Chapter Thirty-Four Ivy
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Ivy
" I sent Rowan the stats on my Angel baby already, he seems excited."
Wade looks at me and opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "Yes, my girl already has a nickname. I'm so excited to start working with her I could die." I smile wide, and it must be contagious because those dimples I cannot get enough of are in full force on Wade's face.
"There are a few others we could work with if he passes," he says as we walk. "I've already sent out emails to a few to introduce us, just in case."
I nod, although I don't think we'll need to—Rowan seemed very interested in working with Silver Pines.
"There she is, go see her." Wade rubs my back, giving my shoulder a little squeeze, and points with the documents and the book in his other hand to Angel.
As I start to walk, he motions with his head for the registration table in the next building.
"I'll go call Morgan and get us settled with the auction house and the forms for the AQTA. You visit with her, get acquainted, I'll be right back," he says, leaving to call our agent.
I greet Silver Pines' new baby—my new baby—and spend the next few minutes reiterating to myself over and over that I can do this, that she's the one, that my gut instinct is right, that we didn't just spend over half a million dollars on the wrong horse. The moment my hand connects with her my confidence returns. I instantly know I can work my magic with her
"You are the one, ain't you, baby?" I ask her.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from the moment.
GINGER
What do you call a woman horse?
I smile. I'm starting to love having friends.
A filly, until she's four. Then she's a mare.
GINGER
Fuck yes, well, like I always say, if you want something done right, get a woman on the job. Especially an angel filly.
OLIVIA
Yes, angel energy. You've got this Ivy!
CECE
I had to tell them. Congratulations!
News travels fast in this family
CECE
I held it in as long as I could, Nash told me this was the horse a few hours ago, I'm so excited for you.
A few hours ago? We just bought this horse forty minutes ago. My cheeks heat as my brain registers that Wade made this decision with them before we even sat down at the start of the auction. And for some reason, that feeling warms my whole body from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, and scares the shit out of me all at the same time. He's so sure in his belief in me, I'm going to have to live up to that now.
GINGER
We're gonna be the hottest bitches the Kentucky Derby's ever seen.
First we have to train her and win a shit load of preliminary races. I'm freaking out a little.
OLIVIA
You and Angel's Wings are gonna knock 'em dead. She's already a badass and so are you
GINGER
You've definitely had a productive day today babe. Maybe your boss will give you some kind of bonus for finding the right horse?
CECE
Please, I beg you, message this shit in private
OLIVIA
They've already been there all weekend, who's to say he hasn't already?
GINGER
CeCe, earmuffs please
CECE
FFS Muting this chat
GINGER
At this point, I feel like you just plain owe it to us to find out if he's the type of man we've always thought he is. Definitely BDE, and maybe a bit of a freak under that serious scowl.
OLIVIA
Agreed.
GINGER
Remember when we used to peek out the crack in CeCe's bedroom door when we knew he was in the shower?
OLIVIA
Those two seconds he walked by with a towel on the way to his room were worth putting up with CeCe going on and on about leaving Jason Westman the whole summer before college.
GINGER
Ivy you are the one, young grasshopper. Save a horse, purely so we can put the topic of Wade's BDE to rest.
CECE
You two are such assholes. I knew you were using me all those years.
GINGER
We've put our time in. We deserve to know now, just sayin'
I have no plans to be your Not Angels science experiment. And for the record, Wade has been a perfect gentleman today.
GINGER
What about yesterday?
I suppress a giggle and put my phone back. Just as I do, my eyes find Wade two stalls away, all finished with his phone call. As I stand frozen, watching him walk toward me with his sure, steady pace, a flannel jacket and his tattered cowboy hat low over his eyes, my heart rate begins to speed up. Nothing about him seems unintentional, or nonchalant, not even his stride.
His jaw sets as his eyes meet mine and he smirks at me.
BDE? Check.