Kentucky Rich

by Fern Michaels

  “Sis?”

  There it was again. That lovely word from her brother. “Yeah, Rhy?”

  “This guy is good enough to tie Flyby’s record.”

  “I know that.”

  “Just let him rip in the stretch. Hell, if he wants to rip at the gate, let him go.”

  “Okay. Anything else?”

  “Good luck.” Nealy grinned. “You know what, it feels good up here. It’s been a long time. See ya.”

  “What if she doesn’t win, Metaxas? She’s come so far. Done so much. Do you think . . . ?”

  “You know what I think, Ruby. I think she’s going to be happy with whatever happens. That’s the kind of person she is. She gives it her best shot. That’s all any of us can do.”

  “That night on the porch when we talked she said she got her strength from her own solitude. She said being alone fit her like a good pair of jeans. Isn’t that amazing, Metaxas?”

  “It sure is, honey. You’re taking her under your wing, aren’t you?”

  “I am. It’s time for her to live.”

  “God, I love you, Ruby.”

  “You got that guy ready to drill the hole in my medallion?”

  “He’s in the clubhouse with his portable jeweler’s drill, just waiting.”

  “Now that’s why I love you,” Ruby giggled. “She’s going to win, Metaxas.”

  Nealy worked the coins in her mouth to be sure she would be able to shout to the horse and not swallow them. “Easy, big guy. Easy. We’ve been in and out of the gate a hundred times just the way your daddy did it. Do it like a gentleman. I want him to be proud of you. Don’t look at those other horses. They’re slugs compared to you. You have wings on your feet just the same as Flyby. I want you to use those wings. Here we go!”

  She knew she had the lead the moment she broke from the inside rail, and she didn’t let up. She was so far over Sharpshooter’s head she thought she was going to sail off into the wind. “Fly, baby, fly!” she screamed until her throat gave out, and still she screamed. “You have the lead! You got it! They’re eating our dust.” She didn’t look to the right or the left as the colt reacted to the thundering hooves behind him. They were all behind her. Sharpshooter knew it, too, as he ripped down the stretch five lengths ahead of the others to equal his daddy’s win.

  The roar in the stands was music to Nealy’s ears! “Wherever you are, Josh Coleman, I hope you saw that!” Nealy shouted.

  She turned to see Ricky Vee coming up alongside her. That had to mean he came in second. Dillon Roland must be having a bird.

  “Great race, Nealy,” Ricky said. “Super horse. The minute I saw you fly out of that gate, I knew I didn’t have a chance. You were so far ahead of me there was no way to catch up. You got yourself one hell of a horse there.”

  “He’s not mine, he belongs to my two brothers.” She offered her hand. The jockey nodded and shook it. “I’ll ride with or against you anytime, Nealy.”

  “Nah, this is it for me. I’m getting too old for this.”

  “Don’t say that. Don’t you want a triple Triple Crown? One more and then you really make the old history books. Don’t be so quick to hang it up. See you around, Nealy. By the way, I wasn’t the one who told your pa who you were. I just want you to know that.”

  “Yeah, see you around.”

  Nealy suffered through the ceremonies, the interviews, the well-wishers. The coins safely in her hand, she led the new Triple Crown winner back to the barn, where her family was waiting for her. She held out both coins. Metaxas in turn held the medallion out to the jeweler standing next to him. Pyne stuck his penny in his shirt pocket and then buttoned the flap.

  “Jesus God, sis, you did it! I still can’t believe it. Saying thanks doesn’t seem enough.”

  “It’s enough, Rhy. This is some horse you got here.”

  “He’s got his daddy’s legs, that’s for sure,” Pyne said dreamily. “We got us an honest-to-God Triple Crown winner. I knew he was good, but I didn’t know how good until I saw you let him go. He flew. He had the race from the git-go. I gotta tell you, sis, no other jockey could have ridden him to the crown. You did it. You brought it home for us.”

  “Not bad for a girl, huh?” Nealy said softly.

  “Not bad at all,” Pyne said.

  “Rhy said to let him rip, and I did. He needs to cool down. Let’s all work on him. He needs to feel both your hands on him. Here you go, baby,” Nealy said, pulling a handful of mints out of her shirt. “You get ’em all.”

  “That’s your secret!” Rhy said, eyeing the candies.

  “Plus a few other things that shall remain secret. I’m going to miss him. You take care of him, you hear.”

  “You made history today, Nealy,” Metaxas said happily.

  “In more ways than you know. Uh-oh, here comes someone I don’t want to deal with right now.”

  Nealy’s brothers edged her out of the way as Dillon Roland approached. “Let us handle this,” Rhy hissed in her ear.

  “I want to be the first in line to make an offer for this stallion’s first colt,” Dillon Roland said. “Name your price.”

  “We would do this . . . why?” Rhy asked in a dangerously low voice.

  “To make money, of course.”

  “If I had a rat chewing on my leg and you offered to buy it from me, I’d tell you to go to hell,” Pyne said, just as Rhy’s fist shot forward to land squarely between Dillon’s eyes. “I’m just sorry I didn’t do this thirty-two years ago, you son of a bitch!”

  Nealy leaned over to peer down at the immaculately groomed horse owner. “I think you knocked him cold, Rhy. I didn’t know you had it in you,” Nealy said, her voice full of awe.

  “I didn’t think I did either. It was for you, Nealy. Pyne and I were never really sure he was the one until we read that contract you had Pa sign for the colts. None of Flyby’s progeny can ever be sold to Dillon Roland or his associates or anyone connected in any way, shape, or form with Dillon Roland or under any other name, corporation, or holding company he might use. I don’t know if that’s when Pa figured it out or not. Hell, you know what he was like. He could have known from the beginning. You just never knew with him.”

  “I think he’s coming to.”

  “What the hell was that for?” Dillon said, rubbing his head and blinking away tears.

  “If I have to tell you, then you’re dumber than I thought. Now get the hell out of here. Just the sight of you offends my family,” Rhy snarled through clenched teeth.

  “Look, everyone, isn’t it beautiful?” Ruby said, showing off the gold medallion with the double safety latch and a triple-braided eighteen-inch gold rope.

  “Great race. Wear it in good health, Ruby.”

  “I will. I’ll never take it off. Never.”

  “Did you say something, honey?”

  “No. Just talking to myself.”

  “I have a surprise for you two lovely ladies. We are not heading back to Kentucky today like we planned. Instead, I reserved two luxurious suites at the Plaza in Manhattan. You two ladies are going to get ‘the works,’ you know, hair, massage, manicure, pedicure, whatever, and then we are going dining at a fabulous restaurant so we can celebrate. I’ve also taken the liberty of inviting a very old, dear friend. We are going to party and celebrate your good news, honey, and Nealy’s superior win. Are you with me?”

  “I’m your girl, honey. Wait a minute. All we have is what we’re wearing. Did you . . . ?”

  “Of course. Everything is waiting for you. Can we go now?”

  “Nealy?”

  “Just one minute.”

  They watched as Nealy walked over to the new Triple Crown winner. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his long nose. “You made me real proud today, but the real glory is all yours. It’s stud heaven for you now, big boy.” She laughed in delight when the horse nudged her pocket. “How’d you know I had one left?” Sharpshooter tossed his head back and whinnied. To her brothers, she said, “You need to b
uy these mints by the case. Call me, okay?”

  “You bet!”

  “I’m all yours. A massage is going to feel soooo good. Oh, God, you want me to get in a limo when I’m full of mud and muck.”

  “Nealy, Metaxas owns the livery company.”

  “Is there anything he doesn’t own?”

  “There might be one or two things, but I don’t know what they are. Who cares? In my whole life I have never been this happy,” Ruby said as she reached for Metaxas’s arm. Nealy reached for the other.

  “Let’s go, ladies. Our carriage awaits!”

  Nealy Coleman Diamond Clay’s destiny walked into the restaurant as if he owned the place, which he did, and headed straight to the best table in the house. There were no menus at La Petite, and if a guest dared to ask the price of any dish he knew instantly by the frown on the waiter’s face that he had committed a serious faux pas. Four dishes were served nightly, and the tables turned over once. The first seating was at seven, the second at ten. Their guest list was reserved six months in advance. La Petite was one of six high-end, outrageously priced restaurants owned by one Kendrick Bell and Metaxas Parish.

  The introductions and amenities over, Nealy’s insides were twanging, and her head was buzzing. This was definitely a man she would like to get to know better. A lot better.

  “I’m sorry I’m late. I was upstate this morning checking on one of the other restaurants, and then this afternoon I took two guests to Belmont for the race. It was spectacular, even though I didn’t win a lot of money. I knew Sharpshooter was favored to win, but I couldn’t see myself betting on a horse ridden by a female jockey. I bet on the one that came in second. So did my guests. What is this world coming to? Females riding in horse races! My mother laid down a bundle on Sharpshooter and crowed all the way back home. No offense, ladies, but horse racing is definitely a man’s game.”

  “Really,” Ruby said.

  “Amazing,” Nealy said.

  Metaxas opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind when his wife kicked him none too gently under the table.

  “Does that mean you think women should, you know, stay in their place?” Nealy queried.

  “Well, no, not exactly. There are some things women shouldn’t do, in my opinion. Women are nurturers and mothers. I like women to be women. I like them to look like women and dress like women.”

  “Really,” Ruby said.

  “Amazing,” Nealy said.

  Metaxas played it cool and kept his mouth shut.

  “Why is it I feel like I’m doing all the talking?”

  “Because you are,” Nealy said sweetly as she looked him square in the eye. He wasn’t good-looking at all. His nose seemed off center and his jawline a tad too defined. His hairline was receding, but he had wonderful eyebrows and incredible dark eyes that were now staring at Nealy, a frown starting to build on his face. She knew somehow that he had a beautiful smile.

  “I’m sorry, I do tend to monopolize conversations. What were you saying?”

  “I agreed with you that you were doing all the talking. I understand you own this place.”

  “Metaxas is my partner. We own six other restaurants.”

  “I didn’t ask you how many restaurants you owned. Actually it wasn’t a question at all. Merely a statement. Now I’m going to ask you a question. Are your cooks women or men?”

  “Men of course.”

  “Really,” Ruby said.

  “Amazing,” Nealy said.

  Metaxas continued to play it safe and kept quiet, his eyes full of misery.

  “I’ve never eaten anything I liked that was cooked by a man. Have you, Ruby?”

  “Never!” Ruby responded smartly.

  “I think you’ll like tonight’s dinner,” Kendrick said, looking to Metaxas for help. Metaxas fiddled with his cuff links and refused to make eye contact.

  A devil perched itself on Nealy’s shoulder and spurred her on. “I’m a steak and potatoes girl. With lots of ketchup on the side. Thick chunks of bread with big hunks of butter to sop up the juice. How about you, Ruby?”

  Ruby winked at Nealy. “I’m a sopper from way back. I like my meat rare and bloody. Give me a triple-baked potato with sour cream, butter, bacon bits, chives, ketchup, and a dab of hot mustard. Do not ever serve me chicken. Honey, how about you?” Ruby prodded her husband.

  Metaxas took the safe way out. “I’ll have whatever you all are having. Ken, what about you?”

  “Well . . . I was going to recommend . . .”

  Nealy leaned across the table, a half smile on her lips. “Tell us,” she said.

  Flustered by Nealy’s intent gaze, he mumbled, “I was going to recommend the duck roulades with avocado, pistachios, and pistachio armagnac sauce. We also have a tangerine duck that is quite good.”

  “Nah,” Nealy said.

  Ruby shook her head.

  Metaxas stared at the chandelier.

  “We also have a wonderful sautéed escolar with curry oil and apple mint couscous.”

  Ruby and Nealy shook their heads in unison. Metaxas stared across the room at a painting hanging on the wall.

  “We do have a lovely curry-crusted lamb chop with a garlic wine sauce served with a potato shallot custard,” Kendrick said, a note of desperation creeping into his voice.

  “I don’t care for lamb. If I’m desperate, I can eat it, but I’d rather not,” Ruby said.

  “I don’t like curry, and I’m not crazy about lamb either,” Nealy murmured.

  Metaxas switched his gaze to the beautiful stained-glass window opposite their table.

  “That just leaves our chicken dish, and since you don’t care for chicken, I’m at a loss as to what to offer you. If there’s something in particular you like, I’m willing to go into the kitchen to cook it for you myself.”

  “You cook!” Nealy asked in amazement.

  “Doesn’t everyone?” Kendrick shot back.

  Metaxas felt like he was now on safe ground. “Kendrick is a five-star chef.”

  “Really,” Ruby said.

  “Amazing,” Nealy said.

  Metaxas clamped his lips shut as he stared down at the bowl of fresh violets on the table.

  “If you are serious about the offer to cook for us personally, then I would like French oysters wrapped in spinach leaves as an appetizer. Go light on the paprika. A salmon and sorrel soufflé for the main course with some braised mushrooms with pancetta and pine nuts and perhaps an endive custard. Don’t forget the nutmeg. For dessert, I think I would like a fresh strawberry soufflé. I’ll leave the wine selection up to you.”

  “I’ll have the same thing,” Ruby said guilessly. “Honey?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “What am I missing here? The three of you look like you just put one over on me.”

  Nealy burst out laughing. Ruby joined in.

  “Ken, this pretty lady sitting next to me isn’t just our friend and family member. She’s the one who rode Sharpshooter to the winner’s circle at Belmont this afternoon. I think it’s that tit-for-tat thing women are famous for.”

  Nealy smiled.

  Ruby beamed.

  Metaxas scowled at his business partner’s miserable countenance. “This might be a good time for you to say something, buddy.”

  Kendrick Bell slipped off his chair onto his knees. He reached for Nealy’s hand. “I’m sorry if I offended you. That wasn’t my intention. I’m looking at you sitting here and you’re so beautiful and so womanly and feminine, it’s impossible for me to believe you . . . do what you do. I guess I mistakenly thought you need to be a hard-muscled man to handle a horse. If there was a crow here, I’d eat it. I want you to know you have my deep admiration, and I will never make a mistake like that again. Would you like to marry me?”

  Nealy flushed a rosy pink. “I think I have to get to know you a little better. This city would suffocate me. I could never live here. I need wide-open spaces, and I need the horses. It probably wouldn’t work,�
� she said impishly. “You can come for a visit, and I’ll teach you to ride.” My God, she was flirting with a virtual stranger. And liking it. She took a moment to wonder how Nick and Emmie would like this man with the laughing eyes.

  “I don’t live here. I live in the mountains, where there are trees and grass. I just might take you up on your offer.”

  “Can we eat now?” Metaxas grumbled good-naturedly.

  “Absolutely. How about three T-bone steaks grilled to perfection. Beef straight out of Texas, Coleman beef to be exact. Wouldn’t serve anything else. Some potatoes and a nice crisp garden salad.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” the trio said in unison.

  “I’ll head for the kitchen and put the order in. Any particular wine you’d like, or do you trust me to come up with one?”

  “We’ll leave it up to you,” Metaxas said.

  The moment the restaurateur was out of sight, Ruby turned to Nealy. “So, what do you think?”

  “You mean other than being a typical man? Seems nice. What did you think?”

  “He’s a hell of a guy,” Metaxas blurted, worried that his choice for Nealy was being frowned upon. “He’d give you the shirt off his back, and if you needed a dollar and he only had fifty cents, he’d borrow the other fifty for you. That says something about a man in my book. Plus, he’s a hell of a good cook. He likes the outdoors. Good sense of humor. Has humility. He’s rich, so he doesn’t need your money. Hard worker. Very hardworking. Great smile. Did ya see those teeth? Perfect. Women faint over him. I can’t figure out why some woman hasn’t snapped him up. He’s never married and he’s more than eligible and he has no baggage. Fifty. Fifty is good. Still young. Works out. Likes sports. Loves to dance. Loves animals, especially dogs. Loves music. He’s everything a woman would want.”

  “Enough, honey. I think Nealy likes him. You do, don’t you, Nealy?” Ruby asked.

  “No one is that perfect,” Nealy sniffed. “He seems very nice. You two are matchmaking. Listen, my life is very good. Just because there isn’t a man in it doesn’t mean it isn’t good or isn’t what I want. There weren’t any bells and whistles if that’s what you mean. He doesn’t do anything for me. I appreciate you trying, I really do. I can see by the look on your face that you’re both feeling sorry for me. Please don’t. I have new directions now. I don’t need a man in my life to clutter it up.”