Whitney had asked for a divorce the second he told her he was retiring and moving back to Kentucky. He finished the season out with a Super Bowl appearance. The next week, he handed over $100,000 to Whitney in front of a judge to finalize the divorce. He told Kenna that he had never been happier. It had taken a couple of years, but he had learned how to run the farm. He was able to profit on what his father had started. The result of his work, combined with his dad's efforts, produced Spires Landing, a colt his dad had bred but was ready to sell because he was slightly smaller than others. Something had drawn him to Will and Will decided to outvote his dad. Will began training the horse to race. As it turned out, Spires Landing was small but quick, very similar to Smarty Jones, a popular horse that nearly won the Triple Crown. And like Smarty Jones, Spires Landing turned out to be a Derby winner and near-Triple Crown champion. Last year Will had turned the runt into a Derby winner and was only one race from winning the Triple Crown. Spires Landing had come in second at the Belmont in New York by a nose. Affirmed was the last horse to win the Triple Crown in 1978, and this year Will hoped to finish what Spires Landing had started last year.
Kenna was still amazed to learn that Spires Landing finished off a racing career earning over $3 million dollars. He was now happily providing stud service at $200,000 each go-around.
Everything had been looking great for Will until four months ago. The farm was making money. His employees were happy. His mares were pregnant. And training was going well for all his new horses. Then the accidents started happening. Stall doors mysteriously opened in the middle of the night. A trainer had come in at five in the morning to discover the door open to Spires Landing’s stall and his tail peeking out the feed door. He was happily eating a pile of fresh apples and sugar cubes. He had thought it a fluke until the fence in the stallion pasture fell down. A whole section of the four-plank fence was found lying on the ground, conveniently moved to the side so Spires Landing could just walk right on out. Luck was again on Will's side as Spires Landing was scheduled to be bred that day and had never left the breeding barn.
Will hired additional guards to patrol at night, but they turned up nothing. Accidents continued to happen, though. The engine on one of the tractors was damaged so it was unusable, and more fences were torn down. He was left with having to drive the fence lines, over fifteen hundred acres worth of fence line, every morning before the horses were let out. But that still didn't do anything to protect the hundreds of horses that were kept in pastures day and night. He had almost one hundred employees all trying to figure out who was doing this.
That was where Will thought Sheik Mohtadi Ali Rahman came in. He had approached Will just two months before the accidents started, wanting to buy his farm and horse operation. Will and his family turned him down. He tried once more, offering an ungodly amount of money. But this was Will's family heritage and they couldn't sell it. Mo seemed to take it in stride, buying the two horse farms next to the Ashton Farm instead. It was after he moved in that the accidents started. Will figured Mo didn't like losing. When money didn't work, he had his security force start these attacks on the farm in hopes that they'd change their minds and sell.
Kenna didn't agree with his theory of Mo being behind the problems. But she knew not to argue until she had proof, one way or another.
Will's parting words still caused heat to flood her belly. "Mo isn't going to get the farm and he sure as hell isn't going to get you."
Kenna closed her eyes and dreamt about sweet kisses and horses eating apples.
Chapter Nine
The next five days flew by for Kenna. She woke up at six in the morning, took a hot shower to wake up, and started studying. At eight, Miss Lily would send a tray up with breakfast and orange juice. Kenna ate while studying Kentucky law. She studied property law, criminal law, civil law, ethics, family law, court procedures, tax law, estate law, and so much more that it was all starting to run together.
Paige or Betsy would come over with a late lunch, giving Kenna a thirty-minute break. Kenna bored them to death with conversations based on what she was reading. Then it was off to take a practice test and review the incorrect answers before Will arrived for dinner around eight at night. After studying for twelve hours a day, she made herself stop when Will came over. They would go out on a date at the cafe or drive into Lexington for dinner and a movie. They talked, laughed, and kissed whenever out of sight of the Rose sisters.
It became a joke between them to see how long they could kiss good-bye on the porch before Miss Lily turned the light on or came out to sweep imaginary leaves off the steps. She'd then usher Kenna inside, asking about how the date had gone and how studying was going, all while scolding Will for being fresh.