Heat Wave (Riders Up) (21 page)

Maggie stood and
screamed encouragement along with her kids and Cassie. Not able to see around
the burly man in front of her, Maggie stood on her seat in time to see the
finish.

No one would catch
Capote’s Dream this day. He continued to stretch his lead, crossing the finish
line six lengths in front of his nearest competitor. Maggie’s ears went
temporarily deaf from her children’s screams and her own. She hugged herself and
then her kids. This couldn’t be happening. But it was. It most definitely was.

“Hurry,” Cassie shouted.
“We have to get to the winner’s circle. Follow me.”

Cassie led them to
the winners circle. After their picture was taken with Dream, Carolyn
protectively carried the yellow and blue Inaugural Stakes blanket in her arms. Johnny
couldn’t stop jumping up and down. And Maggie felt like she could spend a week
in bed without ever waking up.

Maggie stopped at a
betting window to collect her winnings. Ed had asked her to put a hundred on
the horse to win and she’d done likewise with twenty of her own money, which
included five dollars for each of the kids. With the horse going off at three
to one odds, the payoff was simply an added bonus for the day.

While Cassie led
Dream toward the test barn where winners were examined for illegal drug usage, Maggie
and her kids headed back to their seats. She even bought drinks and pretzels
for herself and her children. “This must be the most weird birthday you’ve ever
had, Carolyn.”

“It’s the greatest,”
Carolyn squealed. “I just wish Ed could’ve been here, too.”

“Yeah,” Johnny chimed
in. “He would’ve cheered louder than anybody.”

“I don’t know about
that,” Maggie responded lightly, “but it would have been nice. Maybe someday.”

“Fifteen. And I got
to stand in the winner’s circle. Can you believe it?” Carolyn wiped her hands
on a napkin and then very carefully brushed the Inaugural Blanket. “You know,
when I become a vet, I might specialize in horses.”

“That’s a grand
idea,” Maggie said, “but let’s not rush things. You’re already growing up too
fast.”

“Mother,” Carolyn
scolded, “I want to dream big just like you. Just like Ed. Just like Cassie.”

“I know. I know.”
Maggie reached for her daughter’s hands. “We all grow up. Hopefully, we all
have dreams to chase. And I dearly hope that you and Johnny will reach for and
fulfill your own dreams, whatever they might be.”

Later that evening
the celebration of the day’s victory continued in Maggie’s living room. After
expenses, Maggie would clear about seventy thousand dollars for the day. Her
mind swirled trying to grasp those numbers and their implications. She was used
to eking things out over the course of a year from cash crop to cash crop. She
might be permanently bruised from the number of times she had pinched herself
since the completion of the race. She sobered some, remembering Cassie and Ed’s
cautionary words—
one race does not make for a competitive stable.
But it
would do a lot to assure them they could stay afloat until another growing
season.

In January, the
foaling season would begin. Maggie looked eagerly toward that time. That would
be the best yet. She’d helped many sows give birth beginning when she was
little, but this would be even more special. Ed had shared the awe of foaling
in words, but she wanted to experience it herself. How could any man be so
sensitive about horses and kids as well as being a considerate lover, and not imagine
himself good enough to be a husband and father?

Maggie smiled at
her daughter, who was blushing slightly, apparently searching for words. She
was far too rapidly becoming a young woman.

“This has been the
best birthday ever,” Carolyn finally said. “Thank you everybody for all the
gifts.”

Maggie nodded with
satisfaction. It certainly had been a memorable birthday. She’d given Carolyn cute
dangling earrings and a silver bracelet. A very stout riding croup came from
Cassie, who had leaned over to remind Maggie about the tack shop at Prairie
Meadows. Johnny had given his sister a huge book on horse injuries and diseases.
He’d confessed that Ed had helped him pick it out. Even Brad had sent a funny
card and two videos on training colts. And Ed had probably shocked them all by
presenting her with custom made eastern riding boots. They must have cost a
small fortune. He insisted that every vet ought to have a pair.

Their house hadn’t
witnessed such a celebration for some time. This was the way it ought to be
more often. Tonight everyone and everything was mellow. She liked that very
much.

The next morning as
Cassie prepared to drive back, she exchanged hugs with Maggie and Ed. “Let me
know when you’re ready to come up and look for broodmares. You’re staying with
us, of course.”

“I’m looking
forward to it,” Maggie said.

Ed frowned and
said, “Let Clint know I’ll be calling him soon. Want to talk with him more
about the troubles we’ve been having down here.”

“I’ll do that.” With
furrowed brow, Cassie clasped Maggie’s hand. “I do hope your troubles will end
now that people know you’re serious about keeping your land.” Winking, she
added, “And good luck with the cantankerous one here. His bites are not as bad
as his growl.”

They watched Cassie’s
pickup pull out of the driveway. Ed muttered, “What the hell did she mean by
the cantankerous one?”

“How does she know
about your biting skills, is what I want to know.” Maggie teased.

Ed squirmed. “She
doesn’t know a damn thing about what she’s saying, and neither do you,” he
bellowed, stalking off toward the barn.

Maggie grinned at
the man fleeing her tongue. He wouldn’t go far. She trusted that now. Things
were on the improve all the way around. And she was very happy.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Look at this!” Johnny
shouted, skidding to a halt in the middle of the kitchen.

“Slow down, Johnny,”
his mother urged. “Why so excited? I thought going all the way to the road for
the paper was a big chore for you.”

“Look, Mom. You’re
in the paper. We all are! Front page. Even our picture.”

Maggie grabbed the
paper and moved quickly to the table. Carolyn and Ed, who had been working a
puzzle in the living room, also rushed in to see what the commotion was about.

Leaning over the
table, Maggie gawked at the paper. She read the front page headline aloud: “Local
Girl Scores Big at PM.” With awe and pride, Maggie read the sub-title: “With
Big City Connections, Anderson Stables Races to Inaugural Stakes Victory.”

“Oh, my God,” Maggie
groaned, “if what we were doing here was unknown before last Sunday, it isn’t
anymore.”

“Nice picture,” Ed
said. “You all look real happy.”

“It was fantastic,”
Carolyn responded.

“Yeah, next time
you’ll be there, too,” Johnny declared.

Ed blinked and
nodded at the boy. “We’ll see, pardner.”

Maggie cleared her
throat, and continued reading aloud. “Maggie Anderson, daughter of the late
Colt and Marilyn Magee, owner of Anderson Racing Stables, pulled off a major
coup in her first entry at Prairie Meadows. Capote’s Dream, a four year old,
won the $150,000 Inaugural Stakes running away from the field.

“Turns out, surprising
to most folks around here, Anderson has been racing a number of horses in the
Chicago area with Cassie Travers, a trainer well known throughout the Midwest. Capote’s
Dream was shipped in special for this high stakes race, like so many of his
challengers. A purse of $150,000 attracts horse people from all over the
country.

“Folks locally are
abuzz about their new found heroine and her future plans. Is this a rags to
riches story, or what?

“Mrs. Anderson is
not without help. Mr. Ed Harrington, a former horse trainer from the Chicago
area, is reportedly helping her set up a first-class racing stable and handling
her younger horses and broodmares. While Harrington is banned from entering any
horse track because of being implicated in a betting scandal in Chicago, his
expertise no doubt is providing the foundation for Anderson Racing Stables.

“A graduate of
Beaverhill High School, Mrs. Anderson is the mother of two children: Carolyn,
15 and Johnny, 10. Her late husband, Mason Anderson, died tragically of cancer
two years ago. Mrs. Anderson has been active in the Crossroads Community Church
and in a number of organizations here in town. Sources tell us that her level
of participation has fallen off of late, probably due to her working with Mr.
Harrington and her horses.”

Maggie slapped the
newspaper down on the table. “
Her level of participation has fallen off of
late.
Now is that catty or what? Sounds like Mrs. McPherson. And is
working
with Mr. Harrington and the horses
sexual innuendo?”

“Mom, what’s sexual
innuuu…whatever?” Johnny asked.

Maggie blanched at
the look of wonder on his face. How could she explain this one? “Ah, that will
become clearer as you get older.” Sometimes you just had to duck.

“Great, Mom. Must
be pretty bad, or you’d explain it.”

Pulling out a chair
to sit, Ed said, “It’s not that it’s so bad, as that someone is trying to diss
your mother some. But I expect we can handle it.” Then he grinned at Maggie, “Don’t
know whether that was what was meant. But the headline is a mite suggestive:
Local
Girl Scores Big At PM
.”

“Damn, didn’t even
notice that one.”

“Mom, you’re slow,”
Carolyn chided. “Wow, this is going to be all over school. You’re a celebrity.
We’re
celebrities.”

“You don’t mind the
sexual overtone?”

Carolyn gave her a
simpering smile. “Just makes you more glamorous. Since when do Magees and
Andersons care about what other people think?” she squared her shoulders.

Maggie didn’t
correct her daughter, but there were some Andersons in the area who cared a lot
about what others thought. There was no reason, however, to widen the gulf
between her in-laws and her children. Mason’s parents wanted to stay involved
with their grandchildren, but couldn’t understand why Maggie wasn’t trying to
disabuse her daughter of becoming a veterinarian. That was a dirty job for a
man and ill suited for a lady. And how could she allow Carolyn to wear four
metal studs in her ear? That had to be unhealthy and too provocative. And
Johnny, being small for his age, never quite performed in sports as well as his
grandparents hoped. Both children had shared their disappointment and the
pressure they felt to be perfect like their dad was remembered to be.

She’d loved him,
and she knew he was never as perfect as his folks thought. He’d been in her
pants from the time they were seniors. She expected his parents would have
regarded that behavior as slightly flawed, but would have explained it away
easily as Maggie leading their son astray.

That was history. She
had the present to deal with. Looking at each individual standing around the
table, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Okay. Guess
there’s no need to pretend anymore about our plans for the farm. Each of you
can talk openly about what we’re doing with the stables. If Con-Ex Farms or whoever
wants to get their back up about it, so be it. We’re ready to fight. There is
no place to retreat to now.”

“That a girl.” Ed
grinned broadly. His pride and his willingness to join the fight were obvious
to Maggie.

 Resting her head
against his chest, Maggie wondered if he was aware of what he was doing. Then
their hug was joined by Carolyn and Johnny, laughing and hurrahing. Could life
be better than this? It was a family hug. They were prepared to stand by each
other.

- o -

Staring out the
loft window toward the house in mid October, Ed could only guess at what she
was plotting now. Maggie Anderson was full of surprises. Even after pledging
not to seduce him again, she constantly made it clear in small ways that she
wanted him. It might be the crook of her smile. The gleam in her eyes. The way
she arched her body. The sultry voice daring him to react. Or the way the woman
embraced life. Seldom was she depressed. He’d never been around anyone so
hopeful and determined.

No matter what she
said, she hadn’t given up on him—or on them.

That pleased him
immensely, and it made him break out in a cold sweat. Her boldness sometimes
lit him up like a Christmas tree. Tension snaked across his lower back. He
wanted her, pure and simple. He missed her touch, her smell, her taste. Somewhere
along the line he was either going to have to leave for good or find a way of
being with her, totally. Thinking of life without Maggie and her kids made him
cringe.

He placed his
forehead against the window. The cool glass pane provided welcome relief. A strong
wind blew about the brown, red and yellow leaves from oaks, maples and aspens. The
seasons were changing. The heat of the summer was finally gone, replaced by
cool crisp mornings. It wouldn’t be long until winter would arrive with its
brashness.

They were ready for
it. Most of the horses would winter all right, with access to one end of the
barn or to other outbuildings. He’d just finished constructing stalls for the
broodmares. That was a task requiring much care and patience. Those stalls were
larger than the average stall and there could be no tiny protruding objects
that might hurt a new born foal. Within the next week or two they would go to
Chicago to purchase Maggie’s broodmares. He was eager to bring back Midnight Dancer.
Every time he thought of that mare, his pulse quickened.

Foaling season
would begin in late winter and early spring. He smiled, anticipating the family’s
reactions to the arrival of babies. They hadn’t seen anything yet.

Ed pressed his
palms against the window. He was weary from running—from Maggie, and from
himself.

He broke into a
sweat. Why did he have to run? There was no way he could leave these people. They’d
become his family, as important to him as breathing. Equally impossible would
be staying and watching Maggie with another man. His skin crawled at the
thought of anyone else running fingers over her body. He still believed Maggie
deserved much better, but he guessed she was too stubborn to change her mind.

Stepping back from
the window, Ed grinned, satisfied. If he and Maggie were ever going to be a
real couple, then they were going to go about it his way. There would be room
for romance. The Harvest Festival was the following Saturday, and he planned on
having a date for it.
Maggie, what will you do when it’s my turn to pursue?

- o -

“I can hardly
believe it, Mom,” Carolyn giggled, standing next to her mother in the bathroom and
fluffing her long blonde hair over and over. “A real date. I’m so nervous.”

“We’ve talked a lot
about boys,” Maggie began. She watched her daughter roll her eyes toward the
ceiling.

“Please, Mother. Not
tonight.”

“Oh, okay.” Maggie
placed an arm around Carolyn’s shoulders. “I’m sure we haven’t left anything
out. You’re a responsible young woman, and I hope you have lots of fun. Running
gloss across her lips, she mumbled, “When is your date supposed to pick you up?”

“Seven o’clock, but
Bobbie Humphries was probably late for his own birth. No one in that family is
ever on time.” Carolyn threw her mom a pained look and then smiled. “But he is
the best wide receiver on the football team. And he chose me!”

As Maggie added a
touch of eyeliner to herself, she smiled at her delighted daughter. Her own
memory was not so poor that she couldn’t remember her first date—a mixture of
pure excitement and nagging fear.

“How about your
date, Mom? When is Ed picking you up?”

Maggie saw color
rise on her cheeks as she continued to examine herself in the mirror. She wasn’t
used to dating, and she certainly was not used to imagining herself on a date
going to the same dance as her daughter. But such was the way things were in a
small community. It would be okay. She didn’t know which would be worse: trying
not to pay too much attention to her daughter and Bobbie, or trying to ignore
the stares and comments of her neighbors when they saw her being escorted by Ed
Harrington.

He had surprised
her—no, shocked her. He’d hung around after breakfast one morning hemming and
hawing until he finally blurted out, “I’d like it if you’d go with me to the
Fall Festival Dance Saturday night.”

Well, she’d
expected that she would be taking him along. After all, it was a good
opportunity for him to meet people. But he clearly intended on making something
more of it than the two of them being at the same place at the same time and
sharing the same vehicle for transportation.

Ed had left no
doubt in her mind—he’d said he was asking her for a date. Smiling, she
remembered actually blushing before saying yes. “Good,” was his ecstatic
response. Then he’d strolled out the door to the barn as if nothing important
had transpired.

And then the next
morning a bouquet of yellow and red tulips greeted her on the dining room
table. The card read: “Looking forward to Saturday night.”

He’d warned her
that it was time for some romance in her life, and he was certainly delivering.

Flattered by his
renewed attention, Maggie wondered if this meant that he was preparing to
commit to her or whether he was simply physically well enough now to have some
fun. Having a good time was okay with her, but they would be carrying on this
romantic intrigue publicly, on her turf.

While he might
choose to walk away if things didn’t work out, she couldn’t. What would folks
say if she was jilted by the drifting horse trainer, about whom many thought
the worst?
That Maggie Magee finally got burned
, Mrs. McPherson would
snipe with her nose turned up.
That’s what happens to moths when they get
too close to a flame, and that’s what happens to wayward women.

“Mom, I asked when
Ed would pick you up?”

Maggie gave her
daughter a blank look. “Oh, I’m sorry. Around seven thirty. We won’t go until
we’re sure you’re on your way okay. And be home by midnight.”

“Yes, Mom. How
about you?” she teased, sticking her tongue out.

“Carolyn!”

“I know. Just
wanted to make sure you were still listening. I’ve got to go put on my dress.”

Maggie shook her
head. Carolyn sure had a free spirit. Even give the anxiety of a first date,
she remained confident and eager. Sighing at her own reflection in the mirror,
Maggie wished
she
could be so carefree and confident.

Did he plan on them
making love? Would he take her to the loft? Should she invite him to her
bedroom?