Page 43 of A Fine Scottish Spell (The Magical Matchmakers of Seven Cairns #2)
V inemagic Horse Farms
Lexington, Kentucky
Dr. Lexington “Lexi” Vine strolled down the center aisle of the main barn, breathing in the sweet perfume of healthy horses, clean stalls, and future derby champions in the making.
Thumbs hooked in the pockets of her jeans, she tried to roll the day’s tension from her shoulders and almost… almost succeeded.
She really had no excuse to feel stretched tighter than a fiddle string.
It had been a good day. Three new foals.
Excellent bloodlines, robust babies that their mamas had readily accepted.
Yet the feeling of being wound too tight wouldn’t go away, and she didn’t know why.
She had been this way ever since Mammaw died, and she had inherited the status of the sole family member left to run the extraordinarily successful Vinemagic Horse Farms.
Maybe that was what it was, but deep down, she felt like it was more than just grief or the weight of extra responsibilities.
It was an odd restlessness that made little sense.
Maybe it was because her grandmother, Mammaw in southern speak, had been a force to be reckoned with and left behind an impossible set of boots to fill.
Old money and a high society southern belle, nobody crossed Mammaw.
If they did, there wouldn’t be enough of their reputation left to pray over by the time Mammaw finished with them.
The Bluegrass Region respected Lexi well enough as a trainer, horse rehabilitator, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine—but she was no Mammaw, and she knew it.
She allowed herself a sad smile. Mammaw would tell her it was all right.
If everyone were a Mammaw , where would the fun in that be?
So how could this itchy-twitchy restlessness be from following in Mammaw’s footsteps?
A familiar, mud-spattered pickup truck backfired as it pulled up in front of the wide-open doors at the front of the main barn.
The building was the largest of four that housed, bred, and trained so many winning thoroughbreds they’d had to enlarge the trophy room.
Lexi’s friend, Maggie Siriton, also a vet, climbed out of the truck.
She was covered in nearly as much mud as her vehicle.
“Hey, Lexi! Come look. I brought you something I came across down in the bottoms.”
Maggie had a habit of rescuing any varmint she came across. There was no telling what she had in the back of that pickup.
“No snapping turtles,” Lexi warned as she joined her friend outside. “Remember?”
Maggie lifted both hands in surrender. “One time, I bring you a poor old snapping turtle, and you never let me forget it.” She tipped a nod at the truck bed. “Seven puppies. And the mama dog. I figure somebody dumped them down there by the creek.”
“I hate people.” Lexi shook her head at the sweet, floppy-eared hound with the soulful eyes.
The dog, along with seven puppies that hadn’t even opened their eyes yet, filled the animal carrier to overflowing.
“Luckily for you, mama dog, we’ve got room in the kennels,” she said.
“You and your babies will need to be in isolation for a while until all the tests come back, but at least you’ll be warm, dry, and fed.
And there’ll be plenty of cuddles too.” She turned to Maggie.
“You’re going to help me with this bunch, right?
You know they’ll need worming, bathing, and, from the looks of them, a lot of attention while we make sure they’re healthy. ”
“You know I’ll help.” Maggie reached into the carrier and rubbed the dog’s ears.
“And when it comes time to place them, I won’t leave you high and dry either.
” She offered Lexi a broad smile. “I even brought lunch to bribe you. Mom sent over her famous fried chicken, hash brown casserole, and peach cobbler.”
“Sold!” Lexi gave Maggie a high five. “Drive around to the kennels. Sam is back there. I’m sure he’ll fall in love with them.
He can get them settled, and we’ll give them a good look over after we enjoy your mama’s most thoughtful and scrumptious lunch.
Meet me in my office. I’ve got a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge. ”
“Back in a few.”
Lexi wasn’t mad about today’s rescue. Anger at whoever had done that to the poor dog, and the pups simmered low and steady deep in her gut, but she didn’t mind taking the animals in and giving them the care and attention they deserved. She headed to her office in the main barn.
Settling down at her desk, she scooped up the tarot card spread she’d been studying during a break when word of the newest foal had called her to the barn.
The cards had belonged to Mammaw, and whenever Lexi shuffled them and dealt the spreads, it was almost as if her grandmother was right there with her, a hand on her shoulder, pointing out the cards and either crowing with glee or groaning about what the symbols foretold.
They had shared this love of tarot, and more often than not, the cards never lied.
Sometimes the meanings were a little unclear, but once they happened, it was easy to see the symbols’ advice and warnings had been accurate.
“What’s Mammaw got to say today?” Maggie asked as she lumbered into the room with a cooler so large she had to turn sideways to get through the door.
Lexi hurried over and grabbed one of the cooler’s handles, and together, they toted it to the table in front of the large picture window overlooking the training paddock. “Holy crap. Did your mom pack enough for the entire crew?”
Maggie laughed as she opened the lid. “Well, you know she did. There’s probably not a chicken left in Kentucky. She fried them all. And this isn’t the only cooler. There’s another in the truck. I told Sam to get it and pass the food around to everyone working today.”
Lexi leaned over the chest and breathed in the mouthwatering aroma of spicy fried chicken, rich, cheesy hash brown casserole, and buttery sweet peach cobbler. “We’ll need a nap after eating all this.”
“You shouldn’t need a nap. You left the Sanderson’s party pretty early last night. You should be well-rested.” Maggie set the food on the table without taking her gaze from Lexi. “I take it that it’s over with Robert? You didn’t look happy when you left.”
“Well, it was never really on with Robert, now was it? It was just sort of hanging there. Kind of like a hair in a biscuit.” Lexi went to the cabinet behind her desk and retrieved paper plates, napkins, and utensils. “He suggested, again, that another surgery might just do the trick.”
“What—he considers you his art project or something just because he’s a plastic surgeon?”
“Apparently.” Lexi really felt no ill will toward Robert.
That was the problem. She felt nothing toward him at all.
“He wasn’t too keen on the fact that I am done with surgeries.
” She touched the grid of scars that started at the outer corner of her right eye, spilled across her right cheek, and ended on her throat just below her chin.
Past surgeries to replace shattered bone and repair muscle had helped some, but nothing would ever make her flawless, and with Mammaw’s love and guidance, she had accepted that a long time ago.
Makeup, if caked thick enough, filled in the hills and valleys, but it felt like a cloying mask that would crack if she smiled.
She was what she was. Some folks couldn’t get past her scars.
She struggled to maintain the mindset that was their problem and not hers.
“So, yes—Robert and I are officially over now with no bad feelings either way.”
“Well, no bad feelings are good. I guess.”
“You guess?”
“Well, the way you say it, there were no good feelings to begin with.” Maggie fished out a drumstick and put it on Lexi’s plate. “Here. Your favorite.”
“I kind of want to dig into the cobbler first.” Lexi couldn’t resist a wicked grin. “Life is short. Eat dessert first—you know?”
“You don’t happen to have any ice cream in that fridge of yours, do you?”
“Afraid not. But I did promise you some tea. Just made it this morning.” Lexi filled two glasses with ice, then poured the already cold sweet tea into them. “Lemon or mint today?”
“Lemon, please. Save the mint for derby day.”
“That’s in May, remember? This is June.”
“That’s also because I don’t like mint, remember?”
Lexi snorted a laugh. “Ah, yes. I forgot. Sorry.”
“So—” Maggie settled into a chair, propped her elbows on the table, and tucked into a crispy chicken thigh. “What did Mammaw have to say today? In the cards?”
After fishing several of the choicest dumpling-like pieces of crust out of the peach cobbler, Lexi sat in the chair opposite Maggie. “She knows I’m restless and keeps telling me it’s time for a change.”
“That reminds me.” Maggie pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped on its screen.
“Have you seen this new dating app? It’s with tarot cards.
Watch.” After tapping the deck on the screen, Maggie shook her head.
“I keep getting a different spread of three cards and different guys, so I can’t imagine it being very accurate.
Some aren’t so bad. But some…” She shuddered.
“You try it, and see if it’s just me or if the app really works and aligns with what Mammaw says. ”
Lexi shoved an overly large bite of pie into her mouth, then took the phone and tapped on the card deck on the screen.
One card appeared: the death card. “Upright death card. End of cycle, beginnings, change, metamorphosis. That’s what Mammaw’s cards keep telling me, and I have to admit, I’m ready. ”
“See what guy you get.” Maggie rummaged through the cooler, found a couple of chicken wings, placed one on her plate and one on Lexi’s.