by Tonya Kappes
“No.” I shook my head. “I refuse to take something.
“Listen,” she sat back down, “you are like my sister. Hell, I think my parents love you more and I need you. The Lady B needs you.”
“No, thanks to me, the Lady B is dead.”
“No it’s not.” She brushed my hair away from my face. “Birdie called. She and the Sheikh are going to be here to talk to Dad before he makes any decisions. Some girl from the hotel sent your items to Clay’s, but she happened to watch the video of Brilliance you had left behind.”
“Bella?” I asked and propped myself up in bed.
“Yes.” Luvie snapped her fingers. “That was her name. Anyway, she said that she personally took the video to Birdie’s room because they were also staying at the hotel.”
“But Birdie picked me up in a taxi that night.” I recalled Birdie and Bobby.
“When I called her to come get you, she was out being wined and dined. I also told her about Clay. I even sent her a picture of him from the night we had the cook out. She said that she had seen him a few times around Infiniti. That was when she confirmed he was a spy.”
“Asshole,” I muttered and bit my lip. My heart sank, the tears came and I couldn’t control the sobs.
“Listen,” Luvie scooted on the bed and wrapped me in her arms. “Birdie said that she and the Sheikh watched the video. The Sheikh loved what he did with Brilliance and all the old school ways. The old fashioned stuff.”
“Well, great.” I pulled back and threw my hands in the air. “They can have Clay and Infiniti.”
“That’s the thing. Birdie said that when they were gathered for the meeting, waiting on you, Clay showed up.” She smiled. “He quit. He told the Sheikh how they had him come spy on the Lady B so they could come up with a plan or make sure they were first on the bid. He even admitted that they wanted him to sabotage the farm.”
“Sabotage? How?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know the particulars. But I do know that he isn’t in Marfa.”
“How do you know?”
“Bella told me. I called her.”
“Did she tell you about their broken engagement?” Not that it mattered, but it was something I wanted to know about.
“None of that matters. What matters is that you need to get your head on straight.” She jutted the pill toward me. “And you need to get some rest. In a couple days, Birdie and the Sheikh are going to be here.”
“But your dad put me on leave.” I took the pill and rolled it around in my fingers.
“Don’t worry about my dad.” She grabbed the water from the tray Momma had put on the table next to the bed. Water sweat dripped down the glass. She handed it to me. “Everything will work out.”
“Where is Clay?”
“I don’t know. Though there isn’t any evidence he was here when you said he was.”
“Luvie, I know he was here.”
“Why are we worried about him?”
“Because that is who the Sheikh wants to break Brilliance.”
“That’s where you come in.” She pushed my hand toward my mouth. “You are better than Clay. You just lost your confidence. You can break Brilliance. If you are in your right head.”
She was right. I was good at my job. I had broken many horses and Brilliance was still just a horse. I put the pill back in the palm of her hand.
“Here’s to pulling up my big girl panties and doing what I have to do.” It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in taking the medicine, I just didn’t want to mask how I was feeling. At least I had felt alive when Clay was the man I wanted him to desperately be. “It’s nice to know that I fell in love and know that it exists. It might not exist with him, but it can exist.”
“Are you sure?” Luvie asked.
“I’m sure.” I threw my feet over the edge of the bed and let them dangle. “What do you have in store for us tonight?”
Luvie continued to talk about Millie coming over for a movie night, Chinese food, and junk food. Only my mind wasn’t registering most of what she was saying. A game plan was formulating in my head for the meeting with Birdie and the Sheikh.
Bella did the right thing by telling Birdie everything. She might have done it out of spite, but that was when a woman scorned showed her horns. Deep in my soul I questioned whether or not Clay lost his job after Infiniti got the call from the Sheikh about Clay’s role he played in the whole mess.
He was a liar. I wouldn’t put it past him to manipulate his way around the situation and come out smelling like a rose.
“I’m here!” Millie yelled up into the cottage. “It’s raining buckets out there.”
Luvie rushed downstairs to help Millie with whatever she needed help with while I got up and put on some sweats. I ran a brush through my hair and pulled it into a ponytail.
“You are strong.” I glanced at the swollen bags under my eyes, holding back the tears. “You can save this farm.”
I reached under my sink and pulled out my moisturizer. I might not have a lot of makeup, but I did make sure I wore sunscreen and invested in good moisturizer since I was out in the elements all day long.
“I pulled out classics.” Millie held up a couple movies when I walked into the kitchen. “The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles.”
“Perfect.” I smiled.
“Not to mention this.” She pointed to all the candles she had brought and lit all over the cottage. “Lavender will make us all relaxed.”
“I tried to give her one of my little magic pills from the doctor, but she refused.” Luvie plucked a crab rangoon from the little white carton and stuck it in her mouth.
“Good. That means you are thinking clearly on your own.” Millie leaned up against the counter and watched me open all the little Chinese boxes. “Don’t worry. I got your favorite.”
“Thanks.” I grabbed a set of chopsticks and a box of rice along with some pepper steak. “I’m starving.”
“Your momma tried to feed you earlier.” Luvie nudged me with her elbow when I walked by.
“That was when I was out of my head.” I winked and made my over to the couch.
The three of us sat there and watched our favorite movies that were made before we were even born. I might not have been whole, but I was full. My friends knew exactly what I needed. Them.
Chapter Eighteen
The thunder boomed and the lightning clapped all night long. As weird as it sounded, it was soothing to my broken spirit.
Millie and Luvie insisted on spending the night with me after our movie marathon and I insisted that I was fine. Reluctantly, and a few arguments later, both went home leaving me with my thoughts and memories.
The banging on the door had me confused with the thunderstorm.
“Vivian! Vivian!” the voice screamed between the loud cracks in the night sky.
“Who’s there?” I ran down the steps and looked out the window.
A soaked Clay Preston stood on the porch. He saw me. His blue eyes chilled with fear.
“There is a fire!” His voice was urgent. “I called the fire department, but it’s Comet. I couldn’t reach him!”
I flung the door open. By the way he was acting, I knew it wasn’t a sick joke. There was a hint of the smell of fire in the air.
“Are you sure?” Fear tore through me. My heart pounded.
“I called the fire department. Jump in my truck!” He rushed back to his truck without stopping. He didn’t hesitate to see if I was coming. He didn’t have to. I didn’t even bother shutting the door behind me.
The moments leading up to us pulling up to the barn were a blur. All I could see was the barn engulfed in flames.
“Comet! Brilliance!” I screamed and jumped out of the truck before it came to a stop.
“Stop Vivian!” Clay screamed above the faint fire truck sirens that were in the distance.
I didn’t bother to stop or wait to see who was coming as car headlights were pulling up. There wasn’t time.
“Vivian!” Leonard
yelled before I ran into the barn.
“If you are going in, I’m going with you.” Clay grabbed my arm.
The smoke was thick. The smell ran up my nostrils. I coughed.
“Cover your mouth!” Clay tucked his chin and nose inside his shirt. “There is Comet! Where is Brilliance?”
I pointed in the direction of the last stall on the right, which was across from Comet. Both horses were yelping out, in desperate pleas to escape.
“You get Comet and I’ll get Brilliance!” Clay rushed past me.
“It’s going to fall!” I screamed and pointed to the ceiling that was above Brilliance’s stall. The beams were on fire and dangling. “I don’t think you can get to him!”
The hay on the ground was starting to catch and light which only left us minutes to get out.
I pushed the large stall door open and grabbed Comet by the mane. I clicked my tongue and smacked him on the butt to get him to run out of the barn. My bare feet felt hot as the hay around me caught fire.
I glanced back at Clay. There was no way he was going to get through the middle of the barn without getting burned or the barn falling in on him.
“Forget Brilliance!” I yelled right before the roof caved between us.
“You have to get out!” A man in a big black-and-yellow-striped firefighter suit grabbed me, thrusting an oxygen mask at me. “Put it on and get out.”
He didn’t waste any time pulling the large metal opening on the hose. The water gushed out in full force.
I stopped at the front of the barn and looked back. Neither Clay nor the place he was last standing were visible any longer. Between the smoke, the water, and flames, I wasn’t sure if he and Brilliance were going to make it.
Firefighters grabbed me along with a paramedic, taking me to the ambulance where Momma, Leonard, Luvie, and Lucia were waiting.
“Why on earth would you go in there?” Momma cried. “I’m just so glad you are alive.”
“Clay.” I coughed and wheezed through the oxygen mask. “Clay, Brilliance.”
“Please take slow breaths.” The paramedic instructed me and moved everyone out of the way.
“Tell them Brilliance and Clay are in there,” I gasped for air. The realization hit me that I had been sucking smoke. “Tell them,” I begged the man who insisted I keep the mask on and held me down on the gurney.
The man shook his head and got out of the ambulance. I lifted myself on my elbows and noticed he had gone over to Momma. She looked back at me. Her eyes haunted. Our eyes met. She knew.
Frantically, she rushed over to Leonard. Without hesitation, Leonard ran over to the barn right before Brilliance darted out with Clay riding on his back. Behind him came the firefighters just as the barn was collapsing behind them. It was a domino effect.
I lay back with some relief in my heart. Comet, Brilliance, and Clay were out of the barn. The doors of the ambulance closed along with my eyes.
Chapter Nineteen
“I’m fine.” I pulled on the clothes Momma had brought to the hospital the next morning. “Especially since I know Comet and Brilliance are safe and sound.”
There was no need to ask about Clay Preston. I knew he was fine. Last night after I had gotten checked out, the doctor insisted I stay overnight just as a precaution since I had taken in a lot of smoke. Between Momma, Leonard, Luvie and Lucia coming in and out, I had overheard Leonard tell Lucia that Clay was taken to another hospital across town and he was checking out just fine.
“Do they know what happened yet?” I asked Momma. She didn’t say a word.
Like on cue, there was a knock at the door. A uniformed police officer stepped in.
“Vivian Westwood, I’m Officer Prince.” He handed me his business card. “I need to ask you a few questions about last night’s fire at the Lady B.”
“Okay.” I sat back down on the bed, eager to hear what he needed to know.
“Can you start from the beginning?” He took out a notebook and pen from his pocket.
“Sure.” I let my memory dive back into the images of the barn engulfed in flames. “I rushed in to get my Comet.”
“Can you start from how you found out about the fire?”
“Oh.” I swallowed. I wanted to forget about Clay Preston. “In the middle of the night, there was a banging on my door. I was a little confused because I thought it was the storm.”
I paused and watched him write.
“I went downstairs to see who it was. I looked out the window and Clay Preston was soaked on my front porch screaming that the barn was on fire and he had called the fire department. He looked upset and even with our past, I didn’t even consider he was lying.”
“Past?” Officer Prince looked up. His brows rose.
“Um. . .” I took a deep breath. “He and I have a past, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I could tell he wasn’t just trying to get me to talk to him.”
“Talk to him?”
“We weren’t on speaking terms.” I left it at that. It wasn’t like our relationship had anything to do with the fire. “Anyway, I jumped in his truck and he sped to the scene. I didn’t even think about my safety. I had to get in there and get Comet.”
“Comet is your horse.” He continued to write.
“Yes. And Brilliance was in there too.”
“Brilliance belongs to the Sheikh.” He looked up for confirmation. I nodded. He continued, “My understanding was that was not Brilliance’s barn. Why was Brilliance in that barn?”
The relationship thing with Clay wasn’t going away.
“It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got plenty of time.”
“Does my daughter need a lawyer?” Momma chimed in.
“I’m just asking a few simple questions to figure out who started the fire.” He didn’t take his eyes off of me.
“Started the fire?” I asked. “It was arson? Who in the world would do that?”
Panic forced my stomach to clench. Did Clay Preston start the fire to get my attention?
“Yes. The investigation came back this morning that the fire was arson. Someone,” he stared at me, “wanted to burn down the barn and I’m just trying to get your story.”
“I don’t like how your questions are going.” Momma stood up and put her hand on my shoulder.
“It’s fine.” I patted her hand. “I have nothing to hide. In fact, you probably want to talk to Clay Preston. He was the reason Brilliance was in the barn. Earlier in the day he had stalked me on the property. I ran back to call the police because he was trespassing. Grace, my assistant, was working Brilliance and the barn was the closest place to put him while we rushed back to the office. Then one thing after another happened and we left him in there for the night.”
“One thing after another.” He tapped his pen on the pad of paper, “You mean when Leonard forced you to take off for a few days? Then you got upset when he gave Grace your duties?”
“It seems like you already know the history between Clay and me.” I bit my lip.
“I think that you got mad about it, if that is what you mean.”
“It’s not every day that someone tells you that you need a break from a job that you have worked all your life for.” Suddenly, I felt sick.
“That would be a good motive to get back at Leonard.” His accusations stabbed me. “And Clay and Grace.” He shifted his head side-to-side. “That could get ugly too.”
“What do you mean Clay and Grace?” I stood up, feeling like he was trying to get me to admit to setting the fire.
“He has an alibi for last night. Do you?”
“Yes.” My brows formed a V. “I was with my girlfriends, Luvie Beiderman and Millie Gamble. At my house. Watching movies.”
“They left around. . .” He thumbed back through his notebook. “Midnight. And the fire was set around one a.m.”
“I was in bed. I told you that Clay woke me up. Where was he? Why was he on the property?” I asked.
“He was with Grace. At
her house,” he paused and watched my reaction.
His words stung. The thought of Grace and Clay quickened my pulse. Keep cool, I repeated in my head. Someone set that fire. Someone wanted me to be blamed for it. But who?
“He is a single man and she is a single woman. They can date.” I sucked in a deep breath.
“I’m calling Leonard Beiderman. He will give us a lawyer.” Momma stood between me and Officer Prince. “This is over.”
“I think my mom is right. It’s probably a good idea for me to get a lawyer.” I walked around him and began to gather the clothes I had come to the hospital in. “If you don’t mind, I’m getting ready to go home.”
“You have my card.” He stopped just shy of the door. “Miss Westwood, don’t leave town.”
He left.
“Oh my God,” I whispered. Tears filled my eyes. “I can’t believe someone would think I could ever hurt my own horse. I bet Leonard was pissed when he heard that. Where is Luvie anyway?”
“They are at home.” Momma sounded distant as if she were hiding something.
“Momma?” I couldn’t help but see she was avoiding eye contact.
Ahem, she cleared her throat. “I’m afraid Leonard asked me to take a leave until the arson was figured out.”
“What?” My mouth dropped. “First me and now you? I think he has lost his mind.” I searched around for my phone. “Where is my phone?”
“It wasn’t with your clothes.”
I smacked the palm of my hand on my head. “I didn’t grab it last night. I just jumped into Clay’s truck to get to the fire.”
“Viv, dear,” Momma sat on the bed and patted it. “Please don’t get mad, but you are going to come home with me for a few days.”
“No I’m not.” I laughed. “I have a meeting with the Sheikh about Brilliance.”
“No.” She shook her head. She looked down at her hands that were resting in her lap. “Leonard is letting Grace take the lead on that. Are you sure you didn’t start the fire?”
“Mom?” I looked at her like she had three heads. “Are you kidding me? Why on earth would you accuse me of such a thing?”
“Leonard said that the lead investigator found a lighter, your lighter. And it was the lighter that was used to start the fire.” Her words stung.