it.
6
W hich one do you like?” Frankie asked as she stared eagerly at the horses. “I like the gray.”
“He’s beautiful. But he’s not been broken, so you’ll have to wait until I can get around to it.”
“That’s okay. I like them all.” She cautiously reached up her hand to stroke the chestnut. The mare lowered her head to Frankie’s touch and neighed softly. “And this one likes me too.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure that you get better acquainted.”
“What’s her name?”
“Kilmer didn’t know. So we’ll name them again ourselves. What do you think suits her?”
Frankie tilted her head. “She has soft eyes and she looks like she knows things. Like that gypsy we saw at the carnival.”
“Gypsy?”
Frankie nodded. “Gypsy.”
“Do you want to start taking care of her in the morning?”
“First thing. May I ride her then?”
“As long as I’m there to watch.”
“Pardon me, ladies.” Dillon was coming down the aisle toward them. “But you’re not going to have to take care of the horses. Kilmer took pity on me and is bringing in some of the team who are familiar with our equine friends.” He grinned. “Thank God.”
“Frankie will still take care of the horse she chooses as her mount.”
Frankie nodded solemnly. “It’s the way you have to do it. The horse rewards you by letting you ride her and you reward the horse by caring for her. Gypsy will have to get used to me and know I care about her.”
“I apologize,” Dillon said. “I didn’t understand. Is it okay if the guys take care of the other horses?”
“Until Mom breaks the gray.” Frankie gave Gypsy a final pat. “Have you named the gray yet, Mom?”
“I’m still thinking about it. Maybe you can help me. It’s a big responsibility giving a horse— What’s that?” At a raucous sound, her gaze flew to the stall at the end of the row. “That’s no horse.”
“No,” Dillon said. “It’s a jackass. He’s supposed to keep the horses calm, but they don’t seem to know that. From what I’ve seen this afternoon they pretty much ignore him.”
She stiffened. “A jackass,” she repeated. She started slowly down the row. It didn’t have to be Cosmo. A jackass’s braying was pretty much the same from animal to animal. “Kilmer didn’t mention a jackass. Did he lease it with the rest of the livestock?”
“I guess so. Or maybe not. He only talked about the horses. Maybe the jackass is a new addition.”
“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.” She was standing in front of the small gray jackass. “The question is, how new?”
The jackass was staring at her belligerently. He pulled back his lips and brayed, spraying her with saliva.
Damn him. It
was
Cosmo.
She turned on her heel. “I have to see Kilmer. Stay with Frankie and bring her to the house when she’s ready. I’ll see you back at the house, Frankie.”
“Okay.” She turned back to Gypsy. “I think she’s got eyelashes like a movie star. Maybe Julia Roberts. What do you think, Mr. Dillon?”
“I can’t see the resemblance,” Dillon said. “But then, I’m a fan of Julia Roberts, and I wouldn’t want to compare her to a horse face.”
“Just the eyelashes,” Frankie said. “And maybe the teeth. She has fine, big teeth too.”
They were the last words Grace heard as she tore out of the stable and headed for the house. Damn Kilmer. He’d promised her, and there was Cosmo in that stable.
She flew up the porch steps and toward the front door.
“May I help you?”
She whirled. Kilmer was standing in the far corner of the porch, a dim figure in the darkness.
“Cosmo, dammit. Did you think I wouldn’t recognize him?”
“No, I knew
6
W hich one do you like?” Frankie asked as she stared eagerly at the horses. “I like the gray.”
“He’s beautiful. But he’s not been broken, so you’ll have to wait until I can get around to it.”
“That’s okay. I like them all.” She cautiously reached up her hand to stroke the chestnut. The mare lowered her head to Frankie’s touch and neighed softly. “And this one likes me too.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure that you get better acquainted.”
“What’s her name?”
“Kilmer didn’t know. So we’ll name them again ourselves. What do you think suits her?”
Frankie tilted her head. “She has soft eyes and she looks like she knows things. Like that gypsy we saw at the carnival.”
“Gypsy?”
Frankie nodded. “Gypsy.”
“Do you want to start taking care of her in the morning?”
“First thing. May I ride her then?”
“As long as I’m there to watch.”
“Pardon me, ladies.” Dillon was coming down the aisle toward them. “But you’re not going to have to take care of the horses. Kilmer took pity on me and is bringing in some of the team who are familiar with our equine friends.” He grinned. “Thank God.”
“Frankie will still take care of the horse she chooses as her mount.”
Frankie nodded solemnly. “It’s the way you have to do it. The horse rewards you by letting you ride her and you reward the horse by caring for her. Gypsy will have to get used to me and know I care about her.”
“I apologize,” Dillon said. “I didn’t understand. Is it okay if the guys take care of the other horses?”
“Until Mom breaks the gray.” Frankie gave Gypsy a final pat. “Have you named the gray yet, Mom?”
“I’m still thinking about it. Maybe you can help me. It’s a big responsibility giving a horse— What’s that?” At a raucous sound, her gaze flew to the stall at the end of the row. “That’s no horse.”
“No,” Dillon said. “It’s a jackass. He’s supposed to keep the horses calm, but they don’t seem to know that. From what I’ve seen this afternoon they pretty much ignore him.”
She stiffened. “A jackass,” she repeated. She started slowly down the row. It didn’t have to be Cosmo. A jackass’s braying was pretty much the same from animal to animal. “Kilmer didn’t mention a jackass. Did he lease it with the rest of the livestock?”
“I guess so. Or maybe not. He only talked about the horses. Maybe the jackass is a new addition.”
“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.” She was standing in front of the small gray jackass. “The question is, how new?”
The jackass was staring at her belligerently. He pulled back his lips and brayed, spraying her with saliva.
Damn him. It
was
Cosmo.
She turned on her heel. “I have to see Kilmer. Stay with Frankie and bring her to the house when she’s ready. I’ll see you back at the house, Frankie.”
“Okay.” She turned back to Gypsy. “I think she’s got eyelashes like a movie star. Maybe Julia Roberts. What do you think, Mr. Dillon?”
“I can’t see the resemblance,” Dillon said. “But then, I’m a fan of Julia Roberts, and I wouldn’t want to compare her to a horse face.”
“Just the eyelashes,” Frankie said. “And maybe the teeth. She has fine, big teeth too.”
They were the last words Grace heard as she tore out of the stable and headed for the house. Damn Kilmer. He’d promised her, and there was Cosmo in that stable.
She flew up the porch steps and toward the front door.
“May I help you?”
She whirled. Kilmer was standing in the far corner of the porch, a dim figure in the darkness.
“Cosmo, dammit. Did you think I wouldn’t recognize him?”
“No, I knew
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