On arriving at the stud, which had it’s own helicopter pad Lee was waiting to greet them. He was tall and well built with light brown hair, smartly cut, deep blue eyes, and every inch the horseman.
“Hi, I’m Lee and I know you are Sophie as I’ve seen you on the tele. Quite a find you made!”
“Hello, yes I’m Sophie and this is Jenny who runs our local branch of Riding for the Disabled.”
After shaking hands Lee led them towards the stud buildings, which were to say the least, luxurious. The stables were large and airy as were both the indoor and outdoor schools, white fences split up the distant fields where mares and this year’s foals were nodding in the sun, and other fields where yearlings, and two and three year olds were grazing.
“What a place” Sophie said “your animals look amazing.”
“We’re proud of it, been in the family from time immemorial, some say right back to the Viking days.” Lee grinned.
“Well I’m sure your ancestors must be proud of you too.” Jenny said as Sophie’s heart gave a leap and she wondered.
“Now, what would you prefer, a mare or a gelding?” Lee asked and they got down to business.
By the time they boarded the helicopter to return home, Sophie had bought a five year old gelding called Eilert, subject to vetting. When she asked in surprise if that was a Danish name, Lee had laughed and said, yes, all their horse’s names came from that part of the world, his brother, who was his partner, had insisted on it. Sophie asked if his brother was around and he said that his brother ran the stunt, television and film part of their business. So saying that she’d get in touch after the vetting and arrange a delivery date they shook hands and got aboard the helicopter.
***
Three months later Sophie stood in the gateway to the new stableyard she’d had built in the field she now owned, above her wood, and waited impatiently for her horse to arrive. The fields had already been made into smaller paddocks; she’d found it amazing what plenty of money could do, and some of the RDA ponies were already in one of them enjoying the fresh grass.Simon’s ewes had been turned out into the big fields, to eat the grass before the ponies were put on it. She was going to put Eilert into a paddock by himself, but where he could meet the other ponies, without the worry of anything getting kicked.
A smart horsebox made it’s way up the lane and she waved and opened the gate wide. As she watched it turn in, that strange ‘frisson’ that she hadn’t felt for a long time struck her, and she found that she was holding her breath.
The lorry ground to a halt and she saw two large shapes sitting in the cab, then the passenger door opened and a very large grey wolf hound leapt out, and ran towards her tail wagging. Without thinking she flung her arms around him and hugged him tight, holding and stroking his ears.
“Hello boy” she said as her heart turned over and she looked at the driver’s door which was opening far too slowly. Then she definitely couldn’t breath, as a very large man climbed out and turned towards her. Pushing his dirty blonde, surfer boy, hair off his face,revealing a thick chain tattoo around his bicep, he walked towards her, his ice cold blue eyes gazing at her with undisguised desire in them.
“Hello, Sophie, I’m Rik, Lee’s brother,” he almost growled, as she stared at him in disbelief, hearing the wind in the trees whispering “Not even the gates of Valhalla”.
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