Heat Wave (Riders Up) Read Online Free PDF Page A

part
of the ante.”
    “I hadn’t thought
of it that way.” Maggie frowned. “This is no game to me. But I see your point. Anyway,
I want you to teach me how to train horses.”
    “What?” Ed
jumped to his feet. “I thought you wanted me to train them and then turn them
over to someone else at the track. You’re hardly big enough to swat a fly!” Uh
oh, his mouth had gotten him into trouble again. When would he ever learn to
engage brain before mouth? But the sparks firing out of those large round blue
eyes might have been worth the gaffe.
    Scrambling
to a stand, Maggie gestured toward door. “If you are incapable of working with
and teaching a woman—even a short one—to work with horses, Mr. Harrington, you
can leave right now. I don’t need you. You can crawl back from wherever you came
from.”
    “Now, don’t jump to
conclusions,” Ed backpedaled. “My mouth often gets me into trouble. I didn’t
mean you were incapable of learning. It’s just…you’re so pretty, and we’re
talking long hours and a lot of hard work. And no promises of getting rich quick,
if ever.”
    “No matter,” Maggie
said, blowing bangs off her forehead, “this is what I intend to do. It’s what I
must do. I’ve worked hard all my life. These small hands you’re looking at have
calluses just like those of any other farmer. Don’t mistake me for some
sniveling female who has to be pampered. If you do, you’ll be in for loads of
trouble. And I don’t see this as some get rich quick scheme either, Mr.
Harrington.”
     “The question is,
is this something you want to do? Can we work together? And believe me, if you
take this job, we will be working as a team. I’m not hiring you to do all the
work or make all the decisions. I wish I didn’t need your help, but the fact is
I do.”
    “It’s clear you
wouldn’t accept any pampering, ma’am, even if you needed it.”
    Her eyebrows shot
up.
    “Not that that’s
any of my business one way or the other. As far as working together—guess we
won’t know till we try. But there is a lot to what you’re asking. Lots of
planning. A lot of dollars to buy horses and refurbish the barn area so it will
be safe for horses.”
    Ed stopped and
looked out toward the barn. What was he getting himself into? He had to have a
screw loose somewhere to even be thinking about helping the woman. She was so
green about racehorses she hadn’t even earned the label greenhorn. Yet he
admired her spunk. And it might just work. She had the land and the desire. He
had the skill and the know-how. With a half smile creeping across his face, he
wondered what kind of a student Maggie Anderson would be. He expected she did
her homework thoroughly.
    “Doesn’t have to be
top of the line horse farm right off,” he resumed, “but it must be safe for
horses. You’re gonna have some expensive investments running around out there
on four long spindly legs. Race horses are finicky and prone to injury. We’ve
got to protect them the best we can. And that’ll cost some money. If we don’t
buy quality horses, we won’t have the potential for making large enough purses
for them to pay their way.
    “Most horses don’t
win, you know,” he said, watching her intently. “Many don’t even make it to the
track. And just when you think you’ve got one in good form and who can run,
something goes wrong. Are you really prepared for the disappointments that go
along with horseracing?”
    For a moment, he
wished he hadn’t asked that question. The fire quickly drained from those
sapphire orbs and was replaced with familiar hollow pain. “Yeah, I guess you
know about disappointment and loss,” he acknowledged, slouching back down onto
a chair.
     
    - o -
     
    “I expect that’s
one thing we have in common,” Maggie murmured, taking her seat. “Mr.
Harrington, have you decided to take the job?”
    “Well, it’s not
like I have a lot of other offers.” He grinned faintly, like a child returning
from a