CHAPTER 5

Monica walked along the path until she was out of sight of the main house before she broke into a jog, heading to the stables. The uneasiness refused to leave her, even though she was praying she was wrong.

"Raphael!" But her call was only met with soft nickers. A quick glance into Midnight Dancer's stall revealed he was there but he was not her concern this morning. Running down to the last stall on the right, her small hands gripped the wooden stall door.

Amazing Grace was gone.

"No,no, no!" Whirling around, the little angel ran out of the stables and down the long path to the track, her heart pounding in her throat. As she sprinted up the next hill, she nearly collided with Raphael and only his strong arms catching her stopped her from falling.

"Raphael, Grace..."

The Hispanic angel's face wore a look of disgust she had never seen before, "Ian is training with her because I refused to ride her due to her injury." The desperate look on Monica's face gripped his heart, "Angelita?"

"I have to go," She whispered and resume her sprint up the hill. On the other side, she felt her temper fighting to get the better of her. Ian was running the filly around the track and she didn't waste another moment running down the hill and ducking beneath the fence.

"Ian!" She called out to him as he rounded the corner and she didn't miss the look of anger and distain on his face at seeing her but he still pulled the filly to a walk. Monica could instantly see Grace was favouring her swollen back leg.

"What are you doing? You can't run her like that yet!" Without thinking, she approached and grabbed the horse's halter, "Easy girl."

Dismounting the man towered over her, "You don't give me many options when you stick your unwanted nose in with your college degree and decide Midnight Dancer needs some time off!"

He had brought his face so close to hers she could feel his hot breath against her face and she fought not to take a step back in fear. Monica had a feeling if she backed down from him now she would lose any possible credibility she may ever have with him, "You are going to make her lame for the rest of her life and then she will be of no use to you at all. She is still healing and you have probably hindered her more by running her like that."

"I told you to stay the hell out of my way yesterday but it seems you have a hard time with the English language, not being a native to this country and all. You should have stayed the hell in Scotland or wherever you come from instead of coming here to be a huge pain in my backside! I have worked for the Snyder's' for years now and I don't need some two bit vet telling me what to do!"

Monica was sure he could hear her heart nearly pounding out of her chest, "You know what you are doing is wrong-."

"Shut up!" Ian snarled at her, "You don't know these horses or what they are capable of! You just waltzed on in here and start looking down your nose at me...I have been training winners here for years; I have credibility with these people which is more than I can say for you! So if you want to go running that big mouth of yours to this family, you might want to think about who they will believe because I can guarantee it won't be you! Ain't never met a stupid woman yet who knew her place!"

Swallowing hard to keep the tremor from her voice, Monica tightened her hold on Grace's reins, "You're not riding her again today."

Leaning in a tiny bit closer, he lowered his voice, "You just bought yourself a heap of trouble." He glared at her a moment longer and only after she inadvertently flinched, did he turn and walk away from her to his truck.

As he drove off in a flurry of dust, the little angel let out a trembling breath and willed the tears at bay. She had to take care of Grace.

Two hours later, sitting on the floor in Grace's stable with the filly's leg iced once more, Monica allowed the tears to come. She hated that Ian's angry words had hurt her, but they had. She had done nothing to the human but yet he seemed to have a personal vendetta against her.

She smiled tearfully as Grace nuzzled her hair, "Ah, sweet Grace. We'll get you better. You'll see. Though I'm not sure yet how to keep you that way."

"Angelita?"

Hearing Raphael's voice, Monica scurried to her feet and knelt to feel Grace's leg once more, her back to the stall door. She didn't need him to know she had been crying as surely he would tell Andrew, "In Grace's stall."

"Is she all right?"

Though she could clearly hear the concern in his voice she dared not turn around, "Umm, hopefully she will be. I'm just going to keep her iced down today and see how things go. Are you going to the main house for lunch?"

"Si. Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No. Will you tell them I have some things to do and I'm not really hungry? I'll just see everyone at dinner."

He hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was all right, but something about her tone stopped him from asking, " Por Supuesto. I will let them know, Monica." He paused for a brief moment, "Angelita, are you all right?"

Swallowing hard, Monica forced a smile into her voice, "Just worried about Grace, is all. I just want her to heal."

Once she heard him depart, she rose to her feet and moved to stand in front of the horse. Kissing the silky spot between her eyes, she scratched Grace's neck affectionately, "I have a feeling, sweet Grace, that when Raphael tells Andrew I'm not coming, he is going to pay me a visit and I'm not sure I am up for that right now. He worries about me a lot, you know, but he is my dearest friend. I just...I don't think I can tell him about this because he will become upset."

As another tear slipped down her cheek, she gave Grace another pat and slipped out of her stall. She wandered through the stable until she came to Charmer's stall, "I hope it is not against the rules, Charmer, but I could really use a ride right about now."

As an angel, she had no use for a saddle nor bridle. Opening the stall, she led the horse out and then stepped up onto bench in the stable in order to swing her leg over Charmer's back. Then curling her fingers into his mane, she gently urged him into a walk out of the stable and then faster. As his legs ate up the ground through the fields, Monica knew she could blame the tears in her eyes on the wind.

X

Raphael wandered into the employee house at lunchtime. Though breakfast and lunch were served in the big house, lunch was a simple affair of sandwiches, fruit, chips and vegetables. Walking into the living room, he found Andrew watching out the window and he didn't have to ask who he was looking for as he already knew.

"Mi Amigo, Monica said she had too much to do and wasn't hungry. She told me to tell you she would see you at dinner."

Andrew's brow knitted together in confusion, "She barely ate breakfast."

Sitting down on the arm of the couch, the Hispanic angel looked up at his friend, "Ian was running Grace this morning. Monica was pretty upset about it as she wasn't ready to be run. When I left her awhile ago, she was in Grace's stall, icing her leg."

"Why would he do that? The Snyder's speak highly of him. He has trained several champions here at the farm."

"He's a little arrogant. He wanted me to ride Grace this morning but I refused, so he elected to do it himself. I'm sure Monica put a stop to it though."

"I'm sure she did," Andrew agreed, his expression lightening a little bit at thinking about his friend and her stubbornness, "She's become attached to those horses already." He hesitated, thinking, "I'm going to go check on her and take her a sandwich."

"Muy Bien, amigo. I'll see you both at dinner."

He took long strides on the short walk to the stables, a bagged sandwich in his jacket pocket for the little angel. The afternoon air was warmer than the morning had been but there was still a little breeze to the air and dark clouds in the distance. He wondered if the rain would hit them here or pass them by.

Upon arriving at the stables, the angel was surprised to find Brady lying by the entrance, head resting his front paws as his longing eyes gazed out over the fields. At seeing Andrew, the dog lifted his multi-colored head and gave a small whine even as his tail thumped against the ground in greeting.

"Hey Brady," Andrew knelt to scratch the dog behind his ears, "Where's your girlfriend?" Rising, he walked into the stables, "Angel?"

He frowned, not getting an answer. Walking to Amazing Grace's stall, he found the horse with an ice pack taped around her rear leg and she gave a whinny of greeting, "Hello girl," Swinging the door open, he walked into her stall and knelt by her back leg, his strong hands feeling the heat in the leg. Sighing sadly, he rose once more and stroked her, "You are in very good hands, Grace."

Walking back out of her stall and closing the door behind him, he walked from stall to stall, trying to get a clue as to where his dear friend could be. Coming to Charmer's stall, he found it empty and he had a feeling he had his answer.

Walking back outside, his green eyes scanned the horizon but he could see no sign of Monica nor the horse. His concern was heightened by the fact that Brady had remained behind and he could only pray that Charmer knew his way back home. Being geographically challenged, Monica may not be able to figure it out on her own.

Glancing up at the sky and hoping the dark clouds passed them by, he spoke to the One who knew his heart, "Father, take care of her."