The Damaged Heroes Collection [Box Set #1: The Damaged Heroes Collection] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream)

by James, Sandy

  “Yeah, nothing happened.” Other than puking, the rest remained a tad hazy.

  Had they kissed? Katie thought she remembered a kiss. She desperately needed someone to talk to, but she knew Chris wasn’t the right person. She wanted Sam.

  Katie pulled up next to the race office and parked her truck. “See you tomorrow morning. Enjoy your day off.”

  Chris got out of the truck, waved, and jogged toward the dorms. Katie went into the office to check that she had the proper horses entered for the next day’s draw for races. She checked the postings for future dates and then left the race office, heading for the track kitchen.

  “Hey, Katie! Wait up!” Seth called from his window.

  There would be no reprieve so she could have some time to think about a plan of action or the right thing to say. She would have to face him now. Nonchalant, Katie. Just act like it’s business as usual.

  “Hurry up! I’m hungry!” she yelled back before realizing the noise would reverberate in her head like the beating of a bass drum. Katie wondered how people who drank as much as some of the horsemen did managed to function at all. The pounding headache alone was enough to make her swear off alcohol altogether.

  Seth joined her in the parking lot as she put both hands to her temples, rubbing small circles to relieve the ache.

  “Feeling any better?” he asked.

  Favoring him with a frown, Katie practically growled her response. “I’m fine.” She couldn’t think of the right thing to say, at a loss as to what would be her best move. Pretending nothing happened seemed the correct course of action. She started walking toward the track kitchen. He fell in step beside her.

  * * * *

  Standing at the counter in the track kitchen, they ordered their breakfast. Katie took out her wallet and opened it, and Seth saw a strange expression cross her face. It was only there for a brief moment, but he could swear she seemed frightened. That confused him because she’d never appeared to be afraid of anything. “Something wrong?”

  “No,” she snapped. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Boy, aren’t you in a great mood this morning?”

  “Kiss my butt, Seth.”

  Oh, no. He couldn’t just let that one slide. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I’d love to. Bare it.” Her eyes flew wide as she looked properly astonished at his response. God, he loved teasing her.

  Gathering their food, Seth led Katie over to a table away from most of the remaining breakfast crowd. She took the dishes from the tray and dropped them on the table before taking a seat. He settled opposite her, staring at her as they ate.

  She pointedly tried to ignore him as she sipped her coffee. He watched her closely, seeing the turmoil on her pretty face. The tightening of her lips, the lids that hooded the averted eyes. Was she thinking about their kiss? He wished for a moment he could offer her something, anything, to let her know how very much she’d come to mean to him. The attraction couldn’t be shaken. He’d tried to tell himself the tempest had only been a kiss, nothing more. Yet he’d come to the stark realization that he couldn’t get Katie out of his mind, out of his senses. Out of his heart.

  Damn Pops anyway! This is all his fault. It’s about the money.

  Seth sat back and rubbed his forehead to work out the dull ache he tended to get whenever he felt frustrated.

  It was always about the money. Money could buy happiness. Money could buy a future that didn’t include shoveling horse shit and getting up at an unholy hour every morning. Money could buy ease. But money couldn’t buy a kiss like the one he’d shared with Katie. A kiss that really meant something.

  “Hey, Katie!” a blond man in a green baseball cap called as he waved from across the dining area.

  Katie turned and then pasted on a fake smile that made Seth suspicious. “Hey, Tom. How you doin’?”

  “Doin’ fine,” he said, walking over to the table. “You got anything in tomorrow?”

  “Just one.”

  “Would you wanna paddock for me? Chris told me you need to pick up some paddocks and warm-ups when you could.”

  “Which race?”

  “Thirteenth”

  “Yeah. I’ll take it. I’m in the second. And I’ll do the warm-up for you,” she replied.

  “Must be nice to catch the second,” the man said with a chuckle. “I never draw the early races. Thanks, Katie. You’ll have Chock Full of Steam. I’m in barn twenty this year. Steam will be in stall five. Gotta run. See you tomorrow.” He turned and made his way to the door.

  Seth noticed Katie had returned to staring intently at the table and nervously shifting her cup of coffee between her hands. When his gaze finally caught hers, she was suddenly engrossed with a winner’s circle picture from the disco era hanging on the wall next to their table. “Katie, why would you paddock for him?”

  She ignored him, pushed the cup away, picked up a triangle of toast, and nibbled at the crust.

  Seth leaned forward and put his hand over hers. “I don’t understand. What’s up, Boss?”

  Katie pulled her hand away. “I’m just doing a favor for a friend. Drop it, Seth.”

  He wasn’t about to take the hint. “Do you want me to take it? He doesn’t know me, but—”

  “No!” She jumped to her feet and shoved her chair back. “I’ve got it. Just leave it alone.” Katie grabbed the remainder of the food she’d barely touched and pitched it at the wastebasket. “See you later.” She rushed toward the exit.

  Seth hurriedly disposed of his trash and ran after her. “Katie. Come on. Wait up.”

  “I need to go,” Katie scolded over her shoulder as she quickened her pace to a near jog. As fast as she moved, she might as well have been heading for a one-time-only sale at the tack shop.

  “You never answered me.” Seth jogged to catch her. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t seem to drag a word out of her. He finally caught up with her, matching her short strides with his long ones. “Talk to me, Boss.”

  Katie abruptly stopped and let out an exasperated groan. “What do you want? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

  “It’s not in my nature. I live for bugging you.” Her irritated scowl told Seth that humor wasn’t going to work today. “Tell me what’s wrong. There’s got to be some reason that guy thought you wanted paddocks.”

  Katie started to walk away again without a word.

  He stepped in front of her. She stopped and glared up at him with blood-shot eyes, but he wasn’t going to be put off until he got some answers. “I’m not stupid. I know something is up. What aren’t you telling me?”

  She threw her hands up. For once, she hadn’t tried to mask her pain. Or the anger. “Fine! You want to know why I’m paddocking for Tom? I’m flat ass broke! Satisfied now? I wouldn’t expect a rich guy like you to understand.”

  “What do you need the money for? You’ve got twelve horses in your barn. You should be rolling in dough.”

  “Obviously, I blew it on my cocaine habit and those guys from the escort service. I have very expensive tastes.” She shook her head at him as she angrily stomped away.

  Seth ran after her, but she dodged every attempt he made to talk to her. When she reached her truck, Seth grabbed her arm out of sheer frustration and spun her around to face him.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you so pissed off?”

  “You’re an idiot, Seth. You don’t have a clue. Not a clue.” Katie tried to yank her arm away. “Let me go, damn it!”

  “Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”

  “You want to know what’s wrong, Mr. Millionaire? Fine. I have bills piling up on my desk. Vet bills. Feed bills. You name it, I owe it. I need money, and if I have to paddock for everyone and their cousin to get it, I will. Happy now?” Katie tried to jerk open the truck door, but Seth slammed it shut again.

  “What about training fees? Don’t you get some decent money for training horses?”

  Katie fixed a glare at him that could ignite a blaze. “James and Susan pay m
e. And Ross makes sure I get the salary for you being here. But the rest of my owners take their sweet time. The guy who owns Heathcliffe and Miss Daisy is loaded, but he never seems to find the time to send me what he owes me. I haven’t had a check from him in three months. Rich people forget what it’s like for the rest of the world.” Her hands trembled and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “Lots of owners are like him. He’ll pay. Eventually. But the horses still need to be fed now. The rent still needs to be paid now. I still need to buy equipment now. I’m sorry I’m not the brilliant financial success you seem to think I am.”

  “When I get my money—” Damn. He remembered the five-year barrier to any financial help he could offer her.

  Katie narrowed her eyes at him and reached for the door handle again. She obviously hadn’t forgotten. Seth held the door firmly closed; she railed at him in response. “Where do you think money comes from anyway? It doesn’t grow on some big tree behind the barn. Not everyone has a rich father. Damn you and damn your money. You’ll never understand.” She pushed his arm away and reached for the door.

  He finally understood. Katie wasn’t really angry, she was embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to make you mad. I was just trying to help.” Seth planted his hand against the door again to hold it firmly shut.

  “By reminding me how rich you’ll be? Must be nice. The rest of the world has to work for a living, so if you’ll excuse me... I’ve got work to do.”

  “You know that’s not what I meant.” Seth wanted to help, wanted to share all that he had with her. Maybe he’d get her a really good horse—a champion—when she handed him back his life.

  Maybe in five years when she’d forgotten him and didn’t need his help. Seth finally released his hold on her truck’s door.

  Jerking the door open, Katie threw herself into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Seth used his body to block her from slamming the door and driving away. “I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing. Can’t we talk about this? Please?”

  Evidently, Katie’s hurt wasn’t that easily dissuaded. “Seems like we already have, doesn’t it? Can I please go now? Or is there anything else you want to know about me that could be more humiliating than the last two days?”

  “Oh, I get it. We’re talking about last night now. You puked on my shoes. So what?”

  Katie turned her face toward him, and Seth tried to show her one of his smug grins, tried to make her think that the highlight of his night had been her getting sick. He needed her to think their kiss meant nothing to him. Nothing at all. Even if that was a lie.

  In Seth’s mind, he was throwing her a lifeline. She just had to be wise enough to grab it. The kiss had to be forgotten or things could get entirely too hot to handle. “See you in the morning, Boss?” Seth asked, finally moving out of her way.

  Come on, Katie. Please just let it go.

  “Yeah, whatever,” she answered before she slammed the door.

  Seth watched her drive away and wondered if she would be able to forget what passed between them. If she could forget, perhaps she could teach him how because he’d always remember.

  Always.

  Chapter 12

  Seth hung the freshly washed harness on the big hook next to Monterey Jack’s stall. The horse dangled his head over the gate and nudged Seth as he passed by.

  “Ready to get handsome?” He patted Jack’s neck, opened the gate, and led the horse to the aisle cross-ties.

  As he brushed and curried Jack, Seth let a smug smile cross his lips, remembering the training miles they’d completed together that morning. “I told you she’d teach me to train. And it’s only May.” He finished his work and returned his favorite pet to the stall.

  The sound of a vehicle heading down the gravel road drew his attention. Katie suddenly appeared from her room and sprinted the length of the barn toward the door. Her face glowed and she wore a broad smile. She knew something he obviously didn’t, so he followed her outside to investigate.

  A truck pulling a two-horse trailer ground to a stop close to the barn’s entrance. Two older men stepped out and waved to Katie.

  “Grandpa!” she squealed, running to the shorter of the two gray-haired men. He took her in his arms, lifted her off her feet, and spun her in a circle. Her laughter wrapped around Seth’s heart like a warm blanket on a winter’s night.

  When her grandfather finally put her down, she turned to the next man. “Jacob!” The hugging started all over again.

  Once turned loose, Katie hurried to the back of the trailer. A chestnut horse moved restlessly inside the cramped space.

  The animal had to be the stakes horse the Old Man had bought for her. Seth felt a stab of jealousy followed swiftly by overwhelming envy. Katie didn’t know Pops as well as I did, but they shared something special. The love Katie and Sterling felt for their horses gave them common ground.

  Day after day of working in the barn had finally helped Seth understand how much these animals could grow on a person and why horseracing was so compelling. A wave of grief ran through him as he wished he would have spent more time with the Old Man, wished he could have known him on a deeper level, and wished he could have shared this with him.

  Katie moved to grab a lead rope hanging just inside the trailer, but Jacob reached out to lay a restraining hand on her arm. “Best let me get him out. He’s a handful and a half.”

  “I can handle him, Jacob.” The hurt was plain in her voice.

  “I can’t even handle him, Red.” Jacob opened the back of the trailer and stepped up into the empty side.

  Despite every attempt, every trick Jacob used, the stubborn colt refused to budge. Seth had never seen an animal resist leaving a trailer that obstinately. Most horses seemed to hate going in but loved getting out.

  “He’s ill-tempered. I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Jacob cautioned, stepping back outside and shaking his head. “He’s fast as lightning, but a real pisser to work with. Why you took a damn chestnut, I’ll never know.”

  “I don’t care what people say, they’re not bad luck,” Katie replied as she walked around the trailer and peered in the side window. “That’s such a silly superstition. Besides, if you can handle him, I can handle him. And he’s mine now.”

  “Still stubborn as ever, ain’t ya, Red?” Jacob asked with a smile.

  Seth walked to the barn and leaned casually against the wall to watch the fireworks. This looked to be a long siege. Having seen Katie face other willful horses, he knew she wasn’t about to give up. And he didn’t want to miss a minute of what he was sure would be an entertaining and informative show.

  With a good view of the back of the trailer, he watched as Katie leaned her head in the window. He could hear her talk to the colt in a low, gentle voice. The horse calmed his restless movements and turned his head toward her. After several minutes, Katie stepped up into the trailer. After a few more, she backed the colt slowly out. Flashing an arrogant smile to Jacob, she seemed to have the situation well in hand. Then the horse suddenly bolted, dragging her behind as she held tight to the lead rope.

  The colt veered toward Seth. He lunged for the halter and caught it. Between their combined efforts, Seth and Katie finally subdued the animal. Standing on opposite sides, they tried to coax the horse into an empty stall. Despite their best efforts, the chestnut refused to cross the threshold. He backed away then reared, hauling both Seth and Katie momentarily off their feet. She dropped the halter; he held on tight.

  This horse wasn’t getting the better of him in front of Katie.

  As soon as he got back on his feet, Seth jerked the colt’s head down until he was eye to eye with the animal. “Listen, I’ve had it with you. Stop it,” he ordered in a calm but firm voice. Miraculously, the colt maintained the eye contact and stopped struggling. “We’re going in that stall.” Seth inclined his head at the empty enclosure. “Do you want it to be the easy way or the hard way?” The colt gave a slight shake of its head and neck, but Seth wasn’t sure if it was the
horse’s way of answering or just an innocent twitch. Feeling a surge of confidence, Seth led the colt easily into the stall. After releasing the lead rope, he patted the animal’s neck and gave him an affectionate rub. “Good boy. Mind your manners from now on.”

  Seth swaggered over to Katie and handed her the lead rope. He gave her his best arrogant smile. “What was it you said? Ah, I remember. ‘Horses are very smart. They can tell when you’re afraid of them.’” He winked at her. “I especially like redheads.”

  From the flash in her pretty eyes, he could tell Katie wanted to smack him. He was tempted to kiss her just to keep her riled up.

  Kevin Murphy smiled at Seth, rubbing the gray stubble on his chin. “I thought Kathleen was the only one who could do something like that with an obstinate horse. Nice job, son.”

  “Thanks. She taught me everything I know.”

  Katie made the introductions. “Grandpa, Jacob, this is Seth... Shit! Crash Rem... No, it’s not. It’s... um... Reynolds. He’s my new groom.” She looked like she wanted to scream her frustration as her cheeks turned ruddy and she stomped her foot. After a few deep breaths, she continued. “Crash, this is my grandfather, Kevin Murphy. And this is Jacob Schaeffer. They taught me everything I know.”

  “Schaeffer. Any relation to Rachel from the track?” Seth asked, hoping to change the topic so the men wouldn’t get too worked up over Katie’s botched introduction.

  “I’ll go get his equipment.” Katie turned and walked away.

  Jacob’s gaze followed her before he turned back to Seth. “Rachel is my daughter. You met her?”

  “Yeah. I see her in the paddock a lot. It’s nice to meet you both.” Seth extended his hand to the men. After shaking hands, Seth nodded toward the chestnut. “What’s his name?”

  “Who?” Kevin asked. “Oh. You mean the colt. He’s Spun Gold.”

  Jacob snorted. “He’s a big fat pain in the ass is what he is. Even Red will have trouble with him. Needs to be gelded, but she wouldn’t let me cut him.”