by Nora Roberts
“Oh.” He was not smiling with the whimsy of his words, and her mind fidgeted for something to ease the sudden awareness, the physical strength of his gaze. “I didn’t know you talked to horses,”
“I’m learning,” he answered simply, and ran a finger over her bare shoulder. “My teacher’s an expert.”
She dropped her eyes to the bloom in her hand, thinking that twice in her life she had been given flowers, and both times they had come from Travis, both times they had been red roses. She smiled, knowing she would never again see a red rose without thinking of him. That was a gift more precious than jewels. Open and innocent, her smile lifted for him.
“Thank you, Travis, for bringing it to me.” On impulse, she rose to her toes and kissed his cheek.
He stared down at her, and for a moment Adelia thought she saw some hesitation, some indecision flicker in his eyes before his features relaxed into a smile.
“You’re welcome, Dee. Bring it along—it suits you.” Taking the key from her hand, he placed it in his pocket and led her to the elevator.
The celebration dinner was a new experience for Adelia. The elegant restaurant, the unaccustomed dishes, and her first encounter with champagne combined to give her a glowing sense of unreality. The tension brought on by the few moments alone with Travis was dispelled by his casually friendly attitude during the meal. It was almost as though the awareness that had passed between them had never taken place. The evening drifted by in a haze of happiness.
The following week, however, found her back in Maryland in jeans and cap, busily fulfilling her duties and thrusting elegant meals and fancy dresses from her mind. Long hours of grooming, exercising, and training filled the days, giving her little time to dwell on the strange new emotions Travis had aroused. She avoided the reporters who were often hovering around the track and stables, not wishing to be cornered again and bombarded with questions. At night, however, she was less successful in avoiding the dreams that assaulted her awakened senses.
Days passed into weeks, and although Adelia gave all the Thoroughbreds love and attention, she continued to dote on Majesty.
“Don’t forget yourself just because you’ve had your picture in some fancy magazines,” she admonished him, failing to keep her voice stern as she completed his grooming.
Paddy strolled into the stables and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Keeping him in line, are you, little Dee? Don’t want him too big for his breeches, do we?”
“That we don’t.” Turning, she smiled at her uncle, then studied him carefully. “You look tired, Uncle Paddy. Aren’t you feeling well?”
“I’m fine, Dee, just fine.” He patted her rosy cheek and winked at her. “I think I’ll sleep for a week when the Belmont’s come and gone.”
“You’ve earned a rest; you’ve been working hard and long. You’re a bit pale. Are you sure—”
“Now, don’t fuss,” he interrupted with a good-natured scowl. “Nothing worse than a fussing woman. Just be keeping your mind on this lad here.” He patted Majesty’s side. “Don’t you worry about Paddy Cunnane.”
She let this pass, vowing silently to keep her eye on him. “Uncle Paddy, is the Belmont important?”
“Every race is important, darlin’, and this is one of the top. Now, this fellow here, with that barrel of a chest”—he inclined his head toward Majesty and winked again—“he’ll do well there. It’s a long race, a mile and a half, and that’s what he was bred for. A distance runner, and one of the finest. Not like Fortune, mind you; he’s a sprinter and can beat almost anything at a shorter distance. Travis is smart enough to breed horses with both distance and sprinting in mind. That’s why he put Fortune in the Preakness at Pimlico, and he was second by half a length. And that’s just fine. But this one’s for the Belmont.” He shook Majesty’s head lightly by the muzzle. “And so are you,” he added, giving Adelia a pat on the head.
“Me? Am I going as well?”
“That’s right. Hasn’t Travis told you?”
“Well, no. I haven’t seen much of him since we got back from Kentucky.”
“He’s been busy.”
Her answer was absent as she considered the wisdom of attempting to refuse. Recalling the result of her previous attempt, Adelia thought New York might be a fine place to visit.
***
Belmont Park, on Long Island, was alive with reporters. Adelia managed to stay in the background the majority of the time, and when cornered she escaped as soon as possible. She was unaware of the speculation about her and her relationship with the owner of Royal Meadows’ Majesty. The casual attire of jeans and shirt did nothing to conceal the appeal of her beauty, and her reluctance to speak with the press added a mystery that acted as a meaty bone to the hungry pack of reporters. At times she felt hounded and wished she had stood firm and refused to come. Then she would see Travis as he moved toward the stables, hands in pockets, hair ruffled by the breeze. She would admit, though it brought little comfort, that she would have gone mad had she been left behind.
Newspapers and nagging reporters were not in Adelia’s thoughts as she joined Travis for the third time in the crowded stands. She noticed, with some discomfort, that Belmont and its occupants were more sophisticated than Churchill Downs. There, size had been offset by an old-world charm, the soft, lazy accent of Louisville. Somehow, Belmont seemed more vast, more intimidating, and beside the sophistication of the elegantly groomed women who occupied the stands and clubhouse, Adelia felt inadequate and naïve.
Silly, she told herself and straightened her shoulders. I can’t be like them, and they’re certainly taking no notice of me, in any case. Most of these fine ladies can’t keep their eyes off Travis. I suppose these are the kind of ladies he sees at his country club, or takes out for a quiet dinner. Depression threatened to settle over her like a black cloud, but she took a deep breath and blew it away.
Adelia had lectured herself that by this time she should be accustomed to the tension and the crush of people, but as post time drew closer she found the familiar anxiety and undeniable excitement capture her. She could find neither words nor ability to speak, and stood gripping the rail with both hands as Majesty strutted to the starting gate. He was impatient, she observed, sidestepping and lifting his front legs in small, nervous prancing steps as Steve struggled to control him, urging him forward into his place in the starting gate.
“I’ll have to bring you to the track more often, Dee.” Travis gave her shoulder a small squeeze. “In a couple of months, you’ll be a veteran.”
“I’ll never be a veteran, I’m afraid, because each time it seems like the first. I can hardly bear it.”
“I’m going to keep bringing you in any case,” he informed her, tangling his fingers for a moment in the ends of her hair. “You bring the excitement back. I believe I’d been taking it for granted.”
She turned to him, nonplussed by the gentle tone of his voice, and had opened her mouth to speak when the bell shrilled with the roar of the crowd. Brilliant silks were now a soft blur as Thoroughbreds thundered around the track. After the first turn the field dispersed, transforming from a single mound of speeding legs to a zigzagging cluster of gleaming bodies. To Adelia, Majesty seemed to weave his way through them like a fiery comet, passing one after another until he bore down on the leader. Then, as if a switch had been flicked, came the power, the lengthening of stride, the rippling of muscles, the steady increase of his lead, until Majesty flew down the home stretch, capturing the coveted Belmont with power and style.
The crowd went wild, cheering and shouting with one deafening voice. Adelia’s feet left the ground as Travis lifted her, swinging her in circles as she clung to his neck. He continued to hold her as Paddy’s arms came around them both, drawing them all together in joy and excitement. The words shouted were senseless to her, and she told herself later that it was the temporary ins
anity of the moment that had caused her to meet Travis’s lips with hers. Even on later reflection, she was unclear who had initiated the kiss, but she knew she had responded. She had flung her arms around his neck, and the thrill that had coursed through her had eclipsed even the rushing flurry of the race. When her feet touched the ground, and Travis lifted his mouth from hers, her head was still spinning with light and color, her body trembling with the backlash of emotion, the tidal wave of sensation. She could do no more than stare up at him. For a moment, it was the same as the day the foal had been born, and the crowded, noisy stands of Belmont Park faded into a solitary, private world. She was oblivious to the throng and the curious stares, aware only of his arms around her, and the feeling that she was slowly, helplessly, drowning in his eyes.
“We’d best be going down, lad.” Paddy made a business of clearing his throat before he laid a hand on Travis’s shoulder. Her knees weakened as his eyes left hers to meet her uncle’s. She felt the sudden dizziness and disorientation of one who had been awakened from a dream too quickly.
“Yes.” Travis grinned, the quick-spreading grin of a boy. “Let’s go congratulate the winner. Come on.” Spinning Adelia around, he began to lead her away.
“I’m not going down there,” she objected, making a futile attempt to hold her ground.
“Yes, you are,” he disagreed, not bothering to glance back at her. “I let you have your way before, but not this time. You’re coming down to help Majesty accept his flowers, white carnations this time, and one’s for you.”
Her sputtering objections and attempts to disentangle herself went unheeded, and she found herself in the Winner’s Circle with the others.
There were microphones and the flash of lights, and she faded into the background as far as possible. She was still shaken by the intensity of need that had flowed through her in Travis’s embrace, a strong, wild desire to belong to him completely. It was like being assailed with an unquenchable thirst, and the sensation terrified her. Her morals were deeply rooted, a melding of religious and personal beliefs. She knew, however, that her longing for Travis, her love for him, made her weak, and any resistance would melt as quickly as springtime snow if he pressed his advantage.
She must stay away from him, she determined, avoid situations where they would be alone and she would be vulnerable to his experience and her frailty. As she glanced over at his tall, lean frame, their eyes locked, and she trembled. Her lashes swept down, and she realized helplessly what a rabbit feels when cornered by a strong, sleek fox.
Chapter Six
Back at the hotel, Adelia accompanied Paddy to his room, having no wish to be alone with her thoughts. Travis walked down the carpeted hall with them, pausing at the doorway as they slipped through.
“I’ve made reservations for us.” His teeth flashed in a grin. “Steve’s doing his own celebrating with a little lady who’s been dogging his footsteps since the Derby.”
“Ah, Travis.” Paddy sat down heavily on the bed. “You’ll have to do without this tired old man. I’m weary to the bone.” He gave a smile and a shake of his head. “I’ve had all the excitement I can stand for today. I’ll play lord of the manor and have my dinner in bed like royalty.”
“Uncle Paddy.” Adelia moved closer, dropping a hand on his brow. “You’re not feeling well. I’ll stay with you.”
“Go on with you.” He made a dismissing gesture with his hand. “Fussing like your grandmother used to. It’s tired I am, not sick. The next thing I know you’ll be pouring some strange remedy down my throat or threatening me with a poultice.” He glanced up at Travis with a long-suffering sigh. “She’s a worrisome bundle, lad. Take her off my hands and give these old bones a rest.”
With a nod of masculine understanding, Travis turned to Adelia. “Be ready in forty-five minutes,” he stated simply. “I don’t like to be late.”
“‘Do this, do that,’” she fumed, throwing up her hands. “Never a ‘will you’ or ‘may I.’ I’m not in the stables now, Travis Grant, and I don’t fancy being ordered about.” She tossed back her fiery curls and folded her arms across her chest.
Travis raised a quizzical eyebrow before he moved to the door. “Wear that green thing, Dee. I like it.” He closed the door against any possible further outbursts.
***
Dee was ready at the appointed time, having been cajoled by her uncle to leave him and celebrate Majesty’s victory. Telling herself she was only going out with the arrogant brute for Paddy’s sake, she zipped herself into the green dress as a knock sounded at her door. Muttering disjointedly about the devil’s own spawn, she swung open the door and glared.
“Good evening, Adelia,” he greeted her, obviously unconcerned by her warlike stance. “You’re looking lovely. Are you ready?”
She glowered at him for another moment, wishing she had something handy to throw at him. Tilting her chin, she stepped into the hall, closing the door with force behind her.
She clung to her stubborn silence as the taxi drove through surging traffic, but Travis remained unperturbed, chatting amiably and pointing out various spots of interest. He was making it very difficult for her to keep her anger on the boil.
Defiance wavered as they entered the restaurant, grander than she could ever have imagined. Wide-eyed, she gazed around her at the sophisticated patrons in their evening dress. She allowed herself to be led unresisting to a quiet corner table, greatly impressed by the elegance of the maître d’. Softly lit and situated for privacy, the table sat high above the throbbing city, the lights blinking and speeding below a direct contrast to their quiet seclusion. She glanced up as their waiter requested her choice of cocktail, then looked across at Travis with a helpless shake of her head. Smiling, he ordered champagne.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t bring Majesty with us,” she commented, then grinned, animosity forgotten. “He did all the work, and we’re drinking the champagne.”
“I very much doubt he’d appreciate it even if we took him back a bottle. For a royal steed, he has the taste of a peasant. So”—he paused, allowing his finger to rub gently over her hand as it rested on the cloth—“it’s up to us to drink to his victory. Did you know, Adelia, the candlelight scatters gold through your eyes?”
Surprised by his sudden observation, she merely stared, greatly relieved when the arrival of the champagne saved her from inventing a response.
“Shall we have a toast, Dee?”
Lifting the slender-stemmed glass, she smiled, more at ease. “To Majesty, the winner of the Belmont Stakes.”
His lips curved as he copied her gesture. “To winning.”
“Hungry?” he asked after an interlude of quiet conversation. “What’s your pleasure?”
“Well, it won’t be mutton and potatoes,” she murmured absently, sighing at the strange workings of the world that had shifted her into a new life. Her attention came to a full stop as she glanced over the menu, her eyes lifting to his, wide and astonished.
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s robbery, sure as faith; there’s not another word for it!”
He leaned forward, taking both her hands in his and grinning at her anxious expression. “Are you sure there’s no Scots blood in you?” Adelia opened her mouth to retort, highly insulted, but he raised her hands to his lips, causing the words to die before they were born. “Don’t get your Irish up, Dee.” He smiled over their joined hands. “And overlook the prices. I’m able to deal with them.”
She shook her head. “I can’t look at it again—it makes my head spin. I’ll have what you have.”
Chuckling, he ordered the meal and more wine as his hands held hers captive. When they were once more alone, he turned her hands over, examining her palms, ignoring the sharp jerk she made to release herself.
“You’re taking better care of them,” he murmured, rubbing his th
umb over her skin.
“Aye,” she retorted, embarrassed and resentful. “They’re not quite as bad as a ditchdigger’s these days.”
He raised his eyes to hers, watching her a moment without speaking. “I offended you that night. I’m sorry.” His gentle tone tilted her balance, and she felt the familiar weakness flowing into her.
“It doesn’t matter,” she stammered, and shrugged and tugged at her hands again. He ignored both verbal and physical protests.
“You have fascinating hands. I’ve made quite a study of them. Small, exquisite, and totally capable—the three rarely go together. Capable Adelia,” he murmured before his eyes fastened on hers again with an intensity that caught her off guard. “You had a bad time on that farm, didn’t you?”
“I—no. No, we got along.”
“Got along?” he repeated, and she felt his eyes searching her face for the words she was not saying.
“We did what needed to be done.” She spoke lightly, not sure what it was he wanted from her. “Aunt Lettie was a strong, stubborn woman, and not one to be beaten easily. I often thought it strange how little she was like Da,” she continued, her expression drifting into introspection. “And now I see how little she was like Uncle Paddy, for all she was their sister. Perhaps it was the demands of having to take on me and the farm that left her so little time for the gentler things. Such small things: a kiss goodnight, a word of affection . . . a child can starve with a full plate.”
She brought herself back with a shake of the head, surprised by her own words and uneasy under his glance. She groped for some way to turn the subject. “I only had the farm to concern me; she had the farm and me, and I think I was more trouble than the farm.” She smiled, willing him to lighten his features with one of his own. “She told me a time or two I had too loose a grip on my temper, but, of course, I’ve tightened the hold now.”
“Have you?” At last the smile curved his mouth.
“Oh, aye.” She gave him a solemn and guileless nod. “I’m a very mild sort of person.”
