My Dearest Cal & a Texas Rescue Christmas by Sherryl Woods

Author:Sherryl Woods
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Epilogue

First Saturday in May,

Three Years Later

It was not yet dawn when Cal pulled into the stable area at Churchill Downs. Mist still hovered in the air, creating an eerie ambiance. There was something almost mystical about this time of day at any backstretch in the country, but on the day of the Kentucky Derby an indefinable stir of excitement was added. Even the horses seemed aware of it, their ears pricked, their prancing steps livelier. The stable boys and grooms moved just a little faster to complete their chores. The hot walkers and exercise riders talked odds. The trainers definitely paced more nervously. Only the owners, most of them far more jaded than Cal, were still sound asleep in their fancy Louisville hotel suites, recovering from the previous night’s Derby festivities.

Cal hadn’t slept a wink. Neither had Marilou. They had passed the night making love, making promises, perhaps even making the baby that would be the start of their family. It was barely four thirty when Cal rolled out of bed and headed for the shower. Marilou had joined him, but for once they were too excited about the rest of the day to lose track of time in each other’s arms yet again.

In denims and boots, they left the car and went to the stall where Dawn’s Magic was dining on a special blend of grains in lieu of her normal early-morning workout. The filly whinnied when she saw Marilou, bobbing her head until Marilou held out a hand filled with chunks of carrot, her favorite treat.

“You are spoiling that horse outrageously,” Cal said.

“How do you know these carrots don’t provide the precise incentive she needs to win these big races? Are you willing to tamper with a successful formula?”

“I know I’m not,” Reeve Bennett said, joining them. The trainer had been hired by Chaney and Cal after an illustrious career in California. Dawn’s Magic was their first Triple Crown contender, though by no means the first major stakes horse Cal had bred. “Morning, you two. Couldn’t you sleep?”

“You have to be kidding,” Marilou said. “I didn’t want to miss a second of this.”

“Which reminds me,” Cal said. “I have something in the car for you.” He returned in minutes with a large package tied with a big red bow. Dawn’s Magic seemed to feel the ribbon was for her. She kept stretching her long neck in an attempt to nab it.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Marilou said with a chuckle. “This is my treat. You’ve already had yours.” She tugged the ribbons loose and opened the box. Nestled amid the foam chips and tissue paper was a new camera, a top-of-the-line professional model. Her gaze rose to meet Cal’s. Again she caught that wavering uncertainty that came far less frequently now.

“I called all over the place to find out the best model. If it’s not what you want, you can trade it in.”

“It’s wonderful,” she reassured him. “Thank you.”

“I thought today might be a good day for you to finally begin that career you’ve put off.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.