“That’s the truth. Do you ever wonder what might have happened between us if we hadn’t been thrown together in Special Forces?”
“This is old ground, Nick. You’re trying to avoid my question. We would’ve never met, and you know it. So who’s the damn woman?”
Nick balled a fist and examined his curled fingers. He loosened and flexed them. He blinked. “Her name is Daisy Matthews. She trains horses at Arlington Park.”
“Horses. You mean race horses?” Tom cocked his head. “You mean you’re getting into the ponies?”
“You remember Mike Barnes?”
Tom nodded. “Sure, he bought several of the last X-Tens and a half dozen T-Nines for some kind of resort he was buying in northern Wisconsin.”
“When it came time to pay, he didn’t have the cash. Instead, he talked me into accepting a race horse in payment.”
Tom shoved back and laughed. “You are such a soft touch, man. It’s amazing we make any profit. So the woman came with the horse?”
“Sort of. She’s quite
attached to the mare. If I sold the animal, she’d lose the horse, too. There was something in her eyes that I saw. Don’t know. Anyway, I couldn’t sell the damn horse, so now I’m in the
horse racing business.”
“And in her pants?”
“No, she’s too young.
She can’t even be thirty.”
“Is she too young? Or
are you too old?”
Nick glowered at him.
“Can’t be too old if you
can still get it up. She can’t be too young if she’s over eighteen .”
“Harrison, sometimes you’re beyond explanation.” Nick folded his arms across his chest. “Willow is different. She’s had a tough life. She grew up on the streets, the best I can figure out, and has pulled herself up with a little help from others. Courage, man, she’s determined, and she’s got guts.”
“Sounds good. If what you say is true, she’s probably a hell of a lot more experienced than her age would suggest.”
Nick nodded. “No doubt about that. I wish she wouldn’t dress so provocatively. She must draw guys like fresh honey attracts bears.”
“Must be nice to look
at.”
“Oh, yeah. Tall, willowy, strawberry
blond hair, legs that go on forever, and nipples that pout as much as she does.”
“You sound hooked.”
Nick flinched. “Nah, she’s
too young for an old guy like me.”
“Can’t get it up any
more, huh? I’ve heard of a remedy or two.”
“Cut the bullshit. You
know that’s not it.”
“Well, you’re not
planning on marrying her, are you? So why should age matter this much?”
“Of course not. Why
would I want to marry her?”
The phone rang and Nick
grabbed it after one ring. He closed his eyes and breathed. It was a buyer
checking on a delivery date. Who had he expected to call? During the past
several weeks , she’d never once called him. He’d always called her. As he talked with the buyer, Nick watched Tom get up, wave and leave. Marriage? Not likely. Once was enough.
- o -
Holding the phone out away from her ear, Daisy cussed herself for not letting the answering machine take a message. But a call late at night often meant a problem at the stable.
“Every time you fuck up
I lose money!”
Daisy shivered at Reggie’s rage. He must be on something. But then he always was.
“Well, what do you have to say for yourself,
bitch? Five losers in a row. And I really laid on them heavy. After three winners
last week, I thought you were hot.”
Screwing up her courage,
Daisy replied, “You can’t count on horses winning. Too many things can go
wrong.”
“Not if you get your
facts right. I know how it is.”
Daisy winced at Reggie’s
slurred words.
“Are you giving me bad
information, bitch?”
“No, of course not.”
“You better not. If I
ever found out you were...”
Withdrawing into a shell
she knew well from her younger days, Daisy whispered, “I didn’t ask you to bet
on those horses. Maybe you should stop betting.”
“No! You just give me
some better tips. We’re
“This is old ground, Nick. You’re trying to avoid my question. We would’ve never met, and you know it. So who’s the damn woman?”
Nick balled a fist and examined his curled fingers. He loosened and flexed them. He blinked. “Her name is Daisy Matthews. She trains horses at Arlington Park.”
“Horses. You mean race horses?” Tom cocked his head. “You mean you’re getting into the ponies?”
“You remember Mike Barnes?”
Tom nodded. “Sure, he bought several of the last X-Tens and a half dozen T-Nines for some kind of resort he was buying in northern Wisconsin.”
“When it came time to pay, he didn’t have the cash. Instead, he talked me into accepting a race horse in payment.”
Tom shoved back and laughed. “You are such a soft touch, man. It’s amazing we make any profit. So the woman came with the horse?”
“Sort of. She’s quite
attached to the mare. If I sold the animal, she’d lose the horse, too. There was something in her eyes that I saw. Don’t know. Anyway, I couldn’t sell the damn horse, so now I’m in the
horse racing business.”
“And in her pants?”
“No, she’s too young.
She can’t even be thirty.”
“Is she too young? Or
are you too old?”
Nick glowered at him.
“Can’t be too old if you
can still get it up. She can’t be too young if she’s over eighteen .”
“Harrison, sometimes you’re beyond explanation.” Nick folded his arms across his chest. “Willow is different. She’s had a tough life. She grew up on the streets, the best I can figure out, and has pulled herself up with a little help from others. Courage, man, she’s determined, and she’s got guts.”
“Sounds good. If what you say is true, she’s probably a hell of a lot more experienced than her age would suggest.”
Nick nodded. “No doubt about that. I wish she wouldn’t dress so provocatively. She must draw guys like fresh honey attracts bears.”
“Must be nice to look
at.”
“Oh, yeah. Tall, willowy, strawberry
blond hair, legs that go on forever, and nipples that pout as much as she does.”
“You sound hooked.”
Nick flinched. “Nah, she’s
too young for an old guy like me.”
“Can’t get it up any
more, huh? I’ve heard of a remedy or two.”
“Cut the bullshit. You
know that’s not it.”
“Well, you’re not
planning on marrying her, are you? So why should age matter this much?”
“Of course not. Why
would I want to marry her?”
The phone rang and Nick
grabbed it after one ring. He closed his eyes and breathed. It was a buyer
checking on a delivery date. Who had he expected to call? During the past
several weeks , she’d never once called him. He’d always called her. As he talked with the buyer, Nick watched Tom get up, wave and leave. Marriage? Not likely. Once was enough.
- o -
Holding the phone out away from her ear, Daisy cussed herself for not letting the answering machine take a message. But a call late at night often meant a problem at the stable.
“Every time you fuck up
I lose money!”
Daisy shivered at Reggie’s rage. He must be on something. But then he always was.
“Well, what do you have to say for yourself,
bitch? Five losers in a row. And I really laid on them heavy. After three winners
last week, I thought you were hot.”
Screwing up her courage,
Daisy replied, “You can’t count on horses winning. Too many things can go
wrong.”
“Not if you get your
facts right. I know how it is.”
Daisy winced at Reggie’s
slurred words.
“Are you giving me bad
information, bitch?”
“No, of course not.”
“You better not. If I
ever found out you were...”
Withdrawing into a shell
she knew well from her younger days, Daisy whispered, “I didn’t ask you to bet
on those horses. Maybe you should stop betting.”
“No! You just give me
some better tips. We’re
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