and not sheer stubbornness.
“I suppose your little school keeps you busy.”
Her teeth clamped together, wanted to grind, but she spoke through them. “Oh, yes, my little school keeps me busy.”
“You’re a good teacher.” He moved to Teddy’s box.
“Thank you so much.”
“No need to be snotty about it. You are a good teacher. And one of those rich kids might stick it out, rather than getting bored once horse fever’s passed.”
“One of my rich kids,” she murmured.
“It takes skill, endurance, and money, doesn’t it, to compete in horse shows? I don’t follow show jumping myself, though I’ve found it pretty enough to watch. You might be training yourself a champion. The Royal International or Dublin Grand Prix. Maybe the Olympics.”
“So, let’s see if I get this. Rich kids compete in horse shows and win blue ribbons and those who aren’t so privileged do what? Become grooms?”
“That’s how the world works, doesn’t it?”
“That’s how it can work. You’re a snob, Brian.”
He looked up, flabbergasted. “What?”
“You’re a snob, and the worst kind of snob—the kind who thinks he’s broad-minded. Now that I know that, you don’t bother me at all.”
The stable phone rang, delighting her. Whoever was on the other end not only had perfect timing but they had her gratitude. It gave her great pleasure to see the absolute shock on Brian’s face as she walked to the phone.
“Royal Meadows Riding Academy. Would you hold one moment, please.” With a friendly smile, she laid a hand over the receiver. “Really, I can finish up here. I’m keeping you from your work.”
“I’m not a snob,” he finally managed to say.
“Of course you wouldn’t see it that way. Can we discuss this another time? I need to take this call.”
Irked, he shoved the scoop back in the grain. “I’m not the one wearing bloody diamonds in my ears,” he muttered as he stalked out.
***
It put him out of humor for the rest of the day. It stuck in his craw and festered there. A nasty little canker sore on the ego.
Snob? Where did the woman get off calling him a snob? And after he’d made the effort to be friendly, even compliment her on her snooty little riding academy.
He did the evening check himself, as was his habit, and spent considerable time going over the prime filly who was to head down to Hialeah to race there. Travis wanted Brian to go along for this one, and he was more than happy to oblige.
It would do him a world of good to put a thousand miles or so between himself and Keeley.
“Shouldn’t be looking in that direction, even for a blink,” he muttered, then nuzzled the filly. “Especially when I’ve got a darling like you in hand. We’ll have us a time in Florida, won’t we, you and me?”
“Poker game tonight,” one of the grooms called out as Brian left the stables. He added an eyebrow wiggle and a grin to the announcement.
“I’ll be back then. And it’ll be my pleasure to empty your pockets.” But for now, he thought, he had paperwork of his own.
When he returned from Florida they’d separate the foals from their mothers. The weanlings would cause a commotion the first day or so. And the yearling training would begin in earnest. He had charts to make, schedules to outline, plans to ponder.
And he wanted to put a great deal of personal time into the forming of Bad Betty.
***
He had no business detouring toward Keeley’s stable. Still it would only take a minute, Brian told himself, to set the woman straight.
But instead of Keeley, he found her sister. Sarah stopped her dash past him and waved. “Hi. Wonderful evening, isn’t it? I’m going to take advantage of it and sneak in a ride before sunset. Want to join me?”
It was tempting. She was good company, and he hadn’t felt a horse under him in weeks. But there was work. “I’d love to, another time. You riding one of Keeley’s?”
“Yeah. She’s always up for someone to exercise one of her babies. The kids don’t give them much of a workout, so they can get stale. Or bored. Her Saturday class is a little more advanced, but still.”
He fell into step beside her. “I don’t suppose an hour of posture and posting does much for the horses.”
“Oh, she lets them out to pasture, and rides herself whenever she can fit it in. Which isn’t as much as she’d like, but the kids are the priority. And that hour of posture and posting does a lot for them.”
He made a noncommittal sound as they rounded the building. He hoped Keeley was still inside what he supposed was an office. He wanted a word with her. “I saw part of her class today.”
“Did you? Aren’t they cute? Today’s what . . . oh, yeah, Willy. Did you notice the little guy, dark hair and eyes? He rides Teddy.”
“Aye. He has good form, and he’s cheerful about it.”
“He is now. He was a scared little rabbit when Keeley took him on.” Sarah swung into the stables, headed directly for the tack room.
“Afraid of horses?”
“Of everything. I don’t know how people can do that to a child. I’ll never understand it.”
“Do what?”
She chose her tack, murmuring thanks when Brian took the saddle from her. “Hurt them.” She glanced back. “Oh, I thought since you’d seen the class, Keeley would have told you the whole deal about the school.”
“No.” He took the saddle blanket as well. “We didn’t get to that. Why don’t you tell me the whole deal?”
“Sure.” She went to the old mare, cooed. “There’s my girl. Want to go for a ride? Sure you do.” She slipped the bridle on, fixed the bit, then led the mare out. “I don’t know if it started with the horses or the kids. It all seemed to happen at the same time. She bought Eastern Star first. He was a Thoroughbred, five years old, and he hadn’t lived up to his potential. According to the owners. They pumped him up before a race.”
“Drugged him.”
“Amphetamines.” Her pretty face went hard. “They got cau
ght, but they’d damaged Star’s heart and kidneys in the process. She bought him. We nursed him, did everything we could. He didn’t last a year. It still gets me,” Sarah murmured.
She shook her head and began to saddle her mount. “After that it was like a mission to Keeley. So I guess the horses came first. She put this place together, and got the word out that she was opening a small academy. The ones who can pay a very stiff fee to have her teach their kids—and she’s worth it. Those stiff fees help subsidize the other students.”
“What other students?”
“Ones like Willy.” Sarah cinched the saddle, checked the stirrups. “Underprivileged, abused, circling-the-system kids. She takes them for nothing—no, she hunts them up, sponsors them, outfits them, works with a child psychologist. It’s why she doesn’t have as much time to ride as she used to. Our Keeley doesn’t do anything halfway. She’d take more on, but she wants to keep the classes small so each kid gets plenty of attention. So she’s campaigning for other academies, other owners to start similar programs.”
Sarah patted the mare’s neck. “I’m surprised she didn’t mention it. She rarely misses an opportunity to talk someone into getting involved.”
With a cheerful smile, she vaulted into the saddle. “Listen, would you like to come up for dinner? I hear Dad’s grilling chicken.”
“Thanks all the same, but I’ve plans. Enjoy your ride.”
He had plans all right, he thought as Sarah trotted off. To eat crow. He wasn’t sure what it tasted like, but he already knew he wasn’t going to enjoy it.
He walked around to the office, knocked. He supposed if he’d been wearing a hat, he’d have held it in his hands. When she didn’t answer, he opened the door, glanced in.
Neat, organized, as expected. The air smelled of her—just the faintest echo of scent.
But everything inside was designed for business. A desk—with a computer he imagined was a great deal more in use than Paddy’s—a two-line telephone and a little fax machine. File cabinets, two trim chairs and a small fridge. Curious, he walked in and opened it. Then had to grin when he saw it was stocked with bottles of the soft drink she seemed to live on.
A scan of the walls had the grin turning to a wince. Blue ribbons, medals, awards were all neatly framed and displayed. There were photographs of her in formal riding gear flying over jumps, smiling from the back of a horse or standing with her cheek pressed to her mount’s neck.
And in a thick frame was an Olympic medal. A silver.
“Well hell. We’ll make that two portions of crow,” he murmured.
Chapter Four
It was his fault. She could put the blame for this entirely on Brian Donnelly’s shoulders. If he hadn’t been so insufferable, if he hadn’t been there being insufferable when Chad had called, she wouldn’t have agreed to go out to dinner. And she wouldn’t have spent nearly four hours being bored brainless when she could’ve been doing something more useful.
Like watching paint dry.
There was nothing wrong with Chad, really. If you only had, say, half a brain, no real interest outside of the cut of this year’s designer jacket and were thrilled by a rip-roaring debate over the proper way to serve a triple latte, he was the perfect companion.
Unfortunately, she didn’t qualify on any of those levels.
Right now he was droning on about the painting he’d bought at a recent art show. No, not the painting, Keeley thought wearily. A discussion of the painting, of art, might have been the medical miracle that prevented her from slipping into a coma. But Chad was discoursing—no other word for it—on The Investment.
He had the windows up and the air-conditioning blasting as they drove. It was a perfectly beautiful night, she mused, but putting the windows down meant Chad’s hair would be mussed. Couldn’t have that.
At least she didn’t have to attempt conversation. Chad preferred monologues.
What he wanted was an attractive companion of the right family and tax bracket who dressed well and would sit quietly while he pontificated on the narrow areas of his interest.
Keeley was fully aware he’d decided she fit the bill, and now she’d only encouraged him by agreeing to this endlessly tedious date.
“The broker assured me that within three years the piece will be worth five times what I paid for it. Normally I would have hesitated as the artist is young and relatively unknown, but the show was quite successful. I noticed T.D. Giles considering two of the pieces personally. And you know how astute T.D. is about such things. Did I tell you I ran into his wife, Sissy, the other day? She looks absolutely marvelous. The eye tuck did wonders for her, and she tells me she’s found the most amazing new stylist.”
Oh God, was all Keeley could think. Oh God, get me out of here.
When they swung through the stone pillars at Royal Meadows, she had to fight the urge to cheer.
“I’m so glad our schedules finally clicked. Life gets much too demanding and complicated, doesn’t it? There’s nothing more relaxing than a quiet dinner for two.”
Any more relaxed, Keeley thought, and unconsciousness would claim her. “It was nice of you to ask me, Chad.” She wondered how rude it would be to spring out of the car before it stopped, race to the house and do a little dance of relief on the front porch.
Pretty rude, she decided. Okay, she’d skip the dance.
“Drake and Pamela—you know the Larkens of course—are having a little soirée next Saturday evening. Why don’t I pick you up at eightish?”
It took her a minute to get over the fact he’d actually used the word soirée in a sentence. “I really can’t, Chad. I have a full day of lessons on Saturday. By the time it’s done I’m not fit for socializing. But thanks.” She slid her hand to the door handle, anticipating escape.
“Keeley, you can’t let your little school eclipse so much of your life.”
Her hand stiffened, and though she could see the lights of home, she turned her head and studied his perfect profile. One day, someone was going to refer to the academy as her little school, and she was going to be very rude. And rip their throat out. “Can’t I?”
“I’m sure it amuses you. Hobbies are very satisfying.”
“Hobbies.” She bared her teeth.
“Everyone needs an outlet, I suppose.” He lifted a hand from the wheel and gracefully waved away over two years of hard work. “But you must take time for yourself. Just the other day Renny mentioned she hadn’t seen you in ages. After all, when the novelty wears off, you’ll wonder where all this time has gone.”
“My school is not a hobby, an amusement, or a novelty. And it is completely my business.”
“Naturally. Of course.” He gave her a patronizing little pat on the knee as he stopped the car, shifted toward her. “But you must admit, it’s taking up an inordinate amount of your time. Why it’s taken us six months to have dinner together.”
“Is that all?”
He misinterpreted the quiet response, and the gleam in her eyes. And leaned toward her.
She slapped a hand on his chest. “Don’t even think about it. Let me tell you something, pal. I do more in one day with my school than you do in a week of pushing papers in that office your grandfather gave you between your manicures and amaretto lattes and soirées. Men like you hold no interest for me whatsoever, which is why it’s taken six months for this tedious little date. And the next time I have dinner with you, we’ll be slurping Popsicles in hell. So take your French tie and your Italian shoes and stuff them.”
Utter shock had him speechless as she shoved open her door. As insult trickled in, his lips thinned. “Obviously spending so much time in the stables has eroded your manners, and your outlook.”
“That’s right, Chad.” She leaned back in the door. “You’re too good for me. I’m about to go up and weep into my pillow over it.”
/>
“Rumor is you’re cold,” he said in a quiet, stabbing voice. “But I had to find out for myself.”
It stung, but she wasn’t about to let it show. “Rumor is you’re a moron. Now we’ve both confirmed the local gossip.”
He gunned the engine once, and she would have sworn she saw him vibrate. “And it’s a British tie.”
She slammed the car door, then watched, narrow-eyed, as he drove away. “A British tie.” A laugh gurgled up, deep from the belly and up into the throat so she had to stand, hugging herself, all but howling at the moon. “That sure told me.”
Indulging herself in a long sigh, she tipped her head back, looked up at the sweep of stars. “Moron,” she murmured. “And that goes for both of us.”
She heard a faint click, spun around and saw Brian lighting a slim cigar. “Lovers’ spat?”
“Why yes.” The temper Chad had roused stirred again. “He wants to take me to Antigua and I simply have my heart set on Mozambique. Antigua’s been done to death.”
Brian took a contemplative puff of his cigar. She looked so damn beautiful standing there in the moonlight in that little excuse of a black dress, her hair spilling down her back like fire on silk. Hearing her long gorgeous roll of laughter had been like discovering a treasure. Now the temper was back in her eyes, and spitting at him.
It was almost as good.
He took another lazy puff and blew out a cloud of smoke. “You’re winding me up, Keeley.”
“I’d like to wind you up, then twist you into small pieces and ship them all back to Ireland.”
“I figured as much.” He disposed of the cigar and walked to her. Unlike Chad, he didn’t misinterpret the glint in her eye. “You want to have a pop at someone.” He closed his hand over the one she’d balled into a fist, lifted it to tap on his own chin. “Go ahead.”
“As delightful as I find that invitation, I don’t solve my disputes that way.” When she started to walk away, he tightened his grip. “But,” she said slowly, “I could make an exception.”