Free MILLIONAIRE'S SHOT: Second Chance Romance by Bev Pettersen Page B

coffee. It wasn’t healthy to dwell on Alex and Rachel. She just appreciated being home, being able to eat breakfast with Gramps and talk about old horses, and people, and of course, polo.
    “I wonder why Alex doesn’t play polo anymore,” she mused, keeping her back to Gramps. “Especially since his wife still plays. Maybe they’re not totally happy…?”
    “He stopped playing polo before his daughter was born,” Gramps said. “And of course he’s not happy. That’s why they’re divorced.”
    Her hand froze around the coffee container and she felt the blood draining from her face. It was a relief Gramps couldn’t see her expression. “How long have they been divorced?” she managed, her eyes fixed on the cupboard.
    “Not sure. Rumors started back when he sold that Thoroughbred stallion of his. Wish I could have bred a mare to that stud. He was a beauty. Alex thought a lot of him. So did his father, and the Sutherlands know their horses—”
    “How many years, Gramps?”
    “Don’t know. Six or seven, I guess.”
    She wrapped both hands around the coffee tin, trying to stop their shaking. This was worse. Alex had been divorced all that time and hadn’t even bothered to let her know. Hadn’t cared enough to reach out. While she’d thought about him often, convinced they would have had a future together if it hadn’t been for Rachel’s untimely pregnancy.
    She remembered his quick rejection the night before when Grace had asked about training lessons. Even now he didn’t want to rekindle relations, even as a friend. Her breathing sounded loud, drowning out the sound of the ticking kitchen clock.
    Her grandfather was still praising the athleticism of Thoroughbreds and how their competitive nature was important for polo. Usually she appreciated any kind of horse talk with Gramps. But right now, she just wanted to slink back into her room and hide.
    She’d totally misjudged Alex’s feelings. Had built their friendship up in her mind, letting it overshadow all other relations. No friend had ever matched him, no lover had ever come close to rousing the same passion. She’d avoided him geographically, hadn’t once googled his name, but emotionally he’d never left her heart.
    She’d been a fool.
    She ripped off the lid and dumped in the coffee, too off balance to count the scoops. But it would definitely be strong.
    “I’ll feed the horses now,” she said, jamming the coffee container back into the cupboard and wheeling toward the door. “Be back in twenty minutes to make breakfast. Then we can talk about the best way to help you retire.”
    She shoved open the screen door and escaped onto the verandah. The sun was just poking over the horizon, the morning air crisp. She’d always loved the start of the day here, knowing there were horses to feed, to ride, to teach. But today she just stared blankly at the barn, dismayed at her numbing sense of loss. Really, life was no different than it had been yesterday so it was ridiculous to feel like this—helpless, hollow, unwanted.
    A hungry horse nickered from inside the barn and she gave her head a shake. She had to stay focused. Alex was truly out of her life now, and that was a good thing. It wasn’t even his fault. She’d built him up into the perfect man, her soul mate, obsessing about all the thoughtful things he’d done. How he’d always shown her how much he cared.
    And maybe he had, once. But that was years ago. Things were different now.
    She thumped down the wooden steps and headed toward the barn. At least she was back with her grandfather, home where she’d ached to be for almost a decade. She had to straighten her thoughts though if she were going to be any help to Gramps.
    Today she’d ride each horse, except for Ginger, and assess their market value. After that she’d hike down the road and pick up the truck, then find a spare tire and collect the trailer. Hopefully she’d have time to check Internet listings for other clubs.