Gerard (16 page)

“I don’t know if I can ever go back there.” Emma nodded, knowing how hard it was for her to go by the place, and she’d yet to go inside it. “It needs someone fresh, new. Someone that has nothing to do with what happened there. Perhaps he can bring it to life for us again. I’ll talk to your dad. But I think he’ll love the idea. Now. Tell me about this Susie. Is she good to Gerard? I’ve heard good things about her.”

“I’m glad you said that.” Emma stood up. “I’m having lunch with her and Holly in an hour, and you’re going to go as a surprise. Holly is going to have a baby soon, and she’s so adorable. Susie is a hoot. And she watches every penny she spends. I just love them both so much.”

“Well, of course you do. And she should be watching her pennies. I do, and you know that we don’t have to.”

Emma nodded as they moved into the main hall to find her dad talking to Mason. They looked good together, the two of them. It looked as if they were plotting. As soon as her dad looked at her, she knew that he’d been told about the baby. And when he picked her up and swung her around the room, she giggled like a child.

“My baby is gonna have a baby. What a wonderful thing to come home to. I’m…I’m so….” Tears filled his eyes and hers too. As he held her, sobbing hard on her shoulder, she held him, looking at Mason as she did. When Dad looked at her, his face wet with tears, she laughed when he wiped them away with his thumb. “I love you, Emma. I can’t tell you enough how much I love you and Mason.”

“We know, Dad. And we love you very much too.” He nodded, still overwhelmed with emotion. “Now. Mom and I are going to have some lunch in town, and you two are going to do some things around here. Remember, no changing things. We have it the way we want it.”

~~~

Susie watched the men with the horses. They were loading them onto the trailer like they were gold. She supposed when you paid that much for a horse, they were sort of gold to you. And she really liked the man who was going to train them. He was…well, he was very fatherly toward her and her ponies.

“You got yourself some fine flesh here, missus.” She nodded at Sherman when he came to stand beside her. “Them trucks, they’re as good as most houses we see around. Got them some air conditioning and all the food and water they want. Every time we stop, somebody will take’em out and air them out while their beds are made. Shoot, we’ even put a mint on their pillow for them if’n they’re good.”

“I was worried how they were going to take the trip. They’ve only just started being around people.” He nodded. She knew that he was a human, but he seemed to know what they all were. “How long will it take you to get back to your ranch?”

“About a week. We want to make sure that they’re all right when we get them home. And with this many of them, we want to take our time, get them used to being inside a small place. I doubt any of them have seen much in the way of a barn, much less a trailer. You think?”

“No. They’re all wild to some point.” She looked over at the stallion that had been the one that Mason had taken her to see. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

“He is at that. I’m supposed to see if’n you’ve changed your mind about selling him. I don’t think you have, have you?” She shook her head. “We want first pick on his children. I got me a feeling that they’re going to be champs. More than champs. I’m thinking that they’ll be unstoppable.”

She smiled and looked at him. “Maybe I’ll put him in a few races and see what he’s made of. Could be that I can beat you guys.” He looked shocked, and she laughed. “I was just kidding.”

“You should do it.” She shook her head. “No. You should really do it. My gawd, child. You’ll make a fortune off’n him if he only wins one race. His stud services would be…heck fire, we’d pay out the bottom for him coming to sire a few ponies for us. I’m gonna help you too.”

“Help me how?” He grinned this time, and she felt like a deer in headlights. “You are very scary right now.”

“My son. He’s been wanting to branch out on his own. Get out from under his daddy’s wing, so to speak. I’m going to talk to him, and he’ll come on up here and stay with you while he helps you make a champion. Oh my gawd, this is going to put old Mr. Rose in a pickle.” Susie asked if that meant he was going to be mad. “Heck fire no, he’s going to love it. And I’m telling you right now, he’s gonna work you to death trying to get you to sell him that ‘tang of yours once he wins a few. Yes sir, this is going to be a lot of fun.”

Emma pulled in the drive just as the last of the horses were being put in the last trailer. The ones that were deemed prize were being brought down to Kentucky by this method, and the rest were being loaded on a train to be taken. The prize horses would arrive later than the others, but they’d be more rested and cared for. Susie was very excited to hear how they worked out.

When an older woman got out of the passenger side of Emma’s car, Susie knew who she was immediately. There was no doubt in the world that this was Emma’s mother. Susie put out her hand to shake it, but Mrs. McBride pulled her into her arms for a huge hug. Susie felt everything from her, and was glad now that she’d come to see her daughter.

The life and the death of her only son was hurting her. Deep depression was giving her a sadness that the elder woman was having a lot of difficulty in controlling. Not only was she hiding it from her daughter, but from her husband as well, and that, too, was making her ill. If she hadn’t come home now, she might not have made it through the next few days. It was that bad for her.

“You’re gorgeous! Has Gerard told you that daily?” Susie laughed and looked down at her clothing. “Oh my dear, it’s not what you’re wearing that makes you lovely, but the freshness of you. You’ve not a bit of makeup on and you look like a model. And so…my goodness, no wonder you’re so happy. You nearly glow with it.”

“You must be Mrs. McBride. And I can see now where Emma gets her good looks. You could be her sister.” She told her to call her Katie. “All right then. I’m sorry, but I’m running a little behind. The horses are leaving today.”

“So I can see.” Emma hugged her too as she continued. “What have you decided to name the big boy? Something regal, no doubt.”

“Very much so. Palmer pulled a few strings for us, and he actually has a title. And when he gets better at being a good boy, he’ll have a pedigree as well.” She walked them to the fence, and he came right up to her. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out an apple and gave it to him. “Ladies, I’d like for you to meet Douglas Mason Gerard McBride. He’s named after the man who first found him, the man who saved him, and the ranches that he saved.”

“Oh how lovely.” Katie reached out to put her hand on his head. But before Susie could caution her to not touch him, that he didn’t care for strangers, he pushed his head to her hand and whinnied. “And he’s so gentle too.”

Emma looked as shocked as Susie felt. Three days ago, Emma had tried to touch him and he’d run to the other side of the corral, not to return until she left the area. Now he was acting like he’d known Katie his entire life. When he moved to Susie again, she put her hand on his head and could feel the understanding from him. He knew—that was all she could think about—he knew that Katie needed comforting.

“Well, we should head out.” Susie nodded and asked for ten minutes. As she ran down the hall to shower and change, she thought of the horse. He’d been able to bring her the horses, and she was sure that given time, he’d do it again. She wondered, not for the first time, how he’d known to trust her with this. And how much she and Gerard shared now. Things were, she knew, going to be weirder as she and Gerard figured this out. And they had yet to tell anyone what they could do. For now, she thought it was best if it was just between them.

Pride of the Double Deuce Series

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Kathi Barton, author of the bestselling series Force of Nature, lives in Nashport, Ohio with her husband Paul. In addition to writing full time Kathi likes to spend time with her eight grandkids, three children and three children-in-laws. She writes to relax and have fun.

Her muse, a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Hugh Jackman brings them to life for her readers in a way that has them coming back time and again for more. Her favorite genre is paranormal romance with a great deal of spice. You can visit Kathi on line and drop her an email if you’d like. She loves hearing from her fans.
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