Divine Grace (46 page)

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Grace felt like Jack’s words were a confirmation of Rose Marie’s approval. “Seize the day, baby!” Maybe that was what Rose Marie had meant in those last few months. Grace had always thought Rose Marie was speaking of life in general. Maybe she’d been trying to maneuver Grace in their direction all along. “Did your mom encourage you to take more than a friendly interest in me, Jack?”

He grinned at her while the other two sort of snickered. “Daily. She adored you. Thought we’d be great together, and she was right.”

Finding him irresistible, she drew him to her by hooking her fingers in his belt. His big strong arms wrapped around her felt delicious, and the hard muscles in his back were solid as an oak.

“When Rose Marie and I would talk, she used to tell me something all the time. After that interesting encounter you and I had at the dressing rooms, and again when I first met Ethan and Adam, and many times since, the words she used to say would pop into my mind. It felt like I was being encouraged by her to take a chance because there might be something that would last between us. Something worth taking a chance on.”

“I’ll bet I can guess, but what did she tell you, darlin’?” Jack had a big sappy smile on his handsome face. He leaned against one of the thick posts that supported the back porch, and the sun shone on his black hair as he ran a hand through it before he put his straw cowboy hat on.

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“‘Seize the day, baby!’”

Her men smiled at each other and then at her, gathering her into a group hug. “If that’s not confirmation, I don’t know what is,” Jack said, bowing his head. “Miss ya, Mama.” His voice sounded shaky. Grace wrapped her arm around his waist as she went down the steps with him, allowing him to tuck her to his side. He turned to her and kissed her temple softly. “I’m glad you told me that, darlin’, so glad to hear it.”

“I love you, Jack.”

“You’re my heart, darlin’.”

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“Remember,” Jack said, “stay near one of us when we have the stallions out of their stalls and when you’re near the fence. They can be unpredictable sometimes, especially when there are mares in heat around them. We don’t want to take any chances with your safety.”

“I will,” Grace said. “I promise. Thank you for protecting me.”

After peeking in at the foals, her men walked her down the row of stalls, and she got her first look at the two Andalusian stallions. They were large animals and truly majestic, their dappled gray coats a contrast to their dark manes. They looked almost identical.

“Twins?” she asked softly, looking back and forth between the two.

“Same sire, different dams…mothers,” Jack explained.

“And they sired the two new foals?” she asked, wondering about the difference in coloration.

“As the foals get older, they’ll lose that dark coat and gradually become dapple gray like the ones that created them.”

Languir was removed from his pen and taken to the empty corral.

Several of the ranch hands had shown up to help where needed after they finished the multitude of chores that needed to be done. Everyone pitched in, covering for Angel while he was laid up. His parents must have already left for the hospital because their truck was not parked in front of the foreman’s house. Grace turned to look back through the barn at the sound of a pickup truck and horse trailer coming down the driveway.

“Is that Bill and Maureen?” Grace asked as Jack turned to look as well.

“Yeah, that’s them. You okay?”

“So far, so good,” she said with a smile, wiping her hair from her forehead as the wind kicked up a bit.

“Come with me. I’ll get you a hat. It’ll help keep your hair back and protect your pretty face from getting sunburned. We’re going to have to
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make a trip to Cheaver’s for a properly sized hat for you sometime soon.”

Jack walked her back into the barn as Adam and Ethan followed. He went into the office to get her the hat he’d left in there the day they’d brought her saddle home.

“By the way, this is your saddle if you want to go riding with us.” He placed his work-roughened hand on the brown, tooled-leather saddle. She approached it as he looked for the hat, mindful of the company that had arrived. He found it, brushed it off quickly, and put it on her after she brushed her hair away from her face.

Jack took a step back to admire her. “Perfect. For now anyway. Don’t worry, it’s mine.”

“That’s okay. I have it on good authority that my cooties like your cooties. It’s loose, but not very much. Thanks, honey,” she said, kissing him.

“And the saddle is beautiful. I’d love to go riding. Just break me in gently.”

She gave them a cheeky grin as her men groaned and rolled their eyes.

“We should have seen that one
coming
!” Adam smirked as they laughed.

Jack took her hand. “Let’s introduce Grace to Maureen and Bill.

They’re probably wondering where we disappeared to. Come on, darlin’.”

Bill and Maureen had pulled the pickup truck and trailer alongside the first barn. Grace was grateful to have the hat now that the wind was really kicking up. They walked around to the two occupants of the truck as they climbed out. They made small talk for a moment about the trip over as Grace smiled and observed. Maureen was in her mid- to late-forties and very shapely. She had on a cowboy hat also, and Grace noticed twinkling brown eyes under the brim, looking her over as well. Maureen was a very pretty woman and seemed to exude contentment. It was in her manner, the way she held herself so confidently, and the way she spoke with the men.

Straightforward but soft spoken, she had a sweet laugh.

Jack squeezed Grace’s hand and said to the couple, “Maureen, Bill, I’d like you to meet Grace Stuart, soon to be Warner. Grace, meet Maureen and Bill Travers, from Conroe.”

From the barn and the corral, they suddenly heard loud neighing. Deep, throaty, he-man neighing, Grace supposed. The others didn’t seem to pay much attention.

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Bill reached out and shook her hand, and Maureen said, “Grace, I have heard such nice things about you. It is a pleasure to finally get to meet you. I would have met you at Rose Marie’s funeral, but we were cross country hauling some horses to a buyer and we couldn’t get back in time. I watched these boys grow up from little kids, and I’m so glad they’ve found the love they hoped for. Did they tell you I used to babysit them when I was a teenager? Let me tell you, those were some hard-earned dollars.”

“Oh, you loved watchin’ us, Moe, and you know it!” Ethan laughed.

“We were angels, Grace, don’t let her fool you,” he said to Grace, putting a hand on her hip.

“I imagine you were, honey, but I’m well acquainted with your dusty little halos, too.” That drew a loud cackle from Maureen. “But I will agree you are all definitely angels. Mmm-hmm.”

Maureen chortled and said, “You’re right, Jack. She
is
perfect!

Sweetheart, we’re gonna be
good
friends!”

Maureen drew Grace around to the trailer to show her the Andalusian mares she’d brought with her. They were pretty things with sweet eyes and dapple gray coats, just like Languir and Esperer, only slightly smaller.

“Maureen, they’re so pretty,” Grace said admiringly. “I’m really glad I could get off of work to meet y’all today. I have no experience with horses at all, but I want to learn. The guys thought that this would be a good opportunity for me to start.” Grace patted one of the horses.

“We have to head back to town to see family after we’re done here this morning, but we’ll be here again for the Fourth of July. I’ll give you my e-mail and website address, and if you’d like, I can steer you toward some good resources. Listen to the guys because they have a lifetime of experience with horses, and you and I can talk about
whatever
you want to talk about. So things are all right with you and those cowboys?” Maureen giggled when Grace couldn’t help the big smile that spread across her face.

“I’ll take that smile as a resounding
yes
.”

More neighing erupted, alternating from the barn and the corral. The stallions were evidently ready to get the show on the road.

“Better than I could have ever dreamed, Maureen.”

Maureen’s gaze shifted for a moment beyond Grace, and she murmured,

“They’re looking over here wanting to know what we’re talking about so
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animatedly. Let me tell you about my mares. Did Jack tell you anything about horse breeding?”

“The guys told me a little and showed me some videos last weekend, but I’ve never been around horses when they breed.”

“Well, the horse porn will help with understanding the mechanics, but it’s going to be a little different from most of those. It won’t be as rough, easier for the mares. Angel has worked magic with their stallions, and I’ve gotten to where I won’t take my horses to anyone else for stud service. For one of the mares, Peaches, this will be her third time breeding, if we’re successful. The other one, Coco, is being bred for the first time. I think we’re going to let Peaches go first with Languir. Since you’re new to this that would probably be best.”

Grace thought she was doing okay so far with all the breeding talk until Maureen told her Coco had never been bred before. She felt oddly dismayed for Coco, sympathetic. Maureen was obviously a very caring owner and had the best interests of her animals uppermost in her mind.

“Grace, you okay?”

“Coco’s never been bred before? This is her first time?” Grace felt a blush spread across her cheeks and hoped Maureen would attribute it to the heat.

“It’ll be fine, honey, you’ll see,” Maureen said as she patted Grace’s shoulder. “Esperer is wonderful. She’ll be fine.”

Bill came around, and they unloaded both horses. Coco was led into a separate holding pen outside the barn in the shade while Maureen led Peaches around to the front of the truck, Grace walking with her. Peaches was a lovely, well cared for animal, her coat clean and glistening.

“I already washed them and wrapped their tails at Dad’s, Jack. Come look, Grace.” Maureen demonstrated as they strapped the hobbles on.

Cushioned hock straps were buckled around each back leg, with a rope assembly attached to a strap that was fitted around the base of the mare’s neck and connected between her front legs. She would have no difficulty walking in the simple but effective assembly, but would be unable to kick the stallion while he was behind her.

When Maureen and Jack were done, Maureen said, “Jack wouldn’t appreciate it if my mare turned one of his stallions into a gelding with one well-placed kick.” She patted Peaches and checked one of the buckles on a

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hock strap. “It’s very effective, but it won’t keep her from moving comfortably.”

Maureen showed her how they wrapped the tail and indicated the area that had been carefully cleaned at Maureen’s parents’ ranch just a mile and a half away.

“She’s already had her vaginal exam. The test results are here,”

Maureen said, handing Jack an envelope.

He looked the papers over carefully before returning them to the envelope and handing it back to Maureen. “Well, let’s give them a chance to get acquainted. Grace, darlin’, it goes pretty quickly from this point forward.

Do you have any questions?” Jack asked quietly, and thankfully didn’t make a spectacle of her lack of knowledge. Grace’s heart was touched by Jack’s show of respect.

She turned to Jack and softly asked, as she looked directly into his eyes,

“Coco will be all right?”

Jack smiled tenderly at her. “Yes, the doctor’s exam notes an insignificant hymen. The vaginal tissue of a horse is extremely elastic in order to accommodate a foal. She’ll be just fine, Grace, you’ll see. Anything else?”

Grace shook her head.

Jack nodded at Adam, who came and took Grace’s hand while Maureen led Peaches near the corral. Jack and Ethan entered the pen and untied Languir’s lead rope, leading him away from the entrance to the corral as the very loud neighing continued. It was a very earthy, aggressive sound. He stamped his hooves, but he went willingly with Jack and Ethan. The area around the pen was quiet except for his loud neighing and whinnying from Peaches. Maureen entered the corral with Bill and the mare.

Adam led Grace to a spot at the fence that was a safe distance away but where she would still be able to observe. Languir didn’t try to break free from Jack and Ethan, but it was evident that he knew the mare was ready to be bred because his previously flaccid penis was quickly becoming erect and lengthening. Grace blessed Jack for letting her watch the videos the other night because this sight would have been more than she could handle otherwise. She resigned herself to the fact that her cheeks were going to be bright pink the rest of the morning.
It has to be all of two feet long,
seriously!

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Grace thought she was handling things fine so far, but the sight brought to her mind the memory of Adam fulfilling her fantasy last night. Adam helped her climb onto the fence but kept his arms around her as he stood beside her. If the stallion got out of hand, he could quickly remove her from harm’s way. She felt safe in the circle of his arms and she slid her hand over his. He’d placed her at the edge of the group, a slight distance away, and positioned himself so he blocked her from view with his tall body, but in a way that was not obvious.

Peaches’ lead rope was loosely tied to the fence post. Jack and Ethan led Languir around the corral to Peaches. Esperer continued neighing, but Languir seemed intent on approaching Peaches with caution. He sniffed at her muzzle, and she whipped her head away from him, making a high-pitched noise like she wasn’t the least bit interested in Languir.

Languir sniffed her, continuing with the soft nickering, while Jack and Ethan held his lead. He no longer made any aggressive noises. His body tensed as he approached her, continuing to sniff and make soft noises to her.

Overtures. Conciliatory sounds. He slid his muzzle along her mane, nipping here and there. She whinnied shrilly again, whipping it away from him. Bill and Maureen stood aside, observing as he slid his muzzle down her mane again and over her back, nickering softly.

Softly, Adam said into her ear, “He’s been trained to not lead with his cock. He will continue to do this for her, waiting for the command to mount her from Jack or Ethan. Doing okay, baby?” he asked softly, concern in his voice.

She turned and looked into his green eyes, nodded, and smiled. “Yes, I’m glad you wanted me to be around for this. It’s beautiful,” she said as Languir continued his soft sounds. She continued observing him, seeing that he was now sniffing and nuzzling at her mammaries as she made soft sounds of her own, responding to his gentle attention and no longer turning from him. Her body language had changed and no longer seemed to reject him.

Jack allowed slack on the line, and Languir accepted the signal to move around to the mare’s hindquarters, attending still to her mammaries. After a minute, his muzzle slid up her flank, and the side of his head rubbed across it several times before moving to the other, stopping and nuzzling at her hips above her tail as well. She whinnied softly, sounding needy, and raised her tail. She was readying for the stallion. He lifted his nose to sniff her

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hindquarters and then moved to her vulva, rubbing his muzzle there, licking her.