Hot Coco Read Free

Mike and pointed to the stalls where Coco’s horses were kept. The Wests each led two horses from the barn. After snapping a lead rope onto the last horse, Doug shoved it at Coco. With a nasty grimace, he made a sharp head gesture toward the barn door. He followed Coco and the horse down the aisle until she came to a stop next to Margie.
    She urged a gentle smile at the homely woman. She had tried to make friends with her during her horses’ stay at the O’Conner stable, but Doug simply wasn’t having it. “Good-bye, Margie.”
    She stared back at Coco with befuddlement in her lovely dark eyes.
    ”You have the most beautiful eyes,” Coco said.
    “Save the bullshit, Beardmore,” Doug cursed from behind, “just get that freaking horse outta here.”
    Coco clucked to the Thoroughbred and continued toward the barn door.
    Margie measured her as she walked away. She rather liked her and was always amazed at how pleasant the beauty was. She had always complimented Margie on her eyes, or how pretty her hair could be if she used a certain conditioner or shampoo. Her father was quick to put a stop to such conversations. He didn’t have to worry about it anymore.
    “Well, Mike’s got the blonde, a bundle of training fees, and a whole bunch of trouble,” Scott pointed out.
    Slamming the barn door, Doug coughed. “Couldn’t happen to a better bunch—looking down their long West noses at us.” He spewed another stream of brown juice into the floor.
    Margie’s face wilted and her shoulders slumped.
    The barn was no longer bright. The pleasant, pretty woman was no longer a client. Worse, Mike West had made his exit—as he always did. Shrinking onto a bale of straw, she stared at the dirt floor without really seeing it.
    “Margie,” her foul father roared, “clean them empty stalls.”
    Slowly, she lifted from the bale. “I gotta dump this load.” She pushed the wheelbarrow through the barn door. She hesitated for a moment to watch Mike lead the horses down the shed row, his Levis clinging to his smooth buttocks while he chatted with Coco.
    Lord above, how I wish I were Coco Beardmore.
    When the group turned the bend and were out of sight, Margie glanced down at the book resting amongst the pile of dung in the wheelbarrow. She snatched the book and wiped what stains she could from the faces of the rapt lovers on the cover. Staring at the words scrolled above their heads, she wished she could read the wonderful story that must lie within the pages.

    Two
    Among the long white fences of Westwood Thoroughbred Farm, the iridescent droplets of dew clung to the blades of grass. It was as if God had scattered diamonds over night before beckoning His sunbeams to make them glitter to greet the morning.
    Eric West slapped the Thoroughbred gelding’s rump when he trotted through the gate into the paddock. Smiling, he watched the strong horse snorting, tossing his head, and kicking up his heels in foal-like glee while galloping through the paddock.
    Breathing in the fresh day, he raised his face to the wisp of the morning breeze. The mighty oak trees waved their leaves along the winding driveway of the horse farm, and the sunshine glinted off the windows of the Victorian farmhouse that stood on the hill beyond the long, blue roofed barns. His chest always filled with pride when he looked over her, Westwood, the vast Thoroughbred farm he’d raised from ruins. She was now a grand prize he could hand down to generations of Wests.
    The rumble of Mike’s truck drew his attention past the oaks on the driveway to the stone entrance. Hauling a six-horse Featherlite horse trailer, the silver dually pickup rolled through the archway. Eric’s eyes narrowed when he noticed a white Escalade following the truck and trailer. They came to a stop in front of the barn.

    Punch and Shane jumped out of the pickup. Mike and a very attractive blonde slid from the seats of the Escalade.
    This instantly brought an arch to Eric’s eyebrow. The