Read Online We Can Laugh Together Too (Walnut Grove Trilogy) by Cindy Baker - Free Book Online Page B

forged were now fundamental to her being.
    They arrived at their destination several minutes early. Livi
was concerned how the driver would pass the time, but he assured her he spent
most of his life waiting for his passengers. He opened the door of the Lexus
for them to alight and she felt the eyes of the parking valets upon them as
they walked into the restaurant. She was glad Matt was with her to lend his
support.
    Once inside, Matt explained they were lunching with Ben Veiga,
and the hostess straightaway ushered them through to the Blue Lounge. Their
host was already seated at a table, sipping a drink, and he rose to his feet as
they approached. His face broke into a smile as he recognized Matt.
    “Matt, this is a surprise. I had no idea you were in
California.”
    Matt accepted his hand and shook it warmly. “Nice to see you
Ben. May I introduce my friend, Olivia Leonard. Livi, this is Ben Veiga.”
    “Delighted to meet you Livi – may I call you Livi? Sit down
both of you and let me get you a drink.” He beckoned a hovering waiter who took
their order, before gesturing to the manila folder Livi was clutching. “I see
you’ve come armed with the evidence, but let’s get acquainted first, before we
talk business.”
    She smiled in agreement and placed the folder on the floor
next to her. Their drinks arrived and they decided from the menu what they wanted
to eat. After a few sips, Livi began to relax and enjoy herself. Matt was
chatting easily with their host about what he was doing in California and Ben
gave them the names of several Team Spirit horses that he expected to perform
well during the upcoming Del Mar meet. “Opening day is July 17 th , you
should try to get down,” he urged. “We maintain a box there.”
    Livi smiled wistfully. “By then, Matt’s scheduled to be on a
new contract in Napa, and to be honest, it’s not something I’d want to do
without him.”
    Ben glanced at Matt sharply. “Napa? That’s miles away. Why
on earth are you going there?”
    “Because I committed to the contract weeks ago and it’s too
late to back out. People tend to get annoyed when they’re let down.”
    “True, true.” Ben drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the
table. “I’ve always been impressed by your abilities as a vet and I could never
get to the bottom of why you vanished from Florida so suddenly. Nobody wanted
to discuss it.”
    “Personal reasons.” Matt replied. “Nothing professional, I
assure you. Looking back, I probably reacted to a situation much too hastily,
but . . .” he reached across and took Livi’s hand, “had it not happened I
wouldn’t have met Livi.”
    “I see. Tell me, have you settled for just doing contract
work? If you and Livi are serious about each other, surely you need some
stability.”
    “I agree, but there just aren’t any openings at the moment. Livi’s
horse farm’s not far from Buellton and the equine practice I’m locuming for is
one of just a few in the area. I’ve tried, believe me.”
    “I’m sure you have.” Ben smiled benignly. “Give me your
phone number and I’ll keep my ear to the ground. Good grief, Napa must be more
than three hundred miles away. I spend my life talking to horse people so I
might just hear something to your advantage.”
    Livi could scarcely believe what she’d just heard. Her face
lit up. “Oh, Ben, thank you. It looks as if Napa can’t be avoided, but
afterwards maybe . . . ?”
    “We’ll see.” Ben pushed his plate aside and signaled to the
waiter to refill their glasses. “But now it’s your turn. Tell me your story Livi.”
    Systematically, Livi explained her entire situation,
illustrating and enforcing various points with documents from her folder.
Occasionally Ben asked questions, but for the most part he was content to
listen attentively.
    Eventually, when she was finished, he asked: “Was this a
general partnership? It seems as if it was.”
    Livi was confused. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
    Ben