LITMIR.BIZ

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took one last look at Robbie Preston from two stories up. His athletic form was all too apparent in well-worn Levi’s and a gray T-shirt with the stable name printed in black. From what she’d heard, his temperament had put him at odds with the family more than once. But as she watched his easy way with the gray horse he led into the practice yard now, Amanda saw a sensitivity that belied the rumors about him. Her grandmother had been raised on a farm in northern California, and Granny swore that horses and dogs could size up a person faster than anything on two legs.

      “Aren’t the horses beautiful?”

      Amanda started at the feminine voice behind her and turned to find Jenna Preston, Robbie’s mother and the woman who’d hired her. Amanda’s cheeks heated to be caught staring, but thankfully, it hadn’t occurred to her kind employer that her attention had been fixed on one particular man among the horses. And for heaven’s sake, she needed to get her mind back on her work.

      “I am still in awe of how beautiful Kentucky is.” That much was true. “The meadows and wildflowers—and the grass is so lush and green here. Everything is so green. And the Quest property is incredible with the acres of four rail fences and all the buildings painted to match.”

      Jenna smiled, her blue eyes warm with pleasure. “I’m passing that compliment straight to our head groundskeeper. He takes a lot of pride in the property and it certainly shows.” Moving closer to the window, she frowned. “Have you met my youngest son yet?”

      Apparently Robbie had only just come into her view. He was eye-to-eye with the gray horse as if they were having a meeting of minds. Amanda couldn’t help a smile at the thought and she understood why Kiefer had been so intrigued by this man.

      “Actually, we met yesterday. I’ve been taking a late lunch to check on my two boys at the after-school program here and found my older son quietly hero-worshipping Robbie while he worked with the horses. I had to shuttle Kiefer back to Claudia’s house.”

      Jenna brushed a restless hand through her wavy auburn hair, her eyes fixed on Robbie.

      “He’s upset about us hiring an outsider as head trainer.” She turned to cock a halfhearted grin at Amanda. “And I’m not telling you any family secrets with that one—all of Quest knows that his father skipped over the most likely candidate for the head trainer position. I just wanted to let you know in case he was…surly with you.”

      “Not at all.” She couldn’t explain the sudden surge of defensiveness she felt on Robbie’s behalf, since she hardly knew him, but it bubbled up nevertheless. “He couldn’t have been kinder to my son, even offering to show him the stables. If anything, I’m afraid I’ll have a hard time keeping Kiefer out of Robbie’s hair.”

      Jenna looked thoughtful.

      “He’s good with kids. Katie and Rhea—my son Brent’s twin girls—both adore him. I’m sure Robbie would welcome the distraction of Kiefer’s company these days, so I hope you won’t think twice about taking him up on the offer for a guided stable tour from an expert.”

      Jenna patted her arm with a maternal reassurance that Amanda had seen her dole out to several of the employees during her short time at Quest. Robbie’s mother had given Amanda a chance at this job when she had no experience, just some online computer courses and a fierce will to get out of L.A.

      So why would she be so reluctant to take a chance on her own son as head trainer?

      “Maybe I will.” Amanda tightened her grip on the papers in her arm. “I’d better be getting back to work if I’m going to finish up with the file reorganization this week.”

      And she really needed to walk away from the window where Robbie Preston inspired such unexpected feelings.

      “I appreciate you undertaking such a big project right away. I knew our last manager had let things slide in those months he was looking for other work, but I didn’t realize how much of a mess the files had become until after he left.”

      “I think we’ll all be able to work more efficiently once I’m done.” Truly, Amanda could never have functioned with the disorganization the previous administrator had left, so she was grateful when Jenna gave her the green light to overhaul nearly every facet of office procedure. The staff was small—only eight other people under Amanda’s direct supervision—but the other employees had been around long enough that it would have been a headache to implement changes without Jenna’s blessing.

      “And by the way, Amanda, we’re hosting a small dinner party at the main house on Friday for a handful of local Thoroughbred owners who are also friends. Why don’t you join us for drinks if you have time? I think it would be nice for you to put some faces to the names you must be seeing over and over again in your paperwork. We do strive to keep the business feeling like family despite our size.”

      Warmed by the invitation, Amanda was reminded all over again how fortunate she’d been to land here, far away from her personal demons on the West Coast.

      “I’d be delighted, Mrs. Preston. Thank you.”

      “Call me Jenna and it’s a date.”

      With a quick wave, she was off again, no doubt to lift someone else’s spirits or assist around the office any way she could. Amanda admired her generous nature and wondered if her family knew how much she contributed to the business in her understated way.

      Amanda had no intention of letting Jenna Preston down—not in the office and not at the dinner party. That meant focusing on her job and not speculating whether a certain horse trainer would be in attendance at the Preston house Friday night.

      Amanda wasn’t going to be happy.

      Robbie knew by the end of the week that he’d be hearing from Kiefer Emory’s uptight mother sooner or later about the time her son had been spending around the stables. Robbie hadn’t mistaken the disapproval in her eyes when she’d hauled Kiefer away the last time, but the boy had made a point of stopping by after school every day until Robbie reminded him he should be heading to the care program run by one of the women who lived on the property.

      Today was no exception.

      “Is this horse your favorite?” Kiefer called to him from his usual spot at the rail of the practice yard, his school backpack at his feet, his toes now respectably covered in boots instead of flip flops.

      “What makes you ask that?” Robbie eased up onto the colt he was working with. “I spend equal time with all of my horses.”

      At least, he had for the last few weeks while trying to get a feel for where each of the Thoroughbreds stood in their training.

      “You look at this one different.” Kiefer shrugged, apparently disinclined to pinpoint his reason any more than that. “I can just tell.”

      Robbie patted the colt’s neck and steered him closer to the rail so Kiefer could do the same.

      “This one is called Something to Talk About and I think he’s the next hot prospect for Quest Stables.”

      Robbie had never possessed the strange kind of equine intuitiveness his sister Melanie seemed to have, but he knew enough about horses to feel the potential for power in this one. The gray colt showed hints of racing brilliance on the track and his temperament caught Robbie’s eye. The colt didn’t mingle with the other horses, preferring to keep his own counsel. And there was a spiritedness about him, a proud determination that Robbie recognized all too well.

      “You mean he’s going to be a racing champion?” Kiefer stroked the animal’s nose.

      Behind Kiefer, Robbie noticed his nieces, Katie and Rhea. The twins had been bending over an electronic game until one pointed out Robbie and Kiefer.

      “Hey, California!” Katie called, handing the game to her sister. “Did you learn to ride yet?”

      The two ran off before Kiefer could respond, clearly smitten with the boy who must be about a year older than them. But to Robbie’s surprise, Kiefer flushed and he looked

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