by Linda Bridey
“This, folks, is how the Lakota discipline people who misbehave,” Joe said and laughed. He finally relented and Lacey lay panting on the floor.
Eddie got a kick out of the way Deena watched all of this with a stunned expression on her face. He used the opportunity to look Deena over since she was preoccupied. Deena’s thick, golden hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail and he saw that she had a graceful neck. Eddie didn’t know what she bathed with, but it smelled wonderful. As he looked at her dark eyes, he wondered again how she came by them. It was a very pretty and unusual color combination.
Then he turned his eyes away from Deena before someone noticed his study of her. Lacey had returned to her seat again. Her face was pink and she was still breathless. She gave Joe a suspicious, dirty look while he just smiled at her. Emily came running into the dining room in her nightgown and climbed up on Randall’s lap.
Deena thought that the reserved Englishman would scold her, but instead he started inquiring as to how she’d slept. Emily was only too happy to tell him as she took a bite of sausage from Randall’s plate and popped it into her mouth. Randall reminded her that ladies didn’t speak with their mouths full and she stopped talking and chewed quickly.
As Deena looked around the table, she saw that everyone smiled and laughed when Emily asked if Randall was coming to her tea party later that day.
“Are you serving Earl Grey tea, Miss Emily?” Randall asked.
“Oh, yes. It’s the best. And we shall have some scones, too. You prefer the blueberry ones, if memory serves,” Emily returned in an English accent.
“My, but you do have an excellent memory. Then I shall be delighted to attend your party. What time shall I arrive?”
“Three o’clock on the dot,” Emily said.
“Very well. I shan’t be late,” Randall said. “Now, run along and let Addie know so she may prepare the scones.”
“Yes, sir,” Emily said. She kissed Randall and scooted off his lap. Her chestnut curls bounced as she ran hollering, “Miss Addie, we gotta make scones!”
Randall chuckled and sipped his coffee.
Deena asked, “So there really is a tea party?”
Lacey said, “They have tea almost every day. Don’t you, Randall?”
“Yes. I never miss an opportunity to enjoy tea,” the butler agreed. “Or blueberry scones. Addie makes splendid blueberry scones.”
“All right, Miss Deena, show me what you can do,” Joe said as he put his napkin on his plate and stood up. He kissed Lacey and Timmy and started through the sunroom.
Deena followed suit and quickly caught up to Joe, who held the door for her. Eddie followed close behind them. Deena was glad that she hadn’t eaten much because she felt slightly nauseous from nerves.
“So tell me how many horses you’ve trained before now,” Joe said.
“None, really.”
“Ok. So you’ve never broken a horse before?” Joe asked.
“No. Are you sure you want me for this job, Joe?” she asked.
Joe winked at her. “That’s what I aim to find out.”
Once inside the barn, Joe said, “Bring him on out and hook ‘im up, Deena.”
Deena took a lead rope down and started down the corridor of stalls. She started talking to Leo before she had even reached his stall. Eddie followed her in case there was trouble, but hung back a little because he didn’t want to set Leo off.
She opened the stall without hesitation and the colt nudged her chest and whickered. Deena laughed as she hooked the lead rope to his halter and began leading him out of the stall. Eddie had backed off some more. Leo saw Eddie and let out an angry snort. Joe expected Deena to stop bringing Leo on, but she didn’t. The colt’s tail swished back and forth increasingly fast and still Deena kept coming towards Eddie.
As they came out onto the barn floor, Leo made a move towards Eddie and Deena sharply said, “No!”
Leo tossed his head and Joe thought, oh boy, here we go.
Deena stroked Leo’s neck and praised him for stopping. He grew calm and nuzzled her shirt, looking for a treat. “I’m sorry, boy. I don’t have one. I’ll get you one later. C’mon over here now.”
Once he was on the crossties, she asked Joe, “What next?”
“Pick his hooves.”
“Ok.”
Joe watched as Leo obeyed every one of Deena’s requests and he grew more excited with each success. “Get a saddle on him,” Joe said to Eddie.
“You get a saddle on him, Joe,” Eddie countered, reluctant to go near the colt.
Deena said, “If you get me his saddle, I’ll put it on him.”
Eddie ran into the tack room and brought it out along with a saddle blanket and a bridle. He came over to Deena and Leo began prancing and moving his hindquarters in Eddie’s direction.
“Stand!” Deena said and shoved back on Leo’s haunches. “Stand!” she repeated.
Leo settled down again, although he did toss his head a little. Eddie gave her the equipment and waited for her to ask for help with it. She didn’t. Calmly, Deena saddled Leo while he stood still except for tossing his head once in a while. Eddie watched flabbergasted as she tightened the girth and then tickled the colt to make him release the air he’d been holding. Then she tightened the girth some more to make sure the saddle didn’t slip.
Eddie gave her the colt’s bridle and she slipped his halter off. Eddie moved and Leo charged towards him. Deena got in front of the colt and said, “No! Shame on you. Stand!”
Joe was having a great time watching the woman take the big colt to task for his bad behavior. Frustrated, Leo reared and whinnied. Deena never moved. “No! Stand!” She put her hands on her hips and moved forward. Leo came back down and squealed. Deena still advanced on him and the horse backed up.
“Now, stand,” Deena said more softly and finished putting the bridle on when the horse stilled again. “Now what?” she asked.
“Let’s get him in the riding ring,” Joe said.
Eddie grabbed Joe’s arm and said, “Don’t you think that’s pushin’ it a little?”
“Why quit now when it’s goin’ so good, Eddie?” Joe said.
“Because teachin’ stable manners is one thing, but no one’s ever been on his back very long, includin’ me,” Eddie replied.
While the men had been talking, they weren’t paying attention to Deena and the colt. She let the stirrups down and put a foot in the stirrup iron and swung lightly into the saddle. Leo turned his head around as far as he could and looked at Deena in confusion. Deena talked to him softly and his ears flickered back and forth as he listened to her.
Eddie looked in their direction and elbowed Joe. “Are you seein’ this?”
Joe stared at the duo and said, “Are we havin’ the same dream or something?”
“Nope. We’re awake. Oh, Lord, she’s not in the ring. What are we gonna do if he starts bucking or runs off with her?” Eddie asked.
“Let’s stay calm about this and have her get him in the ring,” Joe said.
Eddie opened the gate to the ring and backed off from it. “Deena, bring him on into the ring if he’ll go.”
Deena couldn’t understand why everyone had such a problem with Leo. She clicked to him and lightly applied her heels to his sides. Leo swung his head around to look at her again. He was confused. Deena laughed. “C’mon, boy. Walk.” She clicked again and kicked him slightly harder. Leo moved forward a little and then looked at her again.
“That’s it. C’mon. Let’s go,” she said and kicked again.
Leo seemed to get the idea and began walking towards the ring. He balked about going in, however. He seemed mistrustful of the gate. Deena dismounted and tried to lead him through, but he still refused. She talked to him and foot by foot got him into the ring. Deena mounted him again and started walking him.
“Will you look at that?” Joe said in wonder.
“I am and I still don’t believe it,” Eddie said. “Deena, get him to trot.”
“He’s getting it!” she said happily. “He’s gotta be so fast, Eddie. I can tell. He wants to run. He keeps tryin’ to take the bit.”
“Don’t let him have it.”
“I won’t,” she said.
Leo shook his head and gave a playful little hop. Deena laughed and said, “That’ll be enough of that, mister. See? Can’t we get him out and run him?”
Joe didn’t answer. He ran into the barn and started saddling Hamlet, intent on seeing what Leo could do. He rode the stallion from the barn and told Eddie to open the riding ring gate. This time when Deena asked, the colt went through it, albeit a little skittishly. The colt saw Hamlet and blasted a challenge to him. Hamlet barely paid attention to the young upstart, listening instead to his master.
“C’mon, Deena. Bring him over here and let’s have a little race. We’ll just take them as far as where our fences end,” Joe said.
Eddie didn’t like this at all. The colt was untried and was just now learning to obey Deena’s commands. Still, he knew there was no talking Joe out of it.
“Wait a second, Joe,” he said. He came as close to Leo as the colt would allow and said, “Deena, you gotta keep him from takin’ the bit or he’s gonna run away with you. I’m not happy about you doin’ this and I don’t want you to get hurt. Whatever you do, don’t let him have the bit or you won’t get him stopped until he runs himself into the ground. Once he has it, you’ll rip your arms from the socket if you try to take it back. You got it?”
Deena looked down into Eddie’s handsome, concerned face and wanted to reach her hand out to stroke his cheek. However, she simply said, “I’ll keep it from him. I promise.”
Eddie pursed his lips and nodded curtly.
Joe turned Hamlet in a circle and then stilled the stallion. Deena moved Leo up beside Hamlet and got the colt to hold as still as he was going to get.
Eddie said, “One, two, three, go!”
Hamlet sprang forward and Leo followed suit. Deena urged Leo on, determined to make a good showing with the colt. Instinctively, she kept the colt back somewhat, saving his speed and energy so he had something left towards the end of the race. Joe was doing the same thing and Deena was content to let Hamlet keep the lead for a little while.
Leo kept asking to go faster and finally she relented and gave the colt more leeway to run. He moved up on Hamlet and drew even. Joe smiled over at her and she returned his grin. She waved at Joe and gave Leo his head. The colt sprang forward again and stretched out lower to the ground as his strides lengthened.
Joe frowned and urged Hamlet faster. The stallion responded and eagerly increased his speed. Hamlet could not completely catch the colt, however. He got to within a length of Leo and hung in there. Hamlet’s ears swept back and Joe knew the stallion was running as hard as he could. Leo’s ears were still pricked forward as they passed the finish line. Deena put a hand in the air and let out a victory cry.
She started pulling the colt back and he didn’t like it at all. He began fighting her and she had to talk him down to trot. Getting him turned around, she saw Joe waiting for her. As she rode up, he was grinning.
“Holy hell, Deena. That was a pretty piece of riding. Let’s go on back. Look at that. He didn’t even break much of a sweat,” Joe said. Without thinking, Joe reached out and patted Leo’s neck.
The colt squealed and sidestepped a little. Deena easily kept her seat and brought him under control again. Eddie was smiling as they rode up to him.
“Eddie, I haven’t seen a horse run like that since… Lance,” Joe said and had to clear his throat when it became constricted with emotion.
Joe’s pure white Thoroughbred stallion, Lancelot had been the apple of Joe’s eyes, but had been killed in a barn fire seven years ago. Joe still missed the horse and rarely spoke of him because it was so painful.
Eddie said, “I was thinking the same thing, Joe. It makes sense since he’s from that line.”
Joe nodded. “We just haven’t produced anything like that until now. Deena you did a fantastic job. Eddie, if you don’t hire her full-time, I will.”
“I swear it’s like you read my mind sometimes, Joe. If she can do that with him, just think what she can do with our other colts and our fillies, too,” Eddie said. “She’s a natural. She knows how to ride low over his neck and how to hold him back. I watched her the whole time. I knew that colt was gonna catch Hamlet and leave him in the dust. It was beautiful to watch.”
Joe laughed. “I could feel him breathin’ down our necks.”
Eddie said, “So what do you think, Deena. Wanna work for me full-time? I’ll increase your pay two dollars a week.”
Deena was stunned and so happy that all she could do was nod with a big smile on her face. “Yes!”
Joe laughed. “Poor Horace. I just stole one of his best waitresses. He’ll find someone else. Again, welcome aboard, Deena. We’re gonna keep you busy. Thanks for the race and all you did with Leo. I’m leavin’ later than I wanted, but I wouldn’t have missed that for anything. Eddie, will you put Hamlet away for me, please? I’ll get Romeo hitched up and take him for a drive.”
Eddie took the stallion from Joe and said, “Sure, boss. C’mon, Deena. I’ll show you the cooling area.”
Deena dismounted and followed Eddie with Leo.
After their respective horses had been taken care of, Eddie took Deena into his office and shut the door. He pulled out two shot glasses and a bottle of bourbon from a desk drawer and poured her a shot.
“Here’s to a job well done,” he said and raised his glass.
Deena asked, “Isn’t a little early for this?”
“Normally, but we’re celebrating. C’mon, Deena,” Eddie coaxed.
She shrugged and raised her glass. They touched them together and Eddie downed his quickly. Deena drank hers in two swallows and coughed after the second one. Eddie chuckled. “You’ll get used to it. Deena, I’m still not happy about what you did, but I’m ready to let bygones be bygones. That said, I’m gonna treat you like any of the other grooms and work you just as hard. I can’t do anything else just because you’re a woman.”
“Good. I don’t want any special treatment,” Deena said with a nod. “I have to finish out this week for Horace. I won’t leave him in the lurch. I’ll come every day to work with Leo, though.”
“I can respect that. That’s considerate of you,” Eddie said as he gazed at her.
In her jeans it was easier to see her figure and Eddie liked what he saw. She wasn’t as voluptuous as some women and that was just fine with him. Her curves were more slender and her bosom wasn’t as full. But Eddie found her very pleasing to the eye and her build was very well suited to riding.
Deena did much the same thing, the sensual part of her responding to his virile male form. She could imagine what it would feel like to be held by him and to have his lips pressed to hers. Their eyes met and awareness of each other passed between them. Eddie could have groaned as he realized that she was now off-limits to him since he was her boss.
He said, “Well, I’d better go make sure the rest of them are doin’ their jobs. Good work today, Deena. See you tomorrow.”
Deena smiled at him. “Thanks. See you then.”
Eddie watched her walk from the barn, her shapely rear end moving under the jeans she wore.
“Give me strength,” he said. “I should have listened to Joe about her.”
With a heavy sigh of regret, Eddie went back to work.
Chapter Eleven
When Deena told Horace that she was quitting, the big, burly man became unhappy.
He looked at her with dark eyes that always seemed to be a little watery and said, “Where am I going to find another waitress like you? You’re a good worker and everyone likes you.”
“I’m sorry,” Deena said, “but it’s too good
of a job to turn down. You know how bad things have been for us. This money will help out a lot.”
“Yeah, I know,’ Horace said grudgingly. “Thanks for finishing out the week for me.”
“You’re welcome,” Deena said, “Well, I’ll get to work.”
Upon hearing the news, Alice got teary-eyed. She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes as she said, “I’m happy for you, but I’m gonna miss you so much.”
Deena hugged her and said, “I’ll miss you, too, but I’ll come visit.”
“You’d better. Now you get to spend all day with your man,” Alice said with a smile.
Deena did a happy little dance and said, “I know. He’s not my man, though… yet.”
Alice laughed. “C’mon, we better get back to work or the boss is gonna get mad.”
Eddie watched Deena put Leo through his paces the next day and while he admired her skill in controlling the colt, he paid more attention to her womanly figure. Eddie couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her, but he wasn’t going to act on that attraction. He couldn’t since he was her boss now. The situation frustrated him. If only she hadn’t groomed Leo the other day, he would be free to pursue her.
Deena rose in the stirrups to hug Leo’s neck and Eddie groaned softly as he was treated to a clear view of her shapely derrière. How was he going to keep his hands off her when she did things like that? Eddie shifted his gaze elsewhere and tried to ignore the way his body reacted to Deena.
Through her lashes, Deena peeked at Eddie every so often and saw the hungry look in his eyes. She intended to entice make him even more attracted to her. Deena felt it was only fair since he made her feel the same way. She longed to feel those strong shoulders of his and kiss him. Determination to make that happen filled her and Deena used all of her feminine wiles on Eddie.
By the time that week was over, Eddie was driven to distraction by the woman. She seemed to have no idea what she did to him. Deena acted professional, but very womanly. Though she wore jeans, she always wore a pretty blouse that showed her slender figure off to perfection and she smelled so good that Eddie could have gotten drunk on the scent she wore.