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“Perhaps it’s better if we find a trainer closer to Washington, DC, for Phantom.”

“No,” I said too quickly. “He’s comfortable here, with you and Patches.”

“You can take the blasted goat with you.” Her tone was terse.

“I don’t want the goat.”

I wanted her. I wanted Phantom to stay at Birkstrom.

She pressed her lips together.

I needed to divert the conversation. I didn’t like this direction.

“When did you teach him that little trick?” I asked.

“To rear?” Her cheeks flushed. “You’ve seen him do that plenty of times.”

“Not on command, not under control,” I said. “It was beautiful.”

“Just wait until you see what I have planned for nationals.” Her eyes sparkled again, and I hoped we were back to where things had once been. The timeline counting down in the background, yes, but that easy comfort and banter between us back.

Phantom was an unstoppable force. This meant new clients for Eva. Birkstrom was safe, at least from foreclosure. Whether that would dissuade Victor or his associates was yet to be seen.

Now that Phantom had superseded the Merricks’ best horse, he’d also be a target.

Eva was on top of the world, but we were more vulnerable than ever.

Twenty-Eight

Eva

JULY 15

The heat of the day wrapped around us by the time we returned to Birkstrom, unloaded the trailer, and shared the stories with the rest of the men about all that had happened.

Everything was different now.

I pulled the champion ribbon from the stack of my clothes in the trailer’s tack room and walked to the barn office. This wasn’t my first champion ribbon, but it was the first without Gramps by my side. Without Gramps training the horse from scratch.

This win was all my own.

I placed the ribbon on the wall next to the photos of Gramps and myself over the years. Black-and-white prints of champion horses. Dusty ribbons and bronze trophies rested along the wooden shelves. Each one was such a vivid memory, each one a true emblem of the blood, sweat, and tears it took to reach the top of the class. To beat out the better-funded, better-staffed barns. Gramps and I were just two misfits from eastern Oregon.

Phantom deserved his place in history, and then some.

Eddie walked up to the door and paused, a big grin on his face and his hand clutching someone else’s, but I couldn’t see who it was.

“Hey there, Eddie.” I turned from the shelves.

“I wanted you to meet someone.” He stepped forward, leading a blond woman into the room. A taller but identical copy of Annie.

My breath caught. “Violet!” I looked between the two of them. At the nearness of their stance and the blush in Violet’s cheeks, I could only hope that the conflict had been patched up between them.

“Eddie has mentioned all you’ve done for him and the kids.” She put a hand on her chest. “I can’t thank you enough.”

A new fear struck me. “Are you all returning home?” I looked at Eddie. I knew it would happen at some point, but I wasn’t ready to lose them so soon.

“No,” Eddie said. “We want to stay on the farm, but I wondered if Violet might stay with Annie in the house until we finish up the cabins?”