On bright red days
How good it feels
To be a horse
And kick my heels

 

“You and Jim are going to be pleased with this gelding.” Jed Tomlinson spoke as he closed the doors on his horse trailer. “He’s going to make a great addition to your stable. Is this one for the students?”

“No, this one is a surprise,” Regan admitted with a grin. “But Jim promised, except for this one, there won’t be any mounts purchased for Frayler until we hire some help.” He couldn’t help casting an admiring glance at the new addition.

“I imagine it would be almost impossible to try and maintain two stables,” Jed acknowledged, pulling on the doors to make sure they were secure. “I’ve been spreading the word among my staff, asking them to let their friends know there are some good openings at Frayler and up at Manor House.”

“Appreciate it, Jed. The only two that I’ve interviewed were more interested in a paycheck than a job.”

“Have you met the new vet Dr. Samet brought in?”

“No, not yet. We’ve been lucky until now, nothing I couldn’t take care of. I figure Samet’s getting ready for retirement.” Regan hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and rocked back on his heels.

“Yep, that’s what he’s been saying. Sounds like a good plan. Once he gets the new vet up to speed he tells me he’s taking his wife on a cruise. It’s a cinch that he won’t have to do any work while on a cruise.”

Regan didn’t mention that he’d already called Dr. Samet to ask him to stop by and check out Susie. He was planning to have the vet examine the gelding while he was here as well.

“What about you? Have you met the new guy?”

Jed Tomlinson suppressed a grin. “Yep, a Cornell graduate. The new doc should work out really well. Seems to have impressed everyone over at my place.”

“Good to hear that. Thanks again, Jed, I appreciate your help with this one.” Regan shook hands with his old friend.

“Thank Jim again for me, would you Regan?” Jed said as he took his leave. “Just give me a holler when you hire some help and get ready to expand the stable. We’ve got some promising stock that would be great for the students.”

“Will do.” Regan, always a man of few words, nodded as Jed started his truck. He returned quickly to the stable so he could perform another inspection of the young horse, feeling his strong legs and running his hands down his neck. He had helped select the large, red steed at Jim’s request. They were both pleased with the quality of their selection. Jed bred the horse for riding and it had a frisky personality, perfect for its new owner.

“Well, Red, I suspect you and Jupe might just butt heads for alpha horse in this stable,” he said aloud, as he made the gelding comfortable. “I have to admit, you’re a nice piece of horseflesh. Jed sure knows what he’s doing. Of course, any head-butting going on in this stable will probably be a lot like what goes on up at the school. I can see your new owners doing their own head-butting from time to time.” He chuckled at the thought of Jim and Trixie being married and adjusting to living together. “Yep, if you take two strong-willed people, neither one of them wanting to give up any control, it’ll definitely be interesting.”

“What will definitely be interesting?” The voice came from the doorway of the stable.

Regan turned and stared at the shapely female who had asked the question and found he could not speak. He felt as if someone had just delivered a direct hit to his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. She certainly wasn’t tall, although her scuffed boots added another inch and a half to her five-foot, five-inch frame. Slung over her shoulder was a worn, leather bag. The sunlight coming through the stable’s upper windows caught her long braid, so he could see a glint of auburn running through it despite the hat which covered most of her head. Ivory skin with a sprinkle of freckles, and brown eyes completed the picture she made. He knew the picture by heart.

“It was you talking, wasn’t it?” She tried again, wondering why he was staring at her so oddly.

For Regan’s part, she might as well have landed from another planet. She may have said take me to your leader, he’d never be able to say precisely what she was saying. To complicate the situation, he found himself unable to speak.

She frowned and tried again. “I’ve been around many a horse but I’ve yet to hear one speak English.”

“Uh, nothing much,” he finally stammered, deciding she must be there to apply for the open stable manager position. “Are you here about the job?”

“Yes, is this the horse?” she asked, studying him while she moved towards the red colt he had been inspecting.

“It’s one of the horses.”

She surveyed the red gelding, sizing up the animal as she walked around it. Occasionally, her glance rested upon the tall, redheaded groom, who continued to stare mutely at his visitor. Concluding her survey, she pulled on a pair of well-worn work gloves, retrieved from the pocket of her shoulder bag. “He’s a five year old?”

Regan nodded, still staring.

“Did you lose a horse or are you just expanding your stable?” She tried again.

“Expanding.” Regan shook his head, realizing he was making a fool of himself. “Right now, this is the only one we have for the new stables at Frayler Academy. We’re planning to start with six for the school. Do you have much experience working with horses?”

She had started running her hands over the gelding’s forelegs, picking up a foot to inspect the hoof. “Enough, I suppose. This mount’s still fairly young for a beginner to ride.”

Regan noticed she didn’t flinch when the chestnut gelding flicked its tail, slapping her gently on the side of the face. “Technically, he’s a gift for the boss’s wife. I guess you could say he considers it a wedding present.”

“Nice wedding present,” she commented, stroking the horse’s neck as he tossed his head, attempting to get him to settle down. “What kind of man buys his wife a horse as a wedding present?”

She watched as Regan pulled a carrot from his pocket and offered it to the horse. It was an effective trick, calming him immediately. Then she gave a faint smile as the handsome steed nuzzled Regan’s pocket for more. Realization dawned that he wasn’t going to answer her question and she sighed. “Didn’t you recommend the wife ride him first? It would have been a good idea to let her get a feel for the horse before you bought him. If he’s only about four and a half, he could still be frisky. Can she handle him?”

Her questioning made him bristle. “I know her riding well enough! I taught her to ride.” Regan tried to keep the defensive tone out of his voice but didn’t quite succeed. For a stable hand, she acts more than a little presumptuous. She has a lot of nerve telling me I should have had Trixie ride old Red here first. Why haven’t I seen this girl around before now?

She nodded. “Where did you get him?”

“Hudson Valley Stables.” Regan decided there was no way he could hire her, and no point in offering any details.

“Jed Tomlinson runs a good operation. You won’t go wrong dealing with him.”

“Didn’t realize you knew him, did you work for him a while?” Regan couldn’t understand why Jed didn’t tell him he’d sent someone over. The man had just left.

The woman shook her head. “I’ve never actually worked for a stable, unless you want to count a couple of summer jobs in high school. But that was mostly mucking stalls, cleaning tack, that kind of thing. Enough riding to keep a teenager happy and out of trouble, I suppose.”

Regan frowned. “Where have you worked? You worked anywhere besides this area?”

“Most of my work has been for schools or other doctors, primarily north of here.”

“What schools – what do you mean other doctors?”

“I worked at Cornell for a couple of years as well as a private school upstate. Then before I moved to Sleepyside I worked with two other veterinarians.” She pulled off the gloves and stuck out her hand. “I’m Dr. Lianne Rodgers, by the way. I’m working with Dr. Samet. He asked me to stop by and check out a sick horse. I assume you’re Bill Regan, the stable manager, and this must not be the horse you want me to look at.” She didn’t say that Dr. Samet had told her she would enjoy her visit to the Wheeler stables. His words echoed in her ears.

“You’ll really be impressed with that operation. Bill Regan runs a tight stable. I’m sure you two will hit it off, just alike you are. One of the cleanest I’ve ever seen, rivals the best racing outfits. Of course, Matthew Wheeler demands only the best, and his stable is certainly that.”

She was impressed with the stable, but less so with the manager.

“You… you’re the new vet?” Regan had to struggle to contain his surprise. He had already decided she wasn’t sturdy enough to be seriously considered for work with horses.

“Yes, you seem surprised.” She continued her inspection of the horse, forcing him to open his mouth so she could inspect the teeth and tongue before she continued. “I guess most female vets stick with small animal practices, but I’ve always been wild for horses.” She stroked the gelding’s nose and pulled a sugar cube out of another pocket of her bag once she had finished her examination. “Dr. Samet assures me there will be ample opportunities in equine medicine. Plenty of dogs, of course, that’s to be expected in an area like this. Some cats, a few birds, and of course there’s an assortment of other farm animals scattered around. Some owners still run their estates as mini-farms. For me, it’s ideal, plenty of opportunities to get out and active. I don’t like being cooped up inside all day.”

“On that we can agree,” Regan said shutting his mouth after realizing he had been gaping at her like a gasping goldfish. “Can you handle large animals?” He didn’t intend to sound doubtful, but his disbelief was evident.

She turned and gave him a long stare, her eyes moving up and down as if she were trying to size him up. “I find them easier to handle than most men. Why do you ask?”

His face flushed beet red and he mumbled, “You don’t look like you could handle large animals.”

“I assure you there won’t be any problems in that area. Do you have a problem with female veterinarians or just females in general?”

“I don’t have a problem with women vets!” His green eyes flashed, and his voice, which had betrayed him every step of the way in this odd conversation with Lianne Rodgers, was full of temper.

She turned back to the horse, and murmured, “So just women in general. I suppose I should feel sorry for your wife.”

That spark ignited his fuse.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve coming into my stable, first telling me how I should buy horses and now telling me I’ve got a problem with women. Half the world population is female and I’d be foolish to pick a fight with half the world. And for what it’s worth, I don’t have a wife!” Regan had been unable to restrain his temper and he glared at the woman as he spoke, his hands on his hips.

Her own temper let loose, her hands flying to her hips as she glared right back at him. “Why am I not surprised to learn that? Most women would be too smart to get tangled up with a chauvinist like you!”

“Why you little…. Why don’t you just get back to Dr. Samet’s office and make a note to tell him he’ll need to keep calling on the Wheeler stables?” Regan huffed.

She was quiet, letting the hot words sink in. Dr. David Samet had been adamant that she create a good impression with this man. She also knew she had more than a little chip on her shoulder, related to proving she could handle large animals in a practice. Did I really tell him how to buy horses? Perhaps… She took a deep breath and before she could say anything, the red gelding began to prance. She hastily turned her attention to the animal.

Lianne and Regan both grabbed for the horse’s bridle, their arms tangling as they both had the same thought. His warm, freckled hand touched her strong, slim fingers as they both moved to calm the gelding. The resulting jolt set off a current of electricity. The tingle was shocking, and when she found herself gazing into the green eyes of the broad-shouldered groom, a delightful shiver of desire wafted through her body.

There was total silence between them as the horse decided to cooperate and settled back down almost immediately. The two of them stood on either side of its head, eyes locked as they began to breathe in unison with the red gelding. Lianne was wondering if she had just detected a flicker of the same feeling that she had felt, in his eyes, when the moment was broken.

“Regan, is that the new gelding?” Matthew Wheeler’s booming voice came from the stable door.

Regan turned toward the door, seeming to welcome the interruption.

“Yeah, I’ve been calling him Big Red,” he mumbled to his boss. His tone caused Matthew to stop for a moment and frown.

“Is everything okay?” Matthew strode toward them, deciding something must be wrong with the horse, since Regan wasn’t meeting his gaze.

“Uh, yeah… he’s fine. A little frisky, but that’s to be expected.” Regan cleared his throat. Struggling to regain his composure, he wondered what had just happened. His mind was spinning, certain that he had been dreaming this entire episode.

Matthew looked quizzically at Regan, waiting for the groom to introduce him to the woman standing next to the tall horse. He blinked, not sure if the horse was that big or the woman that small, but the top of her head barely reached the horse’s nose. He studied them both more closely and decided the gelding was probably 16 hands high.

Lianne’s voice was warm. “Hello, I’m Lianne Rodgers. Dr. Samet’s new associate.”

Matthew nodded. “I heard David was bringing on someone new.” His eyes cut over to the large gelding as he crossed to introduce himself. “I’m Matthew Wheeler; it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Regan’s eyes narrowed as the two of them shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Her deferential attitude to his boss only served to irritate him further.

“So this is Frayler Academy’s first horse.” Matthew reached to stroke the gelding’s neck. “He is a big one!”

“Yes, I was just finishing checking him out. He’s quite handsome,” Lianne murmured, making no mention of his friskiness or expressing any concern about the new owner not riding the horse. This managed to annoy Regan further.

“Is he adjusting here okay, Regan? You haven’t had any problems with the other horses?” Matthew circled the horse, admiring his coloring and build.

“Seems okay, but he’s just arrived in the last half hour. I suspect there may be some jockeying for top horse for a few weeks, until we can get Frayler’s stable operational.”

“No luck with the hiring then?” Matthew asked.

“None, sir.” Regan answered.

“Dr. Rodgers, maybe you could keep an eye out. We’re looking for another stable manager around here.” Matthew turned toward the attractive, young vet. “My son, Jim Frayne, is the head of Frayler Academy. He’s looking for the right person to run the stables for his school.”

“What kind of man do you need?” she asked.

Matthew gave a slight frown. “Jim needs a stable manager that can teach riding and run a stable. He – or she – will have to work with students. Jim’s a lot like Regan and me – red-headed and quick-tempered. But we know horses and we like our stables clean and well organized.” He studied her closely; not at all sure she was listening. She seemed distracted by something or someone. His eyes flicked to Bill Regan. “But it’s not necessary for us to hire a man. A woman would do just as well, provided she’s qualified.”

Lianne flushed. She had allowed her feelings about Bill Regan to influence her attitude toward Matthew Wheeler. “I’ll keep an ear out and an eye open,” she replied, finally giving Matthew her full, undivided attention. “If the stable at the school is anything like this, you should be able to attract a top man—uh, manager.”

“Matt, I don’t think Dr. Rodgers has been in the area long enough to have any contacts like what we’re looking for.” Regan interrupted, glaring at the woman who seemed so act so deferential to Matthew, but had practically accused him of not knowing what he was doing.

“They don’t have to be in the area. I’m sure Jim pretty much expected people would be relocating to take jobs at Frayler. Besides, Ithaca’s only four hours away.”

“Ithaca?” He was confused, not understanding what the city to north had to do with any of this.

“Cornell,” Matthew clarified. “Did I hear David incorrectly? He said his new partner graduated from Cornell? If I recall, he mentioned you were one of the top students in the program.”

“I think Jed might have mentioned it,” Regan mumbled. “Sir, did you want to take this boy out for a ride?” Regan moved towards the horse, intent on leading him into a clean and ready stall.

Matthew finally decided he did understand what was going on his stable and it wasn’t about two geldings jockeying for the top position. The other two redheads were already engaging in an all too familiar dance of one-upmanship. The last thing the town needed was another redhead with a temper. He bit back a chuckle as the chestnut gelding began to prance again and both Regan and the new vet moved to calm him.

“I’ll wait and let Trixie have the honor of the first ride.” It wasn’t what he wanted. He practically itched to take the handsome gelding out for a real workout. “Besides, we don’t want Jupe to think he’s being replaced. Did you have Dr. Rodgers take a look at Susie?”

“No, sir,” Regan answered, looking over at the black mare. “Has there been a problem?”

“Regan, you’ve been fretting over that horse for a month, telling me something was wrong with her, that she was off her routine. I figured for sure you’d called the vet by now to have her checked out.” Matthew was shocked. Regan worried over the horses the way most parents worried over their children.

Realization dawned on Lianne. Of course, the big red gelding was not the reason David had asked her to stop by. Damn! He specifically said to check out a sick mare! What is wrong with me? She mentally chided herself as she looked around the stable, noting the black mare with the nameplate on her stall. “I take it that’s the horse you called about?” she asked nodding her head toward the horse.

“Yep, she’s normally Trixie’s mount although I suppose technically she belongs to Margery Trask. Both Margery and Trixie consider her to be just as much one of mine as she is theirs, at least when it comes to living here in my stable.” Matthew grinned, remembering how Susie came to live at the Manor House stables.

“I’ll be happy to take a look.” Lianne ignored the recitation of Susie’s incomprehensible ownership details, and moved from the position in which she seemed to have been rooted, striding over to the blanket racks lining part of the stable wall. She automatically pulled the top blanket off the rack and handed it to Regan, assuming he was going to place it on the chestnut gelding. She didn’t pause as she crossed the center of the stable toward the black mare, not noticing that her action only served to annoy the redheaded groom.

“Really, there’s probably nothing wrong with her,” Regan protested. “Trixie hasn’t been able to ride since Thanksgiving and I think Susie misses being ridden by her regular rider. You know how horses develop a bond with certain riders.”

“Could be,” Lianne acknowledged, noting how pretty the mare was. Her personality was clearly playful, and she nickered and nuzzled the veterinarian, much to Regan’s chagrin. “Who’s been riding her in the meantime?”

“Mostly me,” Regan admitted, not wanting to mention that Susie was not the mount he preferred for riding, although he enjoyed her personality.

“Hmmm… did you take her temperature?” She continued her assessment of the little mare and finally pulled a stethoscope out of her bag and listened to her heart.

“Yes, it was normal. Do you hear something?” Regan suddenly forgot his antagonism towards the vet in his concern for Susie.

She shook her head. “Is she off her food? Has her personality changed?”

“That’s really all that’s changed,” Regan admitted. “She eats a little less, but then she’s been ridden a little less often as well. She seems much quieter than usual.”

Lianne was now inspecting each hoof, making sure Regan hadn’t overlooked a problem with a shoe.

“You haven’t changed any feed, have you? Supplements? Worming routine? Anything like that?” She watched as Regan shook his head at each question.

“No signs of foundering?”

“None.” Now he was back to being worried.

“All her vaccinations are current, I assume.”

“Of course.”

She looked around the stable. “How many horses do you have and how long have you had them?”

“There are four – Jupe, Lady, Strawberry, and Susie here. We’ve had all of them for years now. Lady’s the oldest – she’s twenty-one, Jupe’s a couple years behind her. Susie is eighteen.”

“No stallions?”

“No, just the three girls, and Jupe’s a gelding. We used to have a fifth horse, another gelding. But Matt gave him to the gamekeeper to use several years ago when he had to have his horse put down. Red over there is the first change we’ve had since Starlight left us. But this has been going on for a while, long before we thought of getting another horse.”

“Would you hand me my bag, please?” She spoke quietly, having had an idea she wanted to check out before voicing it.

It only took minutes to confirm her suspicions. She looked up into the green eyes of the worried groom. “You’ll have to be the one to answer the how, but the diagnosis is easy. Your mare is pregnant.”

Regan’s jaw dropped. “That’s not possible… she hasn’t been around--” He stopped abruptly, remembering last fall when Jim opened the school and he had been distracted. Jed had asked them to board some horses for a few weeks. In return, he had loaned Regan some help at the stable, to free him up to help Jim. Regan thought he had kept a close eye on the stallion… but perhaps it hadn’t been close enough.

“I guess you remembered,” she stood then. “When?”

“September.”

Matthew laughed, delighted with the news. “Well! This is a first for us. Imagine that, a foal late next summer.”

“Are you sure that’s all it is?” Regan asked the vet anxiously.

“Most likely. You’re probably right that she’s missing her regular mount. Horses develop bonds that way.”

“Well, how about that!” Regan put his hands on his hips. “You mean I’m finally right about something?”

Lianne turned to pack her bag, rolling her eyes at the feisty groom. “Do you need anything else while I’m here?”

“Nope, that should take care of us.” Regan replied shortly.

Matthew grinned, picking up again on the tensions between the groom and the young veterinarian. “Excuse me, please. I want to go tell Grace the news about Susie.” He nodded towards the new vet. “Dr. Rodgers, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she replied, her voice warming. “And please, Mr. Wheeler, call me Lianne.”

He grinned. “It’s Matthew. I’ll be sure and let Dr. Samet know how pleased we are with his new associate.” He noticed Regan’s scowl and managed not to laugh aloud as he turned to leave the stable.

Lianne Rodgers moved to pick up her bag and take her leave as well. “Let me know if you need anything. You won’t need to change her feed or do anything different for another couple of months.”

Regan gritted his teeth. “Yeah, seems like I remember how to care for a broodmare.” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.

She couldn’t help it. “You need to stop riding her.” She shot him a glare. “You do remember how their exercise routine should stay the same. It could be the changes you’ve seen are from her carrying more weight than she’s been used to.”

Regan’s face flushed with guilt. He realized the little mare needed regular exercise and in other circumstances, it would have been fine for him to ride her. “Yeah, Trixie’ll be able to ride again any day now. Between her and Honey, they can keep her exercised a bit for the next month or so. After that, she can get enough exercise from her turn out time.” His worry for one of his favorite horses finally won over his pride and he swallowed hard before asking. “She’s going… she’s going to be okay, isn’t she? She’s never foaled before.”

Lianne nodded, realizing how much he cared for the little mare. She knew she had delivered a low blow. He’d had no idea he had been riding a pregnant mare. “She should be fine. She’s a beautiful horse.” Lianne’s brow knit as she tried to piece together the connections she had picked up. Trixie was the normal rider of the black mare. But she’s also the new owner of the big red gelding. “Why would Trixie want a new horse?” she blurted out.

Regan looked at her, puzzled. “Oh. Trixie doesn’t want a new horse. It’s a joke of sorts. Susie doesn’t really belong to her. Well, she does, but she doesn’t. I mean Trixie bought her, although technically I suppose the Bobwhites bought her, but they bought her for Marge. Marge did learn to ride, but she doesn’t ride regularly.” Regan pushed a hand through his ruddy hair. “I’m not making a lick of sense, am I?” He shook his head, giving her a rueful look. “It’s a long story.”

“It sounds fascinating,” Lianne admitted. It would be hard to explain to the groom why she found herself interested in his convoluted explanation. She couldn’t explain it to herself.

Regan cast a glance her way, debating whether he should ask her out for pizza and offer to tell her the entire story of the Gatehouse and how Susie had come to the Wheeler stable.

“Lianne? Is it really you?”

She turned and her mouth widened into a genuine smile. “Tom! What on earth are you doing here?”

Tom Delanoy strode into the stable and grabbed the young woman into a warm hug, easily swinging her around. “When Mr. Wheeler was telling us the story, I told Celia it had to be you. I can’t believe you made it back to Sleepyside.”

She laughed then. “It’s been a few years. Do you and Celia live here?” She looked around at the stable, knowing Tom had always preferred automobiles to horses.

Tom through back his head and laughed. “Yes and no. We live here, but that’s because we work for Mr. Wheeler and he prefers us to live-in. We used to have a small trailer on the property, but since Tommy came along, we live on the third floor.” He paused. “And now you work for Samet, huh? Didn’t figure you’d be working for Chang.”

Lianne cast a sideways glance at Regan, who was pretending disinterest as he combed Susie. “Samet’s a good vet.”

“Yeah, he’ll do. Regan has a lot of respect for him. Come in and say hello to Celia. She’ll kill me if you get out of here without seeing her.”

“Oh, Tom! I’ve still got a few more calls to make,” she protested, glancing down at her scuffed boots and worn jeans.

“And you’ll get them made. Celia’s in the kitchen so you won’t have to worry about walking through the house.”

“Okay, let’s go then.”

Tom took the young woman by the arm, and ignoring Regan’s chagrin with a blatant wink, escorted her towards the Manor House.

Standing there with his hands on his hips, Regan stared after him. If he hadn’t known his friend better, he would have said Tom was besotted with the young woman. He watched until they mounted the steps to the veranda before shaking his head. The woman knew one of his best friends. He was ready to believe he was dreaming.

He kicked his foot hard against the iron post at the edge of the stable, knowing if he were dreaming it would wake him up. All he got for his test was a shooting pain in his big toe.

Finally, deciding he was wide-awake, he turned his attention back to the horses. His glance flicked over the new red gelding, and he was pleased to see the horse standing sedately in his stall. Then he smiled as his eyes lit on the black mare. Just wait until Trixie learns this bit of news, he thought to himself. That’ll be just the ticket to take her mind of things for a while. He ignored the following thought completely. There was no way he could take his mind off the woman who had just left his stable. Regan knew this girl. He had been seeing her for years. He dreamed about her in the past, the present, and the future. Seeing her in his stable, hearing her melodious voice talk to him about horses, all of those were part of his problem.

All he had to do is figure out why he had dreamed about her for most of his life.