by Lita Lawson
After an easy gait, she galloped Foolish Gamble the rest of the way to the creek. It was about a mile long, which was the length most of his races would be.
The wind whipping through her hair threatened to undo her braid, but only a few wisps of hair fell free around her face. She heard the wind rushing through her ears and occasional snorts from Foolish Gamble. She couldn’t get enough of the speed. It was thrilling to ride this fast atop the magnificent animal.
As always, the ride ended too soon and they had reached their destination. Looping Foolish Gamble’s reins around a slender sapling tree, she pulled the carrot out of her pocket. Breaking it into small pieces, she held them in her palm while the animal took a few bites. She liked the way his velvet-like muzzle tickled her hand.
As she listened to the creek rush by, she twirled a tall blade of grass between her fingers. She could feel her body relaxing, responding to the beauty of the place as she emptied the worries from her mind. Lingering longer than she should have, she reluctantly got up and mounted Foolish Gamble for the slow ride back to the farm and the day’s work awaiting her.
Warm from the sun bathing her skin, Cassi tied her work shirt in a knot at her waist and rolled up the sleeves. That, along with the gentle breeze as Foolish Gamble trotted back to the farm, helped cool her. Her thoughts drifted to Austin Keller once again, remembering the feel of his lips on hers, the hot touch of his hand on her skin. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep him from her thoughts.
Nearing the corral, she spotted an unfamiliar car next to the barn. From this distance, it appeared to be a foreign model, an expensive one no one she knew could own. A figure was sitting on the hood of the vehicle. All she could make out was it was a dark haired man. Getting closer, she recognized it was Austin.
“That’s a fine looking horse you’ve got there.” He smiled.
She tried to ignore his charm. “This is my pride and joy, Foolish Gamble.” Cassi stroked the horse’s nose lovingly. “And what do I owe this visit to?” He reached up and held her around her waist, assisting her as she dismounted.
“Well, you refused any offers to thank you for signing Bella Donna back over to me—”
She cut him off. “That’s right. What I did doesn’t warrant any special thanks. The way I see it, I did what anyone else put in my position would’ve done. Give the horse back to its rightful owner. End of story.” She walked Foolish Gamble over to the corral and released him to frisk about.
Austin replied, “In my book, when someone does something nice for someone, they owe them back.” He stood next to her at the fence, “and that means I still owe you.”
She was surprised a man of his wealth and reputation would feel indebted to someone, especially her. Was it possible he always paid his debts back with a personal appearance?
“Look, I already told you—” Cassi stopped talking as Austin headed toward the barn. Following him, she asked, “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like? I’m going to clean out these stalls. Since you won’t let me do anything for you, I’ll do it without your permission.”
She watched as he rolled up his white shirtsleeves and bent over in his black jeans. She couldn’t help but notice they fit him like a glove. She found his presence unnerving and knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on everything she had to do with him distracting her. Those tiger-eyes and tempting lips would keep her from getting half her chores done. And what if he kissed her again? Him working with her was definitely out of the question.
“Look, Austin—”
“Yes, Cassi?” His tone was sugar-sweet.
“I’ve got loads of work to do today and I don’t need you hanging around interfering.”
“I’d be interfering, would I?”
She noticed his eyes seemed to mock her. “Yes,” she replied.
“Well, then, if you don’t want me helping out around the farm, then how about dinner? Eight o’clock this evening?”
He folded his arms in front of his chest, and the muscles in his forearms rippled underneath his shirt. Cassi’s stomach did a flip-flop at the sight. She knew she would have to agree to dinner in order to get him to leave. A dinner with him in a public place beat having him alongside her, alone all day in the barn.
“All right,” she conceded.
“I’ll pick you up at eight,” Austin walked toward his car. “I’ll see you then.” With the slam of the door, and ignition of the powerful engine, he was gone.
Cassi let out a heavy sigh, causing loose strands of hair over her eyes to dance in the air momentarily. Groaning at the recent turn of events, she began working in earnest. If she kept busy, maybe she could rid her thoughts of Austin Keller, his soft lips and mesmerizing eyes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Later that afternoon, Cassi checked her answering machine for messages. There was one from her banker, and it wasn’t good news. Her stomach began to knot up with the cold reality the message revealed. All deadlines and extensions had come and gone. She had to pay several delinquent payments in order to keep them from starting foreclosure proceedings. She needed money and she needed it now. Cassi slumped with the weight of resignation.
Lowering her head into her hands, she wanted to go somewhere, run anywhere to get away from all her problems. Tuition was due for her brother Mike’s summer semester and his partial scholarship only covered so much. It didn’t cover the other expenses like textbooks. She stifled the urge to cry, letting out a heavy sigh instead. Crying wouldn’t pay the bills nor would it change the fact that she had so many of them.
There was nothing else she could do. She could only board a handful of horses, and so far, she hadn’t won any lottery tickets. Too bad there weren’t fairy godmothers passing out loans. Then she might have a chance to save her farm.
She thought of her upcoming dinner with Austin. If she had money like he did, she wouldn’t be in this mess. He kept insisting that he had to thank her for returning his horse. Was it possible he would be willing to help her save her farm? Did she dare even ask for such a thing? She didn’t like taking favors from anyone and wondered what type of arrangement would make it worth his while. After all, the man had everything.
A flicker of hope ignited. Maybe he’d be interested in a partnership. She might still have a chance to save her farm. If he was sincere about wanting to do something to thank her, maybe a partnership would suffice. He was a rich man and must be used to business arrangements. But what could she offer him to make him help her out?
The tiredness from the day’s work and her financial problems seemed to disappear as Cassi showered quickly and rushed to get dressed for their dinner.
The selection of clothes was so slim, it was easy to choose the white satin shirt from the other night, but this time she paired it with a short, narrow black skirt and slipped into black high heels. Running out of time, Cassi opted to braid her still damp hair instead of styling it.
While applying make-up, she heard his car coming down the driveway. Quickly she ran a dab of russet lipstick over her lips and took one last look in the mirror. It was the best she could do.
Cassi went to greet her dinner partner—hopefully future financial partner, if she could get up the nerve to ask him. Her heart fluttered with nerves as she hurried down the stairs. She wished she had experience with men like Austin. When she reached the bottom step, he was there, standing at the kitchen door. One look at him, his dark mane of hair and aristocratic features, and her pulses raced.
“Hello,” Cassi greeted Austin as nonchalantly as possible. “It’ll just take a minute to for me to lock up.” Grabbing her purse, she quickly exited and turned the lock on the door.
He walked behind her as she made her way down the porch steps. Sensing his gaze on her as she walked, Cassi felt self-conscious. She strolled along in front of him as naturally as possible, hoping her outfit was okay.
“You look beautiful,” Austin said as he opened the Jaguar door for her.
“Thank you
.” It had been a long time since someone had opened a door for her. She slid into the soft leather seat of his luxurious car. Never in a million years did she dream she’d ever be in a Jag, let alone Austin’s. Now she knew how all those debs she had seen with him in the paper must have felt when they were seated next to him. Special.
Trying to be inconspicuous, Cassi ran her hand along the side of the leather seat. It was smooth as butter beneath her fingertips. Sensing his gaze upon her, she briefly met his eyes.
Cassi inhaled and savored the scent of the luxurious leather and Austin’s musky aftershave. Stealing glances of his strong profile beside her, she wondered if he would kiss her again, or if the incident the other day in the barn was truly a phenomenon.
“So, where are we going?” Cassi asked, trying to make small talk.
“Oh, I know of a quiet little place I think you’ll like.”
His tone was mysterious and aroused Cassi’s curiosity as they drove through the countryside. When he didn’t enter the freeway that led to the city, she wondered where they could possibly be going. She was surprised when in a few moments Austin turned down the lane to Keller Farms.
“Did you forget something?” she asked. She was even more baffled when they passed the main house and continued down the lane.
“No.” Austin replied, a slight grin curling his lips. “We’re eating here.”
“So you’ll be the chef tonight?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
“You think I’m not up to the task?” he replied dryly.
“No, I just didn’t peg you for the domestic type.”
“You’d be surprised at what type I might be, Cassi,” he returned in a low, sultry voice.
The last time Cassi was here, it had been dark, so she hadn’t been able to get a good view of the property. There were rows upon rows of white fences, several small barns painted white with red trim, the colors of Keller Farms. They stopped at a different barn than the one she had been in the night of the party.
Austin helped her out of the car and his strong, warm touch sent a slight charge of electricity through her. With the palm of his hand cradling the small of her back, he escorted her into the barn. Lit chandeliers hung overhead, dimly casting a golden glow over the area. In the far corner, there was a table with white linen draped over it and numerous candles burning in crystal holders of varying heights. Cassi heard the soft strains of classical music as he bowed slightly. Several trays covered in silver domes sat on the table, apparently keeping their dinner warm.
“This looks like carryout to me. Are you sure you cooked all this yourself?”
“On the contrary, I cooked this earlier before I came to get you. I instructed our cook to put it out here for us before we arrived so it would still be warm.” Pulling a chair out, Austin gestured for her to sit.
“This I’ve got to see!” Intrigued, Cassi unfolded the linen napkin Austin handed her and placed it on her lap.
“First, may I pour you a glass of wine?” he asked.
“Just a little.” Cassi normally didn’t drink, and had taken an antihistamine for her allergies. But this was a special occasion after all. And it might take the edge off her nerves so she wouldn’t chicken out of asking for help with her farm.
As Austin poured her a glass of blush wine, he said, “That outfit looks good on you.”
She could tell by his gaze that assessed her that it wasn’t an empty compliment. “Flattery will get you nowhere,” she teased him.
Austin chuckled, “Like I haven’t heard that before.” They laughed together.
Removing the domes over the platters, he revealed angel hair pasta covered in marinara sauce. The other platter held an assortment of meatballs and sausage. “I didn’t know if you were a vegetarian or not, so I put the meat on a separate tray.”
Cassi was taken aback that he would even consider such a thing. Maybe he wasn’t the cavalier cad with the playboy reputation. “Looks wonderful.” Glancing at him skeptically, she asked, “Are you sure you cooked all this?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. “But you might want to wait to be impressed until after you’ve tasted it.”
Then he grinned at her, that thousand-megawatt smile, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. It was all sinking in right now. She was having dinner. Alone. With Lexington’s most eligible bachelor and notorious womanizer. She agreed to have dinner with him because it would be better than working with him at the farm today, but that’s when she had assumed dinner would be in a busy public restaurant, not in such a secluded surrounding.
Austin placed pasta on her dinner plate. “Are you a vegetarian?”
“Not at all. I’d love to try your meatballs.”
He smiled. “One or two?”
“Two.”
They talked casually and easily. Cassi began to relax, her nervousness disappearing. In spite of being from opposite social and economic scales, they had a lot in common when it came to horses and running farms. Austin spoke of the farm with love, but Cassi was surprised when it was apparent from his words that he didn’t run Keller Farms.
Trying to keep the amazement out of her voice, Cassi asked, “So you don’t oversee the operations of Keller Farms? I assumed you did.”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. My stepfather does. After my father’s death, he didn’t waste any time in courting my mother.”
Cassi sensed the bitterness behind his words.
“I was only sixteen at the time. Once they married, my mother turned everything my father and grandfather had worked so many years to build over to this man—this stranger.”
“I’m sure you’ll take over the operations someday soon,” Cassi tried to ease the tension she sensed in the current topic of conversation.
“Not soon enough,” Austin’s words were curt as he poured them both more wine. Cassi didn’t object.
She couldn’t help but notice this was not a pleasant subject for him. Trying to move to another, she said, “At least you don’t have an inheritance to a debt-ridden farm like me.” Austin took hold of her hand from across the table and squeezed it.
“But it’s yours, Cassi. All yours. You will determine what you make of it. You won’t have people questioning your abilities, saying it was handed to you on a silver platter. I wish I had a farm of my own to develop. I envy you.”
Cassi appreciated the fact that he was eager to make his own mark in the horse industry like her. But she was shocked that a man of Austin’s social standing could envy her anything. She responded flippantly, trying to change the subject to less emotional territory “I envy your cooking skills.” Austin’s laugh was rich and melodic and she loved the sound of it.
“It took me awhile, but I overcame my shortcomings.”
“It’s hard to imagine a man like you having shortcomings.” Cassi immediately regretted her response as it could be construed to have a double meaning.
“Things aren’t always as they appear, Cassi. You should always remember that in life.”
They ate companionably, and Cassi thoroughly enjoyed the food. Once more, Austin thanked her for turning Bella Donna back over to him. Wishing he would quit thanking her, and hoping he truly meant it, Cassi took this as an opportunity to broach her subject about a partnership. Their conversation had gone smoothly and the wine was making her feel relaxed, no longer intimidated by her rich surroundings and the man across the table.
She took a deep breath and decided to go for it. After all, what did she have to lose? If she couldn’t get Austin to lend her money and partner with her, she would lose it all anyway.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you,” Cassi said, looking up from her dinner plate into Austin’s tawny gaze.
“Sure,” he replied, twirling his spaghetti expertly in his fork.
“This may seem a bit presumptuous on my part, considering we haven’t known each other long. And I’ll understand if you aren’t interested. Just say so.”
“Just ask me.”
&nb
sp; “Okay.” Cassi folded her hands on her lap in a silent prayer. “I received bad news after you left this afternoon.” She watched Austin as he continued eating, not once glancing at her. Cassi took another deep breath.
“As you might be aware from local gossip, my father ran out on my family, leaving behind a farm with one potentially good racehorse and a mountain of debt.”
Austin looked up at her. “Go on.”
He must have sensed her embarrassment about going into such a personal matter, and she was grateful for his full attention and understanding.
“Anyway, it appears that my debts are so large and so behind in payment, that, well, the bank is going to start foreclosure proceedings in the next month if I can’t come up with a payment. And I mean a large payment. I have no money, and my banker suggested the only other option was to see if I could find a private investor. And it so happened that I met you…”
“So you thought you’d casually ask me for a loan—a repayment for your signing my horse back over to me?”
Austin’s voice was steely and Cassi detected a coolness in his eyes that wasn’t there earlier. “No, I don’t want a loan. There’s no way I could repay that, and I don’t want to put anyone’s investment at risk.”
Cassi paused, squeezing her clasped hands tighter. “I have a plan.”
“And what might that be?”
“Like I said earlier, I have a good racehorse. Foolish Gamble is his name. He’s got great potential and I’ve been working with him over the last year. He was born to run. If you’re interested, maybe we could have a partnership. I’m not asking you to just lend me money with nothing in return. I need capital up front to pay the bank and fees to enter the summer races. Then Foolish Gamble will ride in the fall Stakes at Keeneland.”
Nervously she gripped the stem of the wineglass. “If he wins, we split the money fifty-fifty, subtracting out the initial loan and entry fees you’ve covered.” Cassi looked into Austin eyes to see if he was even remotely receptive.
“And if he loses?”
“If he loses?” Cassi wasn’t sure of the intent of his question but defended her pride and joy. “Foolish Gamble will win.”
