Ride a Dark Horse

by Laura Moore

  He cleared his throat, his body hard at the turn his thoughts had taken. He hoped Cassie’s eyes didn’t chance to stray to the fly of his jeans, or she’d run screaming, convinced he was the pervert of the county if not the century. And blow his chances with his potential tenant for good.

  “Hi, Cassie.”

  “Hello,” Cassie returned in a clipped voice. She didn’t want to be churlish, but he was beginning to annoy her big time.

  “I thought you might want to come and check out the house, if you’ve got the time.”

  Cassie seized the excuse. “Gosh, I’m sorry, Caleb, but I have to cool down Hot Lips and then give her a rubdown. She’s not moving as smoothly as she usually does. I want to check her legs for swelling. And I need to take a shower.” She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “I just don’t think I’ll have the time.” She didn’t even make a token effort to look chagrined.

  Caleb smiled a slow knowing smile, telling her he’d been expecting some kind of excuse. Just watching the way his lips stretched across his even white teeth made Cassie’s heart start beating as if it had been given shock treatment. Her pathetically tired body felt the tingles race through it.

  “Okay, so why don’t you give me Hot Lips. Catchy name, by the way. I’ll cool her off and rub her down for you.” Caleb continued before she could form an objection. “Come on, Slim, don’t give me the deep-freeze treatment. I am a vet. I may even throw in a free examination for her because we’re friends.”

  Caleb fought back a laugh at the look of horror that crossed Cassie’s face at the term friend. Guess he hadn’t earned enough Brownie points yet for that.

  All right then, time for the knockout punch. “That way you can go up to the house and have a cool glass of iced tea and then take a long, hot shower. We’ll probably both be finished at about the same time. You can meet me back at Hot Lips’s stall and make sure I’ve done everything right.”

  Cassie’s brain had turned to mush at the thought of a cold drink and a hot shower.

  “Oh, fine. Whatever ” she grumbled ungraciously, not caring that she was as close to bitchy as she’d ever come. Slapping the reins into his hands, she waspishly instructed, “Her stall is in the large barn at the far end. Left side. My tack box is labeled CBM. Don’t mess things up.”

  “Sure thing, boss. I live to serve,” Caleb said cheerfully giving the reins a gentle tug as he led the mare away. “By the way, Slim, I like you all rumpled and hot. It suits you.”

  Cassie stormed into Hank and Melissa’s house, complaining volubly about arrogant know-it-alls and insufferable vets. Holy God, that man really rubbed her the wrong way. Nobody had ever had the nerve to talk to her that way before. And she had just stood there, like a dumb cluck, taking it!

  Melissa, in the kitchen slicing vegetables for dinner heard her angry muttering and grinned into the pile of diced carrots.

  “Don’t worry, Cassie, when Kate was still living at home, Caleb used to tease her mercilessly. It’s a sign of affection.”

  “Great,” said Cassie. “I can see why your daughter moved away! I guess it was either that or kill the wretch.”

  Melissa laughed and laid the knife down on the cutting board. “Actually, Kate learned to dish it out pretty well, herself. Caleb used to blush bright red at some of the things she said to him.”

  “That I’d have liked to see,” Cassie said spiritedly. “I’m going up to take a shower. Would you mind if I brought a glass of iced tea with me?”

  “Go right ahead. We’ll be eating dinner at seven-thirty if you want to join us.”

  Cassie glanced at her watch as she opened the refrigerator door. “I’m sure to be back in time. Can’t take too long to tour a house. And I want to get back in time to call Alex and the twins.”

  Melissa smiled to herself as she finished slicing the zucchini and reached for a clove of garlic. Knowing Caleb, she didn’t think he’d be in any hurry to let Cassie go too quickly. He’d have her inspecting every floorboard and closet in the place.

  “Why don’t you call them now then you won’t have to worry about calling too late. You can use the upstairs telephone for privacy.”

  Cassie smiled. “All right. Thanks. I miss them so much, and it’s only been a day and a half!”

  “I understand. I used to be a nervous wreck whenever Hank and I went on buying trips for horses. Even though Mrs. Harris was with the kids, I was sure everything would fall apart without me.” Melissa smiled wryly at the memory. “Never did. Actually, I think those short trips were good for us. Gave us all a bit of a change in schedule and a little vacation, too. Take advantage of it, Cassie.”

  Cassie nodded doubtfully, then made her way upstairs. She was sure Melissa’s suggestion had merit, but Cassie wasn’t sure whether she was ready to be separated for a whole week yet. She had no doubt the kids were in heaven. Her brother Alex had decided to take an unprecedented ten days off so that he could devote himself to the kids and then drive them and Thompson down to Virginia. He wanted to make sure they were comfortably installed before he returned to New York. Cassie knew the decision stemmed from his reluctance to see them go, even though Alex had loyally encouraged her to apply for the job. Cassie and the children’s departures would leave an enormous hole in Alex’s life.

  She treated herself to a long, soapy shower working the kinks out of her neck and shoulder muscles as she washed the dirt and sweat from her body. After she’d patted herself dry with a towel, she smoothed body lotion over all her skin, enjoying the silky smoothness the moisturizer gave her. She dressed, grabbing a pair of ivory silk panties and a matching bra. Over that she pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans, a baggy blue lamb’s-wool sweater, socks, and a pair of paddock boots. She let her hair hang down her back to dry in the air. At least Dr. GQ vet can’t claim that I’ve dressed to stun him with my good looks. This is what I wear when I’m mucking out stalls.

  Cassie straightened up the room and went into the bathroom to hang up the towels and brush her teeth. Feeling entirely rejuvenated, she went into the upstairs sitting room to call her brother.

  A short while later, she joined Caleb at Hot Lips’s stall. The mare, hooked up to the cross ties, whinnied while Caleb went over her with a soft brush. He turned his head at Cassie’s approach and smiled.

  “Hi. Feeling better?”

  “Yes, thanks. Sorry I took a bit longer. I called my brother Alex. Spoke with him, Jamie, and Sophie.”

  “Everything’s fine? I’m looking forward to meeting your kids. Melissa and Hank tell me they’re great kids.”

  Cassie smiled broadly relaxing a bit in his presence. She said proudly “Yeah. They are great kids. As we speak, they’re enjoying a Disney festival. Alex has allowed them to rent one for every night.” Cassie laughed. “They’re in heaven. But I can’t wait for them to get here. I miss them.”

  He liked the way her face lit up when she laughed. Her eyes were still twinkling as she reached up to stroke Hot Lips’s nose.

  “So how’s my other baby doing?”

  Caleb dropped the brush he’d been using back in the carry-all, and came to stand beside her, his hand resting on the mare’s shoulder. Cassie couldn’t help but notice again how tall he was, his body lean, his shoulders broad and strong. She wondered distractedly how long she would continue to be dazzled by his masculinity, by his sheer male beauty.

  “She’s a beautiful horse, Cassie. Her conformation is excellent, so that’s not where the problem lies. Is this the first time you’ve noticed her moving stiffly?”

  “I bought her this fall up in Saratoga. She was fine for about three months. Since then she’s been slightly inflamed. She’s never shown any lameness, but I’ve been turning her out a lot and riding her pretty lightly. But you’ve seen what she’s like.”

  “Yeah,” said Caleb rubbing his jaw with his left hand. “She’s a real firecracker. Her owners at the track didn’t mention any previous injuries?”

  “No. They were almost desperate to get rid of
her. Apparently, she used to pull that bucking bronco stunt when the starting gate went up. They were becoming the laughing stock of the track.” Cassie grinned. “I got her for a song.”

  “I bet,” Caleb said dryly. “What are you going to do with her?”

  “Oh, I thought I’d work on her a little, then sell her as a pleasure horse.” Cassie laughed delightedly at the appalled look on Caleb’s face.

  “Just kidding.” A smile still hovering on her lips. It was a nice change to have Caleb be the one off balance. “I’ve got to see how she develops once she settles down. She’s still really green. I think of her as sort of my long-term project. I was toying with the idea of entering her in a few prejumper classes this summer if she comes along well. She’s got the spirit and the drive.”

  “You sure seem to like challenges.” He kneeled beside the mare’s slender thoroughbred legs. Cassie did the same.

  “I’m fairly certain Hot Lips’s problem results from a strained tendon. It’s just barely swollen, but I can feel some heat just below the fetlock joint, running down to the ankle.” He paused, allowing Cassie a chance to run her fingers down the leg. “I’ll bring my ultrasound machine tomorrow so we can take a better look. In the meantime, let’s cold-pack and wrap the leg to keep it from swelling as much as possible. While you were at the house, I rubbed liniment on the other legs. With all that bucking and crow hopping, they need it.”

  “Do you think she injured the tendon this afternoon?” Cassie asked anxiously.

  “It’s difficult to say whether the stiffening you noticed in her gait is from an old racing injury that went undetected or from the damage done by her bronco routine. That much twisting and pounding puts a lot of strain on ligaments and tendons.”

  “Do you think you can make her sound?” Cassie asked, a frown marring her brow. She knew that a badly injured tendon or a bowed tendon could easily take weeks, even months, to heal.

  “I think so.” His tone reassuring. “We can start with a couple of things. I’ll go get some sodium hyaluronate from my truck right now. That’ll keep the inflammation down. Unless the ultrasound turns up something totally unexpected, laser therapy will probably be the most effective treatment for her. I’ve seen terrific results using it.”

  Cassie nodded her head in agreement, as Caleb continued, his voice calm, his manner professional. “And if it is a strained tendon, you’ll have to restrict her to total stall rest. After a couple of weeks, perhaps three, you can walk her on the lead for about fifteen to twenty minutes a day. But no turnout time in the pasture. You don’t want her pulling any funny stuff and injuring herself even more severely. But let’s begin with the cold wraps. I have some special bandages you can borrow they should be around here, somewhere.”

  “Thanks, Caleb. I appreciate your help.” Cassie was amazed at how comfortable she felt with Caleb in his professional mode. He must be a terrific vet to make her forget completely how annoyed she’d been with him only half an hour earlier. Maybe if she could keep thinking of him as a vet, he wouldn’t get under her skin so much.

  “All right then, let’s cold-wrap her leg. Might as well put some bandages on her other legs, too. It can’t hurt.”

  “I’ve got everything we need in my tack box.”

  Caleb nodded. “Okay, I’ll go ask Raffael if he can watch her, check on the leg in a bit, and change her wrap. That’ll give us a little daylight left before we head over to my house.”

  7

  C assie was obliged to ride with Caleb in his truck. She’d driven the trailer down from New York to transport Hot Lips and the ponies, leaving the Jeep for Alex, Thompson, and the kids. Caleb had argued her out of the idea of borrowing the farm’s truck, insisting that it would be no problem for him to return her to Five Oaks later.

  It was unsettling, the effect his presence in the close confines of the cab had on her, but then again, she’d never met anyone who possessed such blatant masculine appeal. Even Brad, who was undeniably handsome, fell to the ranks of a mere pretty boy in comparison.

  As they turned onto the road from the driveway, Caleb began describing the surrounding region.

  “We’re on the road that leads back to town, if you drive in the opposite direction. From my house, it’s about a fifteen-minute drive. All the shops and markets are located either in town itself or in the small mall that’s just on the edge of town. Luckily, enough of the stores in town are doing a strong enough business that the mall hasn’t taken over all the commerce.”

  “Does the school bus stop by your house?” Cassie asked, thinking of the twins.

  “Yes. It used to pick me up at the end of our driveway. There are still kids living in our area, so the bus route can’t have changed. If you prefer to drive them, it’s not a long drive.”

  “Well, they were terribly excited about riding on a school bus. Like the big kids.”

  “Yeah, I can see that. Still, I remember how nervous I was that first morning, standing at the end of the driveway with my mom. I tried to talk her out of the whole school thing entirely.” Caleb grinned at the memory and Cassie felt herself relax a little. It was easy to picture Caleb as an adorable five-year-old, dark brown hair enchantingly curly clutching his mother’s hand.

  “Don’t you have brothers or sisters?”

  “I have an older sister Emily. But she’s twelve years older. My parents tried for years after my sister’s birth to have a second child. Then they kind of gave up.” Caleb glanced at Cassie, his eyes filled with wicked delight. “I was what you might call an unexpected surprise. Anyway Emily and I never went to the same schools. By the time I entered first grade, she was a senior, driving herself to high school.”

  “Does she still live nearby? Melissa told me your parents moved to Arizona.”

  “No, she got married and moved away. She and her husband bought an enormous house up in Portland, Maine, and run a bed-and-breakfast. It’s a nice place. Sometimes I go up and stay with them for Thanksgiving when I’m not on call.”

  “Sounds lovely. I’ve only been to Maine once, I think. Not too many A-rated horse shows up there,” Cassie explained.

  Caleb chuckled. “Even if there are some, it’s an awfully long haul.” Caleb lifted a hand from the steering wheel and pointed ahead.

  “Here’s the driveway. It’s a little shorter than Hank and Melissa’s, but the house is set back far enough that you won’t have to worry about the kids playing too close to the road. You’ve got fields in front and behind the house.”

  Cassie saw a sign posted at the foot of the driveway: Hay Fever Farm.

  “Unusual name.”

  “A family joke. My grandfather bought this farm from the cousins of the people who owned Five Oaks. The wife of the farmer had absolutely terrible allergies. She forced her husband to sell the farm so that they could move to the city. Pollution was easier on her system than ragweed and hay.”

  “Why didn’t they sell the place to their cousins?”

  “Oh, they hated them because Five Oaks is a bigger parcel of land. They preferred selling the land to strangers, namely Grandpa Wells, than to their own kin.”

  “Nice people,” she said dryly.

  “Charmers,” Caleb cheerfully agreed. “Anyway, it all worked out in spite of them. My father became a doctor and when Hank and Melissa bought Five Oaks about twenty-five years ago, Dad asked Hank to work the land. A large portion of the hay used at Five Oaks comes from Hay Fever Farm.”

  As the pickup truck rounded a corner, Cassie caught her first glimpse of the house. White, with a dark shingled roof, and navy blue shutters framing each window it looked like a classic colonial farmhouse. An open porch extended the front side of the house, with a walkway leading to its steps. Caleb turned off the ignition and stepped down from the truck, coming round to open Cassie’s door.

  “How lovely.” She took in the picturesque setting before her, enhanced by the rays of the setting sun bathing the house in golden tones. There was a calm peacefulness to the house n
estled among the green fields.

  She didn’t even have to walk inside to know instinctively that she was going to love it. So much for any token resistance, she’d be willing to be neighbors with the devil himself for a chance to have Sophie and Jamie grow up in a setting this beautiful.

  “My mother did a lot of work on the inside of the house, and then turned her attention to the gardens. She became the town’s unofficial landscape designer after she’d finished this house. First, all her friends wanted her to redo their own gardens. Word spread after that. It kept her busy once Emily reached school age.”

  Caleb waited politely as Cassie climbed down from the pickup. He shut the truck door behind her. Placing his hand lightly against her back, he guided her around to the house. The warmth of his fingers penetrated the layer of her sweater. She blamed the tiny shocks that coursed up and down her spine on the gentle friction of Caleb’s hand pressing wool against bare skin.

  “Mom planted lilacs and climbing roses on the sides of the house. From springtime on, the air is full of their scent. Over by the front porch she chose clematis and smaller shrub roses.”

  “Who keeps up all the gardens? It must be a lot of work,” Cassie inquired. She knew Thompson liked gardening, but she didn’t know how much time or energy the older woman wanted to devote to the task.

  “Mom used to do it all herself. So she stuck mainly to perennials and shrubs. Now I’ve got Sam Jaffe, an elderly gentleman in his sixties who comes once a week. He’s pretty good, my mother recommended him, and at this point the garden’s fairly low maintenance: lawnmowing, some weeding. There’s a housekeeper who comes once a week, too. She does both houses, mine and my parents.”

  “Thompson, the lady who works for me, also does housekeeping, Will that be a problem?”

  Caleb shook his head. “You can always arrange it so that Mrs. Trapp comes in on your housekeeper’s day off. I’d kind of like to keep her on, if it’s all the same to you. She worked for my parents and the extra money helps her.”