People Will Talk (19 page)

In the week since their discovery in the mud,
he'd called and come by the house countless times. Each time she'd
refused to talk to him, knowing he'd only tell her more
lies.

Still, he kept stopping by.

"Steady, girl." Nora ran the currycomb over
Chessie's coat. The mare huffed a breath through her nostrils as if
trying to assimilate the new smells of a strange stall. The barn
was empty, the other racers having already left. Outside, the noise
of the Association Chaparral Playday could be heard through the
stable's open doors.

Maybe if she hadn't been fool enough to let him
get close to her heart, she wouldn't be suffering now. How could
she have let herself fall in love with such a snake?

So much depended on her winning the race today.
She wanted to rub his face in the dirt, to hurt him as much as he'd
hurt her. At this point, the scandal and the gossip mattered very
little.

Nora smoothed Chessie one last time, reaching
for the comb to straighten her mane. Bret had done her greater harm
than Richard ever could. He'd lured her to laugh, had made her long
for his love. Yet, all his admonitions to take chances had been
offered for devious reasons. He'd even lied about loving
her.

Nora pushed the thought away, unable to allow
herself doubt at this point. She had to go forward, had to carve
out a life for herself. Unsure of whether she would stay in
Stoneburg or leave for a more hospitable place, all she knew now
was that she had to beat Bret.

Intent on her methodical preparations for the
race, she didn't hear her name until it was repeated directly
behind her.

"Nora!"

She spun around and saw Richard in the open
stall door.

"My God, Nora, what are you doing
here?"

Surprised to see him, she responded without
thinking, "Getting ready to race."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" He stepped
forward, crowding Chessie, who danced sideways. "With all the
talk?"

Nora grasped her halter. "Step back,
Richard."

Speaking in a low tone, she gentled the mare.
She had no idea why Richard was back in town. He'd never cared
about the Association's activities any more than its annual
barbecues.

Was he back today to create another scene in
front of everyone? The memory of their last meeting was still fresh
in her mind. After his behavior at the benefit, she was easily able
to believe the worst of him. But she couldn't let Richard disturb
her concentration now. It would take all her focus to win the race
ahead.

''I'm really busy now, Richard," Nora said
curtly, reaching for Chessie's bridle from the hook. Her mind
turned back to the race. Should she have walked the course again?
Maybe a fourth time would have revealed some hidden quirk to the
terrain.

"I guess you're surprised to see me back in
town so soon," Richard said, not taking her hint.

She glanced up briefly. "Ah...yes, I guess
so."

Did Bret know yet that she was challenging him?
Slipping the bridle over Chessie's head, Nora forced her thoughts
away from Bret.

"You know better than anyone that work keeps me
pretty busy this time of year." Richard laughed self-importantly.
"Well, it keeps me busy all the time."

"Yes, I know," she jumped in, cutting his
monologue short. "Could we talk later, Richard? Chessie and I need
to get ready."

He glanced at the horse. "She looks fine.
Actually, I have something very important to say. Something you'll
want to hear."

Quelling the bulk of her impatience, Nora
turned to him. "Well, tell me then and let me get back to
work."

"Okay," he said, looking momentarily
disconcerted. "I've been fired."

"Oh." For the life of her, Nora couldn't think
of anything to say. Cheering would have been too crass, but
condolences were beyond her. She fell silent, still getting Chessie
ready.

"It was completely unfair," he declared,
apparently unaware of her lack of interest. "Benson acted on a
trumped-up sexual harassment charge. They couldn't even be more
original than that! It's a trendy issue."

He laughed sarcastically. "But I know the real
reason. It had nothing to do with groping some secretary. I was
doing too well, showing Benson up with the big management. So he
just fired me!"

Nora would have bet that several secretaries
were relieved to see Richard go. She felt a momentary flash of
disgust at herself for not recognizing his true character years
before. Had he always been such a self-absorbed bore? At least,
Bret had the advantage of being charming.

"That's too bad," Nora said, trying to soothe
Richard just enough to get rid of him. "Well, maybe we'll have time
to talk about it later."

"But don't you understand?" He stood in the
stall opening his face impatient. "Don't you see what this means to
us?"

"Us?" Nora repeated, thunderstruck. "What
us?"

''I'm trying to tell you that I made a mistake
when I broke it off." He stepped forward again, sending Chessie
sidling away.

"Richard, you have to stay out of the stall."
Nora moved to the doorway, pushing him in front of her. He
apparently wasn't going away before he had his say.

He allowed her to urge him back into the
walkway, taking the opportunity to catch her hand in his. "I want
us to put all this behind us. Start fresh somewhere else. I’ll find
another job, maybe in a different state. And you can join me. It'll
be just like old times." Richard smiled down at her
fondly.

Nora stared at him, trying to understand how
any individual could so completely create a false reality in his
own mind. He needed her now, so she was supposed to wipe out the
past four months as if they'd never happened?

"I know you're probably worried that I'll hold
your fling with Bret Maddock against you, but I'm sure I'll be able
to get over it," he said magnanimously.

Nora jerked her hand away. "You don't need to
take the trouble, because I'm not interested."

"Now, Nora," he chided. "Don't fib. The whole
town knows you've been rolling in the dirt with that
cowboy."

"Rolling in the mud," she corrected furiously.
"And I mean that I'm not interested in you!"

"Nora. Sweetheart." Richard tried to take her
hand again but she evaded him. "You don't mean that. I know you're
hurt. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did about that incident
with Benson. But I was crazed with jealousy. To think the woman I
loved and my boss...well, you'd both been drinking...."

"I had not been drinking," Nora nearly shouted.
"And you knew I didn't do anything to make him paw me like that.
You knew! But I'd inadvertently become a liability to your career,
so you dumped me!"

"No!"

"Yes," she said scathingly, "and now that
you've fallen off the fast track, you think I'll let you back in my
life. Well, you're wrong. I just want you to go away."

"Nora, you can't be serious. I need you," he
declared, suddenly tearful.

She stared at him, the peculiar irony of the
situation almost making her smile. If Richard weren't so adept at
manipulating people, she might have believed his
emotion.

"Well, I don't need you." Nora turned on her
heel. She hoisted the riding saddle from its stand, shutting out
Richard's sputtering half-sentences.

She couldn't let him distract her anymore. The
race had to be the only thing in her mind. She felt as if she were
on the verge of the biggest moment in her life. In the next half
hour, she'd prove her riding ability and get her revenge against
Bret.

"Nora!" Richard implored from the walkway
outside the stall.

"Go away." Her hands went through each task
methodically.

"You're distracted," Richard said reluctantly.
"We'll talk later."

"Whatever." She didn't look up as he left,
making a mental note to be very busy in the next few days. He might
be convinced there was more to talk about, but she had nothing more
to say.

Tightening the last strap, Nora straightened as
Richard's retreating steps echoed in the stables. She drew in a
deep breath, feeling clean and resolved. She might still have a
splintered heart over Bret, but at least Richard was well and truly
out of her life.

Taking Chessie's reins in hand, she led the
mare out of the stall and through the walkway to the outdoors. Each
step took them closer to the moment of truth. This was her
opportunity to show the people of Stoneburg that she could ride
with the best and face down the cheap scandalmongers.

She picked up her riding helmet and fastened
the strap under her chin.

Come hell or high water, she was determined to
win. If Stoneburg wanted to attribute a scarlet past to her, let
them. She was here to teach riding, dammit. And for that, she was
well equipped.

I love you, Bret's words echoed in her head.
Nora tried to ignore the tightening in her stomach.

All her life, she'd known that love was bought
at a price. One she couldn't pay.

Nora stepped out into the sunshine, registering
its warmth through her white cotton shirt. She'd dressed to please
herself today, snug jeans tucked into riding boots. She might not
look like Annie Oakley, but she was determined to beat the pants
off every man in the race.

Winning would insure that Bret would never
again smile at her with that crooked, charming grin. He'd never
chase her, never try to pull her close and kiss her silly. In
taking his title, she knew she'd be shaming him in front of the
whole county. He'd never want to bed her again.

As she walked toward the starting line, she
tried to be eager for that moment.

Outside the barn, the whole town seemed to be
clustered around the starting post. Nora walked Chessie forward,
knowing that most of these people weren't aware of her late entry
into the race. She ignored the curious looks and turned toward the
starting line.

Keeping her steps steady, she moved through the
crowd, meeting the stares without expression. Walking the race
course three times in the last few days had burned it into her
memory.

She knew every small stone, every hillock that
might make Chessie stumble.

The course spread out over the Smith's back
pasture, a straight line starting outside the barn and heading down
to a tall, beribboned pole erected at the end of the pasture. The
riders had to grab a ribbon as they rounded the pole. The first
rider to return to the start line, ribbon in hand, won the
race.

Slowly, Nora walked through the crowd, making
her way to the starting line. Noise seemed to ripple around her,
hissing, half-quiet comments. She felt the conjecture, sensed the
surprise and brushed aside the accompanying flutter of anxiety it
brought to her stomach.

A makeshift platform, bales of hay stacked
together, had been created next to the start line. An older man she
didn't recognize stood on the platform, holding a
microphone.

Beyond the platform, several mounted riders
were lined up waiting for the start.

Nora's heart thundered as she caught a glimpse
of Bret, his dark hair covered by a cowboy hat.

"I have an announcement to make," the man with
the microphone called out. "We have a late entry in this race-Miss
Nora Hampton, riding her mare, Chessie."

A muffed chuckle followed his words as a
surprised murmur ran through the crowd.

Bret swiveled in her direction, astonishment on
his face.

Nora moved forward, clamping her teeth together
with determination. Stopping Chessie beside the hay platform, she
swung up into the saddle.

There were ten racers in all, drawn more by the
prestige of winning than by the modest cash prize. Nora urged
Chessie forward, talking softly to the mare as she brought her into
line.

She could feel Bret's eyes on her, but she
refused to look his way.

Patting Chessie, Nora took a deep breath to
steady herself as the announcer began to describe the
race.

"You didn't tell me you were going to race."
Bret leaned over to say in a low voice, as the man with the
microphone talked.

"No, I didn't." She couldn't meet his eyes and
keep her equilibrium, so Nora stared over Chessie’s
ears.

"Hey, Bret!" A male voice from the crowd called
out. "How about the loser has to do the winner a personal
favor?"

The nearest bystanders laughed, the innuendo
obvious with the gossip running rampant about them. Nora clenched
her jaw.

"Bret wouldn't want nothin' from those
cowboys," another man yelled amid the hooting laughter drawn by the
first remark.

"Let's get this race started," the announcer
cut into the raucousness. "Racers, on your mark. Get
ready."

Next to her, Bret and the other riders seemed
to tense.

Nora balanced the reins in her hands, every
muscle taut as she crouched in the saddle. "Let's show them,
Chessie," she murmured low. "Let's make them eat dirt and
die."