“So, you think Flyby is the one, huh? The Derby winner?”
“I don’t think he’s the one, I know he is,” she said, her voice ringing with confidence. She looked away, disturbed by the way he was staring at her, as if he could see inside her. “Maud’s dream was to have another Derby winner. Her father had one and she managed to get two early on. I promised her I would bring another trophy home, and I intend to do just that with Flyby.”
“If anybody can do it, you can. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve proved yourself and your theory beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said, emphasizing the courtroom cliché. “Even Dad is starting to come around. I heard him use the word miracle in reference to Stardancer a few days ago.”
Nealy blinked, then focused her gaze. Just the other day she had wished for someone to talk to, confide in and help her resolve her problems. It was beginning to look like her wish had come true. In the few days following Flyby’s birth she and Hunt had spent countless hours together talking about anything and everything. He was easy to talk to because he was a good listener. She hadn’t confided any secrets to him yet, but she knew that if and when she did, he would keep her confidences.
“Speaking of your father. Has he heard any more grumblings about the Carneys or Stardancer?”
“He’s dealing with some nasty stuff from some of the men. They don’t take well to change. The bottom line is they haven’t forgiven you for firing Jack Carney. But it’s what you did with Stardancer that’s rocking the foundation of this farm. They feel you risked the life of that colt to satisfy your ego.”
“That’s not true,” Nealy answered in a rush of words. “I don’t have an ego.”
Hunt moved his hand off the back of the couch and took hold of her braid and gently tugged it. “Hey, I know you don’t, but that’s because I know you and understand you better than they do.”
A part of her reveled in his trust in her. She felt an unexpected warmth flow through her. “It’s just that I think this breeding thing has gotten too clinical. The breeders are turning the horses into machines. I pray to God the day never comes when Thoroughbreds are artificially bred, like cows.” Nealy felt an odd twinge of disappointment when he took his hand from her hair. She had secretly hoped . . . She wasn’t sure what she had been hoping for, but she didn’t dare think too hard about it. She had enough on her mind right now.
“I saw Wiley in town yesterday around four o’clock. He was drunk as a skunk.”
Nealy shrugged. “I could care less what Wiley is doing as long as he isn’t doing it on my payroll and my farm. I’ve got bigger concerns at the moment than Wiley Carney, Jack, and even the staff. I’m worried about Buddy. One day he’s up, and the next he’s down. The psychologist seeing him wants to increase his sessions. I think it’s a good idea. He doesn’t open up to me too much, but he talks to Emmie nonstop. Maybe I’m expecting too much too soon.”
“He’s a survivor, Nealy. He’s grieving the way a child grieves. It wouldn’t be normal if he didn’t have some downtime. He’s doing well in school. He eats constantly because he’s a growing boy, so that has to mean something. He’s got all kinds of male role models around here. When I come back at the end of the quarter, I’ll spend more time with him. He’s teaching me to sign, but he says I’m way too slow. There’s a guy in one of my classes who works with the deaf. I’ll get him to work with me, and when I get back here, I’ll blow Buddy’s socks off with how good I am.” He laughed at his own little joke.
A smile found its way to Nealy’s lips. In the short time Hunt had been working on the farm, he’d proved himself not only to be an ally but a genuinely good person. He worked tirelessly, never complained, and was good to his father. Whenever she saw Hunt joke with his father or put his arm around his shoulders, her heart ached. Never once had her own father joked with her or put his arm around her. Ditto for Pyne and Rhy. Maybe that was why she was always hugging Emmie and Buddy, because she’d never gotten any hugs herself.
Nealy’s mind drifted off.
A few minutes later Hunt asked, “What are you thinking?”
She blinked. “Hmm? Oh, this and that.” She grinned mischievously. “Maud loved to talk about the old days to me. She had a rapt pupil in me. I soaked it all up like a sponge. Being a woman in the Thoroughbred horse business made for some really tough times, and yet she survived and thrived. Every single person on this farm loved her.” She looked away then, her eyes misty, and said, “I think they’re all likening me to Maud, and I’m coming up short in their eyes.” She could feel her throat closing up and knew she had to regain control. The last thing she wanted was for Hunt to think she was feeling sorry for herself. “Anyway,” she said, taking a deep breath, “Maud told me that her father’s death devastated her. She admitted to drinking more than a bit of his moonshine to help her get through the burial. She said when she came back from the cemetery, she sat down on the front porch steps and wondered what she was going to do. She figured she had enough food to last her a week but only enough hay to last the horses a couple more days and no money to buy any more. I guess she was ready to give up, auction off the horses, and let the farm go back to the bank.
“That’s when Jess rode onto the property, took her in hand, and told her she couldn’t give up, that she had too much to lose. He offered to help her pull it all together if she’d get off her butt and make him some supper.” Nealy couldn’t help but break into a smile. “Jess never struck me as being a knight in shining armor, but that’s exactly what he was. Maud said he wasn’t the music-and-roses type, but he made up for it in other ways.
“To think that Blue Diamond Farms is what it is today because of that chance meeting.” She paused a moment before adding, “It kind of reminds me of that night when I was sitting on the fence and you drove up asking if this was Blue Diamond Farms.”
Hunt’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
His reaction amused her. “Now don’t be jumping to conclusions. I’m not suggesting that you’re my knight in shining armor, and I’m certainly not down-and-out. It’s just that I was feeling a little overwhelmed with all the responsibility, and then you came along and things eased up a bit.”
“Glad I could help.” His eyes brightened with pleasure. “Are you still feeling overwhelmed?”
Nealy chuckled. “Oh, yeah. While Maud and Jess were alive, the workers and I got along just fine. Now they resent me. I can’t say I blame them, but it’s not like I asked to inherit Blue Diamond Farms. I didn’t. All I ever wanted was a home for Emmie and me. That’s all, I swear,” she said, crossing her heart. “Sometimes I wish they hadn’t left it to me but maybe just provided for me and Emmie to stay on here. But then other times I think they may have known what they were doing after all. Nobody loves this place more than I do. Nobody cares more about its future than I do. It isn’t just a moneymaking Thoroughbred farm to me, it’s a home.
“I want to believe I can handle the trouble I know is coming. Maud and Jess had faith in me. I refuse to betray that faith. So,” she said, dusting her hands together, “are you all set to leave in the morning?”
“I’m packed. The car is gassed. But am I all set to leave? Physically yes, mentally no.”
“Do you think that old car of yours will make it?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. If it doesn’t, I might have to hitchhike. I’ve done it before. Don’t tell me that’s worry I see on your face. For me?” He pretended to be aghast.
Nealy rearranged her expression. She loved this gentle sparring as much as he did. “Since you’re going to be working here come May, why don’t you take one of the trucks? They were all serviced right before the holidays. You’re on the payroll, so that means as far as our insurance goes, you can drive any of the vehicles.”
He shook his head. “That would start more than a few tongues wagging that you’re showing favoritism.”
Nealy thought a moment. “In that case, I insist. Besides, I don’t want your father worrying himself sick over you driving t
hat rusty clunker.”
“Dad doesn’t worry about things like that. He knows I know how to survive. I was a Boy Scout and then an Eagle Scout. Got all the knots to prove it and the badges, too.”
“Then it’s settled,” she said, clapping her hands. “Take the black Ford Ranger.”
He grinned as he got up off the couch. “You’re a persuasive woman, Nealy Diamond.” He walked to the front door, then stopped before turning back toward her. “Nealy?”
She came toward him, her legs wobbly as a new colt’s. “Yes.”
“I . . . just . . . what I wanted to say is . . .”
“Yes?” She hoped she didn’t sound too anxious.
“You know, to say thanks. Dad couldn’t believe your offer. Hell, I can hardly believe it myself. I guess I want to know why. Did I charm you? Did I say the right thing? What? Did you feel sorry for me?”
Nealy’s lips split into a grin. She liked this humble side of him. “None of the above. Blue Diamond Farms needs some more new blood besides me. You’re Danny’s son, and you said yourself you love it here. I know how that feels. Trust me, Maud and Jess would approve.”
“Then I guess I’ll say good-bye now. See you in May.”
“Good-bye, Hunt. Drive safely.”
He took a step forward then stopped again. “Nealy?”
“Yes,” she responded with a smile in her voice.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to kiss you good-bye.”
Instinct told her if he kissed her, she’d never let him go. “Nah,” she laughed. “I hate good-bye kisses. When you come back, you can kiss me hello.”
“Yeah, that’s good,” he said, flustered. “Uh-huh, hello is better than good-bye anyway. You’re probably right. Yeah, yeah. It’s doable.”
He looked so disappointed that she threw her arms around him and pulled him toward her. “I think maybe I’ll make an exception this time,” she said, pressing her mouth to his. When he backed away, she grinned, and said, “The keys are in the truck. See you in May.”
Back inside the house, with the door closed and locked behind her, Nealy leaned against the wall and slowly sank to the floor. Her heart thudded inside her chest, and her stomach felt fluttery. She wondered if she’d just done a stupid thing, but if something felt good and right, how could it be stupid?
Delighted with herself, she rolled across the foyer floor, grinning from ear to ear, until she saw Carmela standing above her.
“Is there a reason why you’re rolling around on the floor, Nealy? Isn’t it clean enough for you?” She reached down to grasp Nealy’s hand to pull her to her feet.
“You know what, Carmela? I just kissed Hunter Clay. I kissed him, not the other way around.”
The housekeeper pursed her lips, the topknot on her head jiggling with suppressed laughter. “Is that a fact?”
“Yes. And it was great, too. He tasted kind of minty, like maybe he’d just brushed his teeth, and he smelled good, like new leather.”
“Imagine that.”
“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?” Before Carmela could answer, Nealy went on. “That’s okay. Go ahead and laugh if that’s what you want. I don’t care. I enjoyed it. I mean I really enjoyed it.” She twirled around and headed for the stairs. “Guess I’ll go check on the kids.”
“Wait a minute, Nealy. Before you fall head over heels there’s something I want to say. I know it’s none of my business but . . .” Carmela sighed. “I guess I just have to spit it out. I don’t want to see you break that boy’s heart. I’ve known him since he was a little boy, and he’s a fine person. Maud and Jess were mighty sweet on him. They even paid half his way to send him to college and law school. It’s a fine thing you did, offering him the job as farm manager. He’ll do a good job because he loves this farm and the horses. But what I’m telling you is that you can’t mix business with pleasure. You best be remembering that.”
Nealy felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck start to ruffle. “All I did was kiss him! I’m not stupid, Carmela. Who said anything about breaking his heart?”
“Yes, I know, but when people fall in love they sometimes do stupid things,” the housekeeper mumbled as she straightened the throw rug with her foot.
Nealy climbed two steps, then turned and leaned on the banister. “I’m not saying I’m going to do anything foolish or stupid, but why was it okay for Maud to fall for Jess and it’s not okay for me to fall for Hunt? Just answer me that.”
“Times were different. You have more at stake than Maud ever did. You have a highly successful Thoroughbred farm, a daughter, and now Buddy. You don’t want to be doing anything that will fall back on those children.”
Nealy refused to make the connection. “My God, it was just a kiss. I’m sorry I mentioned it. And I’m sorry I rolled on the foyer floor. I’m goddamn sorry about everything, okay?” she exploded. “Good night, Carmela.”
Carmela returned to the kitchen, reached for the cup of coffee she was never without, and went out to the back porch. The moment she took a deep breath of the cold night air she spotted Danny Clay headed her way from the barns.
“Is Hunter still here?” he asked.
Carmela shook her head. “He left a few minutes ago, a very happy man I imagine.”
“Yeah, he’s all wound up about finishing school, passing the bar, then coming back here to work.”
“That’s not what I meant. Nealy kissed him. Just after he left, I found her rolling around on the floor having herself a grand old time.”
“Jesus God!”
“It’s just like Maud and Jess all over again. It’s history repeating itself, Danny.”
“It’s not a bad thing, Carmela.”
“It’s too soon, though. Much too soon.”
“Well, there’s nothing either you or I can do about it, so there’s no sense worrying. What will be will be.”
At three months old, Flyby had already surpassed Nealy’s expectations. He was a bright-looking chestnut colt with a distinct blaze and one white stocking. His conformation was nearly perfect, and his pedigree was as good as it got. But would he prove to be a runner? Only time would tell.
Since his birth he had been housed with his dam and his sire in the new barn. Nealy had decided not to test her “family” theory on any other horses until things settled down around the farm. She assigned Danny and two other loyal grooms to take care of her little horse family, allowing no one else near the barn. What the others didn’t see, they couldn’t talk about.
It was Emmie’s job to take Flyby on long daily walks around the farm. It was important that he get used to being haltered and led. Little Lady and Stardancer watched their offspring from their individual stalls. Buddy was enlisted to act as farrier and put a file to Flyby’s little hooves, getting the colt used to lifting up his feet and feeling the tickle.
Once the daily training was done, Emmie and Buddy took Little Lady and Flyby out to one of the paddocks to exercise and graze while Nealy took Stardancer running around the track. It was almost a criminal shame that Stardancer had never had a chance to race and all because of one mistake and a basketful of misunderstandings. The stallion was too old now to run for the roses or any other race. The Kentucky Derby was for three-year-olds. Generally, horses didn’t race at all after they turned four.
If only she could turn back the clock, she knew in her gut Stardancer could have run the Derby, maybe even won it. Out on the track, when she gave him his head, he could still outrun most of the two-year-olds breezing with him.
Nealy threw her hands in the air in disgust. “I hate this! I hate this, Carmela! Help me here!”
The housekeeper jammed her hands onto her ample hips. “I have no idea why you are so stubborn. I told you a year ago to hire someone to help out here in the office. It would make your life so much easier. You could free up three or four hours a day to do other things. It isn’t like you can’t afford it. Just tell me why?”
Nealy lowered her head in frustration. “Becaus
e . . . because I told Maud I could handle it. I have. I am. It just takes so damn much time.”
“Probably the reason it takes so much time is that you hate it so much. I think you’re your own worst enemy.”
“You’re right. I’m going to call an agency right now, then I’m also going to place an ad in the Leader. When are you leaving to visit your sister?”
“Right now she’s busy with all her church activities. She doesn’t sound like she cares if I visit or not. Maybe I won’t go at all. Don’t much care for Seattle. Too cold and rainy for me even in the summer. Are you upset that I haven’t gone?”
“No, of course not. I guess that a plane ticket wasn’t such a good Christmas present after all. I’m sorry, Carmela. Turn the ticket in if you like. It won’t hurt my feelings.”
“You would all starve to death if I left. Those young ones are always eating. I had a whole plate of fried chicken in the refrigerator yesterday, and today it’s all gone. Those kids ate it last night.”
“I can cook, Carmela, believe it or not. I don’t think we’d starve to death in two weeks.”
The elderly housekeeper laughed, then waved Nealy away. “You better make your phone calls. You might make the paper’s deadline if you call now. Split pea soup for lunch.”
“Sounds good. I’ll eat later.”
“You always say that,” Carmela sniffed. “It’s no wonder you’re such a puny little thing, all skin and bones like those poor undernourished jockeys. By the way, I was wondering if you wanted me to clean up Jack Carney’s quarters and fancy it up a bit for when Hunter gets here?”
“Why would he want to stay there when he can stay with his father? Danny has plenty of room.”
“A man needs his privacy. Two grown men living together isn’t going to work. One wants to go to bed early; the other doesn’t. One wants to listen to the radio; one doesn’t.”
“All right, I get the point. But you better check with Danny to see what he thinks first.”
“I’ll do that,” the housekeeper said happily as she exited the small office.
Kentucky Rich Page 12
