Long Shot

by D. Jackson Leigh

  In fact, Tory lost just about every girl she dated to the roguish Skyler. Each time it happened, Tory tamped down her disappointment and excused Skyler’s behavior because she knew childhood abuse had caused her flaws. Back then, Skyler constantly tested their friendship, but Tory never let her down.

  Unfortunately, Skyler’s salvation required that she hurt Tory one more time. Tory was dating Jessica when Skyler stole her heart and Jessica finally healed Skyler’s. Tory had once again tucked away her resentment so the three of them could remain close friends.

  During the year that her friends had been lovers, Tory had watched Skyler blossom in the loving relationship. She had become so relaxed and open with Jessica at her side that Tory forgot life had taught Skyler to expect to screw up and disappoint the people she cared about most. But today she knew Skyler was blaming herself for letting Kate down by not supervising the program’s kids well enough and allowing Kate’s favorite horse to be injured.

  Tory squeezed Skyler’s shoulder reassuringly. “She’ll be fine, Sky. She’ll be sore for a while. It was an accident. And judging from the kids’ tears, they feel worse than Summer does.”

  Tory’s reassurance softened Skyler’s scowl. “Shit. I know. But they could have injured another kid instead of a horse. I’m gonna let them worry over it tonight to teach them a lesson.”

  The equestrian students worshipped Skyler, and her silent treatment would devastate them. Even as angry as Skyler was, she wouldn’t let them suffer long. She’d give in and forgive them. Skyler loved the kids as much as they loved her.

  Tory chuckled when Summer let out a long snore. “Let’s see if we can wake up the old girl and get her up on her feet.”

  Summer began to shuffle her legs, and her breathing picked up after an injection to counteract the anesthesia. Tory tickled the inside of the mare’s ear and pinched her nose to urge her awake. After a moment, Summer raised her head and Skyler pushed against her side to roll her onto her stomach so she could get her legs underneath her.

  “Ugh,” Skyler grunted as they helped the swaying horse stand. “We need to cut back on your rations, ya fat thing.”

  Tory laughed. “Don’t be too quick. It was probably that layer of fat that stopped the arrow before it could do any real damage.”

  The long row of stitches in her side didn’t seem to bother Summer. She blinked at them, then sauntered over to a tasty patch of grass.

  Tory glanced up toward the barn where a slender fourteen-year-old stood in the doorway. “Don’t tell me Jamie was involved in this. I’d think she’d be way too smart to be shooting arrows around horses.”

  Skyler waved for her young protégé to join them. “Not Jamie. She’s just the one the other kids sent to see if Summer’s okay and to find out how much trouble they’re in.”

  Tory laughed and slapped Skyler on the shoulder. “You should know all about that. You were forever sending me to find how angry Kate was over some stunt you pulled.”

  Skyler smiled for the first time since Tory arrived at the farm. “I’d have done the same for you, but you never did anything to get in trouble.”

  “Later, Sky.” Tory chuckled as she walked away.

  *

  Tory climbed into her truck and booted up the laptop that sat on the console. It was her newest toy. She could access medical records and transmit billing statements to her office wherever she could find wireless access, and the equestrian center broadcast a strong signal.

  She absently flipped screens to her e-mail. A message about her registration at an equine medical conference…her electronic bank statement was available for her viewing…some junk e-mail. Hmm. The labs were back for her next call. What was this? She opened the e-mail with a strange return addy on it. It was from Bridgette. Their date was on. Would Tory pick her up at seven p.m.?

  Tory typed a quick confirmation. She clicked “send” and jumped when someone tapped loudly on her truck window.

  “Jesus, Jess,” Tory grumbled. She thumbed the button to lower the window.

  “Hey, stranger.”

  “Hey yourself.”

  “Everything going to be okay with Summer?”

  “Yeah. She’ll be fine. I’ll take the stitches out in about ten days.”

  “Well, if you get too busy, Skyler can do it.”

  Tory eyed her friend. At five foot six, Jessica was a good seven inches shorter than Tory and Skyler. Her dark hair, pulled back into a French braid, was an attractive contrast to her pale blue eyes.

  Tory had met Jessica when she came to Cherokee Falls so Skyler could train her for a spot on the U.S. Equestrian Team. Their quest for the Olympics had failed when Jessica’s knee was injured in an accident, ending her professional riding career.

  “How’s that knee doing?”

  Jessica bounced carefully on her toes to demonstrate. “Nearly as good as new. How’s the veterinary business?”

  “I’ve been delivering so many foals, I can’t remember what it’s like to sleep an entire night without interruption.”

  “That’s money in the bank.”

  “Yeah. But I could use some downtime.”

  “Good. We’re throwing a shindig next Saturday night. We’ll have lots of food, soda, wine, and a keg. If you want something else to drink, bring it with you.”

  “That sounds good,” Tory said.

  “You can bring a date, you know.”

  “Maybe I will.”

  “You will?”

  Christ. Was everybody keeping track of how long it’d been since she’d had a date? “Maybe.”

  “Excellent. The crowd will start arriving around four, but you can come as soon as you get free. We haven’t seen enough of you lately.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Tory’s pager vibrated. She plucked it from her belt and groaned when she read the message.

  “Bad news?” Jessica asked.

  “An emergency call from the Montgomery farm.”

  “Over on U.S. 33?”

  “Yeah. They’ve got a Welsh pony trying to founder.”

  “Not Nighty!”

  “Dark Night.”

  “That’s him. Leah always called him Nighty. I hope he’s okay.”

  “You know Leah Montgomery?”

  “She spent summers with her grandmother when we were kids, and she rode Nighty over here so we could hang out together. We always had a great time.”

  “Well, when I went over there yesterday, that crazy old lady got the shotgun after me and I ended up digging a couple of pellets out of my butt.”

  “She shot you? She actually shot you?”

  “I’d drop my pants and show you, but your jealous girlfriend might not understand. It could have been worse if your friend hadn’t shown up.”

  “Leah’s in town? That’s so cool. Are you going over there now? Invite Leah to the party.”

  “No way. We didn’t hit it off so well. You invite her yourself.”

  Jessica gave Tory a blank look. “You always get along with everybody.”

  “Yeah, well. I can’t explain it either, but she doesn’t like me.”

  Jessica patted Tory’s arm. “She just doesn’t know you yet. You’re a sweetheart. I’ll invite her. Now go to your call.”

  Tory waved as she turned her truck around.

  Normally, she would have phoned when she was paged before she actually drove to a farm. An emergency would put her behind schedule once again. Normally, that would irritate her. Normally, she wouldn’t be happily humming as she pointed her truck toward the Montgomery farm.

  *

  The coolness of the darkened barn welcomed Jessica as she searched for her lover. The tense set of Skyler’s shoulders brought a smile to her face. Such a worrywart. But Skyler’s concern for every animal and every kid was part of what Jessica loved about her. She slipped her arms around Skyler from behind and rested her cheek against her warm back.

  “Hey, sweetie. I saw Tory outside. She said Summer will be fine.” Jess
ica could feel the frown even though she couldn’t see Skyler’s face.

  “Crazy kids shooting arrows,” Skyler muttered.

  Jessica slipped around in front of her and slid into the automatic embrace. “Children learn from making mistakes. But I’m sure you never did anything stupid like that,” she teased.

  Skyler smiled sheepishly. They both knew she had. Her brother usually had been the unfortunate victim of Skyler’s many misadventures. Having heard some of their childhood stories from Tory, Jessica was surprised he’d survived.

  “I got Tory to promise she’d come to the cookout Saturday. She actually said she might bring a date.”

  “She’s dating somebody?”

  “That’s what I came to ask you about. Did she mention any names while she was here?”

  “No.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  “We stitched Summer up, and I ranted about the kids.”

  Jessica laughed and planted a quick kiss on Skyler’s lips.

  “You two are such guys sometimes.”

  Skyler tightened her arms around Jessica and pressed her hips forward. “Yeah, but I’m definitely a girl when it counts.”

  Jessica pulled Skyler’s head down and opened to her, humming her pleasure as Skyler’s warm tongue swirled languidly around her own. When she drew back, they gazed at each other fondly. “You are so right about that, lover. I’m very glad you are a girl.” She sighed and laid her head against Skyler’s breast. “I just want Tory to have somebody, too. I still feel guilty that she got caught in the middle when we fell in love.”

  Skyler kissed the top of Jessica’s head. “I know you do, babe. I do, too. But that’s even more reason for you to stay out of her love life. What could be more humiliating than the woman who dumped you trying to throw you a consolation prize?”

  “You know that’s not what I intend.”

  “Yeah, but Tory’s pride doesn’t.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because that’s how I’d feel. And, like you said, Tory and I are a lot alike—a couple of butch egos.”

  Jessica stepped back and laughed. “Still, Tory said my old friend Leah Montgomery is in town. Those two would be perfect together.”

  “Jess…”

  “I’m going to invite her to our cookout.”

  “Jes-si-ca. Stay out of Tory’s love life.”

  “I matched us up, didn’t I? We’d still be dancing around each other if I hadn’t made the first move.”

  Skyler wrapped her arms around Jessica again for another long kiss. “Made the first move? Hell, woman, you jumped my bones.”

  Jessica winked. “End justifies the means.”

  Chapter Five

  Leah and Gram were still sitting on the porch when Tory pulled up. Gram brightened, combed her fingers through her hair, and pulled off the apron she had been wearing while they baked pies.

  “Leah, honey, entertain our company while I freshen up a little,” she said breathlessly.

  Leah opened her mouth to say it was just the veterinarian, but the screen door was already slamming shut. Well, damn. She would have never guessed Gram could still move that fast.

  She walked out to meet Tory in the yard. Her pulse picked up a bit, but she brushed it off as just being anxious about Nighty.

  “I got your page, Ms. Montgomery,” Tory said pleasantly. “What can I do for you today?”

  “It’s Nighty. I think he’s getting worse.”

  “What’s he doing?”

  “He’s lying down a lot now, and when he stands, he hardly puts any weight on his front feet.”

  “I guess we should go to the barn and take another look at him.” Tory glanced toward the house. “You promise to protect my backside?”

  “You mean from my ninety-pound, seventy-year-old grandmother?”

  “That would be her, the one with the shotgun.”

  “I promise. Now, shall we take a look, Dr. Greyson?” Leah gestured toward the barn.

  “Lead on, Ms. Montgomery.”

  “Oh, no, after you, Dr. Greyson. I have to keep an eye on your leprechaun.”

  Tory shook her head but started for the barn. Leah trailed, fixing her gaze firmly on Tory’s backside.

  *

  Tory was impressed with the provisions Leah had made for the pony. A thick layer of sand had been poured over the hard clay floor of the stall, then covered with a layer of straw bedding, making the surface as soft as possible for Nighty’s sore feet.

  “This is nice,” Tory said. “I’m sure it’ll make him more comfortable.”

  Leah shrugged. “I read about it on the Internet. I went with sand because I could get it right away. The rubber stall mats it mentioned would have taken at least a week to be delivered.”

  Tory nodded and bent to examine the pony’s feet. She frowned as she pulled a hoof pick from her back pocket and began to clean the fresh mud and grass packed against the sole of his foot. Her first instinct was to give Leah a stern lecture, but she took a deep breath and reminded herself to be patient.

  “He’s been out in the pasture. He really needs to stay off the grass, Leah. I can’t emphasize that enough. If we don’t get his protein down, the inflammation will dissolve the material that attaches the hoof to the bone and the bone will rotate right out of the bottom of his foot.”

  Leah used her fingers to comb her hair back from her face, a gesture Tory was beginning to realize meant she was frustrated.

  “I know, I know. I read that, too.” Leah stared at her own feet, as if deciding how much to disclose. When she looked up, Tory could see the guilt in her eyes. “I went to the store for just a few minutes, and Gram apparently turned him out. I didn’t see him until hours later. I’ve explained to her that Nighty has to stay in the barn, but ten minutes later, she’s forgotten it. Damn it, I can’t turn my back on her for a minute.”

  “Hey, it’s okay.” Without thinking, Tory gave Leah’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “We can fix this. We’ll increase the bute until he shows significant improvement. And I just happen to have a spare padlock and hasp in the truck. If you have a screwdriver, we can install it right now.”

  “I can go buy a padlock.”

  Tory exaggerated a look of panic. “And leave me here with Sniper Granny? No way.”

  Leah laughed, but her eyes were a little sad. “You know, if she heard you call her that and could remember shooting at you yesterday, she’d think you were really funny.”

  “I am funny, and charming.”

  “And modest, I see.”

  “I’m sorry about your grandmother. It must be hard to deal with, and I mean no disrespect when I joke about it.”

  “It’s okay. It helps to keep a sense of humor.”

  They stared at each other for a long moment, their eyes and smiles acknowledging that they actually had been flirting. The moment hung there, then was gone as Leah turned away.

  “I’ll go find a screwdriver,” she said over her shoulder.

  Tory was digging around in her truck for the lock when Leah returned with the tool and Gram trailing close behind. She was surprised to see Gram dressed in a neatly pressed sky blue dress and sandals as though she was going to church or a party. Gram smiled shyly up at Tory.

  “I’m so glad to see you again,” she said.

  Tory shot a questioning glance at Leah, who shrugged and gave her head a slight shake.

  Tory cleared her throat. “It’s nice to see you again, too. That’s a very pretty dress.”

  “Thank you, Willie. I was hoping this is still your favorite color.” She smoothed the dress along her hip.

  Leah, her eyes begging, looked over Gram’s shoulder at Tory and silently mouthed, “Play along.”

  Tory glanced from one of them to the other. “Yes. Blue is my favorite color,” she said. “You look wonderful in it.”

  Gram blushed and ducked her head. “I have some pie in the house if you would like some…lemon meringue.”

  �
�I love lemon meringue pie.”

  Gram’s eyes twinkled. “I remember.”

  Tory held up the lock in her hand and gestured to the barn. “I need to install this first, but how about if I come to the house and have some pie before I go?”

  Gram touched Tory’s biceps. “You’re so strong. You’re always fixing things around here for me.”

  “Uh, I really don’t mind. I won’t be but a minute.” Tory began to back toward the barn, grabbing the screwdriver from Leah as she passed her.

  Gram gave her a little wave. “I’ll get the pie ready.”

  “We’ll be right back, Gram,” Leah said.

  *

  Tory already had the lock out of the package and was fitting it on the stall door when Leah joined her. “Here, can you hold this in place while I put the screws in?”

  They were silent, each buried in her own thoughts. Leah held the lock in place while Tory worked. The last screw secure, Tory straightened and looked over to see Leah struggling not to smile.

  “You are so strong,” Leah teased, touching Tory’s biceps just as Gram had.

  “Shut up,” Tory growled, but she couldn’t stop smiling. “Your grandmother thinks I’m some guy named Willie.”

  “Oh, no, sugar. Not just some guy. The love of her life, according to her.”

  “She was flirting with me!”

  “I didn’t know the old girl still had it in her. I wouldn’t worry about it unless she tries to feel you up.” She folded her arms over her chest and gave Tory a stern look. “I guess I should ask what your intentions are.”

  “My intentions?”

  “Are you coming to have a piece of pie, or are you planning to stand her up and break my poor old grandmother’s heart?”

  Tory laughed as they headed back to the house. “Lemon meringue is my favorite.”

  “Yes, that’s what Gram said when she insisted we bake three of them earlier today.”