Willow Smoke (29 page)

“Of course.”

Cassie
nodded.
“I
guess
when
you’re
ready,
you
can
bring
him
by
and
Clint
and
I
can
talk
to
him
about
buying
some
additional
horses.
If
the
man’s
serious
about
horseracing
and
he’s
good
with
you,
we
might
as
well
take
a
percentage
of
his
money.”

Daisy
laughed.
“We
should
prepare
for
one
of
the
fall
sales:
Keeneland,
Barretts,
Fasig-Tipton.
If
we
get
a
yearling,
would
you
be
willing
to
keep
him
at
the
farm?
For the usual
fee, of course.”

“Certainly.
This
we
sounds
quite
definite.
So
you’re
part
of
the
ongoing
horse
partnership?”

“Apparently.
He
won’t
have
it
any
other
way.
And
I’ll
be
taking
half
of
my
winnings
and
putting
it
into
a
horse
fund.”

“What
happens
when
all
of
this
ends?
When
the
prince
sells
his
horses
and
Daisy
Ann
is
left
holding
a
pumpkin?”

Daisy
glared
and
then
softened.
“I
don’t
know.
I
can’t
see
a
good
ending.
I’ll
admit
that. But
Cassie, I’ve never dreamed these
kinds
of dreams. Let me enjoy the ride while it lasts. I know it won’t. It can’t. But
it’s happening now.”

Cassie
brushed
a
tear
from
the
corner
of
an
eye.
“I
know,
and
it’s
good
to
see
you
so
happy.
Remember,
I’m
here
when
you
need
me.
Now
what
about
this
deal
with
Nick?”

Daisy
flashed
an
eyebrow
and
grinned
widely
and
opened
her
mouth
to
speak.

“Strike
that
question,
girl,”
Cassie
said,
waving
off
Daisy’s
response.
“I
think
I
don’t
want
to
know
the
details
of
whatever
the
two
of
you
have
cooked
up.

“You
know
where
to
find
me.”
Cassie
stood.
“I’ve
got
to
get
back
to
check
with
my
assistant.
Catch
you
later.
Don’t
do
anything
I
wouldn’t
do.”

Daisy
laughed.
“That
should
give
me
plenty
of
leeway.”

“Well,
if
you’re
going
to
have
an
affair
with
an
older
man,
then
you
should
at
least
benefit
from
having
an
experienced
teacher.”
Stepping
through
the
doorway,
Cassie
waved
over
her
shoulder.

Daisy
waved
back
absently.
What
was
her
sage
instructor up to at that
moment?

- o -

“You’re
acting
like
some
damn
kid
with
hormones
on
the
loose.”
Tom
Harrison
leaned
against
the
doorjamb
at
the
entrance
to
Nick’s
office.
“You
sit
in
here
and
stare
off
into
space
like
you’re
on
some kind
of
excellent
grass.
You
drag
your
worn out body in
here an hour after
starting
time.
Suppose
a
forty-two-year-old
man
might
have
a
little
trouble
keeping
up
with
a
much
younger
woman.
Maybe
once
a
night
should
be
enough,
or
heaven
forbid
you
might
think
about
skipping
a
night.”

“We
have
skipped...a
number
of
nights,”
Nick
groused.
“So
I
just
lie
in
my
bed
with
my
eyes
wide
open
wondering
about
her.”
Nick
scowled.
“You’re
absolutely
right,
Tom.
I’m not the man I used to be.”

“So
what
are
you
going
to
do
about
her?”

Nick
sighed
deeply.
“Slow
down
before
I
get
a
heart
attack.
Seriously,
I
don’t
know.
She’s
way
too
young.
But
she’s
an
aphrodisiac—I
don’t
mean
just
sex—I
mean
about
life.
Everything
is
so
new
for
her;
it’s
like
seeing
the
world
again
as
if
for the first time. She’s enthusiastic.
Shy. Gutsy.” Nick chewed on the fingers of a
closed
fist.
“She’s
hopeful.
Vulnerable.
Passionate. Innocent. Worldly.”

“Damn,
you’ve
got
it
worse
than
I
thought.”
Tom
sat
down
on
a
chair
and
rubbed
a
hand
across
his
bald
head.

“What
do
you
mean?”

“What do I mean? Shit
man, you’re in love.”

Nick
jerked.
“In
love?
No
way!”
He
glanced
out
the
window.
No
way
could
that
be
happening
to him. He knew better than to let that happen. “I’m way too old for
Daisy.”

“Is
she
telling
you
you’re
too
old?”

“No,
but
we’ve
got
a
deal.”

Tom
laughed.
“Why
does
that
not
surprise?
You
know
you
make
deals
with
people
half
the
time
so
you
can
avoid
dealing
with
your
own
emotions.
What’s
the
deal?”
Tom
raised
his
eyebrows.
“Of
course.
She
helping
you
get
into
the
horse
business
while
you’re
sharing
with
her
your
wealth
of
sexual
experience.”

Nick
winced
and
tried
not
to
blush.
The
arrangement
sounded
so
much
more
crass
hearing
it
from
Tom’s
lips
than
it
had
when
he
and
Daisy
were
naked
in
bed.

Tom
shook
his
head.
“You
should
have
been
a
scam
artist.
One
of
your
deals,
someday,
is
going
to
reach
up
and
grab
you
where it hurts—in the heart. I want to
meet
this
Daisy
Matthews.
I’ve
got
a
hunch
about
her.
And
I
haven’t
even
seen
her. You may be in over your head, my friend. You both may
be.”