Wrangling the Redhead - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,48

more about getting Midnight used to being handled. She had a feeling that in another week or so she could try putting a saddle on him. Grady and Wade were both pleased with the stallion’s progress, though they were anxious for the day when he could become the magnificent stud they’d envisioned when they’d bought him.

Miss Molly was another story entirely. Nothing Lauren had tried made an iota of difference in the horse’s demeanor. She was losing weight, and her coat was losing its luster.

As soon as Lauren finished with Midnight, she turned him out to pasture, then went back for Miss Molly. She led the filly into the corral just as Emma pulled into the yard. Caitlyn tumbled out of the car, clutching something in her arms.

Lauren climbed over the paddock fence and walked over to meet them. Caitlyn raced up to her, her face alight with excitement.

“Aunt Lauren, guess what? Remember I told you that my cat had kittens? This is one of them.” She all but shoved the squirming little ball of fluff into Lauren’s hands. “Isn’t she cute?”

The black-and-white kitten had huge green eyes, which regarded Karen with a solemn stare. Then she yawned widely and let out a plaintive meow.

To Lauren’s astonishment, there was a slight whinny of acknowledgment from the paddock. She turned around to discover that Miss Molly’s ears were pricked up. When the cat meowed again, the horse edged closer, practically shoving her head into Lauren’s shoulder as if to get a better look.

“Well, well, well,” Lauren said, a grin spreading across her face as she took the kitten from Caitlyn and held her a bit closer to the horse. The kitten was purring like a little engine. “Is this what’s been missing from your life, Miss Molly? Did you have a barn cat at the old ranch?”

As if to confirm it, Miss Molly’s tongue swiped the kitten, which promptly shook itself and hissed at her. Clearly not a match made in heaven, Lauren thought. Still, she thought she knew now what it would take to get Wade’s horse back to her old self.

“Do you have plans for this kitten?” she asked Caitlyn.

“No, she most certainly does not,” Emma said emphatically. “You want her, she’s yours.”

Lauren ignored Emma and kept her gaze on Caitlyn. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Caitlyn frowned. “I guess not. Mom said I had to get rid of one of them anyway. How come you want her?”

“I think Miss Molly here needs a friend,” Lauren explained.

“A horse wants to be friends with a kitten?” Caitlyn asked, clearly fascinated by the idea. “Won’t she hurt the kitten?”

“I’ll see that she doesn’t,” Lauren promised. “Until she’s bigger and until she and Miss Molly are used to each other, I’ll keep her in the office except when I’m around. So, what do you think? Is it a deal?”

Emma nudged her daughter. “Say yes.”

“Okay, okay,” Caitlyn said. “But I can come see her, right?”

“Anytime you want. Have you named her yet?”

Caitlyn shook her head. “Mom said it would be harder to give her up if she had a name.”

Lauren grinned at Emma. “Your mom is a very smart woman. What would you think if we called her Good Golly?”

“That’s a funny name,” Caitlyn said, her nose wrinkled as she considered it.

Emma chuckled. “I get it.” She looked at her daughter. “There was a very popular song way back in the fifties, ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly.”’

“Then together they’d have the name of the song,” Caitlyn concluded. “Cool.”

“Definitely cool,” Lauren agreed. She could hardly wait to share the news with Wade.

Something was up with Lauren. She’d been casting strange looks his way all through dinner. Wade couldn’t get a grip on what was going on. When he asked, she just mumbled some nonsense about having had a great day and refused to say another word.

But as soon as dinner was over and the dishes were cleared away, she announced casually, “I think I’ll take a walk down to the barn. Want to come along, Wade?”

“I spent all day on a horse. Why would I want to go see more of them?” he grumbled.

“Trust me,” she said with a suggestive wink. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

His lack of enthusiasm vanished in a heartbeat. “Now that’s an invitation a man would have to be insane to turn down,” he said, and followed her outside.

It was a hot, still night with no evidence that it was likely to cool down. Wade would have been perfectly happy