Michelle Monkou - One to Love

“Good as can be. Still busy even though I’m out in the pastures.”

The image of her grandmother whiling away time in a field couldn’t have been further from the truth. Grace was still making business deals and her social calendar hadn’t shrunk. Grandpa Henry had spilled the latest at the last family dinner.

Belinda probed, “Are you still heading to the office every day? You should enjoy retirement. Take a trip. See the world from beyond corporate offices.” She’d consider talking her grandmother into a worldwide trip a major coup. Every chance she got, she pushed the idea.

“Is that what your cousin complains to you about?”

“No.” Now Dana was going to kill her for putting Grace on alert. It had taken a while for the former CEO of the family business to step down. Dana had shared how much she looked forward to flexing her leadership muscle without Grace’s shadow. Even the staff was coming around to relying on Dana without the constant presence of Grace. The cousins had joked that the complete separation might require Grandpa Henry to kidnap his wife and keep her off the grid for several months.

Grace looked around the office. Then her gaze hovered and settled on the wall behind Belinda. She remained silent. But her gaze shifted over the entire visual presentation of the riding program’s trajectory. Though Grace’s expression remained stoic, Belinda sensed her grandmother’s keen interest.

“Renovations are underway. We still have major work to be done. I’m sure that we’ll be ready on opening day.” Grace’s quiet regard unnerved Belinda.

“Really? That’s good news. Who are you using?” Her grandmother slowly slid her glance away from the wall to Belinda. “I did take note that you didn’t ask for my help after I sent Santiago to you.”

“I used Ed. I felt good with your referral since you’ve used him on several projects. That was enough of a recommendation.”

“He’s dependable. Not terribly creative, though, when it came to designing the trellis frames in the garden.” She sighed with such regal pretension that Belinda wanted to snort. “But his work is solid and above par. I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

Belinda nodded. Now wasn’t the time to mention the switch from Ed to Jesse. She had her own misgivings. There was no need to hear her grandmother pile on with her criticisms. No matter what Grace would say, all Belinda would hear was that she wasn’t good enough. Out of the three cousins, she was the “rock,” per Grace’s compliment and with her mother’s implicit agreement. Belinda was the solid base to provide support, but lacked Dana’s nimble, razor-sharp leadership skills. She’d accepted the evaluation, partially relieved that she didn’t have what it took to lead anything, including Meadows Media. As a result, she had remained uninspired to prove her grandmother or mother wrong. Early discussions about starting this business hadn’t been met with enthusiastic cheers outside of her cousins, Dana and Fiona.

“Let’s go for a walk.” Her grandmother stood, smoothing her dress and waiting for her to move.

“Where are we going?” Belinda made a mental promise to kill Tawny if she conveniently had forgotten to tell her about this part of Grace’s plan.

“Show me the work that’s been done.” Grace’s attention shifted back to the wall in her office where the full layout and status of the project were mapped out. “I want to see what you’ve been up to.”

Tawny slid into view. Her attempt to nab Grace’s focus was as loud as her blue dress with white polka dots.

“Tawny, my dear, hope all is well with you. You’re looking quite...modern.”

Belinda considered Tawny’s mission accomplished. Her assistant looked beyond giddy over Grace’s remark. If she wasn’t mistaken, Belinda thought that she saw the young woman dip into a quick curtsy. As expected, Grace, her nose in the air, soaked in the adulation as she passed Tawny.

Bowing down to Grace had never been Belinda’s style. That was not to say that her grandmother didn’t intimidate the heck out of her. Grace and Grandpa Henry were her substitute parents when hers were too busy pursuing careers and she’d been like a satellite office they’d occasionally visit. That’s why, despite Grace’s hard-nosed demeanor, Belinda had a soft spot for her grandmother.

Today, however, she’d rather spend the morning tweaking her business plan and schmoozing with potential clients, not escorting Grace on a random tour of the area with the uneasy feeling that there was more to her visit than she’d let on so far. Her grandmother’s stern profile provided no hints, even after she stared at Belinda’s mismatched socks before she could stuff her feet into the boots.

Belinda led Grace to the golf cart that she drove to get around the property quickly. “Hold on,” she said. It was an unnecessary warning, since her grandmother had death grips on her arm and the side of the golf cart. She drove slowly down the road that led from the barn to the larger area dedicated to the riding rings and stable.

“Have you ever considered selling off some of the property?”

“No!” Belinda uttered a shaky, apologetic laugh and repeated the negative in a softened tone.

“It’s not an outrageous question.”

They’d stopped at the stable. Belinda rounded the cart to assist Grace.

“I’m asking because you have ambitions that don’t match your pocket.” Grace stopped short at the large wooden doors that led into the stables. Her nose twitched as the signature ammonia smell of horse and hay hit them.

Through these doors was magic, the place that brought Belinda peace and joy. She headed over to the stall that was home to her American quarter horse. From the start, Lucky Ducky, her own personal mount, had held a special place in her heart. When she was first looking for horses for the program, her network of business owners with similar equine-therapy services advised her that the retired show horse was up for sale. While she’d need therapy horses for now, she wanted her own horse. It was this gelding’s gentle nature and agility that convinced her that she was on the right path with her decision to acquire a member of this breed.

Grace joined her at Lucky Ducky’s stall. “Are you a bit over your head with this monster-size project?”

“I can manage. I’ve been managing.” Belinda hoped that she’d retained a knack for reading her grandmother’s trains of thought. Although, sometimes, she wasn’t sure that she ever had the ability and only had mastered feeling defensive.

From her pocket, Grace withdrew sugar cubes, which she fed to the grateful horse. Despite her grandmother’s reaction to the stable, she was a wet noodle around the chestnut gelding. Belinda wished she could take a secret photo of her grandmother making kissing noises. Lucky Ducky certainly loved Grace’s attention. His head bumped against her hand to make her continue scratching his muzzle.

“Why are we here...in the barn?” Belinda walked over to a new horse that she’d bought two weeks ago. She’d rather have waited on buying another horse, but, by acquiring him, she had rescued a pet that the owner could no longer afford to keep. She grabbed a brush and stroked Black Pearl’s powerful side with it. His head bobbed as he pranced in place.

“We needed to talk. And since you don’t have a proper office...” Grace pointedly looked over at her. “We must stand out here for privacy.”

No matter how much Grace worked Belinda’s nerves, being disrespectful was never an option. “No, we don’t have to, Grandma. Let’s go up to the house. I have tea.”

“Okay, for the house. No, on the tea.”

“It’s not the regular supermarket tea.” Belinda offered Grace a hint of a smile. “Herbal. Rooibos from South Africa.”