by Toni Leland
“Ma’am? May I help you?” The blonde receptionist gaped. “Oh, Mrs. Dorsey. Oh my gosh, I didn’t recognize you. Your hair looks awesome!”
“It’s certainly different. Is my husband busy?”
“He’s with someone, but he said for you to wait in the lounge and he’d be there soon.”
Two phone lines began to ring, and the girl turned away. Julia walked across the hall to the visitor lounge, thinking about her class that morning. She’d felt like it was a good ride. A thread of disappointment worked its way into her thoughts. She hadn’t even had a chance to savor the win, talk to other exhibitors and, worst of all, have some time with Coquette to bond their partnership. And where was Chet now with her precious cargo? She said a silent prayer that his drive home would be uneventful. Maybe she should call him. She immediately dismissed the thought. The one thing she’d figured out was that Stephen’s jealousy was so unreasonable that he might decide the horses took too much of her time away from him. She was convinced that the only reason he allowed her to have them was because they kept her at the farm where he wanted her.
She moved to the huge window that looked out over the city. Seattle was a comfortable town, so different from the large cities of the Midwest and the East. Julia considered herself a small-town girl, though she’d grown up in the rural suburbs. All she’d ever wanted or needed was family and friends, her books, and the fresh Pacific air. Meeting Stephen had changed all that. But who could she blame but herself? She had ignored the inner warning that the fairy tale would end.
“Ah, turn around and let me look at you.”
Julia closed her eyes at the sound of Stephen’s voice. Taking a carefully controlled breath, she turned and smiled her brightest.
He strode across the room, his eyes glowing with dark excitement. Her stomach lurched. She’d seen that look before.
“Perfect. You like it? Of course you do.” He kissed her forehead, then nuzzled her ear, his hands sliding down her arms. “I’d like to muss it up right now, right here,” he whispered.
Oh Lord, please no. “Stephen, we can’t. Someone will see.”
He chuckled and stepped back, his face flushed with anticipation. “Later.”
Julia smoothed her fingers over the soft leather of the large Coach shoulder bag.
“Stephen, it’s beautiful, but it’s too expensive.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s perfect for you. Call it a congratulations gift for your victory this morning.”
The bag was really gorgeous and she’d been thinking about an oversize tote for travel. But $600?
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, startled as always at how cool his skin felt.
With shopping bags in both hands, she followed him out of the store and onto the sidewalk.
He took one of the bags. “We’ll have dinner at Onofrio’s, then head home. How does that sound?”
Dead tired and wishing only for a bath and her bed, Julia put on a brave smile. “Wonderful.”
Just wonderful. I’m in barn clothes and dirty, and going to one of the best places in town.
“You can change and shower at the office.” He chuckled. “You didn’t really think I’d let you go out dressed like that, did you?”
Her laugh sounded hollow. “I guess not.”
Actually, I never know what to expect any more.
Thirty minutes later, they stepped into the deserted office suite. A few low lights glowed in the hallway and the silence was uncomfortable. Julia couldn’t remember ever being there after hours. Stephen took her hand and led her down the hall to his corner office, switching on the lights as they entered.
“The shower is through there. I’ll catch up on my e-mail while you’re getting ready.” He sat down at his massive desk. “Wear the green dress we bought this afternoon.”
Julia adjusted the water to as hot as she could stand, then relaxed into the penetrating pulsations. Her muscles loosened and weariness washed over her. How would she ever get through the evening? How would she ever get through her life?
Stepping out onto the thick bathmat, she wondered what her life would have been if she hadn’t married Stephen. Would she have met someone ordinary in an ordinary setting, like work or school? Would she live in a small bungalow in a middle-class neighborhood full of little kids on bikes and skates? Her throat tightened. Children. How could she have known that her partner choice would preclude the joy of motherhood? They’d never talked about it—she’d just assumed…
She cast off the unhappy thoughts and toweled away the water drops from her shoulders. The mirror reflected her body, tall and lean, perhaps too lean, but her active lifestyle with the horses kept the pounds from accumulating and, anyway, she didn’t have much interest in food. What had Stephen seen in her? She wasn’t beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. Certainly not a trophy wife. Her clear green eyes stared back, taunting her with the truth. Stephen had wanted someone he could control, someone with no self-confidence or fortitude. Why hadn’t she recognized that fact early in their courtship? Probably because she hadn’t wanted to see any of his flaws, so mesmerized by his charm she could only delight in her wonderful luck that he’d chosen her.
She focused on the dark thumbprint on her upper arm, then her gaze traveled down to a fading green area on her hip. Somehow, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t avoid his wrath. And sadly, even after six years, she still never knew what might trigger it.
She exhaled sharply and reached for the shopping bag. She swore under her breath—it was the wrong one. She stared at the Coach bag for a minute, then sighed and wrapped herself in a towel. The parcel with the dress would be on the chair in the office. Or had she left it in the car? She shivered as she stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom into the air-conditioned office.
Stephen looked up from his computer. “Feel better?”
She nodded and padded over to the leather chair where her packages sat. “I had the wrong shopping bag.” As she rummaged through the bags, she heard his chair creak. A cold slice of panic raced through her chest. She grabbed the green dress and turned, but it was too late.
Stephen stood inches from her, his face flushed, his eyes dark. He took the dress and tossed it toward the chair, then slipped his hands into her hair and pulled her face close.
“You are so beautiful. And you’re mine, all mine.”
He kissed her hard, crushing her lips against her teeth. His fingers tightened painfully in her hair. Suddenly he stepped back and ripped the towel away, his eyes devouring her nakedness.
“Stephen, no, we can’t. Someone might come in.”
He gave her a haughty look. “They wouldn’t dare.”
His hands caressed her shoulders, then moved to her breasts. She was unable to move, unable to respond as he pleasured himself with the feel of her body.
His voice was husky with need. “Undress me.”
A wave of sorrow passed through her heart—he’d played this game before and she could do nothing about it.
Minutes later, she stared at the ceiling, blinking away the tears, trying to ignore the hard edges of the mahogany desk biting into her flesh as Stephen pounded away his lust.
Chapter 3
Julia eased quietly out of bed and turned to look at her sleeping husband, snoring softly, his sharp features dimly illuminated by the night light. Tiptoeing across the room, she glanced back twice to assure herself that he hadn’t wakened. Her bare feet touched the marble floor in the hall and she shivered as she hurried toward the kitchen. Every muscle in her body ached, a sobering reminder of the previous night. The coffeemaker hissed, discharging the last drop of dark brown elixir into the pot. She inhaled deeply, savoring the strong, rich aroma. The clock on the stove glowed 5:30. She glanced out the window. The barn lights were on. Chet was already on top of the morning chores.
Dressing quickly in clothes she kept in the laundry room closet, she mentally went over the day’s schedule. The vet would be coming sometime in t
he morning to do the first trimester check on Coquette’s pregnancy. Julia could barely contain her delight any time she thought about her favorite mare’s foal. Thankfully, Stephen had been egotistical enough to want the very best breeding money could buy. Next spring, Miss Cokie would deliver a filly or colt by the top Morgan stallion in the country.
Julia laced up her worn paddock boots and returned to the kitchen, then moved silently down the hall toward the bedroom. Outside the door, she held her breath and listened. Nothing. Then, a muffled snore followed by another. She exhaled softly and backed away.
Returning to the kitchen, she opened her purse and removed the bundled banknotes, then wrapped them in aluminum foil. She opened the wide door to the freezer compartment of the huge stainless steel refrigerator. The stale scent of re-circulated freezing air and frozen food drifted around her as she began rearranging packages. She placed the foil parcels clear at the back between several slabs of frozen steak, then piled the remaining food in front. She closed the door and exhaled sharply. The money should be safe there until she had the opportunity to move it.
The coffee warmed her throat as she strode toward the barn.
Chet’s deep voice pierced the morning quiet. “I was just about to call you.”
Something in his tone jolted through Julia’s chest. “What’s wrong?”
“It might just be she’s tired from the long trip, but the mare is off her feed this morning, and she’s not drinking. Could be colic.”
Julia set her mug on a ledge and hurried toward Coquette’s stall. Worry nibbled at her mind. Maybe she shouldn’t have taken the mare for such a long haul and rigorous show. But that didn’t make any sense—the vet had been definite that Coquette should live a normal life during her pregnancy. In fact, he said she would benefit from the exercise and attention. Julia peered over the stall door and her heart fell.
Coquette stood in the corner, head down, a hind foot cocked. Her eyes were half closed. As Julia watched, the mare grunted and shifted her weight to the other hind foot.
Julia turned to Chet. “Did she eat last night after you got back?”
“Yeah, she finished her hay. But this morning, she didn’t even want her sweet-feed.”
Julia opened the stall door and approached the mare, talking softly. “Hi baby, what’s the matter?”
One elegant ear flicked toward the voice, but the mare didn’t move. Julia’s fear grew. Coquette was usually like a big dog, eager for attention and very vocal. Her brown coat was dark with sweat along the side of her neck. Moving to the mare’s side, Julia leaned down and rested her ear against the flank. Fear blossomed into panic. All she heard was nothing. No gurgling, no rumbling. Just the horrifying silence of colic.
“Chet, get the vet on the phone right now. He needs to come as quickly as possible.”
Spurred by impending disaster, Julia reached outside the stall and grabbed Coquette’s halter and lead rope. Slipping the halter over the mare’s ears, she continued to talk softly, then stroked the damp neck and tugged on the lead. Reluctantly, Coquette followed Julia out of the stall and down the aisle toward the back door. Chet’s voice echoed behind them.
“He’ll be here in twenty minutes. He said to just walk her until he arrives.”
Shivering a little in the cool dawn air, Julia led Coquette along the lane separating the barn and pasture. How can this be happening? The mare plodded along, her breathing heavy, occasionally punctuated by a grunt. Julia closed her eyes tightly against the threat of tears. Please, please let her be okay.
At the end of the lane, she turned and started back. Several lights came on in the house and her heart fell. Stephen was up. If she remembered correctly, he had an early meeting in Olympia and would be flying. She swallowed hard. He’d want breakfast and her presence until he left the house. She glanced over at Coquette. Surely he’d understand. As she reached the end of the lane near the front of the barn, his silhouette appeared on the porch. Taking a deep breath, she continued across the grass toward the house.
His tone was cold. “You’re certainly at it early.”
Julia’s throat tightened. “She’s sick. I think it’s colic. The vet should be here any minute.”
Even in the dim light, she saw her husband’s features harden. “Well, I have to leave in forty minutes, so hand her over to Chet and make my breakfast.”
“But—”
“It’s why we pay for barn help.”
Stephen went back into the house, leaving Julia in a helpless rage. Yes, Chet could handle the mare and the vet visit, but she wanted to be there, know what was going on, be part of the treatment. She bit her lip. What would happen if she just didn’t accommodate Stephen’s demands? A shudder passed over her shoulders and she pushed away the answer.
Chet came out of a stall and set aside the manure rake. “How’s she doing?”
“I have to take care of some things at the house. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Will you continue walking her?”
A shadow passed over the old man’s face, then he reached for the rope. “Sure. Don’t worry. Want me to call you when the doc arrives?”
She nodded and hurried out of the barn, struggling with the hatred growing in her chest.
Julia washed the breakfast dishes, glancing out the kitchen window every two minutes. Stephen moved back and forth from the bedroom to the study as he prepared to leave.
Hurry up, please. Go. She looked out the window again and her stomach flip-flopped. The vet’s truck moved along the driveway and, a moment later, the phone rang. She lunged for the wall phone, grabbing it with soapy hands, but Stephen’s voice already hummed on the line. “Fine, I’ll tell her.” Click.
She dried her hands and tried to walk nonchalantly toward the study. “Was that Chet?”
“Yes. He has everything under control.”
Julia bit her lip, willing her feet not to carry her out the door and across the grass to her beloved mare.
Stephen came around the desk, smiling wickedly. He slipped his arms around her and nuzzled her ear. “I’ll miss you today. You are so sexy. I can’t stop thinking about last night.”
Revulsion rolled through her stomach and it was all she could do to keep from jerking away from him. But she knew better. She closed her eyes and murmured the truth.
“Neither can I.”
He stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. “I’m not sure I want to share you with all those leering men tonight.”
She forced a sly smile. “Let them look. You know I only have eyes for you.”
He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be home about four. Be ready.”
Five minutes later, she watched his Jaguar turn onto the highway, and she sprinted for the barn.
Chet was holding Coquette’s head while the vet slid a long tube into her nostril.
Julia was breathless. “Is she going to be okay?”
The vet expertly maneuvered the tube into the mare’s throat. “I think so. This mineral oil should get things moving if she doesn’t have an impaction—and I don’t think that’s the case—she doesn’t appear to be in too much distress.”
Julia’s eyes misted as she watched Coquette roll her eyes and try to pull her head from Chet’s firm grasp.
“Will her foal be okay?”
“I can’t answer that right now. If the colic is simply a result of the excitement of the trip and show, I’d say yes. If something else caused the problem, we’ll find out soon enough.”
“Something else like what?”
“Hold on a minute.” The vet attached the tube to a gallon jug, and the oil began to flow. “If she got hold of some bad feed, anything with mold, it could compromise the fetus. Worst case, botulism—but we don’t get much of that in this part of the country. Still, it’s everywhere and has to be considered in suspected cases of toxicity.”
Julia thought for a moment. “Chet, what hay did you give her for the trip home?”
He squinted, thinking. “
Um, seems to me I filled the haybag from that last bale we opened.”
Julia’s throat tightened. “That’s the one I bought from another exhibitor when we ran out.” Her breath caught. “Oh God, I was so wound up about the class, I never thought to check it.”
“It’s still in the trailer. When we’re done here, I’ll go have a look.”
A few minutes later, the vet withdrew the tube from the mare’s nose. “Walk her up and down the aisle a couple of times while I put this stuff away.”
Julia reached over and took the lead rope from Chet. “You go get that hay. We have to know.”
Her brain was spinning. How could she have been so careless? Too caught up in the excitement of showing at the regional show, too consumed with her own desires and importance to safeguard her horse.
The vet motioned her over, then moved a stethoscope along the mare’s belly and flank, listening intently. He stood up and nodded.
“A few gut sounds are returning. She should be just fine. Walk her for ten minutes every half hour. She should pass manure within two hours. If she doesn’t, give me a call.” He picked up his case. “I’ll go have a look at that bale of hay.” He frowned. “I’ll have to do the pregnancy ultrasound later, after she’s recovered. I don’t want to stress her any more than need be.”
Julia felt as though she would cry. She wrapped her arms around the mare’s neck and hugged tightly. Coquette chuckled softly, and Julia’s tears exploded.
After putting the mare back in her stall, Julia walked swiftly toward the rear door where the horse trailer was parked. Chet and the vet were squatting next to a broken-up hay bale. Chet looked up as she approached, and his expression implied that the news was not good.
“Middle of the bale has a large area of mold.”
“But we were using the end pieces.”
The vet shook his head. “Mold is insidious—it infiltrates an entire bale, even though you can’t see it. I’d be willing to bet this is what caused the colic.” He stood up. “Get all traces of this bale out of the trailer and off the ground, then burn it. Hose out the trailer, and destroy that haybag.”
