The Door at the Top of the Stairs (17 page)

The two women half-walked, half-carried Jesse into the house.

Morgan grabbed on a little tighter. “I've got her—can you get her some clean clothes?"

Ryland ducked out from under Jesse's arm as Morgan dragged her to the bathroom. She dropped her into the shower stall, clothes and all. Jesse tried to roll onto her hands and knees to stand, but Morgan pushed her down onto her back, grabbed the hand-held shower head and turned on the cold water. She held the water on Jesse's head, then moved it down to clean the rest of her body.

Jesse struggled to get out, but she was so drunk the only thing she accomplished was to get Morgan totally soaked. She managed to gag out, “Tha’s fuckin' freezin'! Lemme go!"

Morgan flipped her over to spray the dirt off her back. “I wish I could add huge chunks of ice to it if it'd make you more miserable."

Ryland came in and laughed. “Morgan."

Morgan reached over and turned off the water. "Help me get her out of these and into something dry." When they had her dry and dressed, they half-carried her into the guest bedroom and dropped her into the bed. Morgan threw the cover over her. “You'd better sleep well the next two hours, because four-thirty is gonna roll around awful early and I'll be damned if I'll feed for you because you went out and got yourself shit faced."

Jesse had already passed out and didn't hear a word she said.

Morgan changed into dry pajamas and turned on her alarm. She didn't normally need it but this time she wanted to make absolutely sure she was awake to pull Jesse out of bed at a god-awful hour.

Chapter Seventeen

Four-thirty arrived way too early even for Morgan. The button on the alarm clock had broken off, and she struggled to silence it before she rolled out of bed and got dressed. She stumbled into the guest room and pulled the covers off Jesse. "Get up. You've got work to do."

Jesse opened one bleary eye, then rolled over to go back to sleep.

Morgan grabbed an arm and a leg and pulled her off the bed.

"I said, get up. The horses need to be fed."

Jesse sat up and leaned against the box springs, still drunk and not really sure where she was. Trying to focus brought on waves of nausea and she rolled over onto her stomach.

Morgan pulled her up by the back of her pajama top. "You throw up in my house and I'll make you sorry you were ever born."

She propelled her out onto the porch and down the path to the barn.

When they reached the apartment, Morgan unlocked the door and propped her up just inside. "You have five minutes to get dressed and have your butt out here ready for work." She stepped out, pulling the door shut behind her.

A truck drove by, and she went out to talk to Cody and Rico who were just arriving to feed the hounds. Both men got out of the truck and came over to say good morning. Cody's eyes were red and his hair shot out at different angles from his head. "Good Morning, Ms. Davis." He scratched his head. “Sometimes four-thirty comes way too early for a decent night's sleep."

"I hope it's a good morning. Would you get the first year hounds ready as quickly as possible? The hunt staff will be here at six-thirty to walk them out." She turned and started back to the barn.

"Yes Ma'am, we'll make sure to check them first so they're ready for you."

Morgan had her back to Cody, and she allowed her disgust to show where he couldn't see it. She hated brownnosers, and he was the worst of the worst. She faced the two men again. “I didn't mean to ignore you, Rico. Good morning."

"Buenos días, Señora. Beautiful day."

Morgan wondered just how beautiful a day they were in for as she stepped into the barn and saw Jesse sitting in the middle of the aisle struggling to pull on her boots. Morgan rubbed her eyes and walked over just as Jesse's hands slipped off the top of the boot.

She went down onto her back and lay there blinking up at her boss.

She struggled back into a sitting position and tried to grab her boot again. Every time she reached forward, the boot moved just out of reach.

"Oh, for Christ’s sake." Morgan grabbed the boot and pulled it on. She snatched the other boot from Jesse's hands, jammed it onto the other foot, jerked Jesse to her feet and shoved her toward the hay.

Jesse walked unsteadily forward, raising her hand in thanks to Morgan as she went. Morgan pulled up a stool next to the work table and watched to make sure Jesse didn't accidentally poison a horse or overfeed.

It took over an hour, but Jesse finished the feeding and stood in front of Morgan, swaying slightly. Morgan headed for the door.

“Let's go, I need to get some food into you before the hunt staff gets here. We're walking out the young ones this morning and I'm taking you with us."

Jesse groaned and followed Morgan up the path to the house.

She was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to keep any food down, but her head was clearing enough to know now would not be a good time to argue. They walked into the kitchen and Morgan poured Jesse a bowl of cereal and set it in front of her. "Eat."

Jesse looked at the food and closed her eyes to keep from being sick.

Morgan leaned over the table. “Do
not
...throw
up
...in my house!"

Jesse pushed away from the table and barely made it to the back porch before the rest of the beer and whiskey came sailing out. The hose was coiled next to the porch, and she turned it on to rinse out her mouth before raising it above her head and letting the water stream down through her hair. The water cascaded off in tiny rivulets, flowing down onto the porch and into the back yard, where it pooled next to the steps. She turned the water off and sat on the back step, thoroughly sick and sure she'd never eat a bowl of cereal again. The porch became her refuge as she lay back to wait for Morgan to finish eating.

After a short while, Morgan stuck her head out the back door.

“They're here. Let's go." She didn't wait to see whether Jesse followed. The hunt staff needed to be briefed about the morning's training, so she left her to find her way to the kennels on her own.

Jesse followed at a slower pace, stumbling down the path and pausing every few steps to take her bearings. When she finally arrived, the hunt staff was breaking up after listening to Morgan's instructions. Rico brought the hounds from the kennels just as Jesse walked around the corner of the barn. Excitement made the hounds giddy as they circled Morgan, vying for her attention. They were a beautiful mixture of whites and browns, some with brown spots, some white with brown speckles, some all brown and some all white. As Jesse approached the kennels, Cody walked past her on his way to get some water from the barn. “Good Morning, Jesse. Are you helping out today?"

Realization gradually made its way from the depths of Jesse's brain to full consciousness. Turning slowly, she watched as Cody stepped around her and smiled. There was a good-sized stick on the ground near her feet. She reached down and grabbed it, then swung it like a baseball bat toward Cody's head.

Morgan listened as Cody greeted Jesse. She recognized the thinly disguised taunting in his voice, and realized, almost too late, what Jesse was about to do. She lunged just as Jesse swung the club toward Cody's head, hooked Jesse under the arms and swung her around and away from her target. She grabbed the club out of Jesse's hands and threw it out into the horse pasture.

Jesse landed hard on her ass and started to get up to go after Cody again.

Morgan knelt and pushed her back down. She spoke quietly so that only Jesse could hear. “I told you I'd take care of him, not you."

Jesse met Morgan's eyes. "When?"

Understanding dawned, and Morgan put her hand on Jesse's arm. “Cody was one of men last night, wasn't he?"

Jesse didn't answer, and Morgan nodded. “Soon, I promise."

She stood and held out her hand. When Jesse took it, she pulled her to her feet and steadied her. "Cody, get that water, then you take the right point position." As he nodded and went into the barn, Morgan put her arm around Jesse's shoulders and directed her to the left. “You stay with me."

Her inhibitions dulled by alcohol, Jesse leaned into Morgan. “I hate him, Morgan. I wish you'd just fire him. What are you waiting for?"

"He won't get away with it, Jess. I promise. Just trust me, okay?" Morgan let go and began orchestrating the training, making sure she kept Jesse in her peripheral vision. All she needed was Cody in the hospital with a bashed-in head and Jesse in jail for putting him there.

They worked with the hounds for nearly two hours, Morgan barking orders and the staff hustling to obey. Jesse walked behind everyone, working off the alcohol and drilling hatred into the back of Cody's head. The tired hounds wiggled with pleasure when Morgan praised them before leading them back to the kennels.

Once they finished sorting the hounds into their proper enclosures, it would be time for the morning exercise ride. Jesse left the commotion of the kennels and went into the barn to saddle three horses. Her stomach still hadn't settled, and the thought of cantering and jumping over logs made her even more sick than she'd been earlier in the day. Her face felt clammy as she stepped through the door and found Ryland brushing Rebel, the sorrel gelding whose claim to fame was nipping people if given the chance.

"Good Morning, Jesse. Feeling better?"

Jesse shook her head and lifted Cabo's halter off its hook.

Cabo's stall was at the end of the aisle, and he stood with his beautiful white head over his gate, hoping he'd be the one picked today. Jesse rubbed his nose and slipped on the halter. He followed her excitedly down the aisle, ears forward, a light prance to his step.

Ryland saddled Rebel, then took the brush from Jesse to start working on Cabo. "Why don’t you go get Smokey so we can be sure to have everyone saddled by the time Morgan's ready to go?"

"Smokey?" He was Jesse's favorite, a stocky black quarter horse with endless stamina who could turn on a dime.

Unfortunately, he also had the bumpiest trot and canter of all ten horses.

Ryland nodded sympathetically as the green tint intensified on Jesse's face, and she tried to hide her amusement from the younger woman. “Morgan said she wanted Cabo, Rebel and Smokey today.

Sorry, Kiddo."

Jesse swallowed hard and took Smokey's halter from Ryland.

“She's decided it'd just be easier to kill me than cure me."

Ryland chuckled under her breath, “Boy, have you got that right."

They had all three horses ready when Morgan finished with the hounds and came into the barn. After she hugged Ryland, she took Rebel's reins and growled low in her throat when he tried to nip her shoulder. He raised his head in innocence, peering down at her out of the corner of his eye. "Today would not be the day to mess with me, young man." She reached up and smoothed his black forelock, then motioned for Jesse to take Smokey and for Ryland to get Cabo.

They rode out into the pastures, slowly warming the horses before beginning to canter and jump. It took exactly thirty seconds of trotting before Jesse reined Smokey to a stop and puked.

Morgan pinched the bridge of her nose, her shoulders bouncing as she laughed.

Ryland shook her head and hid a smile of her own. “You are pure evil, my love."

Morgan continued to chuckle as she kicked Rebel and started into the morning's routine. They lost count of how many times Jesse threw up, and after one particularly violent episode, she dismounted and sat with her back up against a fallen tree.

Morgan rode back, crossed her arms over the pommel of her saddle and waited. Jesse raised her head and wiped the sweat off her brow. “I hate you."

"Good. Now mount up so we can get back to the house for lunch." She walked Rebel up close to Cabo and took Ryland's hand. The two of them rode toward the house with Smokey staring after them. He tried to pull away as Jesse grabbed one of the branches to pull herself to her feet. She climbed up onto the tree trunk she was leaning against and swung her leg over the saddle, careful not to over balance and fall off the other side. She decided that if she lived, she would never, ever drink whiskey again
.

Morgan and Ryland were waiting for her as Smokey slowly walked up to the barn with Jesse lying over his neck. He stopped and stood patiently while she fell to the side, still holding his neck for support. Her legs swung down under his chest and she let go and landed sprawled in front of him. He looked to Morgan as though asking for instructions, and she walked over and knelt beside Jesse.

"You all right?"

"No."

Morgan grinned and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, we'll help you unsaddle. Then we'll all go eat some lunch." As they worked, Jesse tried to talk her way out of doing therapy. She just wanted to go into her apartment where she could pull the covers over her head and go back to sleep.

Ryland pulled her saddle from Cabo and started for the tack room. She said over her shoulder. “I wouldn't dream of denying you the therapy since you were so adamant about having it last night. We'll have some lunch and start at one as usual." When Ryland finished putting her tack away, she came out and saw Jesse sitting on a bale of hay with her head in her hands. She patted her on the back, then finished with Cabo and led him to his stall.

It took Jesse a few minutes to realize the barn was quiet and that Morgan and Ryland had left to go back to the house. Quiet was exactly what she needed, and she lay down on the hay for a short, half-hour rest.

Chapter Eighteen

At one, she shuffled up to their front door and knocked.

Morgan opened the door and waved her inside. “How many times do I have to tell you? When you come up at one, you don't need to knock."

Jesse headed straight for the couch and lay down, cushioning her head on the arm. Morgan walked over and pushed her feet off.

“Take your boots off the couch. Where do you live, in a barn?"

Jesse held up her foot, eyebrows raised.

Morgan grabbed the heel, pulled the first boot off and dropped it to the floor. She motioned with her hand for Jesse to give her the other foot. “Give it here. I put 'em on, I might as well take 'em off."