His Other Woman: A Renny and Rachel Christmas Romance by Nancy MacLaren Read Free Book Online Page B

champion bloodline.”
    “He’s a racehorse?”
    “Hell, no. They tried to train him but he just threw everyone to the ground. That’s why we could afford him.”
    “But he’s a thoroughbred?”
    “They all are.”
    I knew so little about horses I was embarrassed. I grew up in Los Angeles. We rode my friend Karen’s horses along the drainage ditch. I’d never galloped or run but at least I wasn’t scared of them.  Of course Karen had two small plodding mares, nothing like this monster. How like Renny to want an unrideable horse. Or an inappropriate girlfriend. Everything had to be hard. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be part of Renny’s harsh regimen. I also wondered why he felt he had so much to prove and who was he proving it to? His Father? His mother? Himself? I’d always felt that way too but as an only child, and a girl, I felt I knew my reasons for overachievement.
    I moved back to Abigail and was stroking her nose, neck and mane. I could almost hear her purring like a cat at my touch. Now, this is the horse for me. As I nuzzled her nose Garrett popped in. “Stop trying to find places to consummate you two,” he said to Renny. “Everyone’s ready to play. Get your asses out here.”
    Garrett disappeared sure Ren would follow. Older brothers. Really. He wasn’t wrong, though. Renny lit up like the Christmas tree in the front room.
    “Now, the fun begins. C’mon on Rach, you don’t want to miss this.”
    I really didn’t but was so afraid I would be pressed into baby duty again I was reluctant to show my face. “I’ll just stay here a few more minutes, okay?”
    He kissed me and slapped my rear. “Okay but don’t wait too long, this is the best part of the celebration.”
    As he took off at a trot, I went back to Abigail and then moved down to Tilly. The old girl loved having her neck stroked and I murmured in her ear what a pretty girl she was and that we old gals had to stick together, that kind of nonsense.
    “How old are you?” a small voice piped up from the barn entrance. Rosalie stood there, one hand on her little hip, pre-teen attitude dripping off her in droves.
    “How old are you?” I answered back.
    Rosalie let slip a sly smile before coming up beside me and stroking Tilly. She scratched behind Tilly’s left ear and Tilly whinnied. “She loves being scratched on her ears,” she told me. I took up the right ear and Tilly closed her gentle eyes and went to sleep. “See?”
    “She’s a gorgeous horse. Do you spend a lot of time here?”
    “Tons. She’s my favorite. I’m the only one allowed to ride her.”
    “Because you’re small?”
    “No, because she likes me. Duh. Don’t tell me you’re old and stupid.”
    “Don’t tell me you’re young and rude.”  I’d had enough of children for one day.
    She glared at me but she shut up and went back to scratching Tilly. After a moment she moved across to Bastard’s stall and reached in to touch him. I was a little alarmed but just like everyone else, he was putty in her hands. I crossed over to talk to her.
    “He sure likes you.”
    “Why wouldn’t he? I feed him every day.”
    “You work here?”
    “Of course I work here. Me and granddad, we’re in charge of the stable and the horses,” she told me with pride.
    “You do a great job, it’s so clean and organized and the horses look really happy. But you do go to school, right?”
    “Of course, I go to school, what are you, some kind of …” she stopped when I glared at her. “Sorry. Granddad said I was to be nice to you.”
    “So, why aren’t you?”
    “’Cause you’re not Jasmine.”
    “Oh. You liked Jasmine, huh?”
    “Everybody loves Jasmine. She’s beautiful and she played with me all the time.”
    “I can play with you. Just not Ping-Pong, I saw you demolish Renny.”
    “He’s a bad Ping-Pong player but good for a few bucks. I’m mad at him anyway.”
    “Because of Jasmine?”
    “I have to go.”
    She skittered to the door but stopped and