by Allen, Jewel
She broke eye contact and cleared her throat. Then she gestured toward Stormy. “Want to meet my first boyfriend?”
Jay’s mouth twitched. “Won’t he get jealous?”
“Of you? Why ever would he?”
“Wait.” He grabbed her arm playfully. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She shook off his hand and stayed out of his reach. “Guess. You look like you attended one of those hoity-toity private colleges. So use your brain.”
He chuckled. “You’re really not a very sweet young thing, are you, Miss Morris?”
She stuck her tongue out and threw a handful of grass at him before running off toward Stormy. She’d nearly reached him when Jay gained ground and encircled her waist with his arm. She laughed but then turned serious.
He grasped the side of her face before she could run away again. Hunger built inside him.
The expression in her eyes heated to a molten steel, and he was drowning in them as his glance flicked toward her lips.
The ringing of his cell phone broke the spell. At first, he ignored it, but she murmured, “Are you going to get that?”
He replied, “I guess.” He pulled out his cell from his pocket but kept a loose hold of Talia.
“Where are you, Your Highness?” George asked.
Jay reluctantly let Talia go and focused on the call. He could hear the near-hysteria in his secretary’s voice. “Just down the street, why?”
Talia gave him a questioning glance.
“The detectives are back, and they said they have something important to tell you.”
“Can’t it wait?” Jay’s voice was clipped.
“Sorry, sir, but they are sitting right here.”
“I’ll be there.” He clicked his phone off.
“What is it?” Talia asked.
“George said the detectives have some information for me. I need to go.” His glance took in her lips. “Can I have a raincheck?”
She blushed. “I’ll go on back with you.”
On the way to the car, he said, suddenly remembering, “I’m sorry about lunch. Can I grab you something, a burger or…?”
“Sure. There’s Cal’s. They’re super quick.”
“Okay.”
They zipped to the drive-thru and ate their burgers in silence. Jay had little appetite and left his food alone after a few meager bites. The idea that his stables were embroiled in some sort of intrigue was unconscionable. His family’s reputation was at stake. Not to mention the safety of the horses.
“You look furious,” she said.
He loosened his grip on the steering wheel. “Sorry. I was just upset because of all these things going on. And it’s partly my fault.”
“Yours?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve kind of been an absentee owner. I hardly ever come around. How am I supposed to run a tight ship?”
“You hire good people.”
“I used to think I could rely on that. But no longer, apparently.”
He drove the Maserati into the Royal Estates driveway. A police car was parked in one of the stalls in front of the manor. Jay and Talia exchanged worried glances as he pulled into a spot and turned the ignition off.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jay leaned against his desk in his office overlooking the drive at Royal Estates. He tried not to show how annoyed he was at the return of the detectives. It was just a ruse for them to get back on his property without anything concrete to offer. Just more insinuations.
“Where were you this morning?” Detective Allred asked.
“I had gone to the stables to see Eula―that is, Untamed Lady, the horse that Talia jockeys,” Jay said.
“We have a witness that said you did something peculiar before you returned to your office,” the man continued.
Jay stiffened. “And what was that?”
“You doubled back and entered Diamond’s stall.”
Jay frowned. “I was straightening up a bucket, yes.”
A snort escaped from Detective Fields’s lips. “Pardon me, but I find it highly unbelievable that you, a prince, would be doing barn chores.”
“The bucket was twisted. The horse couldn’t get to it.”
The detectives pinned him with their suspicious gazes.
“I’ve been remiss as a stables owner,” Jay said. “I thought I’d make up for that this morning.”
“And you noticed nothing else?” Detective Allred asked, leaning over with one eye more prominent than the other.
“No,” Jay said, “but I’m curious now. You said there was a witness?”
Detective Fields nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“Have you questioned that person?” Jay asked.
“Extensively.”
“Was there anything else?” Jay looked at his watch pointedly.
Detective Allred straightened his posture, but his clothes still looked crumpled. “Just that the Greens are understandably upset about it. If I were you, Prince Jamal, I would talk to them. I think they’re thinking of bolting from your operation.”
When the detectives left, sucking the positive vibes out of Jay’s office, he walked over to the window. Outside, in the sunlight of the rotunda, grooms crossed with their equine charges. Further out, partially blocked by graceful magnolia tree canopies, was the breeze track where a lone rider made good time.
Talia and Eula. They rode as one, beautiful to behold.
There was a knock on the door, and George poked his head in. “Begging your pardon, sir,” he said when Jay turned, “but the Greens are here to see you.”
“Send them in,” Jay said, resigned to all the interruptions today. A thick pile of what he had set aside as “the most important” papers for the day sat on his desk, and it would have to wait.
Bob and Betty Green entered the room, a study in contrasts. Bob was a huge man, probably a good six-foot-six and also generous in girth. He had a perpetually sad expression, as though his mission in life was to attend every wake in town and fit in. Betty was a small fragile-looking woman, who seemed older than Bob with her wrinkled skin and age spots. She fidgeted with a small black-and-white polka-dot purse. Her hands shook.
“Please,” Jay said, gesturing to chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.” He sank into his, curious as to what they had to say.
Bob took his hat off and folded it into his large hands. “I want to say, in all fairness, that you’ve been a good landlord to us, especially in our time of need. The fire was more devastating than we thought it was and made it a lot harder for us to get back on our feet. But this…this affront to our horse’s safety is unacceptable.”
“Believe me,” Jay said, “I agree. I take pride in my stables being one of the best in the area, if not the country, and safety is my utmost concern.”
Bob challenged him with his stare. “So what are you going to do about the attack?”
“I’ve already met with my secretary, and he will review our measures with our security detail.”
“I appreciate it. But…” The southern gentleman hesitated.
“Yes?” Jay frowned.
“It may not be enough."
“Not enough?” Jay said, frowning.
“I need some reassurance that you’re good for your word.”
Jay’s jaw tightened. Who did this man think he was, questioning his integrity? Betty’s eyes grew wide with fear. But Jay had been pushed past the point of civility, first with the detectives’ questioning, and now Bob’s.
“Mr. Green,” Jay said, his voice icy. “I own stock in major corporations, run several businesses around the world, and have assets worth over a billion dollars. And yet you dare question that I am good for my word?”
Bob stared but then backpedaled. “Oh, well, I just wanted to know that you meant it. I don’t care if your father is the King of England. I think I am entitled to have that reassurance.” His voice petered out at the end, as though he was having second thoughts about his attack stance.
“Yo
u have my word,” Jay said quietly. “Now, if you will please excuse me…”
Jay’s words trailed as he caught Betty glancing imploringly at her husband. Bob nodded.
“Prince,” Betty said.
“Jay,” he corrected her.
“Jay.” She nodded, mouse-like. “We want to make you an offer. Our horse, Eula, has been prone to medical issues.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed, watching Talia ride her.”
“Oh, Talia. Yes. Well, that girl can probably turn water into wine. She’s certainly done miracles for Eula.” Betty bit her lip. “But Eula has been under a vet’s care, and it’s been draining for us. Have you seen her hooves?”
“No, why?”
“She has to have special shoes made, or her hooves just melt into nothing. The farrier says it’s a matter of time before she gets laminitis.”
Jay chewed on this for a long moment. “Does Talia know this?”
Bob and Betty exchanged glances. “No,” Bob said.
“She probably should know, don’t you think?” Jay said. “She loves that horse.”
“She’s only a jockey,” Bob said dismissively. “She would praise that horse to the ends of the earth, but the truth of the matter is, that horse is a money pit.”
Jay clenched his jaw. Bob was getting on his nerves. “How about let’s not insult Talia? Why are you bringing up the horse right now?”
Betty cleared her throat. “We wanted to offer her to you for sale. The least you could do for all our troubles.”
Jay couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re offering me your lame horse?”
“Well,” Betty said, “she does have a good pedigree. You could use her as a broodmare.”
“I would have to see her papers to decide that.”
“I brought them,” she said, holding up her purse.
It was excruciating to watch her open her purse and try to pull out a folded piece of paper. Her hands shook so badly that she spilled everything else but the paper, which finally unjammed.
Bob Green just watched his wife struggle, and for a moment, Jay was tempted to yell at him to help.
Betty handed the paper across the desk.
Jay took it from her shaking hand and studied it. “She’s descended from Man O’ War?”
“Yes!” Betty said, her face breaking into a smile. Self-consciously, she glanced at her husband.
“No need to shout the prince’s ear off, Betty,” he said.
Jay studied the paper and then the couple in front of him. Had Bob been the only one to offer Eula, Jay might not have been as open to the idea. Or at least not as enthused. But Betty looked so eager, so pitiful. He inventoried his horses in his head. He had a dozen at these stables and more at Santa Anita. He definitely didn’t need more. And even though Eula was descended from Man O’ War, her other lineage wasn’t as stellar. Again, his glance flicked over to Betty. Her hands were nowhere to be seen. He wondered if they shook under the table.
“How much would you like for Eula?”
Betty swallowed, sounding uncertain. “Eighty thousand.”
A pittance, really. A dollop of Jay’s income. He could well afford it for a beautiful animal. But his businessman instincts told him to dicker. Except Jay didn’t feel like haggling with Betty.
“All right,” he said. “You have a deal.”
Bob’s eyes bugged out, while Betty gave a quiet squeak. “Thank you,” she said.
“I’ll have my secretary finalize the papers with you.” They shook hands, and he ushered them to the door. “I will sign them after my board meeting.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Talia finished the morning workout, feeling great about Eula’s prospects. Eula’s ankle worried her, but she appeared sound today. She led her around a few minutes before walking out of the arena. In the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the Greens coming out of Jay’s mansion, passing a group of men and women in suits who were heading in. Walking alongside the Greens was their head trainer, Larry.
An uneasy feeling swept over Talia. Lately, she felt left out of the decisions in the Greens’s affairs. Granted, Eula was not hers yet, but since she practically planned to be her owner, she felt like she had a stake in her welfare.
“Hello,” Talia greeted them.
Betty’s eyes darted from one side to the other, as though trying to find an escape route. Bob was his usual grumpy self, like he woke up that morning bent to be disagreeable.
“Hello,” Betty said in her mousy voice.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Talia asked.
Betty flicked a glance at Bob. “Oh, I wish, but we’re on our way to prepare some documents.”
Talia frowned. “Documents for what?”
“Oh.” Betty’s shaky hands fluttered. “I meant we’re just going home. Nothing special.”
Talia’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t talking to Jay about Eula, were you?”
It was a random guess, but apparently, it hit its mark squarely. Betty’s hand- shaking went into overdrive. “I’m going to wait in the car. My Parkinson’s is going haywire.” She moved to leave.
“Not so fast, Betty,” Bob said. “You tell her. It was your idea.”
Talia looked from one to the other, her unease increasing.
Betty swallowed and bit her lip. “The prince has agreed to buy Eula.”
Betty’s shaking hands had nothing on Talia. She was so angry she trembled. “I had right of first refusal!”
“We told you that, yes,” Bob acknowledged, “but we needed the money sooner, and we knew the prince would carry through.”
“I would have carried through too,” Talia said, her eyes pricking with tears. “I just needed a few more weeks―”
Bob scowled. “We couldn’t afford to wait.”
“You gave me your word,” Talia said, clenching her fists.
Betty’s eyes widened as she took a step back.
Upon seeing Betty’s anxiety, Talia felt rotten. “I’m sorry. I’m just…I’m just really upset.”
“Listen,” Bob said. “We’re really doing you a favor, young lady. Her hooves are good for nothing, and you know it.”
“That’s what you’ve always said, and that’s what you think,” Talia said. “But she’s got heart, and she has what it takes to be a champ. If only you’d have given her a chance.” She clenched her fist. "I would.”
“Sorry,” Betty whispered, casting her eyes down.
“Come on, Betty,” Bob said.
Betty scurried off to keep up with Bob’s long strides. All this time, Larry just stood by, watching. He was a man in his sixties, balding and perennially sunburned.
“I would give Eula a chance,” Larry said. “If it’s any consolation.”
“Thanks, Larry. I wish that were enough.”
After he left her, Talia stood, alternately hot and cold, for a long time.
Something inside her felt like it had died. Hope had fled. Before, she’d had something to look forward to. Now, she wasn’t even sure what her role would be for Eula. Was she still going to ride her for the Greens, or would that also be stripped away from her?
She looked up at the second floor of the manor, imagining Jay and the amazing business deals he was working out with all sorts of people, all those people in suits.
He had money, and she had none. Well, she did at one point. She had amassed some money from her stakes winnings and from Eula’s wins in the past three races, but she’d pitched in on the vet bills when Eula showed some lameness. The Greens claimed they had no money, and then the fire happened and their insurance was slow to help them.
But Jay, now…he didn’t need to worry about putting food on his table. He had his princedom and his life in Boston, probably carousing at night with his friends while a different model hung on the arm each evening. And then there was his life in Mondragón, where she couldn’t even wrap her head around what a prince did in a principality that specialized in diamonds off the coast of Spain.
He didn’t need to house his horses in whatever ramshackle place he could find, where cockroaches roamed and the deer and antelope didn’t play.
She had gotten herself in such a tizzy that by the time she resolved in her heart to confront Jay, she easily took several angry strides to the front door and rang the doorbell.
***
Jay glanced up at the explosive opening of his office door.
Talia stood there, mad as blazes. Her eyes focused on him, her posture was rigid, and her mouth formed an angry line. She looked, frankly, amazing. Like some war goddess bent on destruction, with her flowing reddish-brown hair.
“Um, hello, Talia,” he said.
“We need to talk,” she said through gritted teeth.
Jay coughed, looking over at his board members, who had also turned to gape at her. “I’m almost done with my meeting.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice still simmering. “I didn’t know you had company.” She didn’t look sorry at all.
George poked his head in after her. “I am so sorry, Your Highness,” he told Jay. “I tried to stop her.”
“It’s okay,” Jay said. “We’re almost done anyway.” He looked at Talia. “Do you mind giving us a few minutes?”
Talia backed into the hallway with a sober expression, and the door shut again.
As Jay concluded the board meeting, he wondered what had gotten Talia’s nose out of joint.
When the last of the men and women left his office, he opened the door wider and motioned for Talia to come in. She strode in confidently, a petite woman with a lot of pent-up energy, like a battery cell. He admired her swinging hips and the way her clothes molded over her fit body, lean from all that riding.
“I take it I’m in trouble?” he guessed.
She turned flashing eyes toward him. “You bought Eula.”
“Well, not yet, technically. I haven’t had a chance to sign the documents, but, yes, in a manner of speaking, I guess I have.”
“I was going to buy her.” Her voice ended in a plaintive note.
Jay reeled from her revelation. “Oh, I see. But you never told me.”
