Kentucky Rich by Fern Michaels Page A

some shiny ones yesterday at the bank. I suspect you’ll want to save the . . . original one. I can put it in the safe for you if you like. I saw her staring at it, and I could just tell she couldn’t understand why it was no longer shiny. Later, when she’s older, you’ll be able to make her understand. I love that child, Nealy. So does Jess.”
    â€œAnd she loves you both, too. If you don’t need me, Miss Maud, I’m going to get Emmie some supper and get her ready for bed.”
    â€œRun along, child. I’m going to sit here and visit with my friends.”
    Nealy wound her way through the wedding crowd to the back door leading to the kitchen. When she felt her daughter tug on her skirt she looked down and smiled. “It’s a party, Emmie. For Miss Maud and Mr. Jess. They got married today. That means they love each other and are going to be happy forever after. It’s so pretty here, isn’t it, honey? Look out over the land at all the split-rail fencing. It just goes on for miles and miles. Kind of like forever. Everything is so spic-and-span, the grass is like the stones in Miss Maud’s ring. She said it was an emerald. I hope we never have to leave here. I’m going to say a prayer every night and ask God to let us stay. I’m going to tell you a secret, Emmie. I hardly ever think about Pa or the boys. They’re family, but they didn’t act like a family. Someday when you’re all grown-up, we’ll go back to Virginia so you can see where you were born. This is home now.”
    The little girl laid her head on Nealy’s shoulder. “I love you, Emmie,” Nealy whispered in the little girl’s ear. She was rewarded with a squeezing hug from the toddler. “I hope someday I can hear you say those same words to me.”
    I love you, Mama. Lots and lots. A whole bushel.
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    Nealy stared out the office window at the long row of barns directly in her line of vision. She wished there was a magical way she could get through her chores here in the office so she could go to the barn and work with the horses. While she didn’t hate her duties in the office, she didn’t like them much. She wanted to be with the horses, doing what she did best. She clucked her tongue as she sat back down to complete the morning’s work sheets. She was able to do the payroll now, but while her bookkeeping skills had improved over the past month, they still left much to be desired. She did keep a tidy office though, according to Maud, who popped her head in from time to time to see how things were going. She sighed as she stacked a neat pile of sales slips. Deposits really. They flew out of her hand when the black dog named Molly tried to leap onto her lap. “I couldn’t have asked for a better diversion, Molly,” Nealy giggled. “If I could train you to pick them up and file them, we would be in business. I know, you miss Emmie. So do I. This school is good for her. She’s learning sign language. I have to learn it, too. I’m afraid you’re going to have to get off my lap now so I can tidy up the office, then you can escort me to the barn.”
    The black dog slithered to the floor and lay down, her big head resting on her paws as she waited for Nealy to gather up the sales slips. She didn’t move when strange sounds erupted from the young girl’s mouth, but her ears stood straight up. She did stir when she saw Nealy reach out to the chair she’d been sitting on. When her head dropped between her knees, Molly was on her feet, racing down the hall to the kitchen where Maud was sitting at the kitchen table. She barked once, tugged on Maud’s skirt, and raced back to the office.
    Breathless with the effort it cost her to hurry down the hall to the office, Maud took in the situation at a glance. “Nealy, honey, what’s wrong?”
    Nealy raised her head, her face whiter than the shirt she was