Spencer studied Maura’s startled expression with interest. Ever since her strange and unforgettable reaction to hearing Michael Carson’s name, he’d become both wary and suspicious.
Her nervous chatter, followed by her comments on cruises, ships and holidays, had only added to his unease. For a fleeting moment she’d reminded him of Lucy, who’d been an expert at hiding the truth.
At dinner he’d deliberately brought up the subject of Michael Carson, just to see Maura’s reaction. He’d caught the flash of keen interest in her hazel eyes, as well as the sudden tension in her body. She’d held her breath, just as she was doing now.
“Cat got your tongue, red?” Spencer asked and saw annoyance and guilt war with each other in the depths of her eyes.
“I felt bad, that’s all,” Maura replied, inwardly bristling at his use of the hated nickname.
“Really?” he said, his tone telling her he didn’t for a minute believe her.
“I was rude to you that night. Afterward I regretted my outburst.” She hoped she sounded convincing. “I realized that the best way to prove how wrong your assumptions were about me was to come to California and show you just what I can do. By turning you down that night I was really punishing the horse, not you.”
Spencer laughed. The low throaty sound sent her pulse skyrocketing.
“That’s very good,” he said. “But that was two months ago. You took your time…thinking it over. Why did it take you so long to call?”
Maura glared at him. He had her over a barrel, but she wasn’t about to give in without a fight. “Look…if you don’t want my help with Indigo you should have said so when I called, that way we could have saved each other a lot of time and expense—”
Spencer heard the genuine indignation and anger in her voice, and for a moment he was tempted to believe her. In truth he wanted to believe that her only reason for coming to California was to work with his prize-winning racehorse, but he simply didn’t buy it.
He remembered vividly their encounter that night two months ago. He’d have bet money on never hearing from her again. And while he acknowledged that he really had very little to back up his sense of unease, he wasn’t a man who ignored his instincts, not anymore.
Silently he admired the spark of challenge and defiance he could see in her eyes. But if she wasn’t hiding something, why was she chewing nervously on her lower lip?
Confrontation hadn’t worked; perhaps he needed to try another approach. “I do need your help with Indigo,” he replied, deciding to bide his time, to wait and watch. “Look…I’m sorry,” he went on, and noted with some satisfaction the glint of relief that danced briefly in her eyes.
“That’s all right.” Maura brushed aside his apology and tried to ignore the way her heart flip-flopped crazily inside her chest.
His question, though not unexpected, had surprised her. But even more startling had been the fact that for a mind-numbing second, as the silence stretched between them, she’d been sorely tempted to confide in him, to tell him about her mother’s journal and her startling discovery that Michael Carson was her father.
She’d quickly quashed the impulse. In all likelihood he wouldn’t believe her. And she quickly reminded herself Spencer had been married to Lucy, Michael’s daughter. His loyalty undoubtedly lay in that direction, and if she told him the truth, he’d accuse her of lying or something equally unpleasant and send her packing before she could meet her father.
If she stayed at the Diamond Ranch, her chances of coming face-to-face with Michael Carson were much higher. With that possibility in mind, she would concentrate on Indigo and pray that her father would pay his neighbors and friends a visit.
And if in the meantime she succeeded in helping Indigo overcome his problems, she might get the added bonus of earning Spencer’s trust and respect.
“Do you still want coffee?” Spencer’s question cut into her wandering thoughts.
“Yes. Thank you.” Maura approached the counter. “Tell me more about Indigo.”
Spencer retrieved two mugs from the cupboard above the sink and filled them. He slid one mug across the counter toward her, followed by the cream jug, then leaned against the butcher block, coffee in hand.
“I bought Indigo two years ago at a sale here in the California. Since then he’s won all six races we’ve entered him in.
“Unfortunately, he’s got a thing about starting gates, and with each race he’s gotten progressively worse. At the last race two months ago the stewards came close to disqualifying him. He held up the proceedings for more than twenty minutes before they finally got him into the gate.”
“Does he react the same way when he’s being loaded into the horse van?” Maura asked.
“No. Well, at least not to the same degree,” Spencer replied. “He balks at first but after a few tries we get him loaded. Why?”
“Just curious,” she said. “When did you say he was due to race?”
“A week Saturday, at Santa Anita,” Spencer answered. “And if he refuses to enter the starting gate, disrupts or delays the race in any way, he’ll be disqualified and possibly banned from racing for life.”
Maura heard the frustration and the echo of defeat in Spencer’s voice. But she was encouraged by the fact that Indigo had been winning races even after wasting effort and energy refusing to go into the starting gate. He was obviously a gifted racer and it would be a sad day for both horse and owner if he were permanently banned from the sport.
“We don’t have much time,” Maura said. “When can I see him?” she asked, wanting not only to prove herself but also to ease the anxiety she could see on Spencer’s rugged features. “I need to get to know him and gain his trust,” she went on. “Once that’s accomplished, I should be able to figure out what’s causing him to fight the gate each time. Understanding the root of the problem often leads to a solution.”
“I sincerely hope so,” Spencer commented on a sigh. “Why don’t we head down to the stables right now?”
“I’m ready.” Maura set her near-empty mug on the counter. “I assume you have a daily schedule for all your horses. Does Indigo ride out with the rest of your string?” she asked.
“Yes,” Spencer replied. “I thought it best not to deviate from his normal training schedule.”
“Good.” Maura retrieved her boots. “What exactly have you tried so far?” She sat down and pulled them on.
“Everything from putting a blindfold on him to bribing him with food. If anything, he’s getting worse,” Spencer added in a discouraging tone.
Maura stood up. “Let’s check him out.”
Indigo was truly a magnificent animal. There was no other way to describe the chestnut Thoroughbred with the distinguishing white blaze on his nose, standing quietly in his stall.
Spencer introduced Maura to the stable hand assigned to take care of the prize-winning racehorse. Joe was preparing to give Indigo his morning rub down.
“Did Phil say anything about his ride this morning?” Spencer asked.
“Just that Indy was raring to go, as always,” Joe responded. “He sure loves to race. Phil says he has a hard time keeping Indy from going flat-out in the practice runs. He’s pretty sure Indy will win the Jane Vanderhoof Cup for four-year-olds, no problem at all.”
“Indigo will only win if we can get him to walk into that starting gate without breaking stride,” Spencer commented. “When will you be finished here, Joe?”
“Give me half an hour,” Joe replied as he prepared to enter Indigo’s stall. Inside Indigo snorted softly in greeting.
Spencer turned to Maura. “Why don’t I take you on a tour of the place? We’ll come back when he’s finished.”
Maura had seen her share of racing stables, but never one quite so well run as the Blue Diamond Ranch. Spencer ran a tight ship and, judging by the nods and greetings he gave and received from the stable hands and riders they encountered, he was also well respected by the men who worked for him.
She met Hank Wilson, the stable manager, and toured the open-air and immaculately kept stables that housed a total of twenty racehorses. Of those, Spencer and his father owned part interest in two and full interest in one, Indigo.
Spencer also showed her the stable where the family’s horses were kept, horses that were ridden mostly for pleasure, inviting her to take one out whenever she wanted, with the exception of his own mount, Lucifer.
As they made their way back to Indigo’s stall, Maura asked, “Would you be offended if I asked you not to stay? I’d prefer to get to know him in my own way and in my own time.”
In actual fact she didn’t relish the thought of having Spencer standing nearby watching her every move. She found his presence and proximity more than a little unnerving, and knew Indigo would readily pick up on her reaction.
She caught the look of indecision that flitted across his tanned face.
“Yes, I’d be offended,” Spencer began. “But I—”
“It’s just that I know you don’t wholeheartedly believe I’ll be able to do anything,” she cut in. “That translates to negative energy, and it’s been my experience that horses of Indigo’s caliber are usually highly sensitive creatures. He’s bound to pick up on that negativity.”
Spencer’s mouth curved into a smile. “You didn’t let me finish. You’re right I’m skeptical, but that’s because the stories I’ve heard about you make you out to be some kind of magician, a horse whisperer if you will.”
Maura opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand to stop her.
“The truth is, my back is against the wall. I’m running out of time and options, and I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving you a free hand. I’ll leave you to weave your…magic,” he said. “No offense intended,” he added with a grin.
A tingle of awareness shimmied through her, and Maura wondered if Spencer knew how potent was his smile.
“Thank you. I appreciate your honesty,” she said. “I’m sure any story you heard has been embellished in the telling. But I’ll be honest, too. While my methods might work with some horses, I’ve had my share of failures.
“Every situation has its challenges, every animal is unique,” Maura went on. “I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to find that…ah…magical solution for Indigo, but the sooner I get started the better.”
“Fine. I’ll leave you to it.” With a nod he turned and strode away.
Maura drew a steadying breath and turned her attention to Indigo. She opened the door of his stall and stood studying his large frame, noting with admiration his clean lines and classic bone structure.
Aware of her presence, Indigo turned his head to stare at her. One look into his eyes confirmed he was a highly intelligent animal. His natural curiosity brought him over to where she stood, and when she extended her hand, palm up, he blew on it before turning to munch on the hay in the feed basket hanging nearby.
“You are a handsome fellow and no mistake,” Maura told him, keeping her voice low. She moved inside the stall and was pleased when Indigo’s only reaction was to throw her a cursory glance and continue eating.
Maura approached him and stroked his neck, allowing him to get accustomed to her presence. After a few minutes she placed both hands on his muscled shoulder and slowly began to move down his body toward his rear, noting as she did that he pressed against her hands and away from the wall of the stall.
Maintaining the pressure, she pushed against him and felt his muscles ripple seconds before his left hind foot kicked out. Maura immediately removed her hands and stepped back. Talking softly to him, she began stroking his neck once more.
She was encouraged by the fact that neither her presence nor her actions had caused him great concern. She proceeded to conduct a few more small tests, wanting to eliminate the possibility that he was being or had been abused.
His reactions to several threatening movements gave no such indication, but when she tried a second time to push him against the wall of his stall, he became restless and agitated, a sign she immediately connected with mild claustrophobia.
She stayed for another half hour settling him down and getting him accustomed to her voice, her touch and her scent. Exiting the stall, she wandered around on her own.
At the far end of the row of horse stalls she caught sight of Spencer talking to one of the men. Not wanting to intrude, she retraced her steps and made her way through the security gates and on up the path leading to the house.
The sun had begun its steady climb into a blue sky, and the temperature was already in the sixties. On reentering the kitchen, Maura was instantly assailed with the tantalizing smell of freshly baked muffins.
“Good morning!” The greeting came from Elliot Diamond, who stood at the sink. “Help yourself to coffee,” he offered. “And there are bran muffins on the table. Did Spencer give you the grand tour?”
“Yes, he did,” Maura replied. “You have a wonderful facility here,” she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Thank you. Spencer deserves all the credit,” his father said proudly. “Ever since he took over from me ten years ago he’s put his heart and soul into the business and made it what it is today. But if you want my honest opinion, he spends far too much time working and rarely takes a break.
“His mother and I had hoped his marriage to Lucy would change all that, and I suppose for a while it did…” Elliot stopped. He turned his attention to the sink, almost as if he regretted his words.
“He must have been devastated when his wife died,” Maura commented, hoping Elliot would continue to talk about his son. Instead he changed the subject.
“I suppose you met the pride of our stable?”
“If you mean Indigo, yes. And he’s magnificent,” Maura replied, her tone sincere. “I hope I can find a way to change his behavior.”
“I wish you luck,” Elliot said dryly. “We’ve tried everything. Much as I hate to say it, I think he’s a lost cause. I doubt he’ll race again.”
“My father the optimist.” The comment came from Spencer who’d appeared at the back door.
“Sorry, Son,” Elliot said looking suitably repentant. “But you have to admit, what you need is a miracle.”
“Dad, you probably don’t realize it, but you’ve just insulted our guest.” Humor laced his voice. “I did that in Kentucky, to my cost, I might add.” He flashed a dazzling smile.
“Maura has come all this way to try to help us out,” Spencer continued. “Don’t you think we should give her our support? Besides, miracles do happen. And we’ve invested too much money in Indigo to write him off just yet.”
“You’re right,” Elliot was quick to reply. He turned to Maura. “I hope you’ll accept my apology. My comment wasn’t directed at you personally or meant as a criticism.”
“No offense taken,” she assured him with a smile.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Elliot went on. “I promised my wife I’d take her into town this morning. Maura, please make yourself at home. We find that works best around here. I’ll see you both later.” With a wave he was gone.
Maura crossed to the table and reached for one of the muffins. Breaking off a piece she popped it into her mouth.
“So, tell me, how did you and Indigo get along?” Spencer asked as he helped himself to coffee.
“Fine,” she replied. “He’s well behaved and in beautiful condition.”
“Any ideas on how you propose to tackle the problem?” he asked.
“I have several,” she told him. “But first I have a few requests.”
“Fire away.”
“Do you have videos of his races?” she asked. “I’m particularly interested in seeing what he’s been doing at the starting gates. Oh, and I’m going to need a starting gate. Do you use one on your practice track?”
Spencer took a sip of coffee before answering.
“Videos I have,” he said. “And yes, we have a starting gate on the practice track. Anything else?”
Maura broke off another piece of muffin. “Would it be possible for me to borrow Joe for a while, or Phil, if he’s the one who regularly rides Indigo?
“I need someone who knows Indigo well to work with me on this. And do you have an enclosed area I can use, somewhere away from everything, where he won’t easily be distracted. I want to put him through some basic schooling again, remind him of his manners.”
“Sure…There’s a covered ring on the north side of the stables,” he said.
“I’ll also need the use of a horse box, preferably the same one you use to transport him to and from the races. I want to see for myself how he behaves when he’s being loaded in and taken out.”
“I’ll tell Hank to let you have anything you need,” Spencer said. “When are you planning on getting started?”
“As soon as possible,” Maura replied. “I’d like to look at the videos first.”
“I’ll pull them out for you,” Spencer said. “But before you get down to work, and because it’s such a beautiful spring day, I thought you might like to tour the rest of the Blue Diamond Ranch, but on horseback this time.”
Maura hesitated. Though she was anxious to start working with Indigo, the invitation to see the ranch was decidedly appealing. It appeared that Spencer was willing, for the time being, to set aside his reservations about her and her abilities. To refuse might jeopardize this tentative truce.
“Thanks, I’d like that,” she said with a smile.
Spencer brought Lucifer to a halt beneath a stand of trees near the edge of a small lake. Maura, riding a sweet but spirited mare named Stardust, reined in beside him. The blue water of the lake sparkled like a diamond in the sunshine.
“This is a beautiful spot.” She turned to Spencer and felt her heart careen against her ribs as her gaze lit on the man astride the big black horse.
The dark-brown Stetson he wore cast a shadow over his handsome face. He reminded Maura of a sheriff from an old Western movie. All that was missing was a shiny star to pin on the front of his denim shirt.
“It’s one of my favorite places,” he told her. “An oasis, you might say. My brother, Marsh, my sister, Piper, and I came here almost every day during the summer when we were kids. And every Sunday Mother would pack a picnic, and we’d all ride over to spend the afternoon cooling off under the shade of the trees or swimming in the lake.”
Spencer dismounted and tossed Lucifer’s reins over a low bush.
Maura joined him on the ground and let the mare’s reins fall, sure with Lucifer nearby she wouldn’t wander off.
She followed Spencer into the shade of a weeping willow tree, silently envying him and his family and wishing she had memories of her own like the ones he’d mentioned.
“The water looks so inviting,” Maura commented. “I bet you spent a lot of time swimming.” The sun’s rays winked at her off the water.
“You got that right,” he replied. He removed his hat and wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his shirt. “And on a hot summer’s night this is still the best place to skinny-dip. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping, Maura?” He flashed her a lopsided grin.
Maura’s heart shuddered to a halt as an image of Spencer’s long, lean, naked body, glistening in the moonlight as he walked out of the water, filled her mind.
She swallowed convulsively and felt her heart stumble before picking up its normal rhythm once more.
“No, I must admit, that’s one experience I’ve missed.” She kept her tone light, her gaze straight ahead.
“Believe me, there’s nothing quite like it,” Spencer said, his voice low and seductive.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Maura responded, surprised by the strange heat slowly spreading through her.
“You know, I think it’s warm enough for a dip,” Spencer continued. “Want to give it a try?” The enticing invitation sent Maura’s heart racing.
“I think not,” she said a little shakily, already turning away. “But don’t let me stop you.…”
“Coward…” Spencer said, his voice barely a whisper.
Suddenly the air was rent with the sound of Stardust squealing.
Maura turned and instantly broke into a run when she saw the mare rear up, whinnying in fear and panic. Beside Stardust, Lucifer began to stamp and snort and nicker in alarm.
When Maura reached the horses she grabbed for Stardust’s dangling reins, but the frightened animal tossed her head, then turned and raced away.
Lucifer was still shaking his head and pawing the ground as he tried to tug his reins free.
Maura turned to him. “Hey, boy, take it easy, it’s all right.” She took a step toward the skittish horse and reached out to grasp the bridle.
Lucifer had other ideas. Rearing up he began pawing the air dangerously close to Maura’s face.
“Maura! Watch out!” Spencer shouted.
Maura wasn’t altogether sure what happened next, but seconds later she was sprawling on her back on the dusty ground with Spencer on top of her.
Spencer slowly eased away from her, breathing hard.
“Are you completely and utterly mad?” He practically spat the words as he glared down at her. “You could have been killed.”
“Don’t be stupid,” she retorted rudely. “I was perfectly fine until you ran me down,” she told him, aware of his body pressed hard against hers and his warm breath fanning her face.
“Ran you down…!” He spluttered angrily. “Dammit, red! I just saved your life. Do you know how close those hooves came to that pretty little head of yours?”
“They weren’t that close,” she protested, refusing to acknowledge he was right. “What frightened them?” she asked. “And don’t call me red,” she added, annoyance ringing in her voice.
“It must have been a snake,” Spencer replied. “That’s the only thing that would set Lucifer off like that. And I’ll call you red if I damn well feel like it.”
Outraged, she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but whatever she’d been about to say was instantly forgotten when her gaze collided with his.
Tension arced between them like a breathing, living thing. She could feel Spencer’s heart thundering in time with her own, and when his gaze shifted to her lips, her breath caught in her throat as every nerve in her body jolted to life.
When he slowly began to lower his mouth toward hers, her pulse went into overdrive.
“Don’t you dare—” she began.
“Oh, I dare,” Spencer said huskily. “You know, red, I’ve wanted to do this from the first moment I set eyes on you.” With that he covered her mouth with his.