Page 44 of My Trojan Horse Majesty

“He doesn’t have a car here,” I say. “Maybe we should let him hitch a ride in the back.”

“He can call a friend, if he has any,” Leonid says. “Or he can walk. It’s not that far.”

A week ago, I’d have been frantic at the idea of leaving Tim behind. I’d be worried about how angry he’d be. I’d have been terrified about what might come out of it.

Dumping him is freeing in more ways than one.

“Take some of the money I moved to your account, and find a new place for your horses.” He plucks my phone out of the cupholder and extends it toward me. “Isn’t that what those are good for?”

“I mean, I guess, but what place is going to take two horsestoday?” I shake my head. “That’s not how it works. You make plans. I’ll have to leave them at Tim’s until I can find—or.” How depressing. “I could load them up in Steve’s trailer and take them home, I guess.”

He takes the phone.

“Hey,” I say. “Give that back.”

His side eye’s irritating. “Then start calling barns with it—start with the nicest one around here—and ask how much they’d charge to take your horses. Actually, call them, and then hand me the phone.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not going to do that.” But I know just the barn to call. My friend Breanna keeps her horses there, and it’s amazing. Perfect turn out, wonderful care, and the prettiest indoor and outdoor arenas I’ve seen. I pull up the listing, and I call.

“Hello?” a woman asks.

Before I can say a word, Leonid snatches the phone. “Hello, love.”

“Hey,” I say. “You just took it. I can talk.”

But he ignores me. “I’m in a bit of a bind,” he says. “My girlfriend’s got the two loveliest horses, and theycannotstay another day where she’s been boarding them. The grossest guy you’ve ever met is a groom there, and he’s stalking her.” His voice drops to barely above a whisper. “I just found out, and I have to keep her safe.”

My mouth drops open—I’m sure the woman is responding, but I can’t hear what she’s saying in response to his ridiculous story.

“I totally understand that it can be hard to move things around, but there must be something you can do. Understand that money is no object here. I’m happy to pay you an extra ten thousand dollars—apiece—to help you find a new home for whatever horses you need to shift.”

He smiles, so she must be saying something good.

“Of course I’ll have her make a list of what supplements and food they receive.” He shrugs and rolls his eyes. “Yes, we’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I shake my head. “An hour,” I say. “At least.”

“Sorry,” he says. “I meant an hour.”

“It can’t be that easy,” I say.

He hands me my phone. “I think you’ll find that money makes most things exceedingly simple. Life is only hard when you can’t afford to pay for things.”

Is he right? If so, that’s a little sad. “Well, I guess I should say thanks.”

“I’m sorry, what?” He turns slightly. “I’m afraid with the noise from the road and the general anger you were just expressing, I couldn’t hear you.”

I chuckle. “Thank you, Leo. You solved my problem, and I’m not worried anymore.”

“You’re so very welcome.”

The next few hours are strange. I use more than twenty thousand dollars of Leonid’s money to find a new home for my horses. The barn owner and trainer of my friend Breanna’s place meets us personally, and I’m forced to go along with Leonid’s insane story that he’s my boyfriend.

“Why yes,” he says like it’s perfectly normal. “The bloodstains on my shirt are from when I punched that stalker. I’m just afraid that even violence and threats might not be enough to keep him away.” He gestures at me. “Look at this stunning creature. What insane person—like that man—could stay away?”

I’m so busy rolling my eyes that I worry they might get stuck up inside my head. But he’s not even done. He insists that we drive to a dealership and buy a brand new truck.

“I can’t have you driving around in this.” He sighs. “To be honest, I wouldn’t pick a truck at all, but. . .”

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