My Special Angel Page 9

  She turned and stared at the beautiful mare, fenced in the corral, who was curiously inspecting her surroundings. She appeared healthy, well taken care of, and expensive. Nadia glared at her uncle and her two brothers, who were proudly leaning against the fencing admiring the mare and congratulating themselves. “Are we taking in boarders now?”

  Rupa laughed and slapped his two nephews on the back. “Isn’t she a beauty? Her name is Victoria Rose.”

  Nadia heard Owen suck in a breath and lose a good portion of the color in his face. Her heart sank. Her family had done it to her again. Trouble had indeed followed the Kandrataviches home, and this time it came with four hooves. She raised an eyebrow at the mare, who was certainly a beauty. “What’s Victoria Rose doing in IRS’s corral?”

  “It’s her home now.” Rupa held out a lump of sugar for Victoria Rose.

  “How did she get here?” Nadia frowned as the horse took the cube. She could visualize the long line of champions who had produced this little lady.

  “Wyatt Marshall just delivered her for us.”

  “I don’t mean how she got here.” She glanced heavenward and prayed for patience or a miracle. “I want to know why she is here.”

  “Oh, that’s easy,” said Stevo, her twenty-three- year-old brother. “I won her.”

  “Won her?” cried Nadia. “How did you win her?”

  “Aces over tens beats queens over fours any day.”

  Owen choked and Nadia cried, “Poker! You won her in a poker game?” She knew she should have kept a closer eye on her brothers. They were constantly in trouble.

  “Fair and square, Nadia. I didn’t do anything wrong. Wyatt was the one dealing, not me.”

  “Well, take her back.”

  “I will not—she’s mine.” Stevo patted the back pocket of his jeans and smiled. “And I’ve got the papers to prove it.”

  Nadia glanced wildly around and pounced on the first question that popped into her mind. “Where did you get the money to play poker?” At Stevo’s guilty look she glanced at Rupa’s empty, battered old pickup truck, and her heart sank farther. “Where’s the feed I sent you into town for first thing this morning?”

  “I needed a start.”

  “You used the money I gave you to buy feed for IRS to bankroll your card game?”

  “Someone had to back me, Nadia. And seeing as you’re all for family, I figured you’d be right pleased to help me out.”

  “You figured wrong.” She turned her attention to Rupa and her brother Gibbie. “What were you two doing while he was using my money to play some stupid card game?”

  Both men shuffled their feet and stared at the ground. “Don’t be mad at them, Sis,” said Stevo. “It was all my idea.”

  Rupa noisily cleared his throat. “We helped him, Nadia.”

  The color Owen’s lovemaking had put into her cheeks faded. “How did you help him? It only takes one man to play a hand of cards.”

  “We just stood in the corner of the hardware store,” explained Gibbie.

  “Doing what?”

  “They stood in front of the soda machine for forty- five minutes trying to figure it out.” Stevo glanced at his younger brother and uncle and smiled. “They pretended that they had never seen one before.”

  Nadia glared at Owen as he burst out laughing. There wasn’t a damn thing funny about any of this. She glanced helplessly at Victoria Rose. What was she supposed to do now? “So what you are telling me is that we now have two horses to feed with no food for either one of them?”

  “Not exactly.” Stevo looked at his brother Gibbie and grinned. “We stopped at the feed store, just like you told us to.”

  “So where’s the feed?”

  “They’ll be delivering it later this afternoon.”

  “The feed mill won’t deliver a few bags of oats way out here.”

  “I ordered more than a few. Victoria Rose is my horse, and I will take excellent care of her.”

  “Well, I hope you won the feed during your poker game, because I don’t have the kind of money it will take to pay for the delivery of more than a couple of bags.”

  “I won something better than horse feed, Sis.”

  “What?”

  “Money.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. “English green bucks, Sis.” He waved the stack of bills. “Lots of English green bucks.” He handed Nadia the money. “I already paid for the feed, and the rest is going to buy fencing for the south pasture.” He stuck out his chest. “You told me this is my ranch, too, Nadia. I want to do my part and help.”

  Nadia’s fingers shook as she clutched at the stack of bills in her hand. “I know you want to help, Stevo. But you have to do it honestly. You can’t go around paying for everything with poker winnings.”

  “It was won honestly. Big-shot Wyatt Marshall thought he had suckered some green little immigrant kid with more money than brains into being the fifth man in their weekly game in the back room of the hardware store. Hell, he even let me win the first couple of hands. It wasn’t my problem that I wasn’t so green.”

  Nadia looked at Owen for help. He seemed a little dazed and in awe of Stevo, but maybe he could explain the hazards of poker playing. “Owen, what do you think?”

  Owen studied Nadia’s younger brother. He did in fact look fresh off the boat. Wyatt had a reputation for playing some fast ones on innocent people. Maybe it was time for the tables to be turned. He glanced at Victoria Rose and frowned; she had been Wyatt’s pride and joy. Stevo was either the luckiest man with a deck of cards or the slickest. It didn’t matter which—

  Wyatt had pegged Stevo for an easy mark. “Wyatt Marshall does have a weekly card game going in the back of the hardware store.”

  “I don’t doubt that he does. I want to know if this is legal.” She waved the bills at Owen. She didn’t need the law throwing Stevo in the slammer. With her luck the rest of the family would try to break him out.

  “Sure, I don’t see why not. They would have taken your brother’s money without batting an eye.”

  “It was my money, not Stevo’s,” snapped Nadia. “What about the horse?”

  “If Stevo has the legal papers all signed and sitting in his back pocket like he claims, then I don’t see a problem.” He glanced at the exquisite mare and shook his head. “Victoria Rose is now the reigning queen of the Kandratavich Ranch.”

  Stevo, Gibbie, and Rupa slapped Owen on the back as they made their way into the barn to check out the empty stall next to IRS.

  Nadia glanced between Owen and the money clutched in her hand. It wasn’t as much as she had first feared when Stevo had handed her the wad. Stevo had placed two fifties on either end of the wad and jammed all the singles and fives in between. Even so, there did seem to be a lot of twenties and tens jammed in there too. It was a lot of money. “So what do I do now?”

  Owen gazed at her mouth. It was still red and swollen from his kisses. “Check out the south pasture and see what it needs, I guess.” He walked over to the fence and watched Victoria Rose trot around the small corral. Wyatt Marshall had to be furious if not downright murderous at this very moment. The little mare was his favorite and almost guaranteed to be worth her weight in gold. She was old enough to breed next spring, and speculation had begun on who the first lucky stallion would be. It looked liked IRS had won that privilege.

  Nadia leaned against the peeling fence and studied Owen, not the mare. “What’s wrong?”

  “Wyatt Marshall isn’t known for his pleasantness.” He reached over and pulled a piece of straw from her hair. She looked as if she had been rolling around in the hay kissing someone. She would have been doing a hell of a lot more than that if Victoria Rose hadn’t made her appearance. Next time he would make sure there was no way they would be disturbed.

  “Should I expect trouble?”

  “Legally there isn’t much he can do.” He lifted another piece of hay from her hair. He was beginning to love the stuff.

  “Do you th
ink he’d try anything illegal?”

  “Short of stealing her back, there’s nothing he can do. Since your brother has the papers on her, he wouldn’t chance it. The law is on your side.”

  Nadia didn’t like the look of concern in Owen’s eyes. “What do you think he’ll do?” She had never met Mr. Marshall, but she had met plenty of his kind before.

  “My guess is he’ll try to make trouble for you and your family in town.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Trouble seemed to be the family’s middle name. It had followed them along the back roads of Europe, across the Atlantic, and now to Crow’s Head, North Carolina.

  “He probably spread some stories about your family.” He reached for her hand. “You know the kind. Any type of trouble that occurs in Crow’s Head will be your family’s fault. He’ll try to pick fights over nothing and maybe even try to get someone fired from their job.”

  Nadia laughed. “That’s all?”

  “Isn’t that enough?”

  “Owen, where have you been? We are Gypsies.” She reached up and kissed his surprised mouth. “Everyone always comes to us first when there’s trouble. If someone’s house is broken into, they come to our camp to see if we’re hiding the missing television. If someone’s daughter runs away, they come to our camp to see if one of our men kidnapped her. Even if someone’s dog takes sick and dies, they accuse us of placing the evil eye on the poor animal.”

  “That’s discrimination!”

  “That’s life, Owen.” She toyed with the fine dusting of dark hair covering his forearm. “Didn’t you realize that ten minutes ago you were about to make love to an outcast?”

  A rakish smile brightened his face as he crowded her against the peeling fence. “For an outcast you kiss like an angel.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be an angel.” Her lower lip pouted.

  He captured the sulking lip with his mouth and gave it a gentle tug before releasing it. “What were you trying to be, Nadia?” He cupped her cheek and tenderly stroked the smooth skin. “I’ve seen you as a talented musician, a superb horsewoman, a dutiful daughter, a warm and loving aunt, and a strict but caring older sister.” With the tips of his fingers he brushed a dark curl away from her intense eyes. “Who was the woman that I held in my arms?”

  “She was a woman, Owen. Just a woman.”

  Chapter Seven

  Nadia stared out of the French doors of Owen’s office and sadly shook her head at the confusion reigning on his lawn. Every female member of her family over the age of seven was in her most colorful Gypsy clothes busily running from here to there. No one seemed to be accomplishing a whole lot. Three colorful tents had been set up near the tennis court, and a lengthy buffet table crowded the patio. Dozens of small tables with colorful umbrellas and chairs had been rented and scattered about. It looked more like a carnival than an annual garden-club luncheon. What ever had possessed her to talk her family into catering this affair? “I don’t know, Owen. This might not have been such a bright idea.”

  “Relax.” He came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “It was my idea, so if anything goes wrong, I’ll take the blame.”

  “Are you sure anyone is going to show up?”

  “Aunt Verna says that if only half the people show up who said they were going to, there won’t be any room to walk.” He gently kissed her wrinkled brow. “She’s in the kitchen right now, taste-testing everything in sight.”

  Nadia leaned back against his warmth. “It was awfully nice of your aunt to hire my family to cater this affair, but I’m afraid she might be asking for trouble with the fortune-telling.”

  “Nonsense. Verna’s beside herself with glee. She’s finally one up on the snooty Violet DuBois. Imagine having this entire affair catered by Gypsies and not having their music and fortune-telling.”

  “She already paid my mom and my aunts a small fortune for the food. There really wasn’t any need to hire two of my cousins to help park cars, my brother-in-law to play the violin, or Yelena to dance. And what about the fortune-telling?”

  “What about it?” He hugged her closer. “How do you expect Verna to outdo the haughty Ms. Violet with just plain food and no entertainment?”

  “What did Violet do last year? Hire the Philharmonic Orchestra?”

  “Something much worse.” He nuzzled her neck with his mouth. “She hired the Highland Marching Band, who practically deafened the entire club with their bagpipes blaring all afternoon. Poor Verna came home with a headache that lasted two days.”

  Nadia chuckled. “Well, I can guarantee that Gustavo’s violin playing won’t cause any headaches, but I have to warn you, Owen, some people don’t take too kindly to having their fortune told.”

  “Relax.” He quickly kissed the pout forming on her lower lip. “Your mom and Verna have it all figured out. The fortune-tellers are not part of the package. If anyone wants to have his fortune told, they are available to him, but he must pay the teller’s fee. That way no one can blame Verna for a bad prediction.”

  “What if it’s a good prediction?” Ever since their near-lovemaking in the barn two weeks ago, Owen had practically lived at the ranch. He was friendly toward her family and always there to lend a hand. He had helped Stevo and Rupa dig postholes for the south pasture, and he even got her father and Uncle Yurik jobs with his construction company. The Kandrataviches’ luck was starting to change for the better, and all because of Owen. Her music hadn’t returned yet, but it would. She had faith.

  “Any good prediction I’m sure Verna will take full credit for.” He opened the doors and gently pushed Nadia out onto the patio. “After all, this is her party.” He glanced at the three tents set up by the tennis courts. “I’ve never had my fortune read.” He contemplated the tents for another minute. “Which do you recommend—palm reading, tea leaves, or the tarot cards?”

  Nadia nervously glanced around for something to do. “I’m sure you’re going to be too busy for any of that nonsense.” She didn’t need any of her well-meaning relations playing matchmaker. People were very susceptible to what a dark-eyed Gypsy could read in the future. If she said to beware because there could be a car accident in the near future, the person would be so nervous every time he drove that he would probably cause the accident. If someone hinted that Owen would fall in love with a dark-eyed Gypsy, marry, and have many fine children, Owen could fall prey to the suggestion. She didn’t need any more complications in her life right now. She had no idea where her relationship with Owen was going, but a trip down some rose-petal-strewn aisle was out of the question. It didn’t matter that his kisses turned her knees to water or that every night it was becoming harder and harder not to invite him to stay. Her first concern had to be family. They were the ones who needed her. It didn’t matter what she needed. Right now she had to concentrate on getting through this day without some major catastrophe. Then there was her music and album to worry about. Owen would just have to take a number and wait his turn.

  “Why don’t you want me to get my fortune told?”

  “Oh, look, there’s Yelena.” Nadia nodded toward her sister, who was struggling with a card table and two folding chairs. “I have to go help her. I’ll see you around, Owen.” Not waiting for a response, she dashed off to help her sister.

  Owen frowned as he stared after her. She looked enchantingly wild and sexy dressed in her native clothes. The colorful skirt swirled around her ankles; the white peasant blouse was pulled off her shoulders, giving him an enticing view of dusky smooth skin that seemed to beg for his kisses. He had never seen Nadia wear so much gold jewelry. Rings flashed on every one of her fingers, large hoop earrings dangled from her ears, and what appeared to be a fortune’s worth of gold coins hung around her neck on fine gold chains. She even had a delicate bracelet wrapped around her ankle. When she had showed up with the rest of her family, it had taken every ounce of willpower not to haul her upstairs to his room and make sweet, passionate love to her all day. He noticed the way she wor
ried her lower lip when he mentioned getting his fortune told. A sure sign she was upset about something. Why should she be upset? It was his fortune he wanted read, not hers.

  “Excuse me, sir.” Sebastian approached the slate patio with his usual bland composure. “Your presence is required in the kitchen for a moment.”

  Owen glanced away from Nadia and her sister. “Is there a problem, Sebastian?”

  “Milly is threatening to quit, sir.”

  “Why would she do that?” Milly had been their cook for over thirty years and had never once voiced any concerns about leaving.

  “It seems she’s a trifle upset with Ms. Kandratavich’s family and the way they cook.”

  “What’s wrong with the way they cook?” He started for the house with Sebastian in tow.

  “Two members of Ms. Kandratavich’s family and your aunt are in the side garden picking some more ingredients for their salad.”

  “Surely Milly’s not upset because they are helping themselves to some of her vegetables?”

  “Sir, they are not in the vegetable garden.” He rolled his eyes and grimaced. “They are in the flower garden.”

  * * *

  “Oh, Ida! You simply must have your palm read.” Maybelle Lanston held out her liver-spotted hand. “See that line right there?” She pointed to her palm. “The darling little Gypsy told me there will be five great loves in my life.”

  Owen edged himself closer to the elderly pair and examined his own palm. Could a person really see how many loves you were going to have simply by looking at your palm? Maybe he should go pay a visit to Nadia’s sister, Yelena, the resident palmist.

  “Well, that just goes and proves how you wasted your five dollars,” scolded Ida. “You’ve only been married four times, and as far as I know, you married all your great loves. Lord knows you married every man who even looked at you.” Ida scooped a serving spoonful of what appeared to be some type of potato salad onto her plate. She sniffed it delicately, took a small taste, and proceeded to load on a couple more spoonfuls.