"So we do, honey," her husband said to her. He matched her perfectly. Kenna placed him at fifty years old and dressed in Ralph Lauren jeans and a white button-up shirt. His salt and pepper hair was perfectly trimmed. He let his right hand rest lightly at the small of his wife's back.
"Are you here for the sales as well?” Mrs. Perky Ralph Lauren asked Kenna.
"Sales? I didn't see any department stores in Keeneston. I could do a little shopping.” A happy feeling washed over her and Kenna’s smile turned into a real one. The kind of feeling that only spending money on the perfect pair of sexy shoes or finding that little black dress that hid ten pounds and increased your bust at least one cup size could do for you.
“Oh! Oh, ha, a joke. Good one, little lady,” Mr. Ralph Lauren laughed. Kenna darted a glance back and forth between the couple, and apparently Mrs. Perky picked up on her creased brow and look of utter confusion at the apparent joke she had made.
“Julius, she’s not joking. Dear, I'm so sorry. We thought any visitors would be here for the Keeneland horse sales.”
So, Mr. Ralph Lauren was Julius. Apparently they had come from out of town, out of state by Kenna’s guess, for horse sales. That was good news for her since she had found out Will still had a horse farm.
“I am so sorry. Since June and I are so horse-crazy, I just assumed you were, too. I'm Julius Kranski and this is my wife, June.” Julius turned and took his hand off his wife's back to shake Kenna's.
June clasped Kenna's hand and lightly held onto it when she introduced herself to Kenna. "So nice to meet you!”
“Nice to meet you both. I'm McKenna Mason, but you can just call me Kenna. It’s nice to meet some other people from out of town. Where are you from?” she asked as she looked back at June.
“We have a horse farm in Ocala, Florida,” June said as she smiled and gently squeezed Kenna's hand again.
She's a toucher, Kenna thought as June continued, “I hope we can be friends. I always love coming to Miss Lily’s for the sales. We always meet the most wonderful people.” June continued to talk as Kenna made her way to the dining room for lunch, explaining all about the sales and about the horses they were hoping to buy. Kenna looked around the dining room and noted that it was casually set with a buffet of olive-nut and pimento-cheese sandwiches. Fresh fruit was in a bowl and a large salad was set in the middle of the round table where Kenna sat with June and Julius.
"Come in, come in. Have a seat just anywhere at the table, y’all. I'll be out in a jiffy with the sweet tea," Miss Lily said as she quickly zipped into the kitchen. Kenna's eyes widened slightly. Miss Lily was remarkably fast for someone in her early seventies. She reappeared with a pitcher of sweet tea, and her white apron was blown back from her flowered dress as her easy spirits sailed across the polished hardwood floors. The room was bright with sun streaming in through the open windows.
Kenna picked up her sweet tea, tentatively gave it a sip, and found that she was pleasantly surprised by the taste. Julius and June began to talk about one of the horses they were hoping to sell and which barns they should go to first when they went to the Keeneland sales after lunch as Kenna listened with half an ear and nibbled at the pimento-cheese sandwich. Not bad, she thought and then took a bigger bite.
"So, are these horse sales a big deal? I mean, do lots of people go to them?" Kenna asked while she tried the olive-nut sandwich. She was definitely going to have to learn how to make these sandwiches and had a feeling Miss Lily would teach her in a heartbeat if she asked.
"They sure are, hon," Julius told her. "The Keeneland sales bring in tens of millions of dollars every year. There are smaller sales in Florida and some good-sized sales in Saratoga, New York. But if you want the next big thing or the best selection, you go to Keeneland."
“It’s also the best place to see the who’s who of racing,” June chimed in. “For example, some Middle Eastern royalty own racing stables. There's a sheik from some small oil country who's trying to build the next big stable right here in Keeneston. He's not the only royalty. Queen Elizabeth has been known to have a horse or two stabled in the area. She’s also attended the Derby a couple of years ago.”
Kenna though that this was as good a time as any to ask about one of the reasons she had come to Keeneston. "When I was a kid, one of my Nana’s friend’s family had a horse farm here. This morning I found out the Ashtons are still here. Do you know them?"
"The Ashtons!" June practically squealed. She clapped her hands lightly together and beamed at Kenna. "Of course we know them. Everyone knows them. After all, they have Spires Landing at stud on their farm here in Keeneston."