The Damaged Heroes Collection [Box Set #1: The Damaged Heroes Collection] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream) Page 5

  “You don’t say more than ten words for the whole trip, but now you want to make conversation? I hate lawyers.” Just what he needed. Piss off the new boss on the first damn day.

  Katie’s eyes narrowed to thin slits as she stared at Seth. She turned back to Ross. “Are you sure he’s up to this? ’Cause he sure as hell doesn’t act like he is.”

  Ross shrugged. “Beats me. But he’s all yours now.”

  Seth bristled when neither of them seemed to have an inkling of what he’d been through in the last few weeks. “I’m standing right here. And I’m getting damn sick and tired of you two talking about me like I’m some little kid.”

  She glanced back at Ross.

  “It’ll be okay, Katie,” Ross said. “We’ll try to make it worth your while. Jacob Schaeffer is going to pick up the colt next Monday.”

  Seth was confused. “Who’s Jacob Schaeffer? Why’s he getting your horse?”

  “He’s an old friend, and he’s going to train the horse up in Goshen,” Katie replied in that no-nonsense tone she’d used in Chicago.

  Seth’s confusion wasn’t getting any better. Didn’t she know he had no idea how things worked in this business? “Why don’t you train the horse if you’re so great? My father got the stupid nag for you, didn’t he?” The woman made no sense. Why would she take a horse that was supposed to be important to her and then give it to someone else?

  She narrowed her eyes again. “I will train him, but Jacob is really good with young horses. His two-year-olds almost always make it to the track. I’ll have him bring the colt down here when it gets warmer.”

  Seth snorted. “It’ll never get warmer.”

  Ross took a couple of steps toward Katie. “Maybe we can show him where he’s going to stay. Get him settled in and all.”

  “Fine,” Katie replied. “But it’s already noon. I still have some stuff to do here. I’ll take him over to the track dorms in a bit. Is he ready to work?”

  “Should be,” Ross answered as he moved closer to Katie. “But then again...” He shrugged.

  Seth tried to rein in his temper at their banter. He’d resigned himself to his new job as a horse shit scooper, but he wasn’t about to clue either of them in on his decision. He’d make their lives as miserable as they were making his. “I’m freezing my ass off here. If you want me to work, I’ve got to go shopping to get some warmer clothes.”

  “Gets mighty chilly out here the way the wind whips across the fields. The farm always feels ten degrees colder than the rest of Indiana,” Katie said, obviously hoping to lighten the mood. Seth just glared at her.

  She took a few strides toward him, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared up at him. “Where’d you get that outfit? Saks Fifth Avenue? Those clothes probably cost more than the last horse I bought. If you wear those around the barn too long, you’ll trash them.”

  Seth closed the remaining distance between them in two steps. He leaned over her to emphasize his superior height and measure whether she intimidated easily. “I hate the crap they sell at Saks. I get all my clothes at Armani.”

  Her eyes threw enough sparks to light a fire. “You look like a smart guy to me, so I’m assuming you wore that stuff on purpose to make me or Ross mad. I mean, you did know you were coming to a barn.”

  “Look, lady—”

  “Katie. My name’s Katie.”

  “Whatever. I’ve had the worst couple of days of my miserable life. I’ve got two suitcases of clothes that look exactly like what I’m wearing. If you don’t think this’ll work, send me back. We can say we tried, and we can both go back to our lives.” He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder toward Ross. “Matlock here can take me home, I can get my money, and we’ll call it a day.”

  “Seth, that’s not happening,” Ross replied with a shake of his head. “Katie, give me a list of what he needs. I’ll head back to town and get some warm clothes for him. He can stay here with you. We can meet back at the dorms later.”

  “Fine. Let’s go into my office.” She motioned for them to follow and led the way inside.

  The barn had looked huge on the outside and was just as large inside. A wide tarmac aisle ran the entire length of the building. Stalls lined both sides and the smell definitely screamed “horse.”

  Swinging metal gates opened to allow animals and people access in and out of each stall. The horses all dangled their heads over their gates and nickered at Katie as she walked by. Seth took in her happy reaction and tried not to smile. She almost seemed more comfortable around the horses than she did with people.

  They reached the center of the barn. Katie opened a small door across from some large bath stalls and invited the two men inside.

  Her office was spartan. As he followed Katie inside, Seth glanced at her gray metal desk. Slips of paper, several pairs of black gloves, some yellow protective glasses, and a white helmet stenciled with some intricate green designs littered the desk’s worn surface.

  Ross stopped just inside the room, leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, and stared at Katie. It dawned on Seth that Ross couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her. Remembering the man’s body language in the Chicago law office, and noticing that Ross constantly tried to get closer to her, Seth realized the lawyer had developed an infatuation with the trainer. Seth didn’t have any claim on her, but the notion of Ross staking one made his stomach knot. He tried to push the uncomfortable thought away.

  A tiny bed covered with a colorful patchwork quilt rested against the longest wall directly under a small window. He pushed on the mattress and the bed frame let out a complaining squeak. “You keep this here for afternoon... naps?” He caught Katie’s glance and wiggled his eyebrows. Her eyes threw fire again, and Seth had to turn away not to smile at her reaction.

  “Hang on a minute, Remington. You’ve got no right—” Ross began before Katie stopped him with a wave of her hand. Seth watched them lock gazes for a moment, and then Ross nodded. A flash of jealousy shot through Seth at their ability to understand each other so quickly and so well.

  An oak dresser stood nearby, but the only other pieces of furniture were the desk and chair Katie used. A dormitory-sized refrigerator covered in a small pile of clean dishes occupied a corner. Some clothes dangled from hangers lined up along a metal pole suspended from the ceiling with baling wire. This was more than just her office. The bleak room was her home.

  A bathroom was accessible through another door, but when he peeked inside, Seth saw nothing more than a toilet, sink, and a small shower stall.

  The only form of entertainment appeared to be a small stereo poised on the dresser next to a fairly large stack of CDs.

  “You live here?” Seth asked. When she looked up at him and nodded, couldn’t believe it. “And you’re happy here?”

  Katie nodded again and smiled that alluring smile he’d seen in Chicago. “I love it here. I’m close to my horses.”

  He shot her an incredulous frown so she’d know he didn’t believe her. Women hated places like this. He wondered if she’d relocated here simply to make his ordeal more difficult to endure.

  Seth shuffled through the CDs on her dresser.

  “Feel free to have a look around,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  He glanced back at her. The heat in Katie’s eyes could melt metal. She might sound calm, but behind that gaze lurked a temper she couldn’t hide. A hot temper. He amused himself by pushing a few more of her buttons. “Not like there’s much to see.” Seth continued to sort through her music.

  Katie produced a pad of paper and a pen from one of the ancient desk’s drawers. “Let’s see. Did you bring jeans? A warm jacket?” Her eyes dropped to his ruined loafers. “Boots?”

  Seth shook his head. She sighed and began to scribble out a list.

  “What size shirt?” she asked without looking up.

  “Large. I’m always... large.”

  “Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say,” she added without taking her eyes
off the paper, but she couldn’t hide the blush spreading over her cheeks.

  Ross chuckled and shifted his bulk to the opposite side of the doorframe.

  Seth busied himself sauntering around the small room to study the dozens of pictures tacked to the walls.

  Each photograph showed a group of happy people standing by a horse with one of those rickshaw things hooked up to it. Although taken at many different tracks, the pictures had one thing in common—Katie proudly smiling while holding onto the animal’s bridle. That wide smile, that tousled red hair. She made quite a sight.

  There was nothing truly extraordinary about her looks. Her red hair might be special, but he usually preferred buxom blondes like Kirsten. Why the strange attraction? Working as hard as she obviously did, Katie had developed a tight body. But he’d seen better. Perhaps it was her eyes—those large emerald eyes. Or her freckled nose that creased whenever she smiled. Or even her cocky, no-nonsense attitude. She was unique, and that fact alone made her attractive.

  Ross took the list Katie offered. “Seth, you want to look at this? See if you want to add anything?”

  Seth turned his attention away from the pictures. “What I want is to go home.”

  Watching her lips draw thin and her eyes narrow, Seth quickly realized Katie had reached her limit. “And what your father wanted was for you to grow up. I don’t like this any more than you do, but we both need to make the best of it.”

  Ross smiled and nodded his approval, which only served to piss Seth off a little more.

  Katie smiled back and waved the lawyer away with her hand. “Go on, Ross. Go shop. I’ll finish here and get him to his dorm. You can meet us there after lunch.”

  “Fine. I’ll catch up with you at the track.” Ross made a quick exit from Katie’s tiny room.

  She was already on her feet, pushing the chair back to the desk. “C’mon, Rookie. I’ve got to finish filling water buckets then we’ll head to the track.”

  “Right behind you, Boss. I’m just dying to shovel horse shit.” Seth knew he was baiting her, but he simply couldn’t resist the temptation. She disappointed him when she ignored the remark and didn’t rise to the challenge. The woman was all work and no play.

  Striding down the aisle of the barn, Katie stopped at a hose wrapped around a metal hanger and attached to an old-fashioned spigot. “You’re going to stay in the dorms close to Chris.”

  “Who’s Chris?”

  “Chris Harris. He works for me. You can catch a ride with him in the mornings. I took over some of my furniture so you’d have a few things in your room.” She flipped on the faucet and hauled the hose from stall to stall, filling the large buckets hanging just inside each gate.

  Seth watched her work. He figured he should probably offer to help. It was his job now after all. But he wasn’t going down without a fight.

  Katie went about her chores with practiced ease, looking back to stare at him with almost each step. “Hard work won’t kill you, you know.”

  “Never said it would.”

  “I won’t feel sorry for you.”

  “Didn’t ask you to.”

  She laughed at that.

  “All right. What do I have to do?” Seth finally asked.

  Katie became all business so quickly, he felt like he had to catch his breath to keep up.

  “Check the water buckets at least twice a day. Best times are when we feed in the morning and at night. When it gets warmer, you’ll check them more often.”

  Seth stood at attention, clicked his heels together, and saluted. “Twice a day. Yes, ma’am, Boss.”

  Katie rolled her eyes and moved the hose to the next stall. “And Jack likes to dunk his hay in his water, so you’ll have to clean his bucket every day.”

  “Who’s Jack?”

  “Monterey Jack. Third stall on your right. See the names?”

  Seth’s gaze followed to where she pointed out the small plastic plates mounted on each stall with the horse’s name printed across. “Monterey Jack? Why would you name a racehorse after cheese?”

  Katie laughed. “Trainers don’t name them. The breeders or the owners do. And, yes, some of them are terrible. I like the funny ones best.”

  “What’s your favorite name?”

  Without any deep thought, she responded, “All Night Long. Obviously named by an overconfident man.”

  “Sounds more like a woman’s idea to me. A guy would have named him No Foreplay Necessary.” He glanced over at her, surprised she was blushing again. In this totally uninhibited world, he didn’t know women did that anymore.

  She pointed to a large green and white dry erase board. “That lists what each horse is doing for each day of the week.”

  Seth took his time walking over to take a look. He didn’t want her to think he was too interested in anything to do with the horses, so he pasted a bored expression on his face.

  The top of the board carried a silhouette of a shamrock and the words “Murphy Stables.” The rest showed a calendar grid with the names of horses scribbled in and a letter entered for each day of the week. “What’s ‘J’?”

  “‘J’ is jog. Chris or I usually take ‘em three miles or so,” Katie replied as she moved the hose to the next stall.

  “And ‘S’?”

  “Stand. The horse just stays in the stall. That’s for Miss Daisy. She popped a gravel.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Popped a gravel.” Katie entered the stall and crooked her finger at Seth to join her. She picked up the mare’s hoof and pointed to a small wound. “A stone got caught in her hoof and has to work its way back out.”

  “Sounds painful.”

  “I imagine it is.” She put the horse’s foot down gently, patted the animal’s neck, and exited the stall. Seth followed close behind. “While she’s healing she’ll stay in her stall. You’ll have to make sure you keep the hoof clean. I’ll show you how. We also need to give her some attention so she doesn’t get too bored and sour.”

  “How many letters have you got?” Seth walked back over and stared at the confusing green board. He’d never seen a Day-Timer for a horse before.

  Katie continued her no-nonsense explanations as she went back to filling buckets. “‘O’ is outside. Put the horse in one of the corrals for most of the day if the weather is good. ‘T’ is train, and ‘R’ is race. We’ve got two in qualifiers tomorrow morning. You can just watch and get the hang of things.”

  Good God, he was getting tired of feeling stupid, especially over something as absurd as horseracing. “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s a qualifier?”

  “A sort of practice race that proves a horse is ready to race and good enough to be competitive. They can’t race at Dan Patch or any track until they qualify. The qualifiers are Saturday mornings.” She never stopped moving, shifting to yet another stall. “We’ll take two horses over tomorrow. Once real racing starts, nights get a little crazy. I always seem to pull the thirteenth. Those nights will be late.”

  “The thirteenth?” Seth had an awfully hard time speaking her language. Was there a damned dictionary for all these stupid terms?

  “The thirteenth race, the last race most nights. Post time comes around eleven.”

  Katie glanced up at Seth as he stared at the board, looking a bit overwhelmed. She continued to wonder if she’d made the wrong decision in taking on the burden of supervising him. The man’s knowledge of horses and harness racing was nothing more than a blank slate. Then it dawned on her—that was Seth’s problem. All of this was brand new to him.

  She chided herself for not being more perceptive in remembering her world wasn’t well known to very many people. She needed to give him time to adjust. Patience, Katie. Just like your grandpa had patience when he taught you.

  Katie turned off the spigot, wrapped the hose back around its hanger, and walked over to Seth. She put her hand gently on his arm. “I’m really sorry about your father. I was so shocked yesterday, I forgot to tell you. He was a nice man
.”

  Seth just nodded. She thought she saw him swallow hard, like he had a lump in his throat.

  “This isn’t what you’re used to,” she continued. “It’s all so new. I’ll teach you, Seth. Just stick with me.”

  Seth knit his brows and stared at her for a moment before his eyes suddenly softened and the tension he’d held in his shoulders since his arrival relaxed. He appeared genuinely touched at her concern. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  “I know this’ll be a huge adjustment. If you need me to explain something, please ask. I’d rather you ask than try to fake your way through—especially when we’re racing. If things aren’t rigged right, it can be dangerous... even deadly.”

  “Dangerous? Deadly?”

  At least she’d finally gotten his full attention.

  “Drivers are going thirty miles an hour on nothing but a light-weight metal sulky while they’re straddling the butt end of an animal that weighs a thousand pounds. If any of the harness is rigged wrong, it could cause an accident.”

  The look in his eyes told Katie that Seth was finally starting to catch on. “I used to work around race cars, so I understand dangerous. I promise. I’ll ask for help when I need it.”

  Katie ushered Seth out of the barn, closed the big door behind them, and led the way to her truck. “Let’s go to the track.”

  Chapter 5

  She should have seen Seth’s angry reaction coming. The dorms really weren’t much to look at.

  He stood in the middle of the room, his nose wrinkled in obvious disgust. “You know, I’m not sure what’s worse. The size or the smell. What did they clean this place with anyway? Something scented with dirty sweat socks?”

  Katie waited in the doorway next to Seth’s suitcases, watching him glance around his new ten-by-ten painted cinderblock home. The worn but comfortable chair and a small chest of drawers she’d donated joined the twin bed the track provided. He probably didn’t notice that the warm green of the chair matched the soft blanket she’d put on his bed. No doubt he saw nothing more than Salvation Army rejects. She bristled at the thought.

  Katie had sacrificed the furniture from her own room, imagining after the major changes he’d been put through, he probably needed things that felt like “home” more than she would. Some of her sheets and towels were stacked neatly on the bed next to the fuzzy blanket she’d brought for him to use.