CHAPTER 1

"Mr. and Mrs. Snyder," Andrew extended his hand and it was immediately enveloped in the older man's grip, "I'm Andrew and this is Monica. Your daughter had had placed an inquiry in the newspaper for an accountant and an equine veterinarian?"

"Yes, yes, but please, call me Jonathan and this is my wife, Margaret. Caroline, my daughter, is in town picking up some groceries but should be back later. Come on in so we can talk."

Monica looked around the old country kitchen with great appreciation; the huge oak table and chairs, the wooden cupboards, the large pantry, in some ways she felt as if she had stepped back in time. It was moderately decorated with baskets and knick knacks and a true feeling of a human home; warm and filled with love. Her heart felt honored just to be there.

"Your home is beautiful, Mrs. Snyder," The little angel remarked as they were led to the table and she smiled sweetly as Andrew pulled her chair out for her. Her dearest friend was always so attentive to her and it was one of the many reasons she loved him so.

"Thank you, Monica, but really, it's Margaret," the woman's blonde hair was pulled up into a bun that accentuated her pleasantly round face. Margaret reached over to the counter and picked up a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies which she laid on the table, "I also made a fresh pot of coffee. Anyone interested?"

"None for me, thank you," Andrew replied, but he had to hide a grin at Monica's enthusiastic nod, "Monica is the coffee drinker."

"So you two know each other?" Jonathan questioned as he took a seat across from them and reached for a cookie.

"We're old friends," He answered honestly as he exchanged a glance with Monica. She was already happily dunking her cookie into her coffee, perfectly content.

"A dunker after my own heart!" Jonathan laughed as he joined Monica in dipping his own cookie in his hot beverage.

She grinned in response, "The chocolate chips make it taste like mocha latte a wee bit, don't you think?"

Jonathon looked thoughtful for a moment as he took another bite of soggy cookie, "Why, I do believe you're right."

Andrew watched in fascination as his friend giggled like an innocent child, sharing a very special joke, but then in the very next instant, her expression had turned serious, "How many horses do you have here on the farm?"

Sitting down with them, Margaret answered the question, "Right now about twelve, including the yearlings and two of the mares are pregnant and due any day. The farm used to turn over a good income but with the economy the way it has been lately, many of the horse owners in the area have been forced to sell their stock. We used to help train those horses and board them, but we can't train and board what is no longer there."

"So, your farm is in danger?" Andrew frowned at this news and he could already see the twinge of sadness in Monica's doe-like eyes.

"We're afraid without a winning race horse, we may be shutting down at the end of the year. Ian, you'll meet him later, was hired on to train our yearlings in the hope one of them might be the one but so far we have had more injuries than speed."

"Injuries?" Monica's brow knitted together with concern.

"Ian says the colts so far haven't shown any indication that they could race for the long haul. They are injuring easily; sprains, swollen legs, that's where you come in, Monica. We're hoping with a vet on the premises to oversee any problems, we may be able to avoid so many of them." Jonathan sighed as his gaze moved to the window where several horses could be seen grazing in the field, "Without a race horse, we could wind up putting the whole farm on the market."

The two angels didn't miss the despair in his words nor the tears that glistened in Margaret's blue eyes, "We'll do all we can to see that doesn't happen," Andrew stated firmly.

"Oh yes! Andrew is a wonderful accountant! He just helped someone else save their business and if there is a way to save yours, he will find it, I assure you!"

Jonathan chuckled, seeing how Monica's unabashed praise caused his new accountant to blush bright red, "Well, with that kind of endorsement, I place my trust in you, Andrew."

"Thank you, sir," He murmured, still feeling the heat in his face.

"You won't be disappointed!" Monica added happily. Though she knew she had embarrassed her dear friend, she also felt Andrew never gave himself nearly enough credit. He was by far, the smartest and wisest angel she knew.

X

x

After more conversation about the Snyder's expectations for their new employees, the two angels parted ways; Andrew heading to the financial office and Monica beginning the short walk down to the stables.

The morning air was fresh and clean and the little angel filled her human lungs with the scent of roses that were blooming near the house. The birds chirping in the trees above her added to her smile as not being an angel able to sing or rather, carry a tune, all music she could listen to made her impossibly happy.

Or maybe her delighted mood had more to do with her best friend in the angelic realm finally being with her on an assignment.

Nearing the stables, Monica could already hear the nickers and whinnies of its inhabitants. Entering inside the first building, she watched as six sets of beautiful brown eyes turned towards her and she was quick to stop and show each of her new charges some affection. Nearing the last stall, she stopped, noticing that the mare inside, whose name plate read "Amazing Grace" instead of being at the door to greet the new visitor, remained in the back of the enclosure. Hastily taking the horse's inventory, angelic eyes were able to see swelling on the right back leg.

"Oh! What's happened to you?" Opening the stall door, Monica slipped slowly inside, not wanting to frighten the injured animal, but the presence of an angel was rarely met with fear by animals or children and Grace was no exception. Her large trusting eyes turned to Monica and she remained still as the angel ran her hands down the swollen leg.

"We need to get some ice on you, Grace. Let me see if I can find some…"

"Hola, angelito."

Remembering to not jump and startle Grace, Monica whirled around slowly, a smile lighting her face, "Raphael! What are you doing here?"

A grin crossed his boyish face as he handed an ice pack and bandaging tape, "I think I am giving you what you need at the moment."

"Thank you," She took the supplies from him and set to work on taping the ice pack to Grace's leg, hoping it would bring the mare some relief, "Do you know what happened to her?"

A small sigh accompanied by a "Si," caused a bit of disconcertment to rise up in her chest, "We'll talk when you finish."

The Irish angel finished her task and gave the horse an affectionate pat and a little kiss on the nose, "I'll check on you soon, lovey."

Exiting the stall, Monica gave her angelic friend a greeting hug, "I'm so happy you're here! Andrew is too and I think Tess will be working in town. Aren't the Snyder's a lovely couple?"

"Si, they are, Monica, but they have bigger problems right now."

Looking into his dark eyes, she frowned, "Grace's leg?"

"Only part of it. Venga. Follow me and I'll show you."

She fell in step next to him and allowed him to lead her further down the hill and up the next one, and she was only more amused when a black and white Border Collie seemed to come out of nowhere to join them.

"Well, hello there," Monica's lilted voice caused the animal's ears to perk.

"Monica, meet Brady," The dark skinned angel introduced the two, knowing they would immediately be fast friends and when Monica stopped long enough to give him a scratch behind the ears, he knew the relationship was sealed.

They arrived at the top of the hill and right below them was the track, where a balding man at the gate appeared to be in a heated argument with a young jockey on horseback and the sound of their angry voices easily reached the angel's ears.

"You're running him too hard, Ian!" The jockey pulled off his helmet and Monica could just make out the look of fury on the young man's face, "It's too much too soon! Grace already has an injury and we are soon going to do the same to Midnight Dancer!"

"We don't have the luxury of time, Justin," Ian snapped back, "This farm is only weeks away from having to close its doors and sell off all their stock if we can't produce a winner!"

"We can't come close to producing a winner if they keep getting injured!"

"Listen boy, the Snyder's hired me to train a winner and I'm the one who says who rides so if you want to keep your job, I suggest you shut your mouth."

"I'm not keeping quiet about you abusing these horses, so I guess you can find yourself another jockey!" Sliding off the horse's back, Justin threw his helmet to the ground, "I quit!"

"He's abusing the horses?" Monica's whisper was horrified as she knelt down to comfort herself by burying her fingers into Brady's soft fur.

"He works them too hard, too soon, just as Justin said," Raphael explained, glancing down at his friend worriedly, "And I'm afraid you are going to be dealing with him more than you will enjoy."

Looking up, she met his eyes, a tiny shimmer of fear in them before it was immediately replaced with fierce determination, "No time like the present."

Before he could offer any more advice, Monica was off down the hill at a jog, Brady at her heels, "Excuse me?"

Ian turned around at the sound of a voice he didn't recognize, "May I help you?"

Stopping in front of him, Monica extended her hand, "My name is Monica. The Snyder's hired me to care medically for the horses."

"Ian," He replied curtly, as he looked her up and down in distain. He then swung the gate open and grabbed Midnight's halter as Justin was already out of sight and as far as Ian was concerned, out of mind.

"I'll cool him down," She offered, hoping he wouldn't argue, beings the way he looked at her from head to toe had nearly made her shudder and Brady had even emitted a low growl. But seeing what this man had done to Grace, even accidently, she wanted to make sure a similar fate didn't fall on this colt.

"Part of my job and better handled by me."

"If you don't mind, it will help me to get a better feel for Midnight, which is important for me to be able to perform my job effectively. I've just spent some time with some of the other horses, including Amazing Grace, who needed her leg iced, by the way."

Ian's gaze narrowed into a glare as he looked at her, "Can't do everything around here and Justin is a terrible jockey. He injured her and didn't take the time to care for the injury. Not my problem."

"It should be if it is your job to try to find a winner for this stable," Monica countered carefully. This human's attitude was beginning to upset her and injustice to children or animals were both things that weighed heavily on a sensitive heart.

Taking a step closer to her, Ian brought a finger close to her face, "Look Monica, if you want to get along with me even a little bit, you need to understand one thing: I don't take any crap from any woman, you got that? I've been doing this for most of my life and I don't need some female straight out of veterinary school telling me what my job is and what it isn't. You may be in charge of the horse's medical care but that is as far as it goes. You got that?"

Visibly shaken, Monica took a step back from the angry finger aimed at her face, but she was not one to back down, especially when she was right, "As the one in charge of the horse's medical care, I am taking Midnight to cool down to make sure he is all right. I believe that falls under my job description." Never taking her eyes from him, she took the colt's halter into her hand.

For a brief moment, she thought he might shove her out of the way, but he seemed to stop himself, though there was no disguising the contempt in his eyes, "Fine. Just stay the hell out of my way."

She allowed her body to tremble briefly as the tall human strode purposefully away from her and back up to the stables. She hated to feel fear of any of God's precious creation but she certainly did not feel comfortable around Ian.

"C'mon baby," She crooned to the colt, in an attempt to settle them both down, "Let's get you cooled off and groomed." As she led him across the track, Monica let her thoughts wander to Andrew and she hoped he was having an easier time on his assignment than she was on hers.