Magic Man Page 5

  We had to hustle. Ivy, over her vigorous objections, was going to a lady’s house in town. Lucy Jackson would babysit her for the next two weeks. After that, Ivy would attend an art camp at the local library for a week, and then it would be time for her to start school.

  I drove into town and let GPS lead me to Lucy’s house. Lucy was married to a local policeman and had come highly recommended. I decided this was a good time to remind Ivy of that fact.

  “Ivy, Ms. Lucy doesn’t usually babysit, but when she heard you needed a sitter for a short-term gig, she volunteered to take the job. I checked her out, and she seems like a great person.” I looked in the mirror at my sulking daughter.

  “I can stay by myself. I don’t need a babysitter anymore.” Ivy fidgeted with the seatbelt and glared at me.

  “You are only nine. You still need a sitter. I’m playing the mom card on this one, kid, so give it up. It’s a done deal.” I spoke with a firmness I didn’t usually need to use with my child, but we just weren’t going to see eye to eye on this subject.

  “I hope when we get to her house, it’s painted all black, and the windows are boarded up. There’s probably a murder van in the driveway, and a mean dog is sticking his head through a broken board in the fence.” Ivy was not giving up.

  “That’s very descriptive. And a murder van? What the heck?” I looked back in the mirror again.

  Ivy cracked a smile, despite her irritation with me. “You know, a white van with no windows. One used for kidnapping little girls so they can be tied up in a basement.”

  I paused. What had she been watching on TV, anyway? I was spared from answering because the GPS announced we had arrived at our destination.

  The house was painted a sunny yellow, and flowers bloomed in the front yard. No van was in sight, but there was a dog. A fluffy, chocolate brown lab stood at the front door, nose pressed to the glass storm door as if she was waiting on us.

  I relaxed. This was going to work out. I just knew it. “Look, Ivy, there’s your mean dog.”

  Laughing, I parked, and we got out of the car. I knocked on the front door, and a bubbly blonde opened it immediately. She was wearing white linen shorts and a pink tank top and managed to look cool despite the heat.

  “Come in! Don’t mind the mess. Pearl has just been playing with her toys.” She waved us into the well-kept living room.

  “I’m Lucy, and you must be Millie and Ivy, right?” Lucy held out a hand, and I shook it, feeling at ease.

  Ivy smiled, polite despite her irritation with having to go to a babysitter’s. That’s home training right there, and I was proud of her for playing nice even though she didn’t want to be there.

  “Ivy, this is my dog, Pearl. She needs a friend to play with so badly. I found out I’m having a baby and going out into the heat seems to make my morning sickness worse. I’m hoping you will want to throw the ball for her in the backyard later. What do you think?” Lucy paused for breath and seemed genuinely interested in Ivy’s answer.

  Ivy grinned more naturally this time. “Sure! I like dogs. I’m hoping to get a dog of my own one day.”

  “Well, this will be good training for you then. And you will be doing me a big favor.” Lucy smiled.

  “Thank you, Lucy, for agreeing to keep Ivy for a while. You are really helping me out of a bind, being new to town and all.” I sat down on the couch and rubbed Pearl’s head as I spoke.

  “No problem! I’m glad to have company. My husband, Grayson, had to go to Jackson for training, and I’m going to be lonely here all by myself. I’m stoked to have Ivy visit each day.” Lucy turned to Ivy and engaged her in more conversation.

  What a relief. I could go to work and concentrate on impressing my employer and not worry about Ivy. Lucy wasn’t even charging that much. I probably should tip her or give her a gift card or something to show my appreciation, if this went well.

  We all chatted for a few more minutes, and then I glanced at the time on my phone. I stood. “I’ve got to run, Ivy, but I’ll be back to get you this afternoon.”

  Ivy waved goodbye, her attention already stolen by the beautiful dog.

  Lucy walked me to the door. “Don’t worry about a thing. We will have a good day, and so will you, on your new job.”

  I smiled my thanks and headed back to my car.

  Time to go to work.

  As I cranked the car, I sent up a quick prayer. Please, God, let Ivy have a great day. And please let me get through my first day of work without embarrassing myself in front of Maxwell.

  Amen.

  Eight

  I arrived back at the barn with a few minutes to spare. I took advantage of the extra time to check out the interior of the main barn, wandering from stall to stall. There was the highest quality feed on hand, and I could see the remnants of alfalfa hay hanging from a hay net in several of the stalls. The Randolphs took good care of their horses.

  One stall was occupied. Curious to see one of the horses up close, I stood outside the barred window and peered inside. A beautiful, creamy ivory mare was inside. I smelled the sweet aroma of alfalfa hay, and she munched on a cup of oats while I watched.

  I loved the serenity horses brought to any scene. This mare continued eating while I stood there, but she rolled one big brown eye in my direction, and after she finished her snack, she lifted her head to muzzle my hand through the bars. I laughed aloud and scratched her ears, and it was almost as if she smiled at me in return.

  “She likes you.” A deep, commanding voice spoke to me from right behind me, making me jump in fright.

  I spun around. “Maxwell! You startled me.”

  “Good morning. I thought we were going to meet in the office?” He lifted an eyebrow in inquiry, but he didn’t seem upset.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry. I was a bit early, so I thought I would take a look around, and I discovered this lady. I’m afraid I got distracted.” I stepped back from my new boss, but I quickly glanced at his attire for the day.

  Last night in my fantasy he had worn a custom-made suit, similar to the one he wore yesterday when I met him for the first time. Today he was in a t-shirt and jeans, but he was no less devastatingly attractive.

  I swallowed.

  Maxwell’s eyes watched my throat work, and he ran his hand over his scruff-covered jaw.

  Oh, my. That was also a featured moment in last night’s fantasy.

  Get a hold of yourself, Millie. Get it together right now.

  Maxwell cleared his throat. “It’s not a problem. This is as good as place as any to start, I guess.”

  For a split second, I thought about how I needed to confront him about the vibrator, but now that the moment had arrived, the words stuck in my throat.

  Maxwell didn’t notice my struggle at all. He turned toward the lovely mare. “This is Champagne. She is our newest acquisition. Mrs. Randolph wants to ride her, but the mare is quite rough when ridden. Gentle as a lamb in the paddock or stall, doesn’t mind being saddled, but does everything but buck when mounted.”

  “Has a vet checked her out?” I gave the horse my full attention and tried to put my growing attraction to Maxwell to the back of my mind.

  “She was cleared by a vet before the Randolphs purchased her, of course. The vet was a trusted third party, and he said she seemed fine. We haven’t called the local vet out yet, but we don’t see anything obviously wrong with her.” Maxwell raised that sexy eyebrow again as he regarded me. “You have something in mind already?”

  “Yes. She’s sore somewhere. I assume she was being ridden regularly before her purchase?” At my questioning look, Maxwell nodded.

  “I’m going to take your word for it that the vet can be trusted and say she might have been injured in transport or shortly after her arrival here.” I eased the stall door open. “Usually I would say her back is troubling her, but if she doesn’t mind the saddle, that’s probably not it. I’m guessing a small bruise on a hoof. Not bad enough to make her limp, but add the weight of a rider, and it
’s enough to hurt her.”

  I stepped into the stall and stroked the horse again, wanting to gain her trust before getting too close. The stall was large and comfortable, but any horse could become a danger if I got pushed up against a wall with nowhere to escape.

  After a moment, I ran my hand down her leg and lifted the hoof. With perfect manners, she allowed me to inspect the hoof. I could see no apparent problem, so I switched to the next leg. Here, I found it.

  “Look, Maxwell. She has a cut on the frog of her foot.” I pointed with my thumb at the small cut. “It’s not very big, but look at how it’s swelling.”

  Maxwell crowded in and took a look for himself. “I didn’t catch that. What do you suggest?”

  “The usual. I can clean it out in no time at all, and then I will apply a little ointment a few times a day. We will keep her confined to the stall for a few days, and then give her limited time in the pasture once the swelling decreases.” I looked up at Maxwell with a smile on my face, glad I had found the problem so quickly. “This is a minor boo-boo, but it’s in just the wrong place. If she had been ridden, it would have gotten worse. She was trying to let you know what the problem was, and it sounds like she did that with good manners and grace.”

  Maxwell nodded. “Yes, we are glad she did not buck Darby off.”

  “Right. We will give Champagne some TLC, and she will be perfect in a few days.” I dropped her hoof with care and patted her shoulder. “Where are your first aid supplies? I’d like to clean this out as soon as possible if that’s okay with you?”

  He showed me where the supplies were kept and then watched as I administered to the horse. It took only a few minutes, and I was done.

  Maxwell slipped Champagne a small molasses treat as a reward, and we stepped out of the stall together.

  “I’m impressed, Millicent. You caught what no one else did.” Maxwell leaned one hand against the outer stall wall to brace himself as he talked to me.

  He was so close I could smell that clean, woodsy aftershave again. I thought of Ivy’s tadpole comment and smiled.

  “Nonsense. If you had the vet come out, he would have noticed it at once. It’s a very common problem.” I brushed off the compliment, but I was pleased. I wanted to be needed on my new job.

  “We are all good riders here at Peacock Alley, but that doesn’t mean we are smart about horses. Having you here means maybe we won’t have to call the vet every time we have a hiccup.” Maxwell leaned closer to me, and my heart rate increased.

  “I’m glad I can be of service,” I spoke in a low tone, distracted by his nearness.

  Maxwell’s eyes darkened at my innocent choice of words. Then he shook himself. “Come. Let me give you the tour of the facilities.”

  And with that Maxwell led me around the barn. For the next hour, he showed me each stall, the tack room, and where all the feed was stored. I visited the small office, and he gave me the wifi password. I took note of the new laptop and printer sitting on the desk with appreciation. Sometimes even the most experienced horse person still needed to Google some topic.

  This was the perfect setup for horses and the people who ride them.

  We walked down the aisle further, and he pointed out the fly control system. “We use an aerosol spray, but Darby is concerned about our overusing pesticides. What do you think?”

  Glad he was seeking my opinion, I weighed in. “Using the spray is certainly an acceptable method of fly control, but next spring we might want to try predator flies. You sprinkle this powdery substance on manure near the barns every month, and small flies will be hatched. These flies don’t bite, but they kill the horse flies. Problem solved using nature, not chemicals.”

  Maxwell nodded. “I’ve heard a little about that. We have to wait until spring?”

  “No, we can go ahead and order them and use them for the remaining warm months, but we will get the best results next year. They need to be used in early spring to really get a handle on the fly problem.” I walked side by side with Maxwell, and he stopped in front of a grooming station.

  “Do you have a vendor you recommend?” He opened the door to the grooming area, and I stepped inside.

  “Sure. I know of a few good places to order them from.” I looked to Maxwell for approval, and he nodded.

  “We will sit down at the computer later and make an order.” He waved a hand to indicate the grooming station. “This is a wash stall. It’s one of two such stalls in this barn.”

  I took note of the automated shampoo dispensers and the drains in the floor. This was a great setup. “Do you have hot water hookups in here, too?”

  “Yes. And the barn is heated in the winter so we can groom year round.” Maxwell held open the stall door for me again, and I stepped out.

  Soon he was showing me the large riding arena. It was huge in scale and even had bleachers. The Randolphs could hold events for the public if they chose to, and there were also three covered round pens to help with training.

  “What kind of riding are they into?” I leaned against a paddock fence and waited for an answer. I wasn’t an expert on any particular discipline. I was more of an all-around horse trainer, accustomed to dealing with problem behavior and general care of the horses.

  “Nothing special. They really like trail riding and not much else. The Randolphs wanted you here to oversee the care of the barns and the horses. You will let us know when the vet needs to be called, and you will make sure the barns are kept clean, and the paddocks are trimmed regularly. That kind of thing.” Maxwell smiled at me, and I felt that smile all through my body. “You’ll tell me when feed or hay is needed to be ordered. We have a crew that will do the heavy lifting, the actual grass cutting, and they also clean the stalls. But it’s your job to make sure they do it all correctly. If there’s a problem, you’ll let me know.”

  He waited for me to nod, and then added, “And of course, any time a horse needs fine-tuning, that’s your job, along with rationing out the daily feeds.” Maxwell fished a paper out of his back pocket and handed it to me.

  It contained a list of each horse and when they ate and how much. “I need you to look over this and let me know if you think we need to make any adjustments to our schedule. Then we will expect you to follow the schedule and keep them all fed.”

  I nodded again. This was precisely what I had expected from my new job.

  “If Nathan or Darby want to go riding, they might saddle their mounts themselves, or they might call down to the barns and ask you to do it for them.” Maxwell handed me a mobile phone. “This is the number they will call, so keep it on you at all times. Also, we will expect you to ride each horse regularly to make sure it is getting enough exercise, and that it is staying trained to our satisfaction.”

  I took the phone and slid it into my pocket. “Of course. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

  “Just remember. Safety first, always. Nathan is a stickler for Darby’s safety. He needs to know the horses are well-maintained, so his wife is safe when she's riding. He will be pleased that you figured out the problem with Champagne so quickly. That’s impressive, Millicent.” Maxwell gave me a rare smile.

  I warmed all over. I was more accustomed to him being gruff or smirking at me.

  I liked his smile.

  I liked Maxwell.

  Oh, boy.

  Nine

  I spent the day getting to know each horse. I rode each one and assessed them with care and attention to detail. I wanted to be familiar with every inch of their bodies and their personalities, so I would be alert to any changes that would signify a problem. I made detailed notes so I could refer back to them later.

  Gandolph was a large, dark gray gelding who needed to learn to stop jerking his head when he was being ridden. Gingersnap was a pretty mare who wanted to graze during trail riding. That was a no-no, and we would work on that together. I spent hours assessing the animals and getting to know them.

  Several times I looked up and caught Maxwell
watching from a distance. I didn’t know if he approved or not of how I was spending my time, because he never approached. He just watched.

  Despite the busyness of my day and the sometimes hard physical work involved, made even more difficult thanks to the blazing heat, each time I realized Maxwell was watching me, my heart pounded, and I wished he would come over and talk to me.

  I had it bad, and this crush was not good.

  I reminded myself over and over that Maxwell was my boss, and I needed this job. It didn’t help. I had no problem concentrating on my job, but Maxwell still managed to creep into my thoughts way too frequently for comfort.

  Sighing, I forced my mind to return to the task at hand. I used note cards to create a file for each animal in my care. I took note of their weights and their dietary needs, and I also listed training goals for each one. They were beautiful horses, and working with them was going to be a pleasure. I reminded myself again how lucky I was to have this job.

  Towards the end of the day, I leaned against the white fencing near the duck pond in back of the main barn. I was pleased with what I had accomplished on my first day, and I made a mental list of what I wanted to achieve tomorrow. Today had been all about learning the horses, but tomorrow I wanted to meet the staff and get more familiar with their day-to-day work in the stalls and keeping the grounds. Whatever related to these horses, I wanted to become an expert on.

  A slight breeze picked up. I eyed dark, rolling clouds that were beginning to build in the West, and I knew a strong storm was coming. I probably should get moving and pick up Ivy before it broke.

  “You did a good job today.” A deep voice broke into my reverie and startled me.

  Turning, I found myself face to face with Maxwell, and I cursed the pounding of my heart. What, was I twelve with my first crush on a boy?

  Unbidden, my thoughts turned to Billy and that darkened classroom so long ago. I knew it wasn’t rational to think a crush on a boy would lead to violence and terror, but I didn’t need to have a doctorate in psychology to recognize that I had a little PTSD from that experience.