On the Hunt - Page 51

“It will be another twenty or thirty minutes. Tell Fiona I said hello, and that Kalim is still not offering to sell me another horse, so she should make do with the prize horses I’ve already given her.”

“Too bad. Much as she loves her own horses, Kalim’s would have been special to her. She’s not going to like it.”

“Neither did I,” Harlan said ruefully. “There’s one stallion in that herd Adan showed me that first day that I would have paid a fortune to own. Maybe if I do something to make your old friend Kalim develop a special fondness for me…”

“Don’t count on it.” Kira shook her head. “I believe you’re talking about Sinbad, and he’s not going to sell him no matter what you offer. He’s already refused an offer of more than a million dollars from some billionaire sheik; he didn’t think twice. Besides the money obstacle, Sinbad is impossible to ride. All the herders have failed.”

“Even you?”

She nodded. “I stayed on him longer than anyone else. But I didn’t want to break his spirit. He’s so wild that I was afraid it might even kill him. It happens sometimes with a horse that willful. I didn’t want to take the chance with such a valuable horse. Kalim would kill me.”

Harlan sat back and smiled at her. “But you wouldn’t give a damn about Kalim’s reaction, would you? Admit it, you love that horse. There wasn’t a chance in hell that you’d risk him.”

She nodded. “What can I say? He’s glorious. I’d fight anyone who tried to harm him. You’d feel the same way. But then so does Kalim. So you can see why I told you to forget about owning him.”

“I understand.” He was still frowning thoughtfully. “You’re an expert. What kind of rider would it take to tame Sinbad?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “You’re impossible. Didn’t you hear me? Forget it.”

“But I have such a good memory, and you can never tell what will trigger it. We’ll see…” Harlan went back to molding his biscuits.

Kira was still smiling when she finally reached Fiona at Summer Island. “Good morning, Fiona. I was just talking to Harlan about the conversation the two of you had yesterday. I believe you’d better give up on getting one of Kalim’s horses for your stable. He’s been trying, but it looks like Kalim is very stubborn. Still, Harlan said your own training is going splendidly.”

“Of course it is,” Fiona said. “I’m doing everything I can, and you have fantastic people here to help me. But after you told me how wonderful Kalim’s stable is, it would be nice to see what they’re like.” She added, “And Harlan might be able to pull it off. He mentioned a certain stallion…”

“And he’ll try, but don’t get your hopes up. He’s very busy with that underwater sled he’s working on. It’s quite wonderful.”

“He’s always wonderful,” Fiona said. “And I’ll be happy just having him come back here and see how good I’m becoming with my own horses. I don’t want him to think I’m not grateful.” She laughed. “And I think Domino misses you. There are definitely signs that he’s in mourning.”

“I don’t believe you. He’s your horse and I’m just a visitor at the gates. Though I will be glad to see him again.”

“So when will you be back?”

“Soon. I do have some work to do here on Kalim’s island before I leave.”

“Then you should let me come to meet Kalim. We could ride together, and maybe I could persuade him to let me ride one of his own horses in the next Olympics. Think how he’d like all the fanfare over one of his herd.”

“Probably not at all,” Kira told her. “I’m not certain he recognizes even the Olympics as worthy of his precious horses.”

“Then I’ll educate him.”

“We’ll see. Are all of Harlan’s men on the island taking good care of you?”

“Naturally, of course. All those soldiers and grooms trail around after me everywhere on Summer Island. But it’s not like having you or Harlan here. Think about having me come to you, won’t you? I have so much to show you.”

“And you hope I have an equally vast amount to show you,” Kira said teasingly, “right?”

“I admit it. But it does sound like you and Harlan are getting along just fine without me.” She was laughing. “And you know how I like to be the center of attention. Can’t you arrange that for me?” She went silent for an uneasy moment. “You two are getting along well, aren’t you? I wasn’t sure the day you left here. There were certain… vibes.”

Vibes and fire and sheer sexual desire.

Kira had a sudden memory of the night she had just spent in Harlan’s arms, but she wasn’t about to mention that to Fiona. It was far too early in her relationship with Harlan, and it might upset the niece who clearly adored him. Instead, she said cautiously, “We appear to be. And we do have you in common. That’s a very good thing.”

“That’s true,” Fiona said. “So keep that in mind next time I talk to you about persuading Harlan to bring me to see both of you.”

“You’re impossible.” Kira chuckled. “And it’s time for me to go have my breakfast. Take care of yourself. I’ll try to call you tomorrow.” She cut the connection and jumped to her feet, then walked over to the fire to sit down beside Harlan. “You were right: Fiona is very determined about Kalim’s horses. But she seems to be taking everything else in stride about her own horses on Summer Island. And she takes wonderful care of them wherever they are. I suppose you know that about her?”

He nodded. “How could I not? Having them helped her survive—it helped her block all the pain and fear. She became almost another person.”