your last name was Randall up until a couple of days ago and that your people breed Arabians. Would that be the Randall Stud Farm people?"
"News travels, doesn't it?"
Royce chuckled. "Coltrane didn't go out of his way to keep it a secret. I got the impression he was very proud to be bringing you home as his wife."
Proud to be bringing a Randall home for a wife, Katy thought. That sounded like Garrett. She was saved from having to make a response by the appearance of Mrs. Bracken. "Oh, here's the coffee. Thanks, Na-dine."
Nadine nodded once, saying nothing, set down the tray and disappeared again. Katy began to pour.
"I did some business with your father a while back," Royce continued easily as he accepted his cup. "Sent one of my best mares down to Randall Farm to be bred to Silver Moon. Got a terrific little colt out of it."
"What was the mare's name?"
"Morning Mist."
Katy smiled. "I remember her. I was managing my father's breeding operation until recently. Silver Moon is a beautiful stallion. His offspring always get his intelligence as well as his conformation. You'll win some championships with that colt."
Royce grinned. "Guess I should have come along with the mare. I could have met you before Coltrane did."
A boot step sounded on the polished wood floor, and Garrett's voice cut into the conversation with the lethal swiftness of a razor blade.
"It wouldn't have done you any good to meet Katy a year ago, Hutton. You were married at the time." Garrett strode into the room, his eyes skimming briefly over his wife and settling on Royce Hutton.
"Just another example of my bad timing," Royce said dryly.
"Win some, lose some." Garrett sat down' on the couch beside Katy. He seemed totally unconcerned about the possibility of transferring the dust from his jeans to the immaculate leather. He was apparently far more concerned about staking a quiet claim on Katy. "Any coffee left?"
"I'll have Nadine bring another cup." Katy began to grow uneasy as she quietly arranged for the coffee. Garrett was radiating a new variety of tension, a version she had never before detected in him. For an instant she wondered if it was jealousy, then she told herself it was more likely a form of possessiveness. As she surreptitiously studied her husband's hard face, it occurred to her that he was the kind of man who had learned the hard way how to hang on to what he considered his, even if the possession in question did not care to be possessed.
Royce Hutton's easygoing manner defused the potentially awkward situation. He seemed willing enough to respect Garrett's obvious claim to both the house and the woman. Katy wasn't sure she liked being written off as another man's property, but she was grateful there wasn't going to be a scene.
"I didn't drop by just to introduce myself and allow Coltrane here to gloat." Royce smiled at Katy a few minutes later as he finished his coffee. "I wanted to invite you both over for a few drinks with the neighbors this evening. I know it's short notice, but I figured what with you two being on your honeymoon, you probably weren't booked solid with social engagements."
"I'd love to meet the neighbors," Katy said quickly, even as Garrett's heavy dark brows came together over his narrowed eyes. She was not certain if she was accepting because she didn't want to face another long evening alone with her husband or if she was subtly and only half-consciously trying to challenge him in some way. There were moments lately when she didn't understand herself.
Garrett gave her a slow, speculative glance, but he finally nodded without much enthusiasm. "We'll be there," he said calmly to Royce Hutton.
"Mission accomplished," Royce announced, getting to his feet. "I'd better be on my way. I've got some Australians arriving this afternoon to look at my Charolais-Angus crosses."
"Thanks for dropping by," Katy said warmly as she opened the front door. "Garrett and I will be looking forward to this evening."
"Right.
"News travels, doesn't it?"
Royce chuckled. "Coltrane didn't go out of his way to keep it a secret. I got the impression he was very proud to be bringing you home as his wife."
Proud to be bringing a Randall home for a wife, Katy thought. That sounded like Garrett. She was saved from having to make a response by the appearance of Mrs. Bracken. "Oh, here's the coffee. Thanks, Na-dine."
Nadine nodded once, saying nothing, set down the tray and disappeared again. Katy began to pour.
"I did some business with your father a while back," Royce continued easily as he accepted his cup. "Sent one of my best mares down to Randall Farm to be bred to Silver Moon. Got a terrific little colt out of it."
"What was the mare's name?"
"Morning Mist."
Katy smiled. "I remember her. I was managing my father's breeding operation until recently. Silver Moon is a beautiful stallion. His offspring always get his intelligence as well as his conformation. You'll win some championships with that colt."
Royce grinned. "Guess I should have come along with the mare. I could have met you before Coltrane did."
A boot step sounded on the polished wood floor, and Garrett's voice cut into the conversation with the lethal swiftness of a razor blade.
"It wouldn't have done you any good to meet Katy a year ago, Hutton. You were married at the time." Garrett strode into the room, his eyes skimming briefly over his wife and settling on Royce Hutton.
"Just another example of my bad timing," Royce said dryly.
"Win some, lose some." Garrett sat down' on the couch beside Katy. He seemed totally unconcerned about the possibility of transferring the dust from his jeans to the immaculate leather. He was apparently far more concerned about staking a quiet claim on Katy. "Any coffee left?"
"I'll have Nadine bring another cup." Katy began to grow uneasy as she quietly arranged for the coffee. Garrett was radiating a new variety of tension, a version she had never before detected in him. For an instant she wondered if it was jealousy, then she told herself it was more likely a form of possessiveness. As she surreptitiously studied her husband's hard face, it occurred to her that he was the kind of man who had learned the hard way how to hang on to what he considered his, even if the possession in question did not care to be possessed.
Royce Hutton's easygoing manner defused the potentially awkward situation. He seemed willing enough to respect Garrett's obvious claim to both the house and the woman. Katy wasn't sure she liked being written off as another man's property, but she was grateful there wasn't going to be a scene.
"I didn't drop by just to introduce myself and allow Coltrane here to gloat." Royce smiled at Katy a few minutes later as he finished his coffee. "I wanted to invite you both over for a few drinks with the neighbors this evening. I know it's short notice, but I figured what with you two being on your honeymoon, you probably weren't booked solid with social engagements."
"I'd love to meet the neighbors," Katy said quickly, even as Garrett's heavy dark brows came together over his narrowed eyes. She was not certain if she was accepting because she didn't want to face another long evening alone with her husband or if she was subtly and only half-consciously trying to challenge him in some way. There were moments lately when she didn't understand herself.
Garrett gave her a slow, speculative glance, but he finally nodded without much enthusiasm. "We'll be there," he said calmly to Royce Hutton.
"Mission accomplished," Royce announced, getting to his feet. "I'd better be on my way. I've got some Australians arriving this afternoon to look at my Charolais-Angus crosses."
"Thanks for dropping by," Katy said warmly as she opened the front door. "Garrett and I will be looking forward to this evening."
"Right.
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