Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
“The Four Horses of the Apocalypse live at your house?”
As it would be two more days before Elegance in Moonlight made it home from his race, with Malcolm and Kanika handling my trailer, the colt, and his two emotional support ponies, I settled back into my morning routine, making certain to pull my wagon with my left arm rather than my right.
My neighbors took mercy on me, either neglecting to mention the race at all or offering a congratulations for my victory.
While he remained a lecher who catcalled at the first opportunity, I managed to thank the doctor for the dish and the meal without attempting to strangle him for his commentary over my assets.
I’d relay the remarks to Yuless to goad him into helping himself to my physical attributes in a mutually beneficial fashion, assuming I could lure him out from his tower.
As Lucifer had warned, he’d insisted I take two weeks off to recover, and if I didn’t have sufficient sick days, he’d manifest them for me.
I’d been bold enough to accept the offer but only if I could keep sleeping with my boss at my leisure.
As I approached the gate with my wagon, which was devoid of even a single egg carton, an SUV pulled up and came to a halt. A moment later, the passenger window opened. “Do you have a few minutes, Crystal?”
I recognized Mr. Noran’s voice, and I peeked into the vehicle to discover time and Belinda’s death hadn’t treated him well. “Sure, assuming you have space for my wagon in there?”
“I sure do.” The vehicle’s locks clicked, and I took care to minimize how often I used my right arm. Once the wagon was inside, I opened the passenger door and hopped in, closing the door before buckling in. “My boss has been trying to squeeze some time in to meet with you.”
“I know. They’ve made it a living hell to escape.
I wasn’t even able to go to the race. My father passed away last week, and his funeral was yesterday, so I had a good excuse to tack on a week of leave.
” The man sighed, and he shook his head.
“It took a death in my immediate family to get away even for a while.”
What assholes. I snagged my phone, texted Ashley, and inquired if she wanted to breeze Alligator Bait with some help from Isaac and her dragons, as I was going to run an errand.
A moment later, she expressed her acceptance of my offer with a chain of exclamation points and a hell yes. Laughing, I stowed my phone. “A friend is going to take care of my horse today, so I have all the time you need. Where would you like to go?”
“You’re a horse girl, right?”
I considered the man with interest, wondering if he hadn’t looked into me at all or had been careful to hide his tracks—or that he just thought the invitation to the race was a convenient location rather than a chance to witness me kick ass and take names while riding my filly.
“That’s one way to put it. Yes, I’m a horse girl. How can I help you?”
Mr. Noran put the SUV into gear, turned the vehicle around, and headed down the street. “Belinda loved horses.”
Oh. I heaved a sigh, wondering if the man’s pain would ever ease—and if I could help him find peace until his soul once again reunited with the woman he had loved and lost. “I see. Well, our first stop can be the feed store, then. Sometimes, they have horses in need of rescue there, but they have everything you need to start your own horse empire. It’s as good a place as any to begin.
” I gave him directions on how to reach the shop.
“After the Triple Crown, I’ll be taking Belinda’s ashes to Everest. I already have the clearance, permits, and visas required to do so.
And yes, I do have her ashes, and they’re being kept in a safe place. ”
I also had such paperwork for him as well, which had been the Devil’s doing.
“You’re really going to take her to Everest?”
I nodded. “It’s a simple enough matter for me. If you’d like to come with me, arrangements can be made. You won’t have to worry about the atmospheric conditions at least. I’ll be using magic to counter that—and I’ll be riding.”
“You’ll be riding to the peak of Everest?”
I laughed at the disbelief in his tone. “Yes. The Four Horses of the Apocalypse are currently living at my place because they’re tired of watching Death flirt with Death and need a break from the insanity.
Of course, my place has a dragon infestation right now, and they’re amusing themselves observing the flock battle over which trees they get to nest in when they don’t come inside like sane sentients. ”
If my count from the morning proved to be accurate, the flock had grown overnight, resulting in fifty-six dragons, all a slightly different hue, battling for supremacy in my orchard. When they weren’t flitting about my trees, they went to the castle to keep Yuless company.
With a little luck, nobody would realize I was gone until I returned.
“The Four Horses of the Apocalypse live at your house?” he blurted.
“Yep.”
“Do you know anything about thoroughbreds?”
I’d never talked horses with Belinda, and it pained me we’d missed out on common ground. “Is that the breed Belinda liked?”
He nodded.
Well, I knew what I would be naming the first foal I bred capable of taking the Triple Crown.
When I brought out Belinda’s Wish, the animal would take the horse world by storm.
I’d even cheat and ask Lucifer to evaluate every last one of my foals until he thought we had a chance if we worked hard enough for it.
“I can help you with that, no problem. Do you have land for a horse?”
“I do. I was going to surprise Belinda. I’d purchased a ranch half an hour outside of Fort Lauderdale so she could have a herd. I’d even gotten the pastures set up, and I had a practitioner fix the grass so it was the right kind for nursing mares if she wanted to breed them.”
I wondered how long it had taken him to work up the courage to come see me—and if any of his heart’s wounds had begun to heal. “You want the horses to remember her by.”
I hoped he understood I presented my words as a statement rather than a question.
“I do.”
In order for Mr. Noran to have gotten a ranch within thirty minutes of Fort Lauderdale, he must have purchased a golf course and converted it, as I couldn’t think of any other spaces large enough to support horses that close to the city. “How many acres?”
“I have a hundred and fifty acres.”
Yep, I suspected he’d bought a failing golf course and converted it to a pasture and ranch. “Well, if you want to keep her memory alive, and you have that many acres, you could breed thoroughbreds for racing. You’d have to hire a trainer and a jockey, but I can help you with that.”
“You can? How?”
I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “Yesterday, I won a race, and I was the owner, trainer, and jockey. My homestead is where my racers live, and I’d be happy to lure you into the wonderful world of horse racing.
If you have the money, I know when and where you can buy the best horses, the type of trailer you’ll want to haul your beauties around if you aren’t keeping them at the race stables, and how to navigate through the equestrian world with your sanity and ethics intact. ”
“You’re a jockey?” he blurted.
“I’ve always loved horses, and after I quit, I purchased land here, bought some horses out of a kill pen, and one of them is taking me to the Triple Crown.
I actually raced a different horse yesterday; I was spiting the previous owner, proving he bred better horses than he could train.
” I rubbed my hands together, ignoring the soreness in my right shoulder.
“And while I’d love to regale you with all the stories of my horses and our exploits, I don’t think you came out all this way to talk to me about my racing career. ”
“I hadn’t, that’s true. I’d come to give you a warning about your former employer. Mr. Mortani, in particular, is upset you refuse to come back, and he’s been saying some pretty awful things as of late.”
“The kind of things that might drive a sweet woman like Belinda to suicide were she to hear them?” I guessed. “Except they were pointed at me.”
The pain in the man’s sigh would haunt me for a while. “Yes, that’s correct.”
“Someone shot me yesterday during the race. I’m guessing that bastard is behind it at this stage, although I’ve pissed off a lot of people just from being a woman capable of winning races.
With a few more races, assuming I place top three, I’ll qualify to ride in the Triple Crown, and that’s a big deal.
That my horse is a filly? I’m upsetting the entire industry at this point. ”
My beautiful babies, Peach Pie included, would only add to mayhem I brewed in the racing world. I expected Belinda’s Wish would be a colt, as colts had a natural edge over the fillies, but in any case, I’d live the woman’s dream for her until her soul had another chance at a happily ever after.
I’d do far more than dye away Darlene’s spots to coerce Lucifer into giving the pair another go at having a life full of love and light.
“That explains a lot. He said a lot of problems would be solved yesterday. But you’ve never been a problem.”
“It’s not what I did, it’s what I know, Mr. Noran.”
“Anthony, please.”
“I’ll be direct with you. You know Mr. Durant and his attempts to lure you away?”
“I’m aware. I’m more surprised you’re aware.”
“I’m behind it. While Lucifer is my official hire, I’m Mr. Durant’s right hand woman.
” I raised my left hand and wiggled my new engagement band.
“Left ring woman, too. And here’s where things become tricky.
Mr. Durant is the Destroyer of Georgia, and your firm is in his gaze.
Yesterday just meant he went into his silly little castle to plot their downfall.
I highly recommend you hand in your resignation effective immediately and wait for the dust to settle.
Since we’re being conspirators and all right now. ”