back. That’s what you do, isn’t it? You just take off whenever the mood strikes you?”
“That’s about right. Just so you know, though, I never turn my back on my responsibilities. When I sell a business, I make sure my people are taken careof. I owe them that. Most of them wind up better off than they were before I came.”
“Do you think security is all you owe them? What about explanations, loyalty?”
“The best loyalty comes in the form of a steady paycheck. That’s the beginning and end of what I owe them.”
“You can just cut everyone off like that? You certainly vanished from Palm Lane like a man who didn’t want anyone following. I had the devil’s own time trying to track you down.”
“I believe in making clean breaks and starting fresh.”
“Breaks are never clean, not unless you make it a point to keep a real distance between you and the people around you. I’m not saying my way’s better, but it seems to me that yours is a stupid way to live.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve had a long time to get used to it.”
Marilou shuddered and then was filled with a deep sadness. “I’d never get used to it.”
“Do you have a man waiting for you back in Atlanta?”
“No, no man,” she said to Cal. “Not the way you mean.”
“Friends?”
“A few, though a lot of them have left Atlanta the past couple of years.”
“Then why go back? Start your adventure now, this minute.”
“And do what?”
“Stay here with us. The housekeeping job is yours for as long as you want it. When you’re ready to move on, you can.”
The idea tempted in a way he’d probably never intended. Not that Cal Rivers wasn’t very aware of the impact he’d have on a woman, any woman, but he probably figured he’d warned her adequately about the kind of no-strings man he was.
“How long do you expect to stick around here yourself?” she asked.
“It’s hard to say. Right now it’s all new. I want to make this stud farm one of the best. That takes time. A few good stallions were part of the original deal, but I want more. In some cases that’ll mean buying them as yearlings, training them and giving them time to be tested on the track. I suppose I’d like to have a Kentucky Derby winner just once.”
Marilou was surprised by his level of enthusiasm and apparent commitment to such a long-range plan. “Why did you pick this, anyway? It’s a far cry from the computer business you had in Daytona.”
“You know about that?”
“I discovered it when I was trying to track you down.”
“Maybe you’ve missed your calling. Maybe you ought to be a private eye.”
“In some ways I already am. You still haven’t answered me. Why a stud farm?”
“It looked like fun,” he said with a touch of irony as they took yet another turn around the quarter-mile training track.
“Then you must not have known about these 4:00 a.m. strolls.”
“Maybe I just wanted to get into practice for fatherhood.”
Marilou swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “Are you and Lady Mary planning a large family?”
At that the horse pricked up its ears and turned its head toward Marilou. She nickered softly. Cal chuckled. “I think Lady Mary has her own family plans and they don’t include me.”
Marilou looked from him to the horse and back again. “Lady Mary?”
“Lady Mary,” he confirmed.
She felt laughter bubbling up from deep inside, relieved laughter. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“It was too much fun watching you jump to conclusions.”
Just then Chaney joined them, nodding at Marilou, then looking at the horse. “She doing any better?”
“I think so. She seems to have settled down quite a bit.”
“Want me to take over?”
“Let’s take her back to the barn and see how it goes,” Cal suggested.
“I’ll go back and get breakfast on the table,” Marilou volunteered.
They both shot her a surprised look. Cal nodded. “We’ll be in soon.”
As she walked away, she heard
“That’s about right. Just so you know, though, I never turn my back on my responsibilities. When I sell a business, I make sure my people are taken careof. I owe them that. Most of them wind up better off than they were before I came.”
“Do you think security is all you owe them? What about explanations, loyalty?”
“The best loyalty comes in the form of a steady paycheck. That’s the beginning and end of what I owe them.”
“You can just cut everyone off like that? You certainly vanished from Palm Lane like a man who didn’t want anyone following. I had the devil’s own time trying to track you down.”
“I believe in making clean breaks and starting fresh.”
“Breaks are never clean, not unless you make it a point to keep a real distance between you and the people around you. I’m not saying my way’s better, but it seems to me that yours is a stupid way to live.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve had a long time to get used to it.”
Marilou shuddered and then was filled with a deep sadness. “I’d never get used to it.”
“Do you have a man waiting for you back in Atlanta?”
“No, no man,” she said to Cal. “Not the way you mean.”
“Friends?”
“A few, though a lot of them have left Atlanta the past couple of years.”
“Then why go back? Start your adventure now, this minute.”
“And do what?”
“Stay here with us. The housekeeping job is yours for as long as you want it. When you’re ready to move on, you can.”
The idea tempted in a way he’d probably never intended. Not that Cal Rivers wasn’t very aware of the impact he’d have on a woman, any woman, but he probably figured he’d warned her adequately about the kind of no-strings man he was.
“How long do you expect to stick around here yourself?” she asked.
“It’s hard to say. Right now it’s all new. I want to make this stud farm one of the best. That takes time. A few good stallions were part of the original deal, but I want more. In some cases that’ll mean buying them as yearlings, training them and giving them time to be tested on the track. I suppose I’d like to have a Kentucky Derby winner just once.”
Marilou was surprised by his level of enthusiasm and apparent commitment to such a long-range plan. “Why did you pick this, anyway? It’s a far cry from the computer business you had in Daytona.”
“You know about that?”
“I discovered it when I was trying to track you down.”
“Maybe you’ve missed your calling. Maybe you ought to be a private eye.”
“In some ways I already am. You still haven’t answered me. Why a stud farm?”
“It looked like fun,” he said with a touch of irony as they took yet another turn around the quarter-mile training track.
“Then you must not have known about these 4:00 a.m. strolls.”
“Maybe I just wanted to get into practice for fatherhood.”
Marilou swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “Are you and Lady Mary planning a large family?”
At that the horse pricked up its ears and turned its head toward Marilou. She nickered softly. Cal chuckled. “I think Lady Mary has her own family plans and they don’t include me.”
Marilou looked from him to the horse and back again. “Lady Mary?”
“Lady Mary,” he confirmed.
She felt laughter bubbling up from deep inside, relieved laughter. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“It was too much fun watching you jump to conclusions.”
Just then Chaney joined them, nodding at Marilou, then looking at the horse. “She doing any better?”
“I think so. She seems to have settled down quite a bit.”
“Want me to take over?”
“Let’s take her back to the barn and see how it goes,” Cal suggested.
“I’ll go back and get breakfast on the table,” Marilou volunteered.
They both shot her a surprised look. Cal nodded. “We’ll be in soon.”
As she walked away, she heard
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