It was true, never before had Kyle seen him do anything other than love them and leave them. It was a defense mechanism for the strong and macho Xander. If he never let anyone get close, there was no way he could lose someone he loved again. It wasn’t a conscious decision. But he did understand that he was not the type of man who should ever be in a relationship. Knowing this about himself was what made all the one-night stands so easy. He was doing them all a favor by letting them go. His was not a life fit for love; there just wasn’t space for it.
Yet, there she was.
9
The Darling of the Day
“How’d it go in the barn?” Kyle asked Xander as they stood at the helicopter positioned in the middle of the circular driveway at the front of the mansion. Kyle wore a brown suit with a small tan pinstripe, a white shirt, and a tan tie. Xander had had it fitted just for him, just for this occasion. It hung perfectly on Kyle's six-two athletic figure.
“You know I don’t kiss and tell.”
After breakfast with Annie and Natalie, Xander took Natalie to see the horses in the stables behind his house. It had been the first time they had any time alone. Xander let her feed one of the foals with a bottle, then managed a kiss at the edge of the barn. A kiss that still left him buzzing.
Xander wore a tailored slim-fit navy-blue suit that carried a faint light-blue pinstripe. He paired it with a white shirt and a navy-blue tie with a matching light-blue stripe that barber-poled down to the tip. Melanie picked it out because she said it made his eyes pop. Xander was okay with that. And the blue did exactly as she said. Xander stood the same height as Kyle but with an even more solid frame. More like one of the hackberry elm trees at the front gate of the property.
The front door opened, and Melanie sashayed out with Annie and Natalie following behind her. Xander smiled to himself at how Natalie had insisted Melanie go to the Derby with them. You could see it all over Melanie’s face how happy it made her. Annie and Melanie were beautiful in their Derby getups, and Xander could tell Kyle approved by the nudge he gave him in the ribs at first sight of Annie in that red dress.
Then there was Natalie.
Gorgeous to any man, but to Xander, who was such a fan of the Kentucky Derby, in this outfit she borderlined on overwhelming. It was like a look back in time at how ladies used to dazzle their men in the same tradition. Her lavender dress wrapped tightly around her spectacular frame. The semi-shiny satin began about an inch above her knee, and with thin, almost spaghetti straps, it clung to her upper body, revealing her curves without showing too much skin.
Sexy and classy.
Few women could pull this off. It seemed that most believed showing skin to be the only manner in which a woman could be sexy. Lessons could be learned from the severity of this look on Natalie. She had embraced the tradition of the Derby, and that was clear by the way the curls of her hair fell perfectly from underneath her hat. Her oversize hat that still managed to stay understated by Derby standards. A lavender ribbon wrapped around the base of the khaki-colored hat, a perfect match for the dress. The brim extended out several inches and sturdily flopped with each step she took.
“Don’t you ladies look outstanding,” Xander said to the group. As he helped Melanie and Annie onto the helicopter, he stopped Natalie. “You look stunning.”
She gave a curtsy and answered him in the accent of a true Southern belle. “Why, thank you, kind sir, it’s nothin’ but a li’l hocus pocus.” She laughed. He laughed with her and followed her onto the chopper. The five of them strapped in. The rest of the team would travel with Sam by car. They had other business to tend to. The ladies traded their extravagant hats for headphones so they were able to communicate with everyone in the helicopter. The pilot fired up the engine, and three rotor blades began to spin with a grand swooping sound above them.
The captain tapped into everyone’s headphones. “If everyone is ready to go, Mr. King, we will get you all on your way.”
Xander gave the pilot a thumbs-up, and the pilot announced a travel time of only twenty minutes. Xander noticed that Natalie once again gave the chair a nervous clutch.
“First time in a helicopter?”
She looked down at her hands and gave a nervous laugh. It seemed to be a natural reflex for her, one she didn’t even know was happening.
“How’d you guess?” She smiled, and her voice was distorted as it passed through the chopper’s comm system.
The helicopter shook for a moment, then began a gentle rise away from the bluegrass below. Xander wasn’t all that crazy about helicopters himself; too many of his SEAL team missions had been carried out from them.
At least this time I won’t be exiting by squirming down a rope. No rage-crazed terrorists waiting below, either.
Xander glanced around the cabin, and everyone seemed content as the chopper tilted its nose toward Louisville. They leveled off at around nine thousand feet; any higher than that and the cozy unpressurized cabin wouldn’t feel so comfortable anymore. Almost as soon as they were up, they were on their way back down. The majestic twin spires on the grandstand at Churchill Downs pointed their peaks toward the bright blue sky. Severe clear today, son, his dad would say to him when not a single cloud could be found. He knew his dad was looking down on him today. Proud. His dad always loved going to the track. In hindsight it was probably more about spending time with his son than actually betting on the horses. A billionaire betting pennies on ponies wasn’t lost on Xander, even at such a young age. His dad hated losing money.
A crowd of thousands gathered below them. They looked like an army of ants swarming into their hill. The helicopter made its way over row after row of stables until it hovered over a bare patch of grass just off to the side of all the hoopla. Xander couldn’t help but judge every landing by its softness, just a habit he and his fellow soldiers became used to because it would help put their minds at ease with each mission they carried out. Even on a day with perfect conditions, it wasn’t easy to come to a smooth landing in a helicopter.
“Nice one, Harry,” Xander announced with approval. Even Xander was impressed by his pilot’s control. The helicopter came to a stop on the grass like your head as it hits the pillow. Immediately, the smell of horses came to the noses of the group, a smell Xander loved. It was most likely a mixture of hay and horseshit, not a combination that would be loved by most. The pilot shut off the engine, and as the rotors slowed their way to a halt, Xander popped the door open and began helping everyone down to the ground. They were greeted with a smile by a Churchill Downs official.
“Mr. King, my name is Rory. I’m in charge of making sure today goes as smoothly for you as it possibly can.”
Rory was a lanky young man, couldn’t have been a day over twenty-one. His thick combed-over dark hair fluttered in the breeze of the last few turns of the helicopter’s rotors. He extended his hand and darted his eyes around the faces of the group with the excitement of someone who had just been told he would be escorting around a movie star all day.
Xander shook his hand. “Rory, call me Xander. This is Natalie, Kyle, Annie, and Melanie.”
“Wow, Natalie Rockwell. It is such an honor. You are so beautiful!”
“The honor is mine, Rory, and thank you. Aren’t you sweet? It’s nice to meet you.”
“Mr. King—Xander, your sister and your niece arrived just a bit ago and we have shown them to the owners lounge upstairs. And if you don’t mind me saying, I’m a huge fan of King’s Ransom, the horse and the bourbon. It’s all my friends and I drink,” Rory went on. He spoke almost as fast as they could listen. His nerves might have been getting the best of him.
“Thanks, Rory. Glad you all like it. Give Melanie your address later and I’ll send you guys a case,” Xander told him as they followed Rory toward the stables.
“That’s awesome, sir. Thank you! My buddies are so jealous that I get to hang out with you guys today. Anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. Oh, and speaking of King’s Ransom, you ha
ve about a half an hour before they need you in the media room. Would you like to see him? I went by his stall earlier and he was having a little snack.”
“Perfect,” Xander replied, then turned to everyone. “Does that sound good to you all?”
Natalie smiled, “I can’t wait to meet the man of the hour!”
Kyle and Annie agreed, and they all followed Rory to the entrance of the stables. They entered the metal barnlike structure through the back door so as to avoid the media lurking around front. King’s Ransom was the darling of the day. In the weeks leading up to the race, ESPN had done several features of the Kentucky-bred favorite. They even shot a piece at the house before Ransom was moved to Louisville earlier in the week. Gary—Ransom’s trainer—thought it would be best to come early and let him acclimate to these surroundings. It also gave him the chance to run some extra furlongs on Churchill’s track. The media seemed especially keen on Ransom for several reasons. First off, there was the dizzying amount of cash Xander had laid out two years ago on the untested yearling. Second, he had multiple Derby winners in his lineage. And lastly, he was just a gigantic horse. More freight train than Thoroughbred as his head feverishly bobbed its way down the track over his seven-foot frame. The only thing missing was the warning whistle. His midnight-black coat made him all the more ominous. The media was simply captivated by him.
Rory led them down the dirt-covered walkway, passing stall after stall of beautiful horses. Millions of dollars’ worth of horses. Normally, because of the sheer volume of horses parading in and out during the morning, there would be manure land mines to avoid all along this path, but because of the type of people who owned these animals, Churchill had dedicated workers to follow the horses around and make sure all of it barely even touched the ground. It reminded Xander of the summer his dad put him to work on a friend’s farm. It wasn’t the most fun he had had making money, but he loved the horses. It was the chicken shit that really ruined his day.
“This is so exciting, Xander. Thanks for being a little crazy and inviting us along,” Annie said from the back of the pack. The ladies walked gingerly along the path in an attempt to keep from kicking up dust on their pretty shoes.
“Happy you both are here. You make me look good.”
Natalie said, “Can y’all believe that we just met last night? Seems like a week ago.”
“Did I just hear a y’all?” Kyle laughed.
Xander smiled. “I believe you did. She’s gonna fit right in today.”
Natalie gave another curtsy.
As they approached the end of the stables, the air became a little less stuffy. The main stable door was open, and it let a much-needed breeze blow through. The chatter of voices and snapping cameras reached their ears as they turned the corner to the first stall on the second row.
So much for avoiding the media.
A man in a seersucker suit and a tan straw hat approached them as they neared the commotion.
“You want me to get them out of here, Xander?”
“If you think you can without making a stink.” Xander hugged the man, then turned to Natalie. “Not sure how they will react seeing you here, Natalie. I’m sorry, Gary, this is Natalie and Annie. You know K and Melanie. Ladies, this is Gary Trudough, the engine that makes King’s Ransom run.”
Before they could say hello, one of the members of the media noticed Natalie and drew everyone’s attention to her.
“Natalie Rockwell? Is that you?” a woman in a blue dress asked. “Natalie, what are you doing here with Mr. King?”
Natalie stepped to them like a pro. Mainly because she was exactly that. Xander figured she had had swarms of paparazzi following her for most of her adult life. A trip to the grocery store was news in Hollywood when it was Natalie Rockwell.
“Hello, everyone. This is Xander’s day,” she said. Then she walked over to the stall that read “King’s Ransom.” “More importantly it is this beautiful boy’s day. I’m just a friend lending some support.”
“Natalie!” a member of the media shouted. “Natalie, how long have you known Mr. King? Are the two of you together?”
Gary stepped in as Natalie smiled and repeated she was only there for friendly support. “Okay, all right. Thank you all for coming over. King’s Ransom will be available again in an hour. We will let you know. Thank you.” He ushered them toward the exit of the stables.
“Mr. King! Mr. King!” another reporter shouted. “How long have you and Miss Rockwell been a couple?”
Xander just smiled. “The only couple in here you should be worried about is a couple of sad Thoroughbred horses that are going to be watching Ransom’s ass as he crosses the finish line in front of them. I’ll give you all the details on that at the press conference in fifteen minutes.”
The crowd of reporters gave an understanding laugh and made their way out of the stables to give him and his friends some privacy. King’s Ransom gave an approving whinny at the peaceful silence they left in their wake.
“I see this isn’t your first rodeo with cameras and questions,” Xander said to Natalie.
“You have no idea,” Annie chimed in. “This girl crosses the street in Beverly Hills and double that group of cameramen would be nipping at her heels.”
“True story.” Natalie smiled. “You get used to it.”
“I’d end up kicking every single one of them in the teeth,” Kyle jumped in. “That or take a dump right on the sidewalk in front of them. Really give them something to talk about.”
They laughed as Xander nodded his head, knowing full well that was the absolute truth. “Anyway, Natalie, Annie, meet King’s Ransom. Ransom, this is Natalie and Annie.”
The giant horse let out a breath of air and nodded as if to say hello. His stance was one of gallant confidence, his black eyes a quiet fury.
“He is magnificent, Xander. Wow, you said he was big, but, my God, he’s as tall as two of me!” Natalie marveled, admiring the black beauty.
“That’s not saying much,” Annie joked.
Natalie made a pouty face and stuck her tongue out at Annie. They all shared a laugh.
Rory spoke up. “Xander, I hate to interrupt, but you might want to start over toward the conference room.”
“Of course. Would you be kind enough to show them to where we’ll all be spending the day? Maybe get them a bottle of champagne?”
“Absolutely. And there is already a bottle of Veuve Clicquot on ice, chilling as we speak.”
“Good man, Rory. All right, you guys, I won’t be too long and I’ll be right up to the box. Rory, make sure you take care of this pretty lady in my absence,” Xander said, kissing Natalie on the hand and handing her off to him.
Natalie sent Xander an air kiss, and with a smile she walked out of the stables along with the rest of the group. Xander made his way out into the Kentucky sunshine behind them. Various colored roses lined the cobblestone walkway beneath his feet on all sides. Sprinkled in were some fully bloomed dogwood trees bursting with their signature white and pink buds that spattered like a painting against the backdrop of the grandstand. The sun began to bake on the shoulders of his suit, and he could feel the warmth all the way to his skin. Sam was waiting ahead at the entrance to the conference area. She looked especially pretty today, but he knew that after years of complimenting her it would fall on deaf ears if he were to say so.
“All right, Xander, everything is set. We have to go with plan B, however, because we couldn’t bring in everything we needed for your weapon,” Sam told him, all business.
“Sounds good. I told you plan B was more suitable for this son of a bitch anyway. Do we have confirmation that he is here yet?”
“We do. Kulakov arrived alone, twenty minutes ago. He will be easy to spot; he’s wearing a rubbish plaid sport coat with a dreadful pair of striped trousers. He looks as if he dressed himself in the bloody dark.”
“Okay, Sam.” Xander laughed. “Just tip Kyle like we discussed and he will let me know everything is in plac
e when it’s time. I’ll see you in the winner’s circle?”
“I’ll see you back at the house when the job is finished. I’ll leave the winner’s circle for you and Natalie,” Sam replied.
“Ooh, what’s this? Do I detect some jealousy, Samantha? I didn’t know you were so in love with me . . . Humph, all this time . . .”
Sam just turned up her nose and walked away. It was eleven by then, so Xander straightened his tie and walked into the press conference.
10
This Owner’s Box Will Do Just Fine
Natalie took in the scenery on her walk with everyone to the owner’s box. They walked up a set of concrete stairs and outside through a short tunnel. The concrete roof of the tunnel gave way to the massive wooden overhang of the classic Churchill grandstand. In front of her sprawled an amazing view of the track. Beyond the dirt track and the white railing lay a gorgeous display of roses, colored and shaped to form the words The 141st Kentucky Derby. Beyond that, a colossal video screen that marked the beginning of what she remembered someone calling the infield. There looked to be a carnival of sorts happening inside that grass-covered inner ring of the track. Hot dog stands, bands playing, and swarms of people all came together under the deep blue Kentucky sky. She had heard on several occasions that it always ended up an out-of-control party in there. By the time the actual run for the roses took place in a few hours, as she had been told, half the eighty thousand some-odd people in there wouldn’t even know there was a race going on. Bourbon had that effect on people. Natalie had felt those effects far too many times in her life for the idea of the infield to be appealing to her now.
No, thanks. This owner’s box will do just fine.
“Well, are y’all excited?” Kyle bellowed as he walked them into the box and began to work his way into the champagne. There were ten chairs in the open-air box that could be situated any way anyone saw fit. On the two tables that were fastened to a short wall sat a couple of ice buckets, chilling the champagne. Another couple of buckets held bottles of Xander and Kyle's very own King’s Ransom Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. A few mixers and some extra ice were in a couple of buckets on the ground. The races had yet to begin, but hordes of people had already packed the place full of drinking and laughter.
Xander King BoxSet Page 7