“I should think you’d be glad someone who really cares about the Kendall bought it,” she said. “It could have gone to a developer who would raze the house and subdivide it into apartments or condos.”
She left him then and went into the house. She had work to do and she was grossly behind getting started.
* * *
THIS WAS NOT the homecoming Jace expected.
Rushing forward, he headed for Ari. When the boy saw him coming, he took off and ran for him. His weak leg dragged a little behind, but Ari compensated. Already Jace thought he was doing better. He hadn’t had a problem with his asthma today; surely Kelly would have told him if Ari had had restricted breathing.
“Dad, can we go in the barn?” he asked, instinctively taking his hand and pulling him in that direction.
“Let’s go look at where the horses used to live,” Jace said.
“Wow! Horses!”
The barn was a few hundred feet from the house. While the weather last night had been wet, the grass under their feet was already dry. Jace thought the silence was eerie. Back in his day, he should have heard the horses by now.
Jace pulled the barn door open all the way, waiting a moment for his eyes to adjust before stepping into the dim light. Ari scampered forward, eager to see.
The faint scent of horse manure and cleanser permeated the air. Jace frowned as anger stole over him. The horses had been his sanctuary. How dare Sheldon let the Kendall fall apart to the point where there were no horses here.
Their great-great-grandfather had provided for the upkeep of the house by investing in and training horses, race horses especially. Evidently, he was very good at it since he forged a legacy that had continued for generations. It was Sheldon’s legacy and Jace’s, too—no matter what his father thought—to keep it alive by offering the best in boarding and rearing horses. And now they were gone.
“Where are the horses, Dad? Are they all in Texas?”
Ari had no concept of the size of the United States. Texas could have been on the other side of the barn as far as he knew. He’d seen horses on television and the logic of a four-year-old jumped to explain.
“I don’t know where they are, Ari.”
“We’ll have to ask Kelly,” he said positively. “She will know.”
Jace doubted that.
* * *
KELLY MASSAGED HER temples as she studied father and son from her office window. They disappeared around the side of the horse barn. She knew Jace loved horses. He’d ride as if the devil himself was after him, but then he’d spend an hour in the barn, making sure to cool down the treasured animal.
Eventually, she wanted to have horses boarding here, and if possible, expand the operation even further. Some day she planned on having allowance races run here, and eventually move up to stakes races. But she had other things to do with the small amount of money she still had in her account.
Telling herself she’d deal with Jace later, she pulled her hair into a long ponytail and went to the library. It was the last unfinished room in the house. It needed to be painted and decorated.
With all the prep work done, it was time to put the paint on the walls. Kelly scrubbed her roller up and down in the pan to prevent drips and raised it to the wall. The soft blue transformed the space. She liked it already. The steady action gave her time to think.
What was she going to do with Jason Kendall and his son? And why did she believe it was her duty to do anything? Jace was a grown man. He had to be nearing thirty by now. He seemed to be responsible, at least where Ari was concerned. She’d given them one night only. He should be searching for a new place to stay, instead of hanging out at an estate he never owned. His own father mustn’t have thought much of him to do that to him. That was the rumor Kelly had heard. She’d felt sorry for Jace at the time. She realized that as a kid she’d been caught up in how things looked around here. That just because the Kendalls had a lovely house and lovely horses, didn’t mean their family was any less troubled than hers. It occurred to her that there were some old files and family photos she’d moved into the attic, since the sale of the property had included all of the furnishings.
It was as if Sheldon had walked away with only the clothes on his back. She supposed she should give those items to Jace.
The blue wall looked beautiful. She stepped back, analyzed her work. Smiling, she thought when the books were brought back into the room, it would be a welcome place to sit and read.
Kelly dropped her shoulders. She felt an allegiance to Jace, although that made no sense. She hadn’t known him well while they were growing up, but he was a Kendall. And this had been his home once.
Maybe she should give him a job. The place could use his help. He could stay until he found a place of his own.
Stepping back, she said, “Yes, that works.” Though her eyes were on the wall, she was talking about Jace.
“Kelll-ly!”
She heard Ari’s sweet voice calling her name.
“Down here,” she hollered.
She heard footsteps running toward the room. The door was already open for ventilation. Ari found her and rushed forward.
“Don’t run,” she told him, lifting a hand to catch him.
Too late. His little body sailed across the drop cloth. His feet came out from under him and he slipped, momentum carrying him several feet before he stopped.
Jace was on his heels behind him. Kelly grabbed the paint tray and held it still. Then she faced Jace.
“Are you all right?” she asked the child.
Ari looked up. “That was fun. Can I do it again?”
Jace let out the breath he must have been holding. “No, you cannot,” he said.
Kelly, who was on her knees, sat back on her legs. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Ari nodded.
Jace looked at the walls and immediately took in the one Kelly had been working on. “Did he do any damage?”
“I don’t think so. But he might have a bruise tomorrow on his legs. There’s hardwood under this tarp.”
Jace examined Ari, pulling his pant leg aside and looking at him.
“Dad,” Ari protested and pulled his clothes back. “Not in front of her.” His voice was a stage whisper.
Kelly turned her head. “I won’t look. I promise.”
“I think you’ll live,” Jace said several seconds later.
“Where are the horses?” Ari asked.
Subject changes were no problem for four-year-olds Kelly was finding.
“We went to the horse barn,” Jace explained. “It’s empty.”
“Well, Ari, the former owner sold the horses in an attempt to pay off the debt on the Kendall.”
Jace’s jaw clenched. She understood his frustration. Since arriving here, everything he thought he knew was gone, starting with Laura. And although Kelly had nothing to do with any of it, she could see that this proud man was hurting.
“What are we gonna do now, Dad?” Ari, unaware of any of the adults’ feelings, was ready for the next adventure.
“Ari, would you like to see some pictures of horses?” she asked.
“Wow, yeah.”
“They’re on the table in the big living room down the hall. Do you remember where that is?”
He looked at his dad as if Jace might deny the chance to him. Jace nodded.
“Yes. I remember.” Ari started to move, but Jace restrained him.
“Walk,” his father said.
The little boy walked out of the room with both adults watching him.
“I have a proposal for you,” she told Jace.
“What is it?”
She saw him stiffen. “You’re an engineer?”
He nodded.
“What kind of engineer?”
“Civil,” he said, his voice almost a challenge.
“Does that mean you know about bridges and roads, things like that?”
“It does. I also know about water lines and—”
“How about construction?” she interrupted.
“Some.”
“I’d like to offer you a job.”
“What?”
“Do you have one? Someplace to go? I thought your showing up here last night was the last stop on a long journey.”
“It was,” he said. “What kind of job?”
“As an engineer, of sorts. Although, I can’t pay you what an engineer probably makes, I can offer room and board for you and Ari and a small wage. You can consider it temporary until you find something better.”
He mulled that over for a moment. “What do I do?”
“You help me get the rest of this property in shape.”
He looked around the library. The ceiling and trim work had been done. She was making headway on the walls. The shelves were gleaming white and leaning against a door on the other side of the room.
“It looks like you have everything under control.” His gaze swept back to her.
“Don’t go by the condition of the house. I have some serious issues that need attention.”
“Like what?”
“Irrigation, for one. You said you knew about water. I want to make sure there’s proper runoff and drainage for the pastures and build safer pathways around the grounds.”
“You expecting a lot of visitors?”
“Yes, hopefully,” she said. “What about it? Will you take the job?”
“Dad!” Ari came bounding back, running fast and hard. He stopped just before careening into Jace. “Can I get my own horse?”