knocked-up … He’s a dead man!” He surveyed the crowd listening to his boisterous threats. Satisfied with his display of command, he nodded at them. Cocking his chin high, he strutted into his barn.
Bemused, Jen turned to Eric. “What was that?”
He sighed. “I’ll have to find out.” Taking note of the crowd still staring at them, he took her gently by the elbow and ushered her toward his stable. “Hey, how’s that coffee?”
Margie was terrified. Stealthily, she searched the shed rows for Mike to warn him that her father was pissed-off as hell and targeted for him. She couldn’t imagine why Scott would have told him such a shameful story. Yeah, Mike came to see me. Yeah, we were in the office. No, he didn’t touch me. Damn it.
She tried to convince her hard-headed, mule-minded, father that all Mike wanted was information about Coco’s grey gelding. But no, he has it in for the West family.
Why even when Dr. Spears came to care for a horse, Kate had to wait outside the stable. She had never done anything wrong. She was a West, and that was reason enough for Doug.
Margie couldn’t think of anything the Wests may have done to her father. Same as the rest of them, Eric West was always polite. But DougO’Conner hated the very sight of them.Actually, he had little use for anyone at all—especially women.
Margie fingered the pair of glasses she had clipped to her shirt that she had found in an old desk drawer at home. She thought that if she could see the words in Scott’s book a little better that maybe she could read them. She crept around the corner of Westwood Stables in hope that Mike might wander out. He did with Coco at his side. Margie ducked behind the stable.
They spoke for only a moment before Coco brushed her lips over his and walked away.
Damn it.
Margie felt a presence over her shoulder and turned.
Ava West was watching, too. Her eyes were piercing. Her lips were tight and thin.
“Ava, what’re you doing here?” she whispered.
Her gorgeous green eyes flickered. “I could ask you the same question. Who’s that woman with Michael?”
“Coco Beardmore.”
“Is that—”
“Yeah, yeah, Beardmore Industries. She’s pretty and rich, and I think she’s seeing Mike.”
Ava’s lips jutted. After the confrontation between Eric and Doug that morning, the story about Mike’s roll-in-the-hay with Margie was already the hot topic. She didn’t believe it for a nanosecond, but she said, “I heard you were seeing Michael.”
Margie snorted. “I wish.”
“I bet,” Ava wryly retorted. Mike was not only out of her league; but Margie wasn’t even in the same galaxy. Yeah, he wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.
The fact remained that a beautiful blonde with a boatload of coin was seeing her ex. The Wests were very well-off, and their Thoroughbred operation was more that lucrative. Adding a million-dollar baby to the mix? That is not good. She still commanded a little control over her ex-hubby, and had no intention of letting go.
Flinging her auburn hair over her shoulder, Ava delved into manipulation mode. I’ll have to be sly. Not a problem. Sly Bitch is my middle name.
Once again wondering why Ava would ever let a man like Mike go, Margie watched her walk away. She must be crazy. That was the only conclusion she could come to.
“Hey, Margie.” Dan Quaide’s husky voice came out of nowhere.
She jumped and turned toward him.
The burly horse trainer looked down at her. “Whatcha doing?”
Her mouth moved, but nothing came out for a moment. “Nothing ... I wasn’t doing nothing. How ya been, Dan?” How very brainy of me to make it look like I’m just hanging out, not peering around corners, not looking for Mike West .
“Are you looking for the Wests?”
“No, I was just hanging around, doing nothing,” She kicked a stone with her foot while appearing as casual as possible.
He tossed her an odd look, and then pulled out a condition book from the pocket of
Bemused, Jen turned to Eric. “What was that?”
He sighed. “I’ll have to find out.” Taking note of the crowd still staring at them, he took her gently by the elbow and ushered her toward his stable. “Hey, how’s that coffee?”
Margie was terrified. Stealthily, she searched the shed rows for Mike to warn him that her father was pissed-off as hell and targeted for him. She couldn’t imagine why Scott would have told him such a shameful story. Yeah, Mike came to see me. Yeah, we were in the office. No, he didn’t touch me. Damn it.
She tried to convince her hard-headed, mule-minded, father that all Mike wanted was information about Coco’s grey gelding. But no, he has it in for the West family.
Why even when Dr. Spears came to care for a horse, Kate had to wait outside the stable. She had never done anything wrong. She was a West, and that was reason enough for Doug.
Margie couldn’t think of anything the Wests may have done to her father. Same as the rest of them, Eric West was always polite. But DougO’Conner hated the very sight of them.Actually, he had little use for anyone at all—especially women.
Margie fingered the pair of glasses she had clipped to her shirt that she had found in an old desk drawer at home. She thought that if she could see the words in Scott’s book a little better that maybe she could read them. She crept around the corner of Westwood Stables in hope that Mike might wander out. He did with Coco at his side. Margie ducked behind the stable.
They spoke for only a moment before Coco brushed her lips over his and walked away.
Damn it.
Margie felt a presence over her shoulder and turned.
Ava West was watching, too. Her eyes were piercing. Her lips were tight and thin.
“Ava, what’re you doing here?” she whispered.
Her gorgeous green eyes flickered. “I could ask you the same question. Who’s that woman with Michael?”
“Coco Beardmore.”
“Is that—”
“Yeah, yeah, Beardmore Industries. She’s pretty and rich, and I think she’s seeing Mike.”
Ava’s lips jutted. After the confrontation between Eric and Doug that morning, the story about Mike’s roll-in-the-hay with Margie was already the hot topic. She didn’t believe it for a nanosecond, but she said, “I heard you were seeing Michael.”
Margie snorted. “I wish.”
“I bet,” Ava wryly retorted. Mike was not only out of her league; but Margie wasn’t even in the same galaxy. Yeah, he wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.
The fact remained that a beautiful blonde with a boatload of coin was seeing her ex. The Wests were very well-off, and their Thoroughbred operation was more that lucrative. Adding a million-dollar baby to the mix? That is not good. She still commanded a little control over her ex-hubby, and had no intention of letting go.
Flinging her auburn hair over her shoulder, Ava delved into manipulation mode. I’ll have to be sly. Not a problem. Sly Bitch is my middle name.
Once again wondering why Ava would ever let a man like Mike go, Margie watched her walk away. She must be crazy. That was the only conclusion she could come to.
“Hey, Margie.” Dan Quaide’s husky voice came out of nowhere.
She jumped and turned toward him.
The burly horse trainer looked down at her. “Whatcha doing?”
Her mouth moved, but nothing came out for a moment. “Nothing ... I wasn’t doing nothing. How ya been, Dan?” How very brainy of me to make it look like I’m just hanging out, not peering around corners, not looking for Mike West .
“Are you looking for the Wests?”
“No, I was just hanging around, doing nothing,” She kicked a stone with her foot while appearing as casual as possible.
He tossed her an odd look, and then pulled out a condition book from the pocket of
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