really perfect horse.
Keeping her head lowered, she scanned the grandstand, looking for Kurt. There weren't many spectators, and it was easy to see that he wasn't there. Sharp disappointment surprised her. I guess whatever he had to do earlier was more important than watching my class. Brushing away the petulant thought, she returned her attention to the blaring loudspeaker.
"Second place goes to...FSF Egyptian Lady, owned by Fire Stone Farms and shown by Bill Benton!"
Liz blinked. Good grief! If he's on second, who's on first?
In the next instant, Ashiiqah's name echoed through the arena. Liz's thoughts raced as she trotted the lovely young mare toward the ring steward. We're certainly making a name for ourselves at this show! Now, if I can just win like this at the regional.
As she left the ring, Kurt fell into step beside her.
"Boy, that was something! I was sure Benton's Egyptian horse would take it."
Liz laughed. "I figured Benton would win just because he's Benton."
Kurt didn't respond, but nodded thoughtfully as they walked toward Liz's stalls. While she removed the mare's halter, Kurt grabbed a soft cloth, and began wiping down the damp coat. Liz watched secretly as he went about the work he obviously loved, relaxed and absorbed in his task. Surprisingly, she enjoyed seeing him with her horses - she usually disliked anyone else handling them. What a team we'd make. The two of us could take Legacy Arabians to the top. The bold thought shocked her. Whoa! There's no team here. And I don't need anyone to help me succeed...especially someone who distracts me the way he does. Her pulse jumped. Maybe I just need someone for me.
She sighed and leaned her forehead against the mare's neck, exhausted from the excitement of a strenuous and emotional day. Kurt stepped up beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder, his smile making her heart do its gymnastic thing again.
"Get yourself together, and we'll go grab a bite to eat. There's a good steakhouse over on the lake."
Peeling off her show clothes, she assessed the changes in Kurt's manner. It seemed as though he wanted to make amends for his behavior on the night of the fire. Her heart thumped at the memory. Am I setting myself up for another experience just like it? A second later, a surge of excitement blurred her fears. This will be my chance to find out who he really is. A stab of apprehension. And his secret.
19
The late afternoon sun slanted through the giant pines along the highway that circled the rim of South Tahoe Lake. Liz felt as though she were in another world, far away from the dust and chaos of the show. Shivers of delight coursed through her body as she relived the victories of the day.
Kurt sat relaxed in the seat, his arm draped nonchalantly over the steering wheel. "Penny for your thoughts."
"Just revisiting today's classes. I can't believe we won. There were some very good horses in the ring."
He laughed sharply. "I guess! And some of them just happened to be yours! Why are you so surprised? If you have excellent stock, and you've trained them right, they always have a chance to win."
She valued the compliment. "But I have a lot to learn."
The truck rolled into the gravel parking lot beside an ordinary-looking, flat-roofed building. Pocketing the keys, he turned to her, his tone sincere.
"You had a good teacher. You picked up more from your father than you think."
The exterior of the cinderblock building was stark and unappealing, marked by a single, dark door with an oval window and a small sign that read, "The Place." Kurt pulled the door open and a delectable aroma wafted out. Inside, old-fashioned chandeliers cast dim light over a long room, and ceiling fans kept the wonderful smells moving through the air. A huge mirror covered the wall behind a solid oak bar that had been burnished to a soft gleam by decades of elbows. Dozens of liquor and wine bottles, glasses, and mugs sparkled in the reflection of the soft lights.
Keeping her head lowered, she scanned the grandstand, looking for Kurt. There weren't many spectators, and it was easy to see that he wasn't there. Sharp disappointment surprised her. I guess whatever he had to do earlier was more important than watching my class. Brushing away the petulant thought, she returned her attention to the blaring loudspeaker.
"Second place goes to...FSF Egyptian Lady, owned by Fire Stone Farms and shown by Bill Benton!"
Liz blinked. Good grief! If he's on second, who's on first?
In the next instant, Ashiiqah's name echoed through the arena. Liz's thoughts raced as she trotted the lovely young mare toward the ring steward. We're certainly making a name for ourselves at this show! Now, if I can just win like this at the regional.
As she left the ring, Kurt fell into step beside her.
"Boy, that was something! I was sure Benton's Egyptian horse would take it."
Liz laughed. "I figured Benton would win just because he's Benton."
Kurt didn't respond, but nodded thoughtfully as they walked toward Liz's stalls. While she removed the mare's halter, Kurt grabbed a soft cloth, and began wiping down the damp coat. Liz watched secretly as he went about the work he obviously loved, relaxed and absorbed in his task. Surprisingly, she enjoyed seeing him with her horses - she usually disliked anyone else handling them. What a team we'd make. The two of us could take Legacy Arabians to the top. The bold thought shocked her. Whoa! There's no team here. And I don't need anyone to help me succeed...especially someone who distracts me the way he does. Her pulse jumped. Maybe I just need someone for me.
She sighed and leaned her forehead against the mare's neck, exhausted from the excitement of a strenuous and emotional day. Kurt stepped up beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder, his smile making her heart do its gymnastic thing again.
"Get yourself together, and we'll go grab a bite to eat. There's a good steakhouse over on the lake."
Peeling off her show clothes, she assessed the changes in Kurt's manner. It seemed as though he wanted to make amends for his behavior on the night of the fire. Her heart thumped at the memory. Am I setting myself up for another experience just like it? A second later, a surge of excitement blurred her fears. This will be my chance to find out who he really is. A stab of apprehension. And his secret.
19
The late afternoon sun slanted through the giant pines along the highway that circled the rim of South Tahoe Lake. Liz felt as though she were in another world, far away from the dust and chaos of the show. Shivers of delight coursed through her body as she relived the victories of the day.
Kurt sat relaxed in the seat, his arm draped nonchalantly over the steering wheel. "Penny for your thoughts."
"Just revisiting today's classes. I can't believe we won. There were some very good horses in the ring."
He laughed sharply. "I guess! And some of them just happened to be yours! Why are you so surprised? If you have excellent stock, and you've trained them right, they always have a chance to win."
She valued the compliment. "But I have a lot to learn."
The truck rolled into the gravel parking lot beside an ordinary-looking, flat-roofed building. Pocketing the keys, he turned to her, his tone sincere.
"You had a good teacher. You picked up more from your father than you think."
The exterior of the cinderblock building was stark and unappealing, marked by a single, dark door with an oval window and a small sign that read, "The Place." Kurt pulled the door open and a delectable aroma wafted out. Inside, old-fashioned chandeliers cast dim light over a long room, and ceiling fans kept the wonderful smells moving through the air. A huge mirror covered the wall behind a solid oak bar that had been burnished to a soft gleam by decades of elbows. Dozens of liquor and wine bottles, glasses, and mugs sparkled in the reflection of the soft lights.
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