“Collie,” I said under my breath. My thoughts tried to come up with a more positive image, but in reality, collies were cute, energetic, lovable, and loyal. That wasn’t a negative assessment. Of course, they could be exhausting and maybe annoying.
The term was eerily close to accurate.
The first two text messages were nothing of importance. It was the third that seemed more urgent.
“VEE,I’VE BEEN TRYING ALL DAY TO REACH YOU. CALL ME.”
The text was sentover an hour ago.
I hit the call icon. Preston answered on the second ring.
“Fuck, Vee,” his voice roared. “Now you’re not returning my calls.”
“Whoa,” I said in my most assertive tone. “I am returning your call. I’m at work. Mondays are filled with meetings. You know that. What was so urgent that you needed to talk to me?”
He exhaled. “Meadow Farms’ top sire broke his leg. A freak accident. He stumbled into a hole in the pasture.”
I heard Preston’s concern as my nose scrunched. “I don’t know that much about horses, but that’s bad, right?”
“Yeah, it’s bad.” He huffed. “It would be nice if you tried to understand my family business. No, it’s always about yours.” He took a breath. “Think of it like Dennison breaking his leg.”
“I mean,” I said, “We wouldn’t shoot Dennison if he broke his leg. What’s going to happen to the stallion?”
“The veterinary team is assessing him, but there’s a good chance he’ll be put down.”
“It’s not like he’s racing anymore. He’s just…screwing. That doesn’t take four healthy legs.”
“You’ve got a lot to learn about stallions and thoroughbreds.”
Yeah, apparently, I had a lot to learn about a wide range of subjects. Before I could respond, he went on.
“I wanted to talk to you because I’m on my way to Meadow Farms. I’ll be gone a couple days.”
“Okay.”
“Damn it, Vee.” His voice was louder than necessary. “Are you happy I’m going to be gone?”
“No,” I answered too quickly to give the question the time it deserved. “It’s not about you, all right?”
“Of course not. It’s always about you.”
“Preston…”
“It sure as hell seems that way. You’ve been cold as ice since Saturday night.”
“My father has decided I need to be better prepared for ownership. He wants me to spend more time in football operations. The offensive coordinator gave me homework. I’m supposed to learn a hundred or more play calls by Wednesday. So, no, Preston, I’m not happy you’re going out of town. I sure as hell won’t rejoice in some super stud horse being injured or euthanized. I’m simply busy.”
Preston’s tone softened. “Why exactly does Reid want you to spend more time in football operations?You’re vice president of stadium operations and marketing.”
Placing my elbow on my desk, I held my head and sighed. “Dad’s right. He and Drew Pratt are pushing this. I should understand the football side of the Coopers.”
“So you’ll be around that new Griffin guy more.”
It wasn’t a question, but I answered, “Seriously, Preston. I’ll be around the entire team. Besides, I think Dad is right; I should know more. I hope Dad’s around for a long time, but when the time comes for me to make multimillion-dollar decisions, I should understand what they entail. I think Royce is behind the playbook memorization. Drew mentioned his name. Royce is a sexist asshole who wants me to give up or fail.”
“My Vee isn’t a failure or a quitter.”
“Thanks,” I said.
