Authors: Sherryl Woods
Maybe it was Cal coming back, she thought as she walked back toward the house. But when the car rounded the final curve in the driveway, she saw that it was an unfamiliar Lincoln, long and black and impressive despite its layer of fresh dust.
The man who stepped out was equally impressive
with his broad shoulders, impeccable navy-blue suit, Italian loafers and a face that had been lovingly chiseled into angles similar to Cal’s. The perfection might have been too much were it not for the slight bend in his nose, indicating that at one time at least this man had played hard and gotten his nose bloodied in the process. Right now there was curiosity written all over that handsome face, so much so that it had Marilou blushing as she went to greet him. Even before he introduced himself, she guessed that this was Priscilla’s hunk, Joshua Ames. Cal could not possibly know two men of calendar caliber.
“You must be Marilou Stockton,” he said, holding out his hand.
“How did you know?”
“Cal mentioned you were here. I must say I was impressed with your resourcefulness in tracking him down.”
“Were you?” she said doubtfully. “He probably gave you hell for it.”
“Actually, he did, but I swore I didn’t give anything away.”
She grinned. “Oh, but you did. Not much, mind you, but enough for me to figure out the rest.”
“But all I said was…” His voice trailed off in genuine bewilderment. “I didn’t say anything. I know I didn’t.”
“You admitted he was still in Florida.”
He blinked and rubbed a hand across his eyes. “I must be spending too much time at my computer.
How did you get from that piece of information to a farm in Ocala?”
“That’s my secret, Mr. Ames.”
“Call me Joshua. All my friends do.”
“And are we going to be friends?” she inquired bluntly.
His blue eyes searched her face for several impossibly long minutes before he nodded. “Yes, I think we are. Where’s Cal?”
“On his way to Kentucky.”
His face registered astonishment, which rapidly gave way to amusement. “Well, well, the coward ran after all.”
Something about his comment told Marilou that Joshua had a pretty good idea of what had gone on between the two of them. “I’m surprised you didn’t know about the trip,” she said with feigned innocence. “When did you speak to him last?”
“About one o’clock this morning,” he said, confirming her suspicions.
“Well, well,” she said, mimicking him.
He caught the amusement in her eyes, and suddenly the two of them were laughing. “I’m sorry you wasted a trip,” she said finally.
“Believe me, I don’t consider it a waste, though why anyone would want to live out here is beyond me, especially a man like Cal.”
“Meaning?”
“He’s a city boy with an incredible head for business. He belongs in boardrooms, not out here mowing grass.”
“I don’t think he mows much grass, actually. He spends most of his time with the horses or studying up on breeding. Believe me, he takes this seriously as a business. Come with me, I’ll show you around. There are some gorgeous horses in his stables already.”
Joshua actually shuddered. “No, thank you. If you have a glass of iced tea, I’d be grateful for it. Then I’ll be on my way back into town. I think I’ve seen enough.”
“Meaning me,” she said, amusement in her voice. “Did I live up to your expectations?”
“I had no expectations,” he contradicted. It was a halfhearted denial. He didn’t seem to feel especially guilty about being so obvious. When Marilou regarded him skeptically, he admitted, “Okay, I was a little worried you might be some sort of gold digger. It wouldn’t be the first time some woman has gone after Cal for his money.”
“I don’t want his money, Joshua. I don’t even want him. I just want to see him reunited with his family.”
Shock registered on Joshua’s face. “Good Lord! Does he know that?”
“Oh, he knows it.” Her gaze narrowed. “Have you known Cal a long time?”
“Most of his life.”
“What can you tell me about his relationship with his family?”
“You’ll have to ask Cal. I don’t gossip about my clients or my friends. Cal is both.”
She nodded. “He made a good choice, then, in trusting you.”
“I will say one thing, though. I wish you luck. It’s past time for him to be making peace with his past.”
Joshua quickly changed the subject then, asking Marilou personal questions about her own background in a way that told her anyone dealing with Joshua Ames would always have to be on their toes. As they finished their iced tea, she realized that she’d given away far more than she’d learned during the brief visit. Still, she had genuinely liked and trusted him.
Walking him back to his car, she said sincerely, “I’m glad we had a chance to meet, but I am sorry you didn’t get to see Cal.”
“Forget it. You’re much prettier than he is,” he said.
“Will you come to dinner when Cal gets back?” she asked.
“I’m not so sure I can stand this much fresh air again. Get Cal to bring you over to Daytona.”
She grinned at him. “Is this your way of telling me you’ve decided he’s safe out here with me?”
“I guess that’s one way of looking at it. Mind if I give you one piece of advice?” he asked, his expression suddenly sober.
“Of course not.”
“I still don’t know exactly what business about his family brought you here, but Cal is a man who’s had his heart broken one too many times. I think whatever your reason for coming, he’s far more attracted to you
than he’s admitted even to me. If he doesn’t mean anything to you, you might want to think about going before he gets back.”
Marilou nodded.
He touched her cheek. “No offense?”
“No. I’m glad you care enough about him to speak your mind. I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know how things will end up between the two of us, but I care enough to stick around and find out.” She sighed ruefully. “Judging from today’s escape, I’m not so sure Cal is equally open to the possibilities.”
“He’ll come around once he sees that you’re not playing games with him. Just be sure that’s what you want.”
“I’ll think it through. I promise.”
“Then that’s good enough for me.”
* * *
Over the next few days, Joshua’s advice was constantly on her mind. She reveled in the backbreaking work that Chaney assigned, because it made it easier to get through the lonely nights when her thoughts strayed invariably to Cal and the relationship that was blossoming so unexpectedly between them, a relationship fraught with complications. Despite the difficulties, she’d felt a greater sense of fulfillment here than she had in all the months she’d worked for the post office.
The work got easier day by day. She was a quick learner, Roddy told her, blushing. Chaney nodded his agreement. When she asked, he told her which of the books in Cal’s office she ought to read first, and that
was how she spent the evenings. She curled up in Cal’s big leather chair, which still carried the lingering scent of him, and read about the world of Thoroughbreds and the science—or mere theory, according to some—of breeding the best.
More nights than not that’s where she fell asleep, the books and magazines tumbling from her lap as she shifted to find a comfortable position. That’s where she was when Roddy pounded on the door, shouting her name at three in the morning. She scrambled from the chair and ran.
“Roddy, what is it?”
“It’s Winning Pride. She’s about to have her foal. You said you wanted to watch. Chaney sent me to get you.”
Excitement raced through her. Pulling on Cal’s denim jacket as she ran, they reached the barn just in time to see the beautiful mare drop a foal the exact same ebony as its sire, Devil’s Magic. From its mother, it had inherited a white blaze on its head.
“We’ve got us a beauty, a little filly,” Chaney announced.
A deep sense of awe filled Marilou as the mother cleaned up the foal, then moved away. Finally on legs that seemed skinny as matchsticks and twice as wobbly, the foal struggled to stand upright. Winning Pride nickered softly and her offspring took one tentative step and then another until she was close enough to tuck her head and suckle as her mother stood patiently. Marilou longed for her camera, wishing once again that she hadn’t been so determined to leave
photography locked away in the past. Maybe someday Cal would let her come back during foaling season to take pictures of the miraculous moments.
Roddy went to work cleaning up after the birth, and Chaney ran his hands swiftly and knowingly over the newborn, finally pronouncing her fit. The whole thing had taken no more than an hour.
“You going back up to the house?” Chaney asked.
Marilou shook her head, her gaze still fastened on the mare and filly as if she could memorize the image as indelibly as she could have captured it on film. “I want to stay awhile longer.”
“Can’t say as I blame you,” he admitted. “It’s an awesome thing to see the first time.”
“Can you tell if she’ll be a runner?”
“Some say you can. I always like to see ’em on a track before I make a prediction like that.” He grinned. “Then again, ain’t no sure thing even then.”
“Does she have a name yet?”
“The boss had a couple in mind, but he’ll have to register them with the Jockey Club and make sure they’re okay. I suppose he’ll be wanting to do that before he settles on one.”
“Do you know what they were?”
“Can’t say as I recall.”
“Then I’m going to call her Dawn’s Magic.”
“That’s a right pretty name. Fits her, too.”
Marilou grinned. “Think I can make it stick?”
“I ain’t a betting man anymore, but I’d guess you could get just about anything you wanted out of the boss.”
Marilou looked at him in amazement. “Why would you think that?”
“You’re still here, ain’t you,” he said, chuckling as he walked off and left her to think about what he’d said.
Chilled by the cool night air, she found a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, then settled into a corner to watch Winning Pride and her foal. That bonding, as natural an instinct as breathing, was something she longed to experience. She wasn’t so old yet that she felt the ticking of her biological clock, but age didn’t seem to have much to do with the desire to become a mother. Maybe it was just that she’d spent these past few months so absorbed with the idea of family. She fell asleep wondering idly—and dangerously—what a child of hers and Cal’s would be like. Stubborn and willful were the two characteristics that came to mind.
* * *
The sight that greeted Cal when he stepped into the barn almost took his breath away. Pale golden rays of sun slanted through the windows and turned Marilou’s hair into a radiant halo. The loose strands were tangled with the straw of her impromptu bed. Her lips were curved into the beginning of a smile, suggesting pleasant dreams or the faint memory of whatever had been on her mind when she fell asleep. She was wearing his denim jacket, which was several sizes too big for her. It had fallen open, and the thin cotton of her blouse was stretched taut across her breasts. Princess, the fat marmalade cat, had deserted Devil’s Magic
and was curled against Marilou’s side. He hoped the desertion wasn’t permanent. Otherwise, he’d have one nasty stallion on his hands.
He stood perfectly still, afraid of waking her, afraid of going any closer. He’d lived the past few days in a torment of desire and doubts. Getting close to her while those thoughts still raged, and with her looking so damned vulnerable and seductive, was courting disaster.
He sighed and took a reluctant step back, but not in time. Winning Pride sensed his presence and whinnied softly, as if to draw his attention to the new filly Chaney had told him about the minute he’d pulled into the yard. Unable to walk away, he crept closer and whispered, “She’s a beauty, all right.” Even as the words crossed his lips, he knew they could be applied equally to the foal and to Marilou, who shifted restlessly on her bed of straw. Princess meowed indignantly at being disturbed.
Suddenly Marilou’s eyes blinked wide and she scrambled into a sitting position, dragging her fingers through the tangles of her hair. “Cal, you’re back.”
“Miss me?” he said lightly, not really expecting her to admit to it, not even willing to admit how much he wanted her to.
She nodded sleepily, too groggy to hide her instinctive reaction. His breath caught at the innocent admission. His gaze fastened on hers and he felt the familiar heat rising, that first soft stir of yearning. He’d been so sure that a few days of distance would calm his frayed nerves, would plant all the warnings
clearly in his brain. Instead his blood ran every bit as hot and wild as it had before he left.
“There are more comfortable beds in the house,” he noted, then regretted even the reference to a bed when she was all sleep-tousled and desirable.
“But none this close to the action.”
He found himself grinning at her excitement. “There’s something to be said for being a farm girl, isn’t there?”
“If you’d told me a few weeks ago that I’d be helping out at the birth of a foal, I’d have sworn you were crazy. The idea would have scared me to death, but the reality, my God, Cal, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Not that I did all that much. Winning Pride did all of the work. Still, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
“Chaney says you have a name all picked out.”
She blushed. “I know I don’t have the right. You have a name all ready for submission, but I couldn’t help it.”
“What’s your choice?”
“Dawn’s Magic, for when she was born, for her sire and for what she meant to me.”
Winning Pride pricked up her ears and bobbed her head. Cal laughed. “Seems like the mama approves.”
Marilou grinned. “Is it up to her?”
“Seems like her right. I’ll pass it by the Jockey Club and see if anyone else has a claim on it.”
“Thank you.” She held his gaze for far too long, long enough to make his heart thunder and his thoughts rove again into dangerous territory. As if she
sensed the shift in mood, she blinked and said hurriedly, “My heavens, Cal, you must be starved. Why didn’t you say something? I’ll go up right now and fix breakfast.”