Winning Ways (24 page)

His shoulders slumped. He had a long road to travel before he could ever consider being independent - or sharing his life with anyone again.

Liz awoke from a troubled sleep, gasping at the deep pain in her shoulder. It took a few seconds to remember the chain of events, and her trip to the hospital. Struggling to sit upright, she gritted her teeth against the sharp pain. The doctor had given her some pain pills, but she had no idea where they were. I wonder if Kurt is still here.

As if summoned by her thoughts, he appeared in the doorway.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Yes, please. Drugs." She smiled painfully. "I think they're in my handbag, wherever that is."

He disappeared, and returned a few seconds later, swinging the bag.

"This color really doesn't go with my outfit."

She laughed, then grimaced. "Oh, please! Don't!"

He handed her a glass of water, then sat down next to her while she took the pain pill. A minute later, he gently slipped his arm around her and pulled her to him. She nestled into the soft warmth of his shirt, feeling the comfort of his nearness and savoring the security of his arms. It's almost as though we've never had any problems at all.

In the peaceful snuggle, she felt Kurt's voice rumble through his chest.

"I'm going to see if I can fix the problem with that mare."

She raised her head and looked at him, her addled brain trying to figure out where the statement might be headed.

"Do you think you can work with her, make her less crazy?"

He shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. She's a dangerous horse. Eve had no business selling her to you - or to anyone, for that matter. Eve knew the mare had a nasty disposition. That's why she wanted to get rid of her."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll insist she take back the horse and void that part of your contract."

Liz thought for a minute. "She won't go for it. You know...‘buyer beware' and horse sales. I should have been more careful, but I was so enchanted with Fair Lady that I didn't really pay close attention to Muscala."

"That doesn't matter. Eve knowingly sold you an unstable horse, and didn't give you any indication there might be problems." He looked directly into her eyes. "You're very lucky to have gotten out of that stall without being kicked in the head."

She shivered, remembering her panic as she'd tried to fend off Muscala's vicious attack.

Kurt's voice became brisk. "Let me fix you something to eat, then I have to go back to the farm for a couple of hours. I'll be back this afternoon to bring the horses in and feed."

Confusion blurred her thoughts. "You mean I put the horses out before I went to the hospital?"

He chuckled. "No, I did it earlier this morning while you were sleeping."

"Whew! For a minute there, I thought I had been kicked in the head."

Minutes later, she listened to kitchen sounds echoing from down the hall, and her thoughts hummed. Why does this feel so right, after everything that's gone so wrong?

Kurt pulled up in front of the barn just as Eve came out of the house. Even from a distance, he saw her scowling features, and braced himself for the storm.

She caught up with him at the barn door. "Where in the hell have you been?"

"I had an emergency this morning."

He walked through the dark entrance, Eve close behind him.

"What kind of emergency?"

He stopped short. I've had just about enough of this pushy witch! He turned and glowered at her.

"I've been at the hospital with Liz Barnett."

She blinked. "Liz Barnett? What happened?"

"That crazy mare you unloaded on her came unglued this morning, and hurt her badly."

Eve's eyes widened. "Muscala?"

He snorted, his words oozing with sarcasm. "Yeah, that's the one."

She didn't reply, and Kurt continued.

"I'm going over there to pick up the mare and bring her back here. I'd advise you to release Liz from the contract, unless you want a lawsuit."

Eve bristled. "And just who do you think you are - Perry Mason? I don't have to do any such thing. Someone buys a horse, they take their chances."

She turned away, the conversation over as far as she was concerned.

Kurt's voice rose a little. "I'd suggest you reconsider, Eve. There's a lot at stake here."

She turned back and narrowed her eyes. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning, if you don't, I'll see that the story gets around about all your shoddy business practices. And I'll help Liz in any way I can if she decides to sue you. In fact, I'll encourage her to press charges."

Eve's face shadowed with anger and she stared at him for a full minute before she answered.

Her voice snapped with tension. "Fine. Go get the damned horse!"

Kurt watched her retreating figure. When he put all the pieces together - selling a dangerous horse, making under-the-table deals, reneging on a sales commission - Eve came up smelling pretty bad. What would keep her from making sure her horse won - by any means? There has to be some way I can find out if she's behind the drugging. He sidelined his thoughts for the moment, and followed her into the house.

An hour later, he drove through the foothills, the empty trailer bouncing along behind the truck. I could almost drive this road with my eyes closed. He glanced down at the paper lying on the seat next to him. He'd stood by while Eve had typed up a contract release and signed it. She'd been cool toward him, but had apparently gauged her liability and decided it would be best to cooperate. On reflection, Kurt's instinct told him that her sudden cooperation was a good indication that she feared he'd start nosing around - which was exactly what he intended to do.

Liz was sitting at the kitchen table when he stepped through the door. She looked so pitiful that he wanted to gather her up and cradle her in his arms like a small child. Instead, he leaned over and kissed the top of her head, then sat down across from her.

"You look a little perkier."

"I feel like I've been run over by a tank."

"You have - that's a very large horse."

He stopped smiling and leaned forward, taking her hand into his. "I brought the trailer to pick her up. Eve has released you from the contract. I have the papers in the truck."

Liz's face tightened with her emotions. For all his evasiveness, and all the problems they'd had between them, he knew she'd seen through his macho charade. For one fleeting instant, he wanted to throw caution aside and tell her how much he loved her. Then, the frightening impulse disappeared, and he looked away from the woman who had him hog-tied.

Liz's voice caressed him. "You're amazing. Thank you."

He rose and looked down at her. "It's the least I could do, considering all the trouble I've caused you."

He headed toward the door to finish the business at hand.

An hour later, he returned to the house.

"Horses are in and fed. I followed your schedule on the feed room door. Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?"

"You could help me up the stairs to my bedroom. I think I'd like to sleep for a week."

As he steadied her with each step, his thoughts ran wild. A deep comfort level had developed between them, the kind that usually came only with time spent together in quiet, ordinary situations - something they'd never had. It felt wonderful being there to help her, protect her...love her. He wanted to be a part of her life.

In the bedroom, her unique scent perfumed the air, stirring his senses. The room was feminine, but understated - like the woman herself. He sat on the edge of the bed while she disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she emerged, wearing a long white nightgown that caressed her small, shapely body. His gaze hungrily took in the soft globes of her breasts and the lovely outline of her bare arms. A deep stir overwhelmed the noble thoughts of earlier in the day. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make love to her again.

She looked embarrassed at being in her nightclothes in front of him, and he dropped his eyes to give her some privacy. She sank onto the bedside, releasing a deep sigh.

He reached over and caressed her good shoulder. "You okay?"

She nodded, then turned and slipped her body under the covers. When she met his gaze again, the message there sent a wave of hope through him. A promise for the future?

She smiled shyly and took his hand. "Thank you again for being here." Her expression became seductive. "When I'm feeling better, I think we have some unfinished business."

His heart lurched, and he leaned down and kissed her forehead, wishing he knew what lay ahead.

The last light of day dwindled as Kurt headed to the barn to get Muscala. The fire burning inside him consumed his thoughts, strengthening his determination to clear his own name. There'd be no future with Liz if he didn't.

Muscala dozed in the corner, but flicked an ear toward the door at the sound of his voice.

"Time to go, mare."

He opened the stall door and entered. She raised her head and flattened her ears in one small attempt to intimidate him.

"Hey!" he barked, moving forward aggressively.

Her ears came back up, she shifted her weight, and stepped back, watching him carefully. He slipped a halter over her head and clipped on the lead rope, working in a confident manner that kept her submissive. She meekly followed him out of the barn and into the trailer. Behind them, several soft, nervous nickers drifted from various stalls. Kurt shook his head. No love lost here.

The next morning, Kurt noted Eve's contrite expression as she entered the tack room.

"I'm really sorry Liz got hurt. Is she okay now?"

"Yeah. It was a pretty nasty bite, but the rest of the damage is just bruises and scrapes."

He gave her a hard look. "She could have been killed. I don't know what you intend to do with that mare, but you need to understand that she is a serious liability."

Eve looked down at the floor. "I know. I've been scared to death of her ever since I bought her. I'd hoped you would be able to work with her, but then I had the chance to get rid of her, so I did." She looked up with apparent sincerity. "I really am sorry."

Her chameleon personality had taken years to develop. She'd been caught up in the glamour and intrigue of the Arab business and, somewhere along the line, greed had taken over and she'd lost her integrity.

He nodded. "So am I."

She relaxed and smiled, as though she knew the worst of the storm had passed.

"Why don't you come up for a cold beer after work? I'd really love to hear all about the show, and who was there - you know, everything."

Kurt recognized the attempt to smooth things over. Might be a chance to find out a thing or two.

He smiled. "Sounds good. I'll be there around four-thirty."

Eve turned to go, then stopped.

"By the way, I've been wondering...Why would Liz Barnett call you when she got hurt?"

Kurt watched his boss walk back to the house, and his skin prickled with irritation at her parting shot. He hadn't answered her - it was none of her damned business, and fortunately, she hadn't pursued the subject. Still, as the morning progressed, the incident fueled both his anger and his determination to get some answers. While he unloaded tack trunks, he reviewed the events of the San Francisco show. Eve had telephoned him every single day. And each day, she'd already known what had happened. Someone was cluing her in. Was it Benton?

He snapped the latches on the empty trunk and sat down on it, pursuing his train of thought. If someone else did the actual drugging, I don't have a prayer of finding out, or proving it. His brain started playing out a scenario. Suppose...just suppose, Eve did it. She'd have had to know exactly where Liz's stalls were located. That would be easy, Benton could have told her, or she could have called the show office. Benton could also have given her the security patrol schedule, or she could have just watched and waited for an opportunity. She knew I'd be at my motel, so there'd be no chance of running into me.

He frowned. There were loopholes in the fictitious scene, and Eve was too smart to involve anyone else. Such collusion would leave her vulnerable to discovery, or even blackmail. Again, Kurt's professional regard for Bill Benton subtracted the trainer from the plot equation. If Eve did it, she did it alone.

He rose and started for the barn door, his thoughts picking up momentum. In order to keep her secret, she'd have had to drive to Daly City and back in one night, but that wasn't an impossible task. Climbing up into the truck cab, he began maneuvering the long horse trailer into its regular parking spot. A glance at the trip odometer showed a round trip of 288 miles, a long drive by any standards. She'd have to be pretty damned determined, making the trip in one night all by herself. Could she have paid someone else to do the dirty work at the show? Kurt's mood darkened. If she did, how the hell am I gonna find out?