Rhapsody Beaumont pulled her silver Mercedes up to the guard shack that was to the training area of the racetrack. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of horses and other odiferous elements assaulting her. She dropped her glasses down her nose to peer with angry green eyes at the sloppily dressed guard in his wrinkled uniform. He gave her a toothless grin and tipped his sweat stained baseball cap.
"Afternoon ma'am, can I help ya?" He drawled in a lazy accent.
"I'm looking for barn number thirteen; can you direct me there please?" As he leaned in through her window, she brought her hand up in front of her face and tried not to gag from his body odor.
"Just pull through here and hang a left and its yer first barn, its painted silver and blue." He slapped the edge of the doorframe and stepped back. She quickly raised her window and drove through the gate; she cringed inside, as her expensive car sloshed through Gods only knew what.
"I hate this Roger! I hope your sorry ass burns in the deepest flames of Hell!" She mumbled as she peered through the windshield looking for barn thirteen. She slammed on the brakes when a horse and rider trotted in front of her. "Assholes! I swear this world is full of them!" She did a very un-lady like gesture and flipped the rider off.
Pulling close to the barn, she opened her door and stepped out, immediately something warm covered her foot. She looked down and her face instantly paled. Kicking her foot, she sent her Italian pump soaring through the air to fall into a large muck container. Her head dropped in defeat.
Her brain spun like a tornado with anger. "If you weren't already dead Roger, they would have to lock me up to keep from killing you myself."
She looked around to see if anyone was watching, as she slowly limped her way to the muck container she tried to look inside. Standing on her tiptoes, she was five foot five and nowhere near the top edge of the container that was at least six foot. Searching the area outside of the shed row for something to stand on, she jumped when she heard a lisping voice reach her ears.
"My dear lady, you do not want to look in there. It is truly atrocious!"
She turned her head slowly to see a short stocky man with sparse hair and a well-groomed beard and mustache tip toeing past piles of horse manure. "I swear that groom is the sloppiest thing alive." He pulled a lace and silk scarf in front of his nose and rolled his eyes at the sight before him.
"This is not the place to wear silk and Italian pumps; in fact this is not the place for people of our standing at all." He cast a brilliant smile. "Where are my manors? Please let me introduce myself, I am Salvatore Stein." He held out a limp wrested hand and gently grasped her small fingers. "And you must be Lady Rhapsody Beaumont."
"Yes, I am. What is it that you do here?" She looked down to see his fitted designer jeans and expensive dress shirt with frilly lace at the cuffs and collar. Thinking to her self. "I hope they use pitchforks on you Roger!"
"Oohh I am the manager of this place, but I refuse to work under these horrible conditions." He wiped his brow and replaced his scarf over his mouth and nose. "I am highly allergic to any kind of animal hair or dirt." He sniffled delicately behind his scarf. "Would you like an espresso? I have the most fabulous blend in my office."
"Yes, that would be nice. But first could someone get my pump from inside of that?thing?" She pointed to the muck container.
"Ohh certainly Lady Rhapsody, just let me find that awful groom." Stepping gingerly around steaming obstacles he looked out in to the field. "Most unpleasant sort, I can't believe what she does around here."
"Explain please?"
"Well?just look at her out there." He flitted a finger towards the field. "Rolling around in the mud like a pig. Her odor is so offensive at the end of the day that I can not bare to be within 50 foot of her."
Rhapsody turned and followed his finger to see a woman wrestling with a goat. She dropped her head and head butted the large animal. They continued to do this and chase each other across the field until Salvatore yelled for her.
"YOUUUU WHOOO! Piglet! I am in need of your assistance."
Rhapsody watched as the woman came towards them at a slow jog with the goat following behind her. She stopped to stand in front of the short man and give him a look that could shrivel vegetation.
"Huh?" She asked in a deep guttural voice.
"Always the talkative one". He backed up from her and pointed to the container. "Could you be so kind as to retrieve Lady Beaumont's pump from that god awful smelling container?" He wiggled his hand at the end of a boneless wrist. Rhapsody took in the tall woman's appearance and shivered. She wore a filthy denim work shirt with the sleeves rolled to mid forearm, a pair of worn black leather chaps over what was at one time a pair of Levis. The material so old and worn they were threadbare and clearly showed the red underwear she wore beneath them. She stepped to the side when the other woman came towards her, at the sound of mumbling she tilted her head to the side trying to pick up what the woman said.
"She's more or a less an animal, even sleeps with her horse!" Salvatore shivered and rubbed his arms in disgust.
Rhapsody cocked an eyebrow at the woman. "Really, that is so uncivilized." She flinched when the container was tipped towards where she was standing and then relaxed when it was put up right.
"Shoe."
"Yes, thank you?"
Salvatore mumbled to her. "I just call her piglet, it fits her." He jumped back at the growl that came from the woman.
"Thank you, I'm most appreciative for your help." She put out her hand for her shoe and flinched as ice blue eyes locked with hers, she could do nothing but stare into them and try to remember to breath.
"Welcome." The tall woman put the filthy pump in her hand then returned to the field to play with the goat. Rhapsody looked down at her pump and paled, trying to shake the manure from it she almost flung it back into the container.
"Please Lady Beaumont; let me take care of that for you." He turned to the field and yelled for the woman again. Rhapsody cringed when a loud horrible noise came from the field and the woman came stomping towards them. On instinct a lone, she moved to stand behind her car and out of the woman's way.
"Will you clean Lady Beaumont's pump for her, and be careful that is Italian leather not your Wal-Mart pleather. He deposited the pump into a large long fingered hand then took Rhapsody by her arm and escorted her to his office.
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"Please have a seat Lady Beaumont." Wiping the seat of a leather chair off he helped her to sit before starting his espresso machine. "I wish I was able to fire Piglet and hire someone who has a more pleasant demeanor."
"Fire her. Why work with someone that you are not pleased with?"
"I wish I could but the contract that your dear departed brother Roger had put in place, forbids me or anyone from discharging that?animal." He sighed and wiped his forehead. "She does her work, but I have yet to hear a complete sentence come from her mouth. She growls and mumbles every time she sees me or I ask her to do something."
Green eyes studied the man before her, she knew that he was not the type to be working in a barn and wondered how he knew her deceased brother.
"Can I ask you how you knew Roger?"
"Sir Roger, a delightful young man. I was his hairdresser and confidant for years." He leaned forward over his desk and blinked brown eyes surrounded by ebony lined lids. "I was truly saddened when I learned of Sir Roger's demise. Is it true that they could not recover his body, but had to bury cement and all?"
"Yes, my mother still believes that a cement truck over turned and filled his car. She will hear nothing of bookies, Mafioso's or loan sharks." She ran her fingers through her short blond hair and sighed. "Roger was always her baby boy who could do no wrong. Anyway, how is it that you came to be here?"
"I was called by his lawyer and told that I was to be the manager for the length of my life." He giggled and waved a hand at her. "After I saw the place I was tempted to commit suicide to get out of it. I was further shocked to hear that Roger had a sister and that she was to be the new owner of the racing stables."
"Now you know how I feel. Can I look at the records of the horses?"
"Oohh yes, please excuse me for my absent mind, I abhor being here."
While Salvatore looked for the records, Rhapsody looked at her surroundings. She could not believe that he had an oriental rug on the concrete floor along with an expensive princess desk. The walls had oil paintings of lighthouses and orchids hanging on them. On a shelf below, the window was a huge floral arrangement.
"Here they are, I have to admit I have not even looked at them. I am a hairdresser not an accountant or horse trainer."
"Then who takes care of all this stuff?" She asked as she flipped through the dark green leather bound book.
"I assume that Sir Roger's other partner does it, though I have yet to meet this person. I believe that his silent partner is in Australia or New Zealand."
"Most likely yes, I had heard that he was purchasing many of his horses from over seas." Flipping to a page that had all the listings of purchases for grain and other miscellaneous items she noticed a signature at each entry. "Who is this Ray Rawlings?"
Salvatore placed a cup of espresso in front of her and sighed.
"That, I believe is Piglet. She signs for all the stuff that comes here." He turned when the door to his office opened and showed a set of ice blue eyes drilling into him. "It is about time, I could have walked to Italy to get the Lady a new pair." He ducked when the pump came flying towards his head and was further surprised when a small hand grabbed it from mid flight.
The tall woman bared her teeth and growled "Tinkerbelle!"
"Amazonian bitch!" He huffed when the door slammed. "She is so?manly!"
Rhapsody did every thing she could not to snicker at what had just happened. Taking a deep breathe she looked up to see him wiping his brow.
"If you don't mind, I will take this with me to look it over."
"No, no that is just fine. Where will you be staying?"
"At my brother's house in the heights."
"You will truly enjoy his home, I did all the decorating myself."
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"Piglet, Amazonian bitch, animal and all the other names that fairy has called me in the last month and now! NOW! I have to put up with Lady Rhapsody Beaumont ON TOP OF Queen for a day!" She brought the soft finishing brush down her horses shoulder. "What am I supposed to do Katy?" Her mare snorted and laid her head on her shoulder. "A lot of help you are." Leaning against her chestnut Paso Fino, she pulled a peppermint from her pocket and fed it to her. "I hope Roger is being hung upside down by his nuts over an open flame." Finishing up grooming her mare, she closed the stall gate and watched as the small blonde aristocrat got into her Mercedes. A wicked grin came to her face, she was so glad that she would be long gone before Lady Rhapsody found the present in the trunk of her car. As the silver car pulled away, she waved and mumbled. "Y'all come back now ya hear."
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Rhapsody walked into what was now her home; she looked around and groaned at the blatant homosexual atmosphere that Salvatore had transformed the house in to.
"This trashy stuff has got to go!" She covered her eyes and sighed when she saw that the carpeting was a pale pink. "Damn Roger, how could you live like this? Being gay is one thing but screaming it is another. Wonder what mother would think of you now?" She chuckled at the thought of her mother fainting away.
Changing out of her silk suit, she pulled her brother's silk robe around her and couldn't help but snort. The sleeves and collar had fake fur on them in a darker pink than the robe. "I swear if I find dresses in your wardrobe I will scream." Dropping down onto the flower patterned couch with the book from Salvatore, a legal pad, pen and calculator; she was all set for hours of playing with what she hoped was not a cooked book. Then again, the IRS and all the others who had investigated her brother had not found anything wrong with his racing stable. She could probably thank his silent partner for that, who ever this person was they were probably the only legal dealings her late brother had.
"And they call me the black sheep. Hah!" Remembering back to the arguments she had with her parents when they refused to listen to her reasons for going to college to study journalism.
Mrs. Beaumont waved a dainty hand at her daughter and tsked. Her green eyes rolling every time Rhapsody tried to say a word.
"Mother, I want to write novels and poetry. Not get married to some egotistical man who only wants me for an ornament on his arm."
"Rhapsody my dear child, you are a Lady and heir to the Beaumont fortune. You do not need to work or go to college; your public standing is enough for you. So stop trying to convince me of your need for college."
The discussion ended with a small blond storming from the family estate with the sound of peeling tires. She disobeyed her parent's wishes and enrolled in the nearby college in Boston. Now four years later with three novels all written under a pen name under her belt, she's stuck in West Virginia as part owner of a racing stable and sitting in a house that looked like Liberace threw up in.
Hours later, her green eyes bloodshot from going over every single entry she was happy to see that nothing looked illegal. Dropping all her stuff onto the floor, she stretched out on the couch and sighed in relief.
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Ice blue eyes watched as the cards flipped over on the slot machine, a huge grin crossed her lips when music played and lights flashed.
"Hot damn!" Scooping the quarters from the tray, she dumped them in to the large cup and left the casino part of the racetrack. Shaking the cup a few times, she counted the quarters. "Got enough for some C-Milk and cookies." Taking the short cut through barn area, she came to the high chain link gate that separated the track property from the Charlestown its self. Climbing over the gate she jogged the short distance to Sheetz, she was in here at least twice a day to get her junk food. Every one knew what she was getting so she dropped the money on the counter and went back to get her chocolate milk and sugar cookies. Showing the clerk what she had before she went out the door, she received a wave to proceed.
Back in the barn area, she went to the room next to Salvatore's office and unlocked the huge master lock that kept unwanted visitors and thieves from getting in to her room. Flipping the light on, she placed her stuff on the small round table and dropped down on her small cot. She had some of the creature comforts along with some things that know one would believe she would have. Leaning over the cot, she slid a wooden trunk from under it, opened the lid, and pulled out an old hardback copy of Charles Dickens David Copperfield. Laying back against her pillows she opened to the last part she had read and continued. One chapter later, she was sound asleep with the book hanging from one hand over the edge of the cot. She jumped awake with the loud slap of it hitting the floor. Stretching she rolled from her cot, striped her clothes off and dropped them into a large muck basket in the corner. Opening the small door that no one knew was even in the room, she walked into her small bathroom and turned the shower on. Twenty minutes later with the water turning cold, she stepped from the shower and shivered.
"Dipshit, you forgot to turn the heater on."
Dropping onto her cot, she pulled her quilts up over her and fell asleep the second her head touched the pillow.
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Rhapsody looked around her brothers bedroom, flipped the lights back off and went to the couch in the living room. "I can not sleep in a canopy bed with bug drapes hanging all around it." Taking a throw blanket off the back of the couch she pulled it around her shoulders and dropped onto the couch. Rolling on to her side she looked across the room and out the French doors to the back yard that had a few trees planted around a fountain with a statue of the Goddess Aphrodite standing a top it. "So far that's the only thing I like out of all the statues you have here Roger. To put it bluntly, your tastes and Salvatores for that matter sucks." She chuckled to her self before she drifted off to sleep. She dreamt of her brother and Salvatore skipping hand in hand down the shed rows in drag, what was disturbing to her was that Roger wore her senior prom dress and looked better in it than she did at the time. When the sun came through the doors and shone in her face, she pulled the blanket over her head and groaned. "Not yet, another hour." She tried to drift back to sleep but a lisping voice had her up and standing with her hand clutching her heart.
"Who the hell are you?" She rasped out at the young man standing at the end of the couch.
"Well, excuse me but I live here." He planted a manicured hand on his hip and looked at her like she was a homeless person. "I suggest that you take off my lovers robe and get out before I call the police and have you hauled away."
Rhapsody leaned her head back then sunk on to the couch. "I'm Rhapsody Beaumont, Rogers's sister. Now who are you?"
She looked at the extremely feminine man before her and felt her insides roll. She hated men who acted so damn wimpy. Seeing that his make-up was applied to perfection and was dressed in the latest fashion just made it worse. Now she knew why the place looked like a drag queen resort.
"My Roger didn't have a sister. So get out before I call 911."
"Hold on a minute now, do you have Salvatore's phone number?"
"Sally? Yes I do, why?" He tossed his shoulder length dyed blonde hair over his shoulder as he tilted his head.
"Salvatore will tell you who I am. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to get dressed."
"Good, because pink is definitely not your color." Huffing and flitting around the room, he checked to make sure that she had not stolen anything. "Trashy looking thing, with her hair all butch." He sat carefully in a queen Ann chair and crossed his legs before picking up the gold tone phone. After it had rang four times, He said hello.
"Sally, this most atrocious looking woman is here in my house."
"Piglets there? What is she doing there?"
"No, no. It's a small blond claiming to be Roger's sister. She looks horrid in pink, would you believe that she had the audacity to wear his pink silk robe! You know that one I bought him for Christmas. I know I'm rambling but I just so upset with finding a strange woman in my abode."
"Larry, that is Roger's sister Lady Rhapsody Beaumont and she owns the house now. I told you he put every thing in her name. Maybe you can work a deal out with her?"
"I just don't know Sally, I mean I love my privacy and I can not stand to have someone dirtying up the place." He sighs and plays with the ends of his hair. "I will talk to her and see what we can come up with. Toddles." Hanging up the phone, he huffs as he sees that the blanket is laying half way off the couch. "She is probably one of those uncouth, sloppy biker dykes that drinks beer and smokes cigars, or worse chews tobacco!" He falls back on the couch and whimpers. His jaw hit the floor when Rhapsody walked into the room wearing an eggshell colored silk blouse, grey pleated trousers and matching ankle boots. She was fastening a string of pearls around her neck as she stopped before a large gold leaf mirror that hung above an antique phone table.
"Did you by chance get a hold of Salvatore?" She swung around to pin him with her emerald green eyes.
"My apologies Lady Beaumont. Roger never mentioned you." He stood and offered his hand. "I am Lawrence Tompkins, I am very pleased to meet you."
She took his offered hand and cringed inside at the fish like feel of his handshake. "It seems to me that we have a predicament here. Is this your sole residence?" She took a seat on the couch and folded the blanket that she had left.
"Yes it is, which I would like to speak to you about."
Cocking an eyebrow at him, she nodded her head. "Proceed please."
"Would it be at all possible to remain here and be your house mate? I know we do not know each other but with time I believe we could become good friends."
Her expression was pensive, running a hand through her hair she angled her head and smirked. "One condition."
"Anything Lady Beaumont." His face took on a pleading look.
"I redecorate this place to my tastes and if I have company over. You do not wear a dress. And refer to me as Rhapsody, my mother is Lady Beaumont not me."
He fell to his knees at her feet and clasped her hands. "You are an angel. I will take care of all the house chores, cooking, laundry and anything else you need done."
"It's a deal then. Do you know of a trustworthy dry cleaner?"
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Ray tacked up one of the two year old filly's and led her from her stall, grabbing her mane she swung up into the exercise saddle and headed her towards the track. She had walked all the others on the walking machine and had six to gallop and one to take out of the gate so it could get its gate card. When she was finished with the last horse, she would muck the stalls, feed and then wait around for the races to start. She had entered one of her favorite mares in a $5,000.00 stake race, she knew it would be an easy win for her. She normally ran seven furlongs but this was a four and half and the track was in perfect condition for the mare. She loved a sloppy track and would kick ass tonight.
She eased the filly in to a slow trot up the hill to the entrance to the track, as she got closer she posted faster to get the filly to pick up her pace, once she was on the stretch she nudged her into a slow gallop. Keeping to the outside so as not to be in the way of the other gallopers who were going faster or breezing. This particular filly had a problem of pulling her head to the outside, so to try and correct the problem Ray had been using a button bit on her. Most people would forgo the special bit and use a riding crop on the horses face to get it to bring its head back around. She would love to use the crop on them for beating the horse, too many good horses were head shy or blind in one eye because of it. Leaning forward a bit she whispered into the filly's ear and watched as her ears twitched at her voice. Easing up on the reins, she gave the filly her head and let her stretch out on the back turn. Standing up in the irons, she felt the smooth beat of hooves.
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Rhapsody pulled her car in to the parking lot near the front doors of the racetrack, getting out she surveyed the area looking for someone who could give her directions to the racing secretary's office. Finding no one about, she went through the doors and followed the hallway until she came to a glass enclosed area that over looked the track. She stood close to the large window and watched the gallopers put the horses through their training. She was about to turn around and leave when she saw a solid black horse prancing on the track. It reared up and tossed its head then crow hopped until the rider patted its shoulder. Rhapsody continued to watch with amazement when the rider took the horse into the starting gates. In a flash the horse broke the gates and took off down the track, the entire time the rider was low over its neck and didn't seem to be doing anything but holding on. When they came to the last corner the rider reached back with there hand and tapped its flank. The horse completely stretched out and barreled down to the finish line.
Rhapsody felt her heart slamming into her chest, she had never seen anything like it. Now she could understand what people saw in horseracing. As she watched the rider bring the horse back around, she almost fell over when the person removed their helmet. Long dark hair flowed from under it to fall down their back.
"My Gods, that's pig?Ray!" She continued to watch her until she was out of sight. Dropping down in to one of the seats, she took a deep breathe.
After wondering around, she found the secretary's office and had all the paper work changed over to her name, she applied for an owner's license and had her picture taken for her badge. Her last stop was for her parking hangtag so that she would be able to park in the owner's lot. She never imagined that there was so much to being an owner. She would have to do something that she dreaded and that was to talk to Ray and find out exactly what she had to do when it came to the horses racing. On the way out the door she picked up a racing schedule for that night, looking through it she saw that her stable had a horse in that night.
"Just great! I'm here for not even a day and I find out I have a horse in!" Fear ran through her veins at the thought of having to be near a huge animal. The nearest she had been to a horse was a Shetland pony when she was ten. That was a horrible experience, the little thing kicked her in her ass.
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Ray was finishing up with the feedings when Rhapsody stepped in to the shed row. Cocking her left eyebrow over an ice blue eye, she took in the designer clothes and snorted. Leaning against the large plastic feeding bin on wheels, she waited for the small blonde to approach her.
"I need to ask some questions about the race tonight, I have no idea what so ever of what I am to do."
"And?"
Rhapsody came to stand a mere two foot from the tall dark woman, her eyes trying not to look at the flannel shirt that was opened halfway down and showing a sports bra. "Can you tell me?"
"Maybe."
Green eyes blazed at the single words that kept coming from Ray's mouth. Her fists clenched so hard that her nails were biting into her palms. Clenching her jaws, she ground out her next words.
"You are the most maddening person! Just tell me what I need to know and I will be on my way."
Ray made a chirping noise and watched as her mare's head came to the doorway behind Rhapsody. An evil grin came across her face when she saw her horse get closer to the little blondes neck. In an instant Rhapsody was jumping forward, bouncing off her chest and wiping at her neck.
"What in the hell!?" She wiped at her neck and brought her hand away covered in slimy grain. She then turned around to see the mare with her upper lip flapping and grain falling from her mouth. She turned to glare at Ray. "I know you had him do that!"
"Her."
Rhapsody threw her arms in the air and yelled. She stomped around with her hands on her hips and tossed evil glares at Ray.
"7pm."
Ray chuckled as the little blond stomped away mumbling curses under her breath. Caressing her mare's nose, she praised her for her good deed.
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Rhapsody slammed the front door and continued to rant and rave all the way through the house. She walked in to the kitchen to find Larry cooking supper. He took one look at her angry red face and held up two fingers in the form of a cross.
"I have holy water!" He warned. "Eeeww what has happened to your blouse?"
"My employee had her horse spit on me!"
"You mean that scrumptious Ray did that?"
"Scrumptious my ass! She's an animal, uncouth, nonverbal and an all around pain in my ASS!" She dropped down on to a stool in front of the wrap around bar. She watched Larry slicing vegetables at the butcher block. "I asked her for help and all I could get were one word sentences out of her."
"Listen Rhapsody, you have to earn her trust. She's a very complicated woman, not to mention beautiful." He chuckled. "If I wasn't gay, I would be all over her."
"I would like to be all over her with a baseball bat! All she said about tonight was to be there at 7pm. What am I supposed to wear?"
Larry rolled his eyes at her. "My dear woman, you are an owner of one of the leading stables. You must dress the part. Do you have any Channel?"
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Rhapsody rolled to a stop right at 7pm, looking around she saw Ray standing near a stall with her back to her. Getting out of her car, she slowly walked up to stand at the edge of the shed row wall.
"It's 7pm and I'm here. Now what?"
A dark head turned in her direction, her breath caught at the silvery blue eyes pinning her to the spot. She moved to the side and then saw that it was the reflection of the lights, which gave Ray's eyes such an eerie glow.
"Last call, we go."
"Not this again." She mumbled to her self. "Listen, I know you don't like me. I have no idea why since we just met yesterday." She placed her hands on top of her head, brought them down across her face and sighed. "Can we start over?" When she received no answer, she stepped forward with her hand out. "Hi I'm Rhapsody." She cringed a little when Ray stuck out her hand and grasped hers in a strong handshake. Her hand felt like it was on fire but couldn't let go for the intense blue eyes watching her.
"Ray." She released Rhapsody's hand and grinned when green eyes rolled at her. She tilted her head to the side and heard the announcement for last call for the eighth race. "It's time, let's go."
"My Gods! You said four whole words!"
Rhapsody stepped back when Ray led the mare from her stall. She had not one clue as to what she was supposed to be doing so she stood and waited for Ray to say something. Watching as the tall woman walked away with the mare she shrugged her shoulders and followed. When they left the shed row area, she had to jog to keep up which was impossible in her pumps. Ray looked back over her shoulder and snorted at the woman struggling to keep up. She let go of the led rope and walked to where Rhapsody had stopped to catch her breath. Dropping down to one knee, she placed one hand on Rhapsody's hip to stabilize her and lifted her foot up to remove her pump.
"Hey! What are you doing? I need my shoes!"
"Not." She took her by the hand and half dragged her to the mare.
Rhapsody's face turned a bright red, she had never been handled like this before and didn't like it one bit. She sped up her pace to keep up and was half-tempted to plant a foot in Ray's ass. She looked to see the mare a good distance ahead of them and became worried.
"Ray, the horse!"
"Yep."
She lifted her other hand and jabbed Ray in her ribs. "Next time you give me a one word answer, I'll jab you harder!"
"Kay." Ray chuckled when Rhapsody did exactly as she said.
Rhapsody looked around and noticed every one looking at them. "This is so embarrassing!" She thought to her self. They made it down into the paddock area and Ray took her by the shoulders and placed her against the wall where the horse was all ready standing.
"Don't move."
"At least you didn't say 'Stay.' Like you would a dog." She gave Ray an evil look. Ray just grinned at her, then pulled the mare from the stall. She watched as Ray with the help of a member of the paddock crew saddled the mare and then threw the jockey up. She was at a loss of what to do until a large warm hand took hers and pulled her up to walk next to her.
When they came to the gate to the track, Ray let the mare go then watched as the jockey took her at a slow walk while he adjusted the girth. She turned to look down into green eyes and grinned.
"You bet?"
"What on the horses? I've never seen a horserace before let alone bet on one."
"Come on."
She replaced her shoes, when she was finished Ray took her small hand, and then thread them through the crowd to the betting windows. Pulling four twenty's from her pocket she spoke to the cashier behind the window and then handed Rhapsody three tickets. She then pulled one from her shirt pocket and handed it to her.
"This is for this race." She looked at the ones in her hand and noticed that now she had two tickets to win on the three horse. "Who owns the three horse?"
"I do." She gave her a cocky smile then led her over to the wall that lined the track. They watched as the horses were put in to the gates and waited for the gates to open. Over the loud speaker, at the moment the horses came out they heard the announcer say. "AND THEY'RE OFF!" He continued to call the race. At the last turn, Ray leaned forward and watched as Rhapsody did the same.
"And coming around the last turn is Turner Over out by five lengths, in second is Trace of Glory with Home made bourbon closing in."
Rhapsody recognized the horse crossing the finish line and then seen that the saddle towel had a number three on it. Looking down at the tickets in her hand, she saw that she now held two win tickets. A huge smile came to her face and she jumped up and down.
"We won we won!" She grabbed Ray around her neck and gave her a hug. She froze when she realized what she was doing, slowly letting go she looked up into smiling blue eyes.
"Sorry."
"S'kay."
"Now what?"
Ray rubbed her jaw. Looking down into questioning green eyes, she took a deep breath.
"Ok, remember the betting windows? Go back over there and hand the cashier our tickets. I'll meet you right here when you're done."
Wide green eyes looked up in to blue with pure shock, she grabbed her chest and gasped. "You do speak!" She cocked an eyebrow. "And with a Kiwi accent."
"Yeah and?" Ray received a jab in her ribs. All she could do was laugh as she went to get her mare.
"First we have our win picture to take." She cast back over her shoulder. Ray waited for the jockey to bring the horse back around, taking the bridle she pulled the horse in to the win circle and then motioned for Rhapsody to stand beside her.
"But I look like I was rolling in the mud!" She looked down at her muddy feet and saw the splatters of mud all over her channel suit.
"So."
Taking her place next to the groom Rhapsody forced a smile, this would be one of the worse pictures of her to ever to enter in to eternity. Her covered in mud, next to an equally dirty groom and horse.
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Rhapsody almost fell over when the cashier kept counting out fifties into her hand. Ray had picked all three winners. With two of the horses going off at such high odds, they collected more than three thousand dollars. She still had a huge grin on her face when she found Ray waiting for her at the gate to the track, she handed Ray her share and held on to hers until Ray snatched it from her hand.
"Hey! What are you doing?" She asked while trying to take the money back.
"Hold up there Princess, ever been mugged?"
"No. Is that what you just did?"
"No, I won't but someone out there will." She nodded her head towards the racetrack patrons. Shoving the bills into her pocket, she took Rhapsody's hand and led her from the track.
"We have to go to the test barn."
"Test barn? What's that and why?"
"All winners go to the test barn for a piss test, they check it for illegal drugs and if the horse pops positive then the horse is banned from racing for 90 days, we get fined and possible lose our licenses to race another horse in West Virginia from 1 year to life."
Worried green eyes looked up at her strong profile. "We don't have anything to worry about do we?"
"Nope."
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Rhapsody sat on a bucket next to Ray and watched as people walked their horses inside the test barn, then she watched Ray's mare walk by all by herself.
"Does your mare even need you?"
"Nope." She grinned.
On the next round, Turner went into the stall and not three seconds later a man went in carrying a plastic cup on the end of a pole. He was in there for two seconds and came back out.
"You're set Ray. See ya later"
"Uuhhmm Ray?" Rhapsody asked as she watched the man leave.
"She pissed in the cup."
"Ohh."
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Once Ray had cleaned up her mare, she walked up to Rhapsody and handed her the money from the race.
"Here ya go."
"Thanks. Do you always buy tickets for complete strangers and win this much?"
"Nope and sometimes."
Rhapsody placed her hand on Ray's upper arm and gave it a small squeeze. "Thank you for everything, I will see you tomorrow."
Ray watched her get in to her car and drive away. "Have to do something about the way you dress Princess." Turning off the lights, she went to her room.
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It was past 11pm when Rhapsody pulled in to the driveway, she could barley keep her eyes open on the ride home and wondered if Ray made it home OK. She surprised herself by thinking of the silent stoic woman. "Face it Rhap, she's not that bad. Just a little standoffish. Staggering to the front door, she was shocked when it was pulled open to reveal Larry standing there.
"God lord Rhapsody, what have you been doing tonight?" He took in her mud-splattered attire. "Tell me you didn't get mugged while at the track."
"No I was not mugged, I got this way by going with Ray up for the race. She pulled out the wad of bills and showed him. "We won a lot of money tonight and I had my first win picture taken."
"She had you go with her up on the track?" His head fell back, a low groan escaped his parted lips then turned to a laugh.
"What is so funny?" She asked while taking off her pumps.
"She got you good, owners do not run horses to the paddock like some lowly groom. You are of the elite owners, you have a box up stairs with your very own name on it."
Green eyes caught fire, she couldn't believe that Ray had made her run a horse like a groom. Then again, Ray owned Turner Over and she ran her own horse, besides she had asked what she was supposed to do at the races. Granted it was not what the others did but she had learned a lot in a few hours.
"Ohh well, it was a learning experience."
"I'll say. With you wearing designer clothes to run horses in, you will make the dry cleaner a millionaire!"
"I guess I should get some work clothes."
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Ray was sitting on a bale of hay watching the two-year-old filly's playing on the walker. There was nothing more beautiful than the power of a sleek horse as it moved, muscles bunching under gleaming hair, the snorting of warm air as it became fog once past the flared nostrils, the toss of a regal head then a whining cry when it's hooves cleared the ground. A bright smile came to both her lips and eyes. As she remembered watching, the horses run wild in her home country of New Zealand, free to roam wherever they wanted and to live out their lives with out the hindrance of mankind. She couldn't wait to go back home, sit beneath the stars on a cloudless night, and just take it all in. She sat in her daydream world never seeing the small blonde standing a distance away watching her.
Rhapsody leaned against the wall of the shed row and watched Ray drift off with a smile on her face. She studied the strong profile, noting the straight nose and high cheekbones, how her loose dark hair cascaded over her shoulders to lay in disarray down her back. Her fingers working a piece of binders twine back and forth, causing her forearm muscles to twitch. Without thought of what she was doing, Rhapsody walked slowly towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. In the blink of an eye, she was on her back, a booted foot in the center of her chest and looking into steely blue eyes.
"Could you just have said good morning?"
"Mornin."
"Cute. Can I get up now or am I at your mercy for the remainder of the day?"
"Think about it."
Rhapsody let out a howl of frustration, she flung her hands back and lay on the ground unmoving."
Ray removed her foot and leaned down to look into Rhapsody's fiery eyes. "Wanna know what you're laying in?" Her left eyebrow wiggled and a lopsided grin broke across her face.
"Please don't tell me."
"Kay, won't. Ain't nice anyway."
"Would you help me up at least?"
"Yep."
Ray reached down, grabbed the front of Rhapsody's denim shirt, and yanked her to her feet. Glancing sideways, she looked at the ground and grinned. Rhapsody closed her eyes and turned her head, opening one eye she took a peek at where she was lying. Seeing nothing, she opened the other eye.
"There's nothing there!" She took a swing and smacked Ray in her shoulder.
Chuckling Ray snorted. "Coulda been." Getting up from her makeshift seat she gave Rhapsody the once over. Whatcha here for?"
"I want to learn the business, what you do everyday." She slapped her in the stomach. "That's for telling me last night that owners run their horses to the paddock."
"Damn Fairy Larry." She shrugged her shoulders at her. "It was fun."
"Yeah for you!" She stepped right up to her and looked up in to amused eyes. Seeing me try to walk in mud with pumps on."
"Yep. You want to learn, OK." She grabbed a stall fork and handed it to her. "Start mucking."
"What?!"
"The stalls, they need cleaned. You can start with the one right behind you."
Ray jumped up on the low wall and watched Rhapsody muck the stall. She was enjoying herself so much that she decided that it would be a good time for a nap. Stretching out on the wall, she crossed her arms behind her head and drifted off. Rhapsody wiped the tendril of sweat from her temple, leaning on the fork she groaned at the stiffness in her shoulders and lower back.
"I haven't even done one stall and I'm dying. How does she do sixteen of them a day?" She looked over her shoulder to see Ray laying on the wall. "Ohhh I don't believe her." Dropping the fork, she walked around the wall to the opposite side, stepping on a bucket she looked down into the peaceful face. A wicked grin broke across her face. In one quick shove, she pushed Ray off the wall. Crawling up on the wall to look over was a big mistake, a large hand grabbed her shirt and pulled her over. Two bodies wrestled in the shed row, kicking up dust enough to choke them. Ray had a hold of Rhapsody, rolling her body over, she thought she had the little blond pinned, until she felt herself being flipped over and a small blonde falling across her chest. Bucking her hips up she tossed Rhapsody to the side, wrapping her legs around her waist in a scissor lock she held her down for all of two seconds. She was amazed at the strength of the small woman, who was getting to her hands and knees with her over her back. Wrapping one arm under her chest, she used the other to try and knock her elbow free so that she would fall. All she got for her efforts was a set of teeth in her forearm.
"Piglet! What in the name of the good lord are you doing and with who?" Salvatore stopped in front of the struggling human pile. "I can't leave you for two seconds with out you beating some one up, get off that poor creature or I'll turn the hose on you, not like you don't need a good bath anyway." At the sound of a deep growl, he jumped back and clasped his hand over his heart. "You are the most animalistic thing I know of." He tilted his head when he heard laughing. "Oh is it funny? I don't think your victim thinks so." The next thing he knew both of them were laughing hysterically, snorting sounds were heard and then squeals as Ray bit the person below her in the shoulder.
"Paybacks." She got to her feet then helped Rhapsody to hers. They couldn't help but start laughing all over again at the look on Salvatore's face.
"Lady Beaumont! My lord what has she done to you?" He stepped towards her but stopped when she held up her hand.
"Nothing that I didn't do to her first."
"Excuse me?"
"She was sleeping on the wall and I pushed her off."
His dark eyes widened. "You were sleeping? Well, you just lost a days pay. Let me take you to get cleaned up" He went to take Rhapsody's arm but she stepped back.
"No. It's OK I have stalls to clean and Ray will get paid today."
"Stalls to clean? But you are part owner, you don't clean stalls."
"Now I do. I'll come talk to you later in your office."
He turned and walked away from them mumbling under his breath.
Rhapsody looked down at herself and then to Ray. A crooked smile graced her face. "Damn that was fun." She took Ray by her hand and led her to the stall she had been cleaning. "Since you're part of the reason I didn't get this done, you can help me."
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A few hours later Ray and Rhapsody were sitting at the small racetrack kitchen eating grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. Rhapsody watched when a bleach blonde came up and put her hands on Ray's shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. Silvery blue eyes narrowed, she shrugged the woman's hands from her shoulders and growled.
"Go away!"
"Come on Ray, I can show you a good time."
The woman jumped back when Ray stood from the table and turned to face her.
"No. Go away!"
Rhapsody looked between the two.
"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" She stepped between them and looked into the brown eyes of what she felt was a crazy person.
The blonde gave Rhapsody the once over. "Who are you, her new play toy?"
"I'm her boss RJ Beaumont. Who are you and what do you want?"
"Not a thing right now." She winked at Ray and walked out the door.
"Ray who was that?"
"A nightmare." She picked up the rest of her sandwich. "She wants me and my horse."
Rhapsody jogged after her as she went out the door, she caught up with her and walked beside her.
"Which horse?"
"My mare."
"You mean Turner Over, the one who won last night?"
"Nope. One that she can get a small fortune for if she gets her back."
"Gets her back? You have to fill me in here a bit."
"I had a yearling filly taken from her because she was abusing her. So for the last five years, she has been trying to get in my bed thinking that I'll give the mare back."
"She's got to be crazy, I mean?why would she think that she could get in your bed?"
Ray stopped, and turned to face her with a raised eyebrow.
"Princess, there's only one reason why she would think she could get in my bed."
Confusion washed across green eyes, one brow raised as she thought.
"I must have brain damage or something. Why?"
"Lets just say that men are safe from my advances."
Rhapsody stood there for a second as her mind turned over what Ray had just told her. Her mouth dropped open when it hit her.
"You're gay?" She whispered. She was answered with silence.
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"Well now every thing is ruined!" Ray said to herself after dropping down on to her bed. "You thought you had finally found a friend and now she's run for the hills because she thinks the same thing ever other straight woman does. That you want to rip her clothes off." Pulling her dirty shirt over her head, she flung it against the door with as much force as she could. "Why are you so pissed off Ray? It's not like it hasn't happened before."
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Rhapsody went storming through the house looking for Larry. She checked every room until she came to the laundry room.
"Why didn't you tell me she was gay!" She yelled so loud that Larry covered his ears.
"Who?" He uncovered his ears slowly.
"Ray, she's gay, a lesbian, dyke, muffin diver etc?"
He leaned back against the washer. "And your point would be in this matter?"
She threw her hands in the air. "I was rolling around in the dirt with her and she's gay!"
"Calm down. Now if it had been me that you were rolling around in the dirt with would it matter?"
She gave him a funny look and shook her head no.
"Well, Rhapsody. It's no different with her either."
"But we are both women!"
"You think highly of yourself don't you? Just because she is a dyke, does not mean that she wants to go around and jump straight women. Just like, I won't jump a straight man."
"But I've touched her and she held my hand all last night and I'm?"
"A homophobic little putz?"
Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened at what Larry had called her. Placing her hands on her hips, she worked her mouth a few times but no words came forth.
"I'm?ahhh?homophobic putz." Her anger deflated, she dropped her head into her hands and sighed. "Great pair we make. You're a queen and I'm a homophobe."
He draped an arm around her shoulder and chuckled. "We're like the odd couple. Right Oscar?" He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Come on, lets talk over strawberry cheese cake. It always works for the Golden Girls."
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With two cheesecakes and a gallon of milk gone, Rhapsody leaned back in her chair and moaned. Patting her stomach made her flinch.
"That was very good, but now I feel sick." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and blew it out between parted lips. "How do I face her? I mean I tore out of there without a word."
"You'll think of something, Besides Ray is used to it. Stuff like this happens all the time to us."
"You mean people running away almost screaming? How do you handle it?"
"Not quite screaming, but they do have a way of not coming around anymore. After years, we develop a thick skin. It still hurts but not as bad as the first time."
"I've noticed something about you." She said while leaning on the tabletop.
"What? My clothes clash?"
"No. You're not as flaming as you were when we first met. Why is that?" She searched his eyes with her own and watched them sparkle.
"I use the flaming queen act to startle people. I'm not a manly man by any means, I am what I am and if I can't be accepted by other's, then they are not worth my tears." He leaned closer to Rhapsody. "What about you? I don't hear that Boston accent that your brother spoke with."
"That's easy, I took voice lessons to get rid of it. And now to hear my parents talk I cringe from the way they pronounce words." She gave him a wry grin. "I can play the act to you know, the aristocratic Princess."
She turned in that night, thinking of everything that Larry had said to her and of what had happened while she was with Ray. She still had no idea of how she was to face the tall woman the next day. She felt bad about the way she had just walked away leaving her standing there alone. After long minutes of flipping things around in her mind, she decided to do nothing for now and just take a little time away from the track. She drifted off to sleep thinking of how stupid she really was at times.
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Weeks went by with Ray doing her normal job, she often turned while watching one of the horses being exercised, to see the small blonde sitting up behind the large glass windows of the owner's box. Her expressionless face watching for a few seconds before going back to the track. Even during the nights that she had a horse running, Rhapsody would not be in the same area. Not even when their horse would win did she make an appearance. It took her a while but she finally admitted to herself that she had lost a friend that day outside of the kitchen. Now Rhapsody fit in with all the other filthy rich owners who thought the hired merely peasants to be stepped upon. "What was three days of having someone to talk to?" She whispered to herself as she watched Rhapsody walk away from the window. "A lot considering you have no one else besides the horses to talk to."
Rhapsody stood back at a distance from the large window and watched the gallopers on the track. She came to the owners box every morning to watch the horses run, she talked to other owners and was learning the ins and out's of the business. One thing her title got her was undying kiss asses that would cough up information at the drop of a coquettish glance. She was beginning to see what dogs men really were. Not a morning went by that one of them would not hit on her or promise, to do just about anything for one night of 'rolling in the sack' as they rudely put it. The owner's box was like a singles bar, she heard the same old lines here as she did if she went out dancing. She would stop coming to the track but then she would miss seeing Ray work the horses. The tall woman had a way with the horses that no other rider did, never had Rhapsody seen her take a whip or crop to a horse. Nor punch the horse in the side of its head like she had seen one man do. With the young ones, she saw her whispering in to their ears before she would let them move from a walk to a trot and then a slow canter. What really hurt Rhapsody was that not one person ever approached Ray while she watched a horse being breezed or taken from the gates. She arrived alone and remained that way until she collected the horse and left. At times when Rhapsody would take the road that ran past the barns, she could see a tall dark figure sitting out in the grass reading a book while the barn goat would graze. She had found out that every barn had a goat. Some horses were called stall walkers or weavers and having a goat in the stall with them calmed them down. She now thought of the goats as being teddy bears for horses. From what she had witnessed over the weeks, she knew that Ray had no teddy bear in her life.
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Rhapsody decided to bite the bullet and approach Ray at the track, She had to do this for her own piece of mind, and It hurt her deeply to see Ray all alone every day and just maybe, she could change that. She waited at the side of the track near the test barn for when Ray would bring a horse up for it's morning exercise. She stood silently and waited, checking her watch she noticed that she had been waiting 45 minutes and Ray had not shown up yet. She would give her fifteen more minutes then she would walk down to the barn and see if she was there. She watched as numerous horses and riders went past and still no Ray. Going by way of the back of the barns, she headed towards barn thirteen and keeping an eye out for the tall groom. Stepping through the breezeway, she looked both ways before making her way to the side where all her horses were stabled. She walked down the shed row and saw no one, all the horses were there along with the goat. Turning around she went to Salvatore's office, tried the knob and found it locked. Knocking she received no answer.
"Where is every one?" She rested her hands on her hips and dropped her head in thought. "Larry might know." Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she called home and received no answer. "Damn. What, is there a party and I'm not invited?" Her shoulders drooped, feet dragged, hands beat in the air with each name she called herself. Sitting behind the wheel of her car, she dropped her head down to rest on the steering wheel. Tears filled her eyes, she had waited to long to approach Ray.
The sound of a car came to her ears, tilting her face to the side she saw a white Cadillac, pull near the barn. She watched as Salvatore got out and ran around to the other side and helped Ray out. Rhapsody got out of her car and went running up to Ray, tears trailed down her cheeks at the site of the groom. Her white shirtfront was stained with blood. Her face was badly bruised and her nose covered by a metal splint with white tape holding it in place. She reached up to trail a finger across the swelling beneath one ice blue eye and flinched when Ray pulled her head away.
"Ray?" She questioned, her only answer was Ray walking past her to the office where she slammed the door closed and slid the lock closed. Turning to a pale faced Salvatore, she bored down on him where he had remained by his car.
"What happened to her?" Her green eyes flashing when he said nothing. "Sally, you tell me or for the love of Gods I'll break your nose!"
"Oohh OK, but if Ray finds out I told you, she will break more than my nose! Let us go to the kitchen and I will put my life in great danger by telling you her horrid little tale of pain."
He handed her a cup of coffee and took the chair across from her, wiping his forehead with his scarf he rolled his eyes and spoke for the first tie since they left the barn.
"I was just coming out of my office when I saw Piglet out at one of the walking machines. I see her out there all the time but this time I was surprised to see one of the horses lying on the ground. The closer I got the more I saw and let me tell you it scared ten years off my life!" He raised his chin to her. "Do I have any grey in my beard?"
"Sally!"
"Ohh OK. Where was I? Oohh yes, I saw that the horse had it's front leg up near its head. It had gotten it's leg caught in the walker strap some how and fallen over. Ray was hanging from the overhead bar trying to get the safety release to come undone. Before I could help her, the strap broke and it dropped her right over the horses head. The horse jumped up, hit her in the face and threw her back against the walking machine stand. I grabbed the horse and put him in the nearest stall and went to help her." He fanned himself and took a deep shuttering breath. "She had blood pouring from her nose and bottom lip. You know how hard it was for me to get her to the hospital?"
"She refused even though she was hurt?"
"Threw a fit! I told her that I was going to call you and have you take her. She gave me no fight after that."
"A small smile came to Rhapsody's face when she thought of the big bad groom cowering at the mention of her name. It disappeared when she realized that Ray would not want her to know she had been hurt. "Our insurance will cover her medical bills won't it?"
Sally laughed at her and waved his scarf in the air. "What insurance?"
"You are telling me that we carry no accident insurance?"
"Yes. Lady Rhapsody. Your brother was a nice enough man but he was a cheap son of a bitch!" He lowered his eyes to the table. "Sorry, it's just that I can make more money at my hair dressing profession in one week than I make here."
"Excuse me?"
"I only make five hundred dollars every two weeks, I work part time with Larry at his boutique to make up enough to survive on. And Ray makes four hundred a month."
"Ohh my Gods." She dropped her head on to the table, when she lifted her eyes to his, they were a stormy green. "What would you rather do, work here or hair dressing full time? I'll give you a pay raise if you stay-on."
"To be truthful Lady Rhapsody, my true love is hair dressing."
"OK. As of now, your contract with my asshole brother is null and void. Get a hold of Larry and tell him, I said if he doesn't put you on full time, I will redecorate his room in the most manly things I can find!" She gave him a full smile and gripped his hand. "Don't be a stranger, you know where I live."
"You are a Princess Rhapsody. Thank you." He gave her a tight hug then went skipping from the kitchen.
"Now for the hospital." She called the hospital and arranged for Ray's medical bills to be sent to her. She finished her coffee and headed back to the barn. When she tried the door to the office she found it unlocked, pushing it open she found it empty.
"Where have you gone Ray?" Finding a racing program on the table, she saw that they had a horse in the fourth race. "I'll see you at the fourth race whether you like it or not."
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The night had turned in to a torrential nightmare, rain slanted towards the ground, pounding it with so much force that it bounced back up. The lower area that was usually packed with spectators was empty but for one lone figure that stood at an angle to the rain. Rhapsody watched as Ray pulled her collar up close to her neck and hunched her shoulders.
"She's insane." She whispered to herself. "Or maybe it's the concussion she had to have gotten today." Leaning closer to the window, she waited until the last horse was put into the gates. Seconds later the horses burst forward and splashed their way down the track to the first turn, on the backstretch, she could see Turner Over taking the led and another horse right beside her. As they came to the last, turn all she could see was mud flying and two huge dark blurs go down. The crowd started yelling as the other horses slipped and slid in the mud to try and avoid the two downed horses and riders. The outriders came from the far end to try and stop the now frantic horses. When the area was clear, she saw Ray jump the wall and take off running across the grass to where the horses were laying.
"Oohh NO!" She yelled as she fought her way through the people looking out the window, she ran down the steps and out in the ran. Jumping the wall, she ran after Ray to the shouts of the racetrack guards. When she reached Ray and their horse, she found her sitting in the mud with Turners head in her lap, she was running her fingers across the mud-streaked head and whispering into her ear. Rhapsody kneeled behind her and placed her hands on her shoulders, leaning over she saw that Turners eyes were closed and her mouth hanging open. Tears came to her eyes, at the loss of the mare. She looked up when the ambulance came and carried away the jockey from the other horse. Their jockey came limping towards them favoring his right leg.
"I'm so sorry Ray." He dropped down beside Turner and ran a hand over her side. "It wasn't her fault, the other horse ran into us. I tried, but I couldn't keep her from going down."
Rhapsody watched as the small man broke down in to sobs, he gripped Ray's hand before he limped away. She could feel Ray's body start to shake against her, she wrapped her arms around her body trying to give her some comfort. Her heart was shattering into thousands of pieces as Ray broke down into sobs. They sat in the downpour covered in mud for what seemed hours until the State vet pulled the horse trailer up to them. Ray lifted her head from where it had been resting against the mares. She placed a kiss on the horses head then got to her feet. Rhapsody held onto her arm to steady her, she didn't know what to do so she stood beside her groom and watched the vet and other men load Turner's body into the trailer. One of the men came over and handed Ray the bridle and blinkers before he walked back to the tractor that the trailer was hooked to.
"Come on Ray, lets go back to the barn."
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Ray leaned up against the wall near Turner's empty stall, her head dropped down to rest against the Dutch door as sobs wracked her body.
"Ray, let me drive you home." Rhapsody said between her own sobs.
"Can't."
"I can, now let me drive you, you're in no condition to drive yourself."
"I live here."
Rhapsody turned her to face her. "You live in the barn?" She reached up to wipe the muddy tears from the grooms face.
"Yeah. In the tack room."
Rhapsody followed Ray down the shed row to the door next to the office, she had never paid any attention to it before now. Watching as Ray pulled a key attached to a piece of twine from inside her shirt and opened the lock. When inside the small room, Rhapsody looked at the one wall that had an assortment of bridles hanging from pegs and racks with different saddles sitting on them. In one glance, she had taken in the entire room. At that moment she wished her brother was still alive so that she could give him a very painful death. Her father's dogs lived better than Ray did.
Ray sat on the edge of her bed and clutched Turner's bridle to her chest. Her head dropped as sobs tore through her. Rhapsody moved across the small room to sit close beside the groom, wrapping her arms around her, she pulled her against her chest and rocked her back and forth. She didn't know what else to do but try and give comfort. Looking at the small cot, Rhapsody eased them back so that she could lean against the wall. Long minutes went by with Ray sobbing into her chest and then finally she heard the deep breathes of sleep. Releasing her arms from around Ray, she crawled over her and tried to get off the bed without waking her. One strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against Ray's chest. Looking down she saw that Ray's eyes were still closed and she was still sleeping, try as she might she could not get the arm from around her waist. Giving up she lay down next to the groom and planed on leaving her to sleep when she let go of her. Those plans went out the window when exhaustion hit and she drifted of to sleep.
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Rhapsody rolled to her side her eyes peeked open in the darkened room. With the light from the bathroom door being open, she could see that she was alone. A strong smell came to her nose; she looked down to see that she still had her filthy cloths on along with her boots. She rolled off the bed and rubbed her face, she felt the grittiness of dirt scratch her skin.
"I feel so gross, I need to go home and get a shower." Looking around the room, she wondered where Ray was and how long she had been asleep. She felt her face burn with her memories. "My Gods! I slept with her." Panic set in then dissipated with the realization that she had been holding Ray when she fell asleep. "Just great, I wonder how Ray felt when she woke up to find me in her bed?"
Crossing the room, she noticed a pile of clothes with a clean towel; a note lay on top with her name written in bold script.
My shower is yours, clean clothes and towels for you.
Ray
"She even writes with single words." Picking up the clothes and towel, she went across the room to the small bathroom. Shedding her dirty clothes, she dropped them on the floor and stepped into the shower. She sighed as the hot water washed the dirt and grime from her body. Using Ray's suave shampoo and conditioner she washed her hair and then used her liquid body soap on the rest of her. When she stepped from the shower, she felt a little sleepy but a whole lot better than before. A low chuckle came from her when she pulled on Ray's Levis and flannel shirt. They were both two sizes to big, the only thing that fit were the tube socks. Walking to the door she saw a much bucket filled with dirty clothes, tossing hers in, she dragged it out the door and put it on the passenger seat of her car. She didn't know what Ray would think when she found all her clothes gone but she didn't much care. She didn't want to see the groom dragging the muck bucket across the road to the laundry mat. As she went around to the driver's side of her car she saw a dark shape out in the field, walking closer to the edge of the road that ran beside the barn, she could see a copper colored horse with flaxen mane and tail in the moonlight. Then another smaller shape jump on to its back. What she then saw took her breath away. Ray took the horse through the gliding moves; it looked like the horse was doing dance steps. She was further shocked when it rolled back on its haunches and hoped across the ground on its rear legs. Moving closer she was able to see that the horse wore no tack of any kind. Dropping back on to all four feet, Ray moved it into a four beat canter that made it look like a rocking horse. For an hour, she stood watching Ray under a full moon and felt her heart almost ready to burst. Her breath was taken away when Ray turned towards her and silvery blue eyes captured and held her in place. A clicking noise reached her ears and she watched as the horse went into an exaggerated high stepping slow trot and came to stand before her with its neck arched. The next instant the horse dropped in to a deep bow and stayed there until Ray slipped from its back.
"Sleep well?"
Rhapsody took a deep shuttering breath when Ray came before her. "Uuhhmm?yeah. Thanks for the clean clothes and letting me use your shower." She reached out and softly touched the nose of the horse. "What's his name?"
"Turner's little Katy."
She repeated the name, and then looked to a misty-eyed Ray. "Is this?"
"Turner's foal, yeah. And the mare that the bitch wants back." Ray patted the mare on her shoulder and told her to go play. Rhapsody watched the horse bolt away and go running across the field, kicking up her rear feet and bucking.
"She's beautiful, she's not a purebred TB is she?"
"No, Dad is a Paso Fino."
"That explains the way she moves." She looked up into the sad blue eyes; placing a hand on Ray's forearm; she asked if she was OK.
"Yeah, it's just hard to accept."
Rhapsody wrapped her arms around the groom's waist and gave her a comforting hug. "Are you hungry? I'm starving to death."
"Yeah, I am."
She stopped in her tracks and turned back to Ray. "What about your mare?"
"She'll go back in her stall when she's done playing."
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They walked to Denny's restaurant and found a booth in the back. When the waitress came over to them, she ignored Rhapsody and was all smiles for Ray. She leaned her hip against the table and beamed down at her with so much intensity that Rhapsody thought Ray's clothes were going to burst up in flames. Ray ordered her food then looked directly at Rhapsody.
"Have you decided yet?"
Rhapsody nodded her head; an evil glare came to her eyes as she glanced up at the waitress who was of yet to stop staring at Ray. A wicked grin broke out on her face and she winked at Ray. Ray had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach; she didn't like the look on her bosses face and knew for some strange unexplainable reason that the small blonde was going to play mean.
"Let's see?" She closed the menu, leaned across the table and took Ray's larger hand in hers. "When we get home, I want you to slowly strip off your cloths, lay across the table in the breakfast nook and let me lick my desert off your belly."
Ray's eyebrows rose over startled blue eyes, almost reaching her hairline. A mischievous grin crossed her face, in a deep purring voice that sent tingles through Rhapsody's body.
"Hot fudge Sunday with strawberries?"
"And whipped cream."
They both stifled a laugh when the waitress spun around and glared at Rhapsody.
"What do you want?"
"Besides you keeping your eyes off my girlfriend, I'll have two grand slams and coffee." She snorted when the waitress huffed at her and stomped away. "Bitch." She mumbled under her breath then joined a laughing Ray. "I hate when people ignore me." The real reason was that she felt the little green monster rising up in her and had to do something or beat the hell out of the woman. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at a smiling Ray. "I hope that didn't bother you, you know the little scene I came up with."
"No, I was trying to figure out what kind of person comes up with something like that off the top of their head."
"An author." Rhapsody answered.
"Huh?"
"I'm an author, I write historical romances under a pen name." She wiggled her eyebrows. "I stole a scene from one of my books."
An eyebrow cocked over an amused blue eye. "A pen name, why?"
"Simple really, my parents don't like the idea of me working for a living and if they read some of the sex scenes I've written, they would have me locked up for the rest of my life and then some."
"So the book self destructs when the reader gets to that part of the story?"
Chuckling at the thought of her book engulfed in flames, she shook her head. "If that's the case, the readers are paying too much for so little of a book and I've wasted a lot of time on the plot." She looked up when a different waitress brought them their coffee. A smirk came over her face. "This is too funny!" She nodded her head towards where the former waitress was giving them cold looks.
"What's the title of one of them?"
"Savage Pride." She watched as Ray's mouth dropped open and her face turned a deep red. "What's wrong?" She gave her a concerned look.
"I?ahh?read that one."
A look of shock registered on Rhapsody's face. "You read historical romances?"
"Not usually?Sally?left it in the office." She dropped her head, when she looked back up into smiling green eye's, she had a bashful look on her face. "Lots of cold showers."
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After Rhapsody ate both meals and stole Ray's English muffin, they went back to the barn. Rhapsody gave Ray a hug then walked to her car.
"I'll see you in the morning. Before I forget, Sally won't be working here anymore. I gave him his wish and broke the contract he had with Roger." She gave Ray a wave then drove off leaving a smirking groom standing in the shadows.
"She's quite a faceted little thing."
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Rhapsody was wrapped around the pillow on her bed, she groaned when she felt the covers yanked off of her body.
"I have a bone to pick with you girlfriend!" Larry barked in his all out Queen way. "I can't believe what you did to Sally!"
One green eye opened to a slit, her voice still rough with sleep.
"What about Sally?"
He dropped down on the bed beside her and kissed her cheek. "I want to thank you from the bottom of my frilly little heart. With Sally working full time with me, I have more free time."
Rhapsody rolled over to give him a smile. "You're welcome, he wasn't happy at the track so I did the right thing."
"You have a heart of gold little Princess." He kissed her cheek again. "And I was going to do some laundry and I found something very strange in the washer." He held up a pair of men's BVDs. "Do you have a man hidden in here somewhere and if so is he buff?"
She chuckled at the way he was looking around the room. "No, those are Rays."
"Rays? What are you doing with Rays drawers? And what is Ray wearing right now?"
"I stole her dirty clothes last night. And I don't want to think of her running around with no underwear on."
Larry rolled off the bed and noticed the Levis on the floor; he picked them up and held them in front of himself. "These have got to be hers." He gave Rhapsody a crooked smirk. "You stole her clothes and now you're wearing them to?"
"Let me explain."
She went on to tell him all of what happened the night before, including the part where she fell asleep while holding the tall dark groom.
"Do I see a change coming on?"
"What are you saying?"
"Just a while ago you were scared to death to be near her and now you are sharing a bed with her and breakfast afterwards."
"I know, it's strange. But I feel this?strong connection to her for some reason."
"Uuhh huh, well, I have some interesting laundry to finish." He walked from Rhapsody's room with a huge smile on his face. "In time Princess you will see why you feel such a strong connection." He said as he thought that neither one of them had a damn clue.
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Ray rolled out of bed later than she had in a while, she really didn't care one way or another since it was Sunday and the track wasn't open for training. She had not entered any horses for the races, simply because she thought they needed time off just as she did. Picking up her clothes from where she had dropped them early that morning, she went to throw them in to the muck bucket. She looked around her room but couldn't find it.
"Have I lost my mind and moved it and I don't remember?" Grumbling she looked in the bathroom and still found nothing. Scratching her head, she tossed them on the floor where the bucket used to be.
"I'll be damned, someone stole my dirty clothes." Going over to a steamer trunk, she opened it to find a pair of socks and nothing else. "Damn, damn!" She turned when she heard a knock on her door, walking over to it, she placed her bare foot at the bottom and pulled it open enough to look out. A pair of green eyes looked up at her and a wide grin split the small blonde's face.
"Morning, I have something for you." She held up a MacDonald's bag and a cup of coffee."
"You're a savior, just what I needed." She pulled the door open and watched Rhapsody sway in the doorway, she reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her.
Rhapsody felt her breath stolen away, her heart stop and drop down around her feet. She never expected to have Ray answer her door completely naked. From the first look of the golden flesh, she felt the floor shift beneath her feet. If Ray had not grabbed her she knew, she would have fallen on her face. Ray led her into her room and closed the door completely unfazed by her lack of clothing.
"Someone stole all my dirty clothes." She stood with her hands on her hips looking around her small room. "Gonna be a real bitch cleaning stalls like this." She held her arms out and watched as Rhapsody's face flushed. "You OK?"
"Uuuhhmm?" She pointed to the door. "Clothes." She took two stumbling steps to Ray's bed and collapsed.
"Clothes? My clothes?" She saw Rhapsody nod her head and gulp. "What are they doing out there?" She opened the door and walked out into the shed row. Rhapsody fell backwards on her bed and pulled Rays pillow over her face to stifle the deep moan. "Hey wait a minute, they're all clean!" She pulled the muck bucket in to the room. A low chuckle burst from her throat when she saw that Rhapsody was hiding her face. She leaned over, pulled the pillow from her and grinned. "You stole my clothes and washed them?"
Rhapsody covered her eyes with her hands so she wouldn't see the firm breasts so close to her face. "I stole them and Larry washed and folded."
"Why?"
She rambled with all sorts of excuses until Ray dropped the pillow back over her face. "Thanks, tell Larry he's a real lady." She sat down on the edge of the bed and went through the muck bucket looking for clothes to put on. Rhapsody peeked from under the pillow to see wide shoulders and back very close to her. Watching the muscles play beneath the golden skin was doing things to her body that had never happened before. Her fingers ached to reach out and run down the fine hair that ran down Ray's spine. Ray stood up to pull on a pair of her BVDs, Rhapsody almost passed out when the muscles in Ray's rear flexed when she bent over to slip a foot into the opening. A crooked grin broke across Ray's face when she heard the rough breathing coming from under her pillow. She placed a large hand on Rhapsody's stomach and rubbed the hard muscles.
"Easy RJ, before you hyperventilate on me." She shook her head when the small body jerked at the touch of her hand. "Just like a skittish filly." She said to herself. "I know how to solve this problem." Removing her hand she waited until Rhapsody had stopped squirming from her touch and then pounced on her, she tickled her unmercifully until her pillow was being brought down repeatedly over her head.
"Ray! Stop or else!" She screamed and wiggled all over the small bed trying to get away from the strong fingers.
"Or else what?" A deep voice said next to her ear.
"I'll wet your bed!"
"Ohh is that all?" With one last tickle she released Rhapsody and busted up laughing when the small blonde bolted from the bed and ran to the bathroom. Ray leaned over on the bed and watched Rhapsody struggle with her Levis. A burning started in her chest and flowed down to settle in her center. "Now you're being a big pervert Ray." She continued to watch Rhapsody as she relieved herself with a long sigh. When she came back into the room, she saw that Ray was sprawled across her bed with just her BVDs on. She tried to look away but her eyes had a mind of their own and traveled up the rock hard abs to firm breasts and finally to a pair of dark blue eyes that had watched her do her examination. The hunger she saw in those eyes scared the hell out of her one moment and then next had her knees ready to buckle. No one had ever looked at her that way before, she had witnessed that look when it was aimed at her friends but never experienced it herself. She didn't know what to do, so she just stood there taking in the beautiful woman before her.
Ray felt like the world had just fell and rolled over the top of her, the second Rhapsody came from the bathroom. The conflicting emotions that ran across emerald eyes as they traveled up her body to connect finally with her own, to show a dark passion was enough that if Ray wasn't frozen in place she would have acted on it. Taking a deep ragged breath she pushed herself up on the bed and grabbed a flannel shirt, pulling it on she left it hang open while she slipped into her worn Levis.
"What did you get me for breakfast?" She smiled when Rhapsody was jerked from her self-induced trance by her question.
"Huh?" She asked with a bewildered look.
"What's in the bag?"
Rhapsody turned to the bag and cup of what was now ice-cold coffee. "Oohh?I forgot about that. I got you a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit."
"Perfect." A bright smile came to her lips. She leaned past Rhapsody and took the bag, her shirt hanging open allowed full view of her body.
If not for the table behind her, Rhapsody knew she would have been on her ass the second Ray had pulled the flannel shirt on and left it hang open. For some reason, she found it breath taking, Ray was far sexier dressed like that then completely naked as before. Rhapsody could have sworn her heart stopped the second Ray leaned towards her. She wanted to lean into the woman's body to adsorb all the heat she knew was there.
A little voice in her head was laughing at her and yelling. "Closet case!" Repeatedly. "I am not! It's just been a very long time since I?and she's?" The little voice calmed down a bit. "Ok if you're not a baby dyke, then how come she's got you so wet?" She thought for a second. "Good question, why does she have me practically panting and so wet?"
Ray took a bite of her biscuit and licked the dripping grease from her fingers. Watching fiery green eyes follow her every move. She deliberately ran her tongue up her finger and then licked her lips to see what Rhapsody would do. She was not disappointed to see a bright red creep up her neck to color her cheeks and a sharp intake of breath. "There's my answer!" She said to herself and mentally patted herself on the back for a job well done in teasing.
"Hey RJ, you gonna clean stalls with me today?" She asked around a mouthful of food.
"Aahh?yeah." She gulped when a tongue snaked out to lick pink lips.
"Let's get going then. Lots to do."
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Rhapsody walked stiffly from the room behind Ray, she didn't know what was wrong with her libido, and it had never reacted like this towards a woman. "I have to talk with Larry, that's weird, me talking to a gay man about why I'm feeling lustful emotions towards my beautiful groom!" She continued to hold a conversation with herself until she saw a hand waving in front of her face.
"RJ. Fork, shovel shit." She waved a fork in front of her boss. "I'll put the horses on the walker and you clean their stalls.
Green eyes focused then looked into sparkling blue. "Some how I get the feeling that I'm getting the short end of the stall fork."
"We can trade?"
Rhapsody thought about having to walk one of the huge beasts and shook her head. "Nope, shovel shit."
She had cleaned three stalls and was bending over to pick up a feed bucket when something brushed against her ass. Jumping up she spun on her heel ready to yell at Ray. Two cat shaped looking pupils looked at her, then a long drawn out maaaaaaaa and a headbutt to her hip dropped her into the sawdust.
"Just great, I'm molested by a goat."
"Who else would you like to molest you?" Ray purred from the doorway.
"Something preferably without a set of horns." She stood up and brushed off her Levis. Pointing at the goat she warned. "I know a Greek family that would love to meet you!"
"Uuhh oohh Buck, you better run!" Ray snorted as Buck ran past her and out to the field yelling the entire way. "I cleaned the other ones, the only thing left to do is feed them and we're done until supper time.
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"I am so glad you let me drive instead of us walking all the way here." Rhapsody groaned from where she was laying back on the bank of the Shenandoah river. "You would have had to carry me after the first mile." She turned her head to see Ray's relaxed profile, even with the metal nose brace she was beautiful. Her eyes were closed and she had a piece of grass between her teeth.
"It's not far, I do it every Sunday."
"Have I told you that you're insane?"
"Nope."
"Well you are. Why don't you have a car?"
"No driver's license."
"You don't know how to drive?" She asked shocked at the information.
"Never said that. You yanks drive on the wrong side anyway."
"That's right you're from Kiwi land." She closed her eyes and thought of what it must be like to leave such a beautiful country and end up in boring Charlestown West Virginia. She was about to ask Ray a question when the sun that was caressing her face disappeared. Cracking one eye she saw a tall man standing in front of them. "Can I help you?" She asked not really wanting her free time disrupted.
"I'll give ya twenty bucks ta watch ya suck your girlfriends tits."
Green eyes shot wide at the mans proposal. "Why I?" Ray reached over and held a finger to her lips.
"Easy Sparky, I'll take care of this." Green eyes narrowed at the name Ray had called her. "I gotta better deal for ya mate. You give me the twenty and I'll let you suck my left tit." She had to completely cover Rhapsody's mouth to stop her objections. The man grinned at her, showing uneven rotten teeth in his mouth. He handed her a folded twenty and stepped closer. "Hold it right there mate, let me unbutton my shirt first." With slow fingers, she unfastened her shirt and spread it open much to the amazement of Rhapsody. "All right, just bend down a little in front of me, I'll tell ya when to stop." She sat part way up towards the man and had him stop when he was within three foot of her chest. With a quick movement, she pushed her booted foot out, caught him in his groin and shoved him backwards into the river. Before he could react to being in the water she jumped up, grabbed Rhapsody's hand and pulled her to the car. Shoving her into the passenger side she ran around and jumped behind the wheel and tore out of the pull off area.
"I'd say he got twenty bucks worth wouldn't you?" Ray turned her head and locked smiling blue eyes on unbelieving green.
"I can't believe you did that! I can't believe he fell for it!" She shook her head and couldn't help but notice that Ray's shirt was being blown open by the wind coming through the window. A dark brow raised when Ray noticed where Rhapsody was looking. She knew her nipples were hard from the cool air, but the heat of Rhapsody's gaze was setting her on fire.
"Ya got a choice RJ, either button my shirt or take the wheel."
Darkened blue eyes met green, Rhapsody looked at the curving road and knew if she took the wheel they would end up in a ditch. She wanted so badly to play with fire. She gave Ray a crooked grin and leaned closer to her and slowly buttoned her shirt up, making sure that her fingers brushed the warm skin. She held back a grin when Ray sucked in a shuttering breath with each touch.
"I'm a sick pervert and lightning is going to strike me!" She told herself.
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"Larrrrrrrrrry!" Rhapsody whined as she staggered through the house looking for her roommate. She wandered to his section of the huge house and found him reclining in his easy chair watching his VCR tape of Funny Girl. "I need help!" She dropped onto his flowered couch and continued to whine.
"You know I think you should be saying, 'Oohh Raaaay!' Instead of singing my name, I can't do a thing for you."
"Oohh stop, I'm in serious trouble here." She rolled onto her side and looked at him. "What am I doing?"
"Whining?" He chuckled when her brows dipped down over her nose. "OK, tell me what your problem is."
She told him the entire day in detail from the point of Ray answering her door naked right up until she buttoned up her shirt while the groom was driving.
"Kiss her."
Rhapsody fell off the couch with a loud thump. "What?"
"Just kiss her, if it feels like you just grabbed on to a 220 line, and your knees feel weak, then you belong with tall dark and gorgeous." Looking down into wide green eyes he continued. "You two flirt entirely too much for it not to be a mutual attraction, so don't worry about her reaction."
Rhapsody went to bed, she lay there staring up at the ceiling and thinking about what Larry had said to her. "Just kiss her! Right, just go up to her, put her in a lip lock and hope she doesn't toss you in to the muck bucket." A low groan came from the bottom of her chest. "Could I really be a lesbian? I've dated men for years and now all of a sudden I'm fantasying about a woman. I haven't dated in a very long time, maybe I need to go out with a man and see if my attraction for Ray goes away?" She ran the thought through her mind numerous times thinking of all the men she had dated and tried to picture them in her minds eye. The problem was that she couldn't remember what any of them looked like and kept seeing ice blue eyes looking back at her. The vision had so much clarity that she could swear that Ray was right in front of her. "Can I kiss her? Will she let me?" She rolled on to her side and pulled the covers over her head. "I am really screwed in the head!" Was mumbled before she was claimed by Morpheous.
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Ray pulled the wooden box from under her bed and rooted around until she came up with what she was looking for. Flipping the book over she read the last page that told about the author. All it said was that she lived in Boston and had another novel coming out in the spring. Turning it over she looked at the cover to see a blonde haired woman dressed in the period clothes of the 1800's, she was being held in the arms of a tall Indian Brave with long raven colored hair wearing nothing but a breech cloth.
"Could be us on the cover RJ." She ran a long finger across the picture and wished that what she was seeing could be real. "In my wildest fantasy's maybe, no one wants a low life groom for a partner. Especially one who makes a whole $400.00 a month. She then remembered that RJ had given her an envelope with her paycheck in it later that day, she pulled it from her front pocket and opened it to see the amount. "This has got to be wrong." She looked again to see that the amount was for $800.00. Looking in the envelope she found a note.
Ray
I've given you a much needed pay raise, you will get this amount per week. I'm sorry about my cheap asshole of a brother taking advantage of your long hours and hard work.
RJ.
"Well I'll be!" She kissed the check and tucked it back in to the envelope. "Off to the bank tomorrow, and the grocery store." Striping out of her clothes she dropped down on her bed and fell asleep to dream of a little blonde covered in the makings for a hot fudge Sunday with whipped cream.
The sun was yet to rise when Ray stepped from her room, she had a busy day today and wanted to get a head start on it before her boss would show up. She quickly feed the horses and started picking through their stalls and getting the needed tack for the ones who would go to the track for their laps. On the way back from the track , she would need to stop at the pay phone and arrange for a truck and trailer to meet her at the farm that she used for the horses that needed a rest from racing. She had a total of six horses out at the moment and would be bringing a three-year-old maiden back to the track to start her racing career. It hurt that she had lost her favorite Mare Turner Over, she felt a rawness inside that would take a long time to heal. What bothered her, the most, was that RJ had been there with her when she broke down. No one had ever seen her vulnerable before and she felt embarrassed that her boss being a total stranger had seen her weakness. She was thankful to the small blonde that she never mentioned anything about that night. Chose to comfort her when it was needed but never expected.
Tacking up one of the geldings, she led him from his stall and swung up on to his back. The moment she moved, a sharp blinding pain shot through her head right behind her eyes. She stayed motionless for a few moments until her vision cleared.
"Damn broken nose. Sinus's all screwed up." She rubbed the area between her eyes hoping it would help with the throbbing pain.
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RJ pulled up to the barn and saw that the walker was full of horses; she had hoped to get to the barn early so that she could help Ray. And she would have if her alarm clock were capable of waking her up. Sometimes she wondered if a church bell in her room would help. She had never been one for getting up early and was thankful that her job being an author didn't depend on her being awake at the crack of dawn. Getting out of her car she saw Ray coming in to the shed row on one of their horses, she walked up and held its head while Ray slipped to the ground with a loud groan.
"You OK?" She asked with concern in both her voice and eyes.
"Heads killing me."
"Then why are you galloping today, why not get someone else to do it for a while?"
Blue eyes flashed then calmed when Ray realized that RJ didn't know all her qualms about others touching the horses. Taking a deep breath, she looked into the startled green eyes and gave a small smile.
"Don't trust these heavy handed thugs; they can ruin a horse's mouth in two seconds." She saw the confused look on RJ's face. "A horse's mouth is very tender; they don't need a lot of force put on their mouth to get them to work. Some of the thugs around here yank on the reins and it makes the horses mouth tough. I've seen horses with the corners of their mouths bloody from some asshole being to rough with them."
RJ's mouth dropped open; she pointed a finger at her tall groom and stuttered. "That was?more than?two words!" She ducked behind the gelding to avoid the crop in Ray's hand.
"Bite me RJ." She reached over the geldings back and tapped RJ on her head with the crop.
After all the horses had been taken care of, they sat on the hay bales outside of the shed row and let the sun warm their faces as they drank strong coffee. RJ was about to say something when a huge diesel pick-up truck with a gooseneck trailer came towards them.
"Ray, what's he doing coming this direction?" Green eyes squinted up at the driver. The road wasn't wide enough for a truck and trailer that size, not to mention he was going the wrong way.
"Come to pick me up, I have a filly to bring back to the track. She's to replace?"
RJ placed a hand on her arm and gave her a small squeeze. "You don't have to explain." She turned when the man called to Ray and pointed to the back of the truck.
"Hop on in. I ain't got all day."
Ray went to jump in the back of the truck, but was halted by a strong hand holding onto the back of her Levis.
"Hold on there Kiwi, you are not riding in the back of the truck!"
Ray turned to see narrowed green eyes with gold flecked through them. RJ turned to the driver with an evil glare. "We will follow you to the farm." Turning back to Ray, she pointed at her car. "You drive, since you know where the place is."
"But I don't?" Ray stammered.
"I will take you to get your drivers license, but for now I'm not worried about it."
RJ watched Ray shrug her shoulders and grin at her, they followed the man to the farm that was outside of Charlestown near Kearneysville. She pulled the Mercedes sports car down a long driveway and turned down another road that branched off from where the house was to go towards a huge barn. Ray stopped the car under a huge oak tree and waited for the man to back the trailer up to the barn door.
"She's an easy one to haul, trained her myself." Ray said with a small amount of pride.
"Why is she here?" RJ asked.
"I don't like to race them two young, in fact I really don't want to race her yet but there's a race coming up that I think she can win."
Green eyes kept steady contact with Ray's, she could see the underlying pain and she knew it was because of the other night.
"If you don't want to race her, the leave her here. We can do with the horses we have."
Ray dropped her arm across RJ's shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. "Thank you; I know what you're doing. This race will be a very important race for the stables as well as the filly."
"What can be so important?" She tilted her head up to look into sparkling blue.
"A two hundred and fifty thousand dollar Belmont stake race." She was glad that she still had a hold of RJ, because when she heard the last of the sentence her knees gave out. "Let's go get my baby girl."
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RJ's breath caught in her throat when Ray brought out the filly, she was a tall sleek animal with a copper colored coat, white stockings on all four legs, dark mane and tail, what surprised RJ the most was the bald face markings.
"She's beautiful Ray, what's her name?"
"Spark of lapis. Look at her eyes." She stepped aside so that RJ could get a closer look; a small gasp came from her lips. The filly's eyes were a pale blue color, almost the same shade as Ray's. "It's a rare thing with horses, mostly paint's and pintos have the blue eyes."
"Now your name makes sense." RJ whispered to the filly as she stroked her nose.
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Leading the filly into Turner's old stall, Ray closed the bottom door, hung a hay bag and then turned off the light.
"Can I ask you why that man wanted you to get in the back of the truck?" RJ was both curious and pissed beyond belief.
"I always have to ride either in the back of the bed or the trailer it's self. Sometimes they use a horse van and I'm back there with eight horses at one time."
"Why can't you ride in the truck with them?"
"They don't want low life grooms in their trucks, if you were to go then you would be up front and I'd be sharing a horse trailer with the horses."
"That's not right, not to mention it's against the law in every state that I know of." She came to stand close to the tall groom, with her index finger she placed it against her chest and looked up with narrowed eyes. "From now on, you are to ride in the cab of the truck with them."
Ray raised her arms out to the sides and shrugged her shoulders. "Won't work, as soon as we get down the road they kick me out and make me get in the back."
RJ shook her head at her and chuckled. "I don't understand any of this, you can intimidate the hell out of any one you want, but you let them make you ride in the back?"
"I would rather ride in the back then have to walk all the way back here. Or worse put up with all the horse shit that they would pull around here if I caused problems."
"Have you done that before?"
"Nope, but others have. Or they've been left at other racetracks and had to find a way back."
"Who are these people?" Her temper was flaring, she had never heard of such asinine behavior before.
"One word RJ, Mafia."
RJ's face paled, she dropped down on to a hay bale behind her. "I should have known." She became quiet for a little while, a small smile developed on her face. "I have an idea, let's go in the office and I tell you."
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They sat side by side behind the desk with a legal pad on the desk covered with notes. RJ tapped the pen against the paper; she scribbled a few figures down and then pushed the pad over to Ray.
"We can do this, if we cut back on certain things that aren't needed. One of which was my brothers $150.00 haircuts that he was spending every other week. Who did he think he was Bill Clinton?" Ray chuckled at her and added another figure.
"The goat does not wear loafers made in Italy, eat them maybe." She looked over at RJ who had her brows buried in her hairline.
"Roger wore expensive shoes here? And charged them to the stable account?" She ran a hand across tired eyes and groaned.
"I remember someone else who wore a silk Channel suit here and threw their Italian leather pump in the muck container."
"Don't remind me what a snob I was." A small grin came to her lips. "You know I looked over the figures before and they added up, so I didn't think anything of it, you know the items the money was being spent on. I had no idea what there were." Stretching her back muscles, she got up from the desk and patted Ray on the shoulder. "I'm going to head home, we'll go look for a truck and trailer tomorrow and I'll ask Larry and Sally tonight if they know of anyone needing a job." She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Ray's crown. "Don't stay up to long."
Ray stood up and pulled the small woman into her arms for a gentle hug. Leaning down close to her ear, she whispered. "Thank you for everything." Before placing a kiss on her cheek. When she released RJ, they stared into each others eyes for long moments before the spell was broke by a knock on the door.
Ray moved to the door and pulled it open to see a racetrack guard standing there.
"I was just wondering whose car that was sitting there."
"That's mine; I was just about to leave."
"OK, ma'am. Have a good night."
RJ turned to Ray and gave her one last hug before she walked out into the night."
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Ray looked over the new blue Dodge truck and four-horse gooseneck trailer that RJ had just paid cash for. The woman was amazing, she talked the dealers in both places down thousands of dollars and was relentless when they kept trying to add all kinds of fees that didn't apply to what she was getting. Ray did her best not to laugh when the five foot nothing blonde went toe to toe with the truck salesman and told him he could shove the truck up his ass if he thought she was going to pay to have gas put in it when it all ready had a full tank.
"Well, what do ya think Kiwi, did I do good?" RJ held out her arms and acted like a game show bimbo.
"I'm still in shock to answer; I've never seen any one haggle like you."
"Wouldn't think I was filthy rich huh?" She beamed.
Ray's mouth dropped open. "Filthy rich?"
"Hey being a famous author pays well. Come on lets get out of here and get something to eat, I'm starving." She climbed up into the driver's seat and tried to look over the steering wheel. "Small problem here." She looked to Ray.
Ray chuckled. "Yeah your feet don't reach the peddles."
"Bite me Kiwi."
"You mark the spot and I'll oblige."
"You would wouldn't you." She cocked an eyebrow. "Here, swap me places." She moved towards Ray and crawled over her. "She stopped halfway across and looked into the blue eyes that were within inches of her. "I can't help that I'm vertically challenged."
"I'd say you're just the right height." Ray winked at her and left her sentence open to possibilities as to what RJ was right for.
Pulling the truck next to RJ's car in the lot behind the barn, Ray turned the engine off, jumped out and ran around to the other side to help RJ.
"Chivalry isn't dead." RJ whispered as she took Ray's offered hand.
"I was raised to be a gentleman; Ma would kick my ass if I didn't do this for her or open a door." Closing the door behind RJ, she took her hand and led her to her room. "Just let me grab my money and then we can go get some steaks to grill."
"We could have done that before we came back here ya know."
Ray grinned and pointed a finger at her chest. "I'm buying supper and cooking it. Actually the only thing I can do is grill steaks; everything else comes out charred lump."
RJ sat down on the small cot and noticed the worn paperback book lying near the pillow. Picking it up she saw that it was one of hers from a few years ago. Flipping through the pages, she noticed that certain ones were bent over at the top. Scanning the page, she saw that it was one of the many sex scenes. A wicked smile came to her face, starting to read aloud, she looked up when Ray gasped. A dark head turned her way and in lighting speed, she was across the room and snatching the book from RJ's fingers. She soon found out that RJ did not need the book to finish off the scene.
"I take it that the scene is one of your favorites?" She dodged the book that was to come down on top of her head.
"No?I have only?read it?oohh sod it!" Her face a dark red as she looked to the ceiling. "So I've read it a few hundred times, I get bored here at night."
"Uhh huh. You know TV's are most entertaining, you should get one."
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Wal-Mart was barren of people, RJ and Ray had the store all to themselves except for a hand full of people milling around the isles. Ray grabbed a cart and started pushing it towards the food isles; she looked over her shoulder and found RJ missing. Shrugging her shoulder's she continued on her way. She was just about done getting everything she needed when the hair on the back of her neck stood up and then RJ appeared out of no where to hang off the front of the cart.
"I was going to have your picture put on a milk carton in another few minutes, where've you been?"
"Oohh so you missed me?" Ray almost hit the floor from the smile RJ gave her, she found it very endearing when the small blonde would smile and her nose would wrinkle at the sides. "I was looking at some stuff for the truck; you know air fresheners and cup holders."
"Did you find anything?"
"Yep, all ready in the truck. You done?"
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Ray gave RJ an amused look at all the bags in the back of the truck, shaking her head she just mumbled under her breathe.
"What was that Kiwi? I heard you mumbling."
"Nothing, just talking to myself."
"Or the little voices in your head." RJ smacked her on the ass before she crawled into the truck, leaving a stunned groom standing with the empty cart.
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They made repeated trips from the truck to the office and Ray's room, on the last trip Ray finally noticed two boxes in the king cab area.
"RJ what's these boxes back here?"
"Those are for your room." She stepped beside Ray and leaned against her to look in at the boxes. "I carried them out so you can carry them in."
When Ray put the boxes on the floor in her room she saw that one was, a VCR and the other a TV set. She was at a loss for words; she turned misty eyes to a smiling RJ. "You bought these for me?"
"Yep, do you like them?"
Ray walked towards her and took her in to her arms, she pulled back to look down into smiling green eyes.
"You didn't have to do that, but thank you."
They held each other's stare, searching for any sign they could find of what to do next. RJ ran a hand up behind Ray's neck and pulled her head down to her. Mere inches separated them; slowly RJ rose up and softly touched her lips to Ray's. Pulling back, she felt her lips tingling and a heat crawling up her face.
"Sorry." She whispered as she pulled further away.
"I'm not." Ray moved in and placed a lingering kiss on soft lips. When she broke the kiss, she gazed down into closed eyes. "Come on Princess, I have steaks to grill and you have a TV and VCR to set up."
With the steaks done and all the trimmings on paper plates, Ray and RJ sat on her bed leaning back against the wall watching the movie Entrapment with Sean Connery and Kathryn Zeta Jones.
"Last time I take you to the store, you're like a little kid that sneaks things into the cart when Moms not watching."
"But Ray, you would have noticed if I put a huge box in the cart." She knocked shoulders with her. "Admit it, its better than sitting here looking at the walls or reading sex scenes."
"Now I can rent dirty movies and watch sex scenes!"
RJ choked on her food at the mention of dirty movies, she cleared her throat and looked over to see a wicked grin covering Ray's face.
"Pervert."
"Nah, seen some once, no plot, ran it backwards and laughed my ass off."
Their plates thrown away and now lying on the bed side by side watching the movie, they drifted off to sleep. Ray woke in the early morning hours to see an info commercial playing. Using the remote, she turned the TV off, wrapped her body around RJ and drifted off to sleep.
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Ray woke to a soft snore and mumble near her ear, turning her head to the side; she saw a peaceful face still asleep. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, she watched as RJ pushed her face against her neck and wrapped her arm around her waist tighter. She smiled at the possessive way that RJ held on to her. "You are so precious." She whispered. She lay for long moments enjoying the warm body pressed up against her until RJ started talking complete nonsense into her neck. Losing her composure, she busted out laughing and waking RJ at the same time.
"What's so funny?" She mumbled with a rough voice.
"You talk in your sleep."
"Not. Snore yes, talk no."
"Yes you do on both accounts." She rolled to her side dislodging the clinging RJ. "I think it's?hilarious!" She crawled over RJ to head to the bathroom, shedding clothes on the way. RJ rolled over and opened sleepy eyes to see a firm ass before it disappeared through the bathroom door.
"Gods, she's going to give me a coronary." She rolled back over and hugged the pillow to her chest. She was woken what seemed only seconds later by water dripping on her face. "Hole in the roof."
"Nope, time to get up Princess. We have lots to do."
"Like what? Besides me sleeping for another hour." She rolled over and groaned when she came up against Ray's breasts. "On second thought I think a cold shower would feel real good right now." She pulled back and covered her eyes. "Do you always run around naked?"
"Nope, tried working that way once but I got a rash all over my body from the hay."
RJ's mouth fell open and her hand fell away from her eyes.
"Just kidding, go take a shower while I feed the kids."
Ray had removed the nose guard and felt like she had just taken a pair of blinders off, for the last couple of days she could see the thing and felt like her nose was two foot long. She still had slight pressure from the swelling but it was not as bad as before. She stretched out before she climbed on to Sparks back, grabbing hold of the reins and surcingal, she eased the young filly down the shed row. RJ crossed her fingers that the filly would not toss Ray off. She followed behind her as she took the filly up to the track and stood at the opening to watch Ray do her magic.
Ray took her around the track at a slow walk to get her used to the noises and other horses running past her. She wanted her to get over any of her fears before she would start her off to a gallop. The filly didn't flinch once as she went around, so Ray eased her into a slow canter and then to a quicker pace for her third time around. When she was finished, the filly was lathered and blowing hard. Patting her shoulder she whispered to her as they made their way back to RJ. Sliding down she looped the reins over the back of the exercise saddle and walked away. RJ gave her a funny look when the filly just stood there all alone.
"Kiwi aren't you forgetting someone."
"Nope, you're right next to me."
"Not me you big dummy, the filly!"
"Ohh she'll come along when she figures out that we're leaving her behind."
Before Ray could finish her sentence, Spark gave out a loud whinny and came trotting after them. Ray looked down at RJ and grinned.
"Told you, she knows who feeds her candy."
"Candy, you feed the horses candy?" She slugged her in the shoulder. "Here I thought you were a horse whisperer."
"Nope, horse briber. Works every time." She pulled a piece of peppermint from her pocket and rattled the plastic wrapper. A wet nose came over her shoulder and lipped for the candy.
After putting all the horses in their stalls, RJ came up to Ray with a lowered head. She tilted her head to the side and gave her a sidelong bashful glance.
"Kiwi, would you help me do something today?"
"Anything, just name it."
"I ahh?have new furniture being delivered today and I need help moving some of the other stuff into Larry's part of the house."
"You feed me and it's a deal." She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started walking them to the truck; she stopped suddenly and turned to face RJ. "You can cook can't you?"
"Well, it's been awhile since I burned water and I haven't suffered from food poisoning in years if that counts as being able to cook edible stuff."
"Sounds perfect, let's go."
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Ray had one end of the couch while RJ had the other; they were staggering through the room as Larry directed them as to where he wanted it to go.
"Oohh nononoooo, that will not work there, move over to the left about ten foot and let me see what it looks like."
Two heads turned to glare at him accompanied by growls. His eyes widened and he started to stutter.
"Right there is perfect!" He jumped back when they dropped the couch. "Great, now for the entertainment center!" He clapped his hands, froze in mid clap and took off running through his living room with RJ right behind him. Ray busted up laughing and fell on to the couch exhausted. Leaning her head back, she sighed and closed her eyes, with in minutes she was snoring softly from between parted lips.
RJ had Larry cornered in the kitchen, he picked up a wooden spoon and waved at her.
"Ever been spanked with a wooden spoon?"
"Nope, I was a good kid, didn't need spanked." She gave him a toothy grin.
"Shame, you don't know what you missed."
"You're sick!" She shot around the table and took the spoon from him. "We're taking a break you slave driver!" She waved the spoon at his nose.
"Where's your girlfriend?" He taunted.
"She's not my girlfriend." A light blush covered her face. "I'm not sure what she is to me."
"Well, you had better go get her, because, if she's not here when you sit down to eat then she'll starve to death."
"Wise ass!" She handed him the spoon and went in search of Ray. Walking into Larry's living room, she was just about to say something when she saw Ray still sleeping. Moving slowly to the couch, she stopped at the edge of the cushion and stood between Ray's legs. Leaning forward she placed a soft kiss on parted lips, before she could move back, a large hand went to the back of her head, she felt a warm tongue lick at her lips asking for entrance. Opening her mouth, Ray deepened the kiss and moaned when their tongues meet. RJ felt like lightning had struck her, she moaned into Ray's mouth and wrapped her arms around her neck and pressed her body into the taller woman's. Tangling her fingers in long silky hair, she pulled Ray closer and slipped her tongue into her mouth to explore every area. Ray's hands traveled across a strong back to stop at RJ's trim waist, moving her thighs so that she was straddling her legs, they were able to press closer yet. Soft moans escaped from them as flames rose up and settled in nether regions. When the kiss broke, they gasped for air for seconds before Ray started to kiss the side of RJ's neck.
"Uuhh huh! Just as I thought!" Larry said from where he was standing in the doorway.
RJ would have fallen backwards off the couch if not for Ray holding onto her. RJ groaned and dropped her head down to bury her face against a grinning Ray's neck.
"If you two are at all interested, supper is done and on the table." He turned mumbling under his breath about horny dykes humping on his couch. What he didn't know was that Ray heard him.
"We weren't humping on his couch?yet."
RJ pulled back and looked at Ray with wide eyes.
"What?"
"Larry said we were horny dykes humping on his couch, and I said not yet." Winking at a blushing blonde, she lifted her off her lap and smacked her on the ass before she headed for the kitchen. "I better get in there before you do."
"And what are you trying to say Kiwi?" She ran and leapt onto Ray's back and wrapped her legs around her waist.
"That you eat more than a handful of ship wrecked survivors that have been stranded in a lifeboat for six months on the high seas."
"Yeah? Well, you snore louder than a train going 90 mph, while blowing its whistle through a tunnel."
With RJ still riding on her back, Ray stepped into the kitchen under the watchful eye of a smirking Larry.
"True love, so young and new. Now sit your asses down before the pot roast gets cold."
"Isn't he soo romantic?" RJ remarked before she nipped Ray's neck and slid to the floor.
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After supper, Ray and RJ cleaned up and went to her section of the house to collapse onto her new leather couch, they lay spooned together softly moaning from eating too much and aches and pains from moving furniture all day.
"Roger's furniture really sucked." Ray whispered into RJ's hair. "I'm glad you got rid of it."
"You like my stuff better?" RJ asked as she turned her face to come cheek to cheek with Ray.
"Much, I love the smell of leather." She pulled back and kissed RJ softly before pulling back. "As much as I would love to lay here and cuddle with you, I really need to get back to the track and feed and water the horses." She heard RJ groan; she hugged her closer to her and breathed in her soft scent.
"We need automatic feeders and watering systems." RJ mumbled.
"Or better timing." Ray crawled over RJ and helped her up from the couch; pulling her into her arms, she dipped her head for a long passionate kiss that left them both breathless. "I'll see you in the morning; I'll come pick you up after I feed, OK?"
"Does that mean I get to sleep in?" Pleading green eyes looked up. "Please?I'll clean all the stalls."
"OK, I'll make sure I walk really slow, when I go down the shed row." She leaned down for one last kiss.
"Be careful, I?lo?ath worrying."
Ray gave her a smile, cupped her cheek in her calloused hand and gave her a kiss then left a troubled blonde with her eyes still closed. RJ didn't open her eyes until she heard the front door close. Grabbing her chest, she moaned and fell back on to the couch. Pushing herself back to her feet, she went to whine to Larry.
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"Well do you?" He asked with as much control as he could.
"I think so?Gods I don't know." She covered her eyes. "I've never been in love before. I can't believe I almost told her."
"I hate to tell you this but, no matter what you said, she still knows what you meant to say." He tossed a pillow at her head and waited for her to say something. "She's not dumb you know."
"I know that, it's just so soon!"
Larry chuckled and snorted at her. "And the fact that you're not a lesbian!"
"Ohh bite me!" She got up and walked to the door. "I'm going to bed; Kiwi's coming to get me in the morning."
"You even have a pet name for her, that's so sweet Princess."
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It was 7am when Ray knocked on the front door of RJ's house. While she waited for someone to answer; she let her mind wander to the other times she had been here, the sterile coldness while Roger lived here was gone, there was now laughter and warmness that enveloped you the second you walked into a room. The bantering that went on between Larry and RJ in its self was warming to a lonely soul like her. She found it humorous that they had turned the large home into two separate living areas but still ran back and forth into each other's. Raising her hand to knock again, the door opened to reveal Larry with cold cream all over his face and a garish silk robe covering his body.
"Ray, come in, I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I was indisposed."
"It's OK, is RJ awake?"
"Haaa! You have got to be kidding; the house could fall in to a sinkhole and not disturb her sleep. Do you know where her bedroom is?"
"Nope, you could loose an Eagle scout troop in this place."
"Oohh don't get me excited, all those sexy little shorts on the scout masters!" He waved a hand in front of his face and swooned. "Where was I?"
"RJ's bedroom?" Holding her hands out to the sides asking which way.
"You know after she started moving stuff around and changing the layout of the house I needed a map to find my own bedroom! Roger is rolling in the grave!" Taking Ray's hand, he led her past RJ's living room to another hallway that ran behind it. He pointed to a solid wood door.
"That used to be the main dinning room, Lady "lets destroy the house" Beaumont turned it in to her office/pouting room. If you go through there, you will find another door that goes right into the Beaumont bat cave."
Ray's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "Bat cave?"
"That's what it reminds me of, she redecorated the room and it's all done in blacks, silvers and blues. Most horrid place, not a pink or mauve to be found."
Ray chuckled at the thought of RJ changing the place around and throwing out everything that was queenified.
"OK, I'll throw her out of bed."
Larry took her by the arm and leaned in close to her ear to whisper. "What she needs is for you to throw yourself in her bed and?" The last words communicated with the wiggle of his perfectly arched brows. "Toodles."
Ray opened the door and looked around; the walls were floor to ceiling shelves covered with books and manuscripts. In the center of the room was an oriental rug that had a Celtic design in the center surrounded by blues and silvers in intricate interweaving designs. A large wooden desk sat in front of French doors covered with a computer and all it's added on items. Continuing to the next door, she opened it slowly and squinted her eyes in the darkness, seeing a large bed centered on the far wall she stepped quietly to it and sat on the edge to look down into the peaceful face of RJ. Trailing a finger down the small nose, she pulled her hand back when RJ's hand came up to cover her face. Finding a small ear, she outlined its curves with her fingers waiting to see what would happen. Just as she thought, RJ moved her hand to cover her ear. Holding back a chuckle, she trailed her fingertips across a firm breast; a low moan came from parted lips along with a mumble of nonsense. A small hand captured the larger and pressed it against her breast. Ray could feel the heat penetrating into her hand, as well as other places that caught fire. A low moan came from her when she felt RJ's nipple harden against her palm. Her silvery blue eyes half closed to slits with all the emotions that were flying through her mind and body. More so as a small hand ran up her arm to loop around her neck and pull her head down to rest against RJ's chest. She whispered groggily.
"You've been terrorizing me."
"Uhh huh." Was mumbled against her breast. Pushing her boots off, Ray moved up onto the bed and snuggled against RJ's warm body.
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Hours later the phone that sat on RJ's nightstand rang, blurry green eyes looked at the offending object and tried to block out the interrupting noise. RJ reached across the body that was pressed up against her, and grabbed the phone.
"What!" Was growled over the phone.
"Rise and shine Princess! Or I'll come in and sing every song from the Wizard of Oz!" Larry hung up before RJ could slam the phone in his ear.
RJ threw a leg up over Ray's hip and hugged her tightly, burying her face against a warm neck she sighed. Deep in her soul, this is how she wanted to wake up every morning but her mind kept telling her that it was wrong. She came to a decision right then, she could care less what her mind thought, and it could go to hell and keep Roger company. She gave her heart and soul to the woman that held her in strong arms.
Five minutes later Larry burst through the door, his blonde hair done up in pigtails out the sides of his head, a basket in his arms he skipped to the foot of RJ's bed and sang.
Somewhere under the drawbridge, RJ sleeps.
Until I comes along and becomes a creep.
He reached into the basket, pulled out a handful of ice chips and dropped them all over RJ and Ray's heads. Two seconds later a set of blue eyes opened wide. She rolled off the bed and brushed the ice from her cheek and neck.
"What the hell!" She yelled and then saw a grinning Larry.
"Morning Ray." He pointed to RJ who was searching the vacant spot next to her with a scowl on her face. "See what I mean."
Ray pointed at his basket. "Let me have some of that." Taking a handful, she grinned wickedly before she ran a hand up under RJ's shirt and pressed her hand with the ice chips in it against a nipple. Green eyes shot open, RJ struggled with the blankets trying to get free of the ice-cold hand on her breast.
"Kiwiiiiii?oohh?my?.get?AAAHHH!" She broke free and fell off the bed.
She looked up to see the original culprit smiling at her.
"Morning Princess ice-cube."
RJ crawled towards him growling, lunging at his ankles she missed when he jumped out of her reach.
"You little troll!" He screamed, and then skipped from her bedroom.
"You are not any better Kiwi. But what you did has some possibilities."
Pale blue eyes twinkled. "Is that so, I can think of quite a few thing to do with ice cubes."
RJ grinned wickedly. "What time did you get here?"
Ray's face blushed; dropping her eyes, she scuffed her bare foot across the floor. "7am or so, I was trying to wake you up?but." She shrugged her shoulders.
RJ got up and made her way over to the tall groom, wrapping her arms around her neck she pulled her down for a soft kiss. "I remember pulling you into bed with me, you can wake me up every morning like the way you did." Giving her one last kiss she pulled away to head for her bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower; Larry should have breakfast ready if you're hungry. I'll be done in ten minutes or so."
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Breakfast was a hysterical affair for Larry, he could not believe that the stoic groom who had scared the shit out of Roger, let RJ take food from her plate. More than once RJ drank Ray's orange juice and just grinned at her afterwards. They acted as if they had known each other their entire lives instead of just months. When he finished his breakfast, he placed a kiss on RJ's cheek, cocked an eyebrow at Ray and quickly did the same to her.
"Later girls. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."
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It was second call for the sixth race; RJ was a nervous wreck. She had agreed to walk the gelding up to the paddock, while Ray went to make sure that the jockey had the new silks she had made and to give further instructions on how to handle the horse. RJ stood in the stall running her hands down the geldings shoulder and murmuring to him. She didn't know if it did any good but it calmed her and gave her something else to think about besides having a huge beast next to her. The third call came, she released the cross ties from his halter and led him from his stall.
"Please don't step on me or make me look like an ass." She whispered up to him as she led him from the shed row. Half way to the track she felt a weight come down on her shoulder, she looked to the side to see the horses head resting there.
"You're just a big baby aren't you?" She rubbed his nose and continued up to the track.
In the paddock, Ray was waiting for her; she gave RJ a smile when she came around the corner.
"Any problems with Reaper?"
"Only if you count him using me as a leaning post."
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They stood at the wall and watched as a pony took the gelding around the track. RJ looked up at intense blue eyes.
"Why does he need a pony, he fell asleep while you were saddling him."
The corners of Ray's lips turned up. "You'll see in about two seconds." She turned back to the track and searched the backside for their horse. "In about two seconds that Jockey will be in a world of hurt."
Reaper started tossing his head, cow kicking and striking out with his front feet. The jockey hung on for dear life as 1500lbs of horse threw a fit.
"What is he doing out there?" RJ asked as she tried to lift herself up higher on the wall. Ray took her around her waist, in one fluid movement she put her up on her shoulders. "This is much better!" She squealed with delight, placing her hands on the sides of Ray's head for balance she leaned down and placed a kiss on her crown. Ray on the other hand was thinking of how much fun she could have if RJ was facing the other way. She was brought from her thoughts at the sound of the announcer saying "And they're off!"
Reaper was on the outside slot, he broke from the gate with a burst of energy. His head low near his chest he fought the jockey for his head. The jockey was giving everything he had to hold the horse back.
"Kiwi, why is the jock holding him back, why not let him go?"
"Reaper takes off fast and if he's not held back he runs himself out to soon. The Jockey will give him his head on the straight away."
Watching the horses come past them, RJ could see the strain in the small man's face as he fought Reaper. Going to the backstretch, she saw Reaper regain some of his head and pass two horses leaving him in fourth position. He held that spot until they came around the last turn, the jock dropped down close and gave Reaper his head. What she saw was pure heart coming from Reaper as his head went up and he over took the other three horses in a burst of speed that amazed her. He came across the finish line a full length ahead of the other placers. She slipped down Ray's back, spun her around and jumped into her arms. Kissing her soundly on the lips, she pulled back, threw an arm in the air and gave out a war cry that broke Ray's eardrums.
RJ cupped Ray's face between her hands. "Tell me you have win tickets!" Ray pulled tickets and waved them at her. "YES! You're buying supper."
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RJ stood next to Reaper's head holding the reins, she reached over and took Ray's hand in hers and held on until the win picture was taken. Parting ways, RJ took Reaper to the test barn while Ray went to cash in their tickets. She stopped at the photographer's office and picked up all the win pictures she had ordered and then headed to the test barn.
Reaper dragged his front feet through the sawdust in the test barn shed row, his head hanging and swinging from side to side, reminded RJ of an old plow horse. She couldn't believe that it was the same maniac from just a short while ago tearing up the track. She rounded the corner to face the woman that had hit on Ray the day they were in the kitchen. Looking up into brown eyes, she shivered inside.
"I saw you kiss Ray after Reaper won." She stepped chest to chest with RJ. "You will never have her, she belongs to me! If you don't leave her alone I will make sure that I ruin you!" She shoved RJ in her chest and walked away.
Ray came around the corner of the test barn and ran right into the crazy blonde who then grabbed her breast. Pushing her away, she growled.
"Get away from me and stay away from my stables."
"Come on Ray, you don't really want that now do you?" She ran a hand down Ray's chest and fondled a breast. Ray slapped her hand away and stepped back, fire danced in her eyes as her temper raised its ugly head. "I see that you and your boss have become quite close, she's a cute little thing shame she won't be around anymore." She taunted.
"Lay one hand on her and I'll kill you with my bare hands!" Ray shoved her against the side of the barn and went to find RJ, her temper was about to explode and she knew if they didn't get away from the track that she would most likely kill someone. She shoved past a drunk who was standing in the doorway on her way in.
RJ breathed a sigh of relief when Ray walked towards her; she saw the stiffness in Ray's walk and the internal fight going on inside and knew that there was trouble brewing.
Ray looked into the stall to see the test barn attendant finishing up with Reaper. Clenching her fists, she barked a command at her horse took RJ's hand and left the barn. RJ kept trying to get Ray's attention to find out what the problem was but came up empty. She did something that she knew may get her punched out, she leapt on Ray's back and covered her eyes with her hands.
"Now stop right where you are or I'll let you walk into a wall!"
"Rhapsody! I am not playing around, now get off my back!"
"Neither am I so stop acting like an ass and talk to me!"
RJ felt her relax under her; she slipped to the ground and turned Ray to look at her. Cupping her face with her small hands, she leveled a determined look at fiery blue eyes.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with, it's my problem."
RJ's temper flared up and took over her level headedness.
"Bull fucking shit! Who the fuck is that blonde bitch! I want her head on a fucking platter!"
Ray's eyebrows rose to bury them selves in her hairline, a small grin graced her lips from the fire that burned in the small woman before her.
"To think I let that mouth kiss me."
"Don't try to change the subject on me, I want to know or I'll go find her and beat the fucking shit out of her!"
"All right, let's go back to the barn and I'll tell you."
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Ray pulled a bottle of blackberry brandy from the desk drawer and took a long drink; she handed the bottle to RJ and watched her take a small drink and grimace.
"Her name is Sandra Pierson, I told you about her abusing the mare I have. What I didn't tell you was that I had her put in prison for 40 counts of animal abuse to not only horses but also the guard dogs she had chained inside her barn. The Jockey Club took her license away from her and the racetrack authorities banned her for two years of racing. That went away with her five year prison sentence, so when she got out she went right back to her former business."
"I can not believe they let people like her do a short sentence and let them out to go back to what they were convicted for!" RJ stomped around the small office with her hands on her hips, she stopped ran one hand through her short hair and growled. "Let her try and ruin me! I'll have her hide nailed to a wall!"
"RJ, she's part of the mafia."
"So am I!"
Ray's eyes widened with disbelief, her jaw dropped and worked a few times before her words came out.
"What! You're part of the mafia?"
RJ took a chair and moved it in front of Ray. She sat so that their knees were touching, reaching out she took Ray's hands in hers and ran her fingers across her knuckles. She started speaking while she looked at their joined hands.
"I'm from a family that has been shrouded in lies for years, my father was born into the family and later on married my mother who is also part of the family, but refuses to acknowledge that fact even though all my fathers' clients carry guns. My father's illustrious law firm keeps the mafia kind of legal in their business dealings. You see, names can be changed but the blood can't. I researched my family tree after I found some papers in a family bible in the attic with names that didn't make sense to me. I spent a better part of two years checking out Ellis Island, immigration and every other census department known to man. I came up with a direct link to some of the bloodiest criminals from the prohibition. My great grand fathers were with Al Capon, one of them changed his name to Beaumont, which was his wives maiden name so that he could avoid a prison sentence. Over the years, some family members stayed with the mafia while others escaped. I am one who escaped, but I still have connections through my father." She slowly looked up into blue eyes that had so many emotions passing through them that she was afraid that Ray would bolt from the room.
"So it's true that the mafia killed Roger."
"Yes, he was caught stealing from them. Had been for years, that's one of the reasons I was leery at first about being named half owner of the stables. But the silent owner is a lawful person who ever he is and kept everything legal where the stables is concerned." She brought their joined hands to her lips and kissed Ray's knuckles. Dropping all the walls to her soul, she hoped that Ray could see that she was about to tell her the truth.
"I have never in my life had any dealings with the mafia; I have never been arrested or accused of any crime because I chose to stay away from that side of my fathers dealings. I was sent away to private schools at the age of six until the day I graduated from high school. The money I have is from my books, nothing I own has been bought with money from the family nor will it ever. Do you believe me?" Her green eyes pleaded with blue.
"Yes." She pulled RJ into her arms and held her tightly against her, she felt the small body start to shudder and then small sobs came to her ears.
"RJ what's wrong?"
In between her sobs, she answered. "I was afraid that you would leave me."
"I'm not afraid of the mafia, they should be afraid of me."
RJ pulled back and wiped her tears, looking into narrowed blue eyes.
"Huh?"
"I happened to have a very mean family myself. Ever heard of the woman's Australian soccer team?"
"What has that got to do with the mafia?"
"Ever seen what a striker can do to someone's gonads with one kick? Well, let me tell you about my fearsome cousins."
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Ray hung up the pay phone, and then turned to RJ. "They'll be here in twenty minutes; we'll meet them at the barn and fill them in on everything."
Twenty minutes? I thought they were in Australia or New Zealand."
"Nope, Kearneysville. They take care of the farm where Spark was."
"Ohh, so do you have any other secrets that you want to tell me?"
"Nope, I'm an open book. Let's get back so we can get this over with, I'm exhausted and would just like to lay down and sleep for a week."
They sat on the tailgate of the truck and waited for Ray's cousin's to show up. A set of headlights shown across them as a Dodge Viper stopped next to the truck. Two women got out of the car and approached Ray with stoic expressions.
"RJ, these are my cousins S&M." She gave RJ a crooked smile.
"You're kidding right Kiwi?"
"Nope, that's Sydney on the left." She pointed to a stocky brunette with ice blue eyes like her own. "And that's Mallory." Who had long blonde curly hair and hazel colored eyes. "This is Rhapsody J. Beaumont, half owner of the stables.
Sydney gave RJ the once over and gave her a toothy grin.
"Ya always did go for the blonde Sheila's, Ray."
Ray stepped forward and gave her a bear hug. "Look who's talking Syd." She released Sydney to pull Mallory into a hug. "How do you put up with such a dog?"
"Easy, horse tranquilizer in her coffee." She looked to RJ and smiled as she held out her hand. "I hear you two need some strikers to protect the horses?"
RJ looked at Ray with confusion. "The horses?"
"If Sandra wants to ruin you, what better way than going after the horses. She can slip them drugs while I'm at the track, fix a piss test result etc?"
"I never thought of that, shit! Are we going to have to live like this until she gives up?"
Ray wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a tight hug. "Nope, she'll screw up and then we'll have her. In the meantime, S&M will be here and I'll stay with you just in case she decides to strike there."
"What, don't you think Larry could protect me?" She snickered at the rolling blue eyes.
"Only if they died from seeing him with pigtails and that god awful silk robe!" She pulled her key from around her neck and handed it to Sydney. "That's for my room and the office door, and I'll have you know that there is now a TV and VCR in my room so you can't complain."
Sydney grabbed her chest and fell into Mallory. "Gods have mercy, Ray's joined the couch potato brigade! Any dirty movies?"
"No, you know I hate those things. RJ's phone number is on the bed, if anything happens you call no matter what time it is."
"All righty then, I guess we'll see you in the morning." Mallory took the keys from Sydney.
"Come on you pervert. I can't believe I've put up with you all these years!" She grabbed Sydney by her ear and dragged her off.
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Continued In Part 2