Page 89 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kade wasn’t thrilled about his father wanting to use artificial lighting on Legend.
“I always employ the extra lighting before and after sunset, son.” His dad cut his usual stance of hands on hips with a determined thrust of his chin as he stared him down in the shed. “Unless you’re telling me that Legend won’t take to the lights.”
Kade walked over to the mare and looked into her eyes. “No, she’ll come into season early like you wish.”
Normally a mare needed anywhere from sixty to ninety days of photo stimulation before her first estrous cycle of the season. He wasn’t sure Legend was going to need that long. She was happy these days, playing in the fields with Sutter’s Mill and exchanging nickers with his ponies. Shannon had taken to racing her—and he did the same when he wasn’t racing Red Zephyr, which gave the horse purpose. A horse needed a purpose to be happy, Kade had always thought.
“That’s all I need to hear,” his father said with a sharp nod. “Maybe with your special magic and the lighting, we’ll get twins from Legend.”
Kade studied the mare again, and sure enough, he felt the possibility. She would be happy to take care of two foals. Not all mares would be. And in addition to bringing forward the mare’s transitional phase as winter ended and spring began, the artificial lighting would encourage the development of multiple anovulatory follicles.
There was a downside though: an unpredictable estrous cycle.
“I’d like to put one of my ponies in the pasture with Legend to alert us when she’s ready.”
“I’ve used stud ponies before.”
“She and Winston are fast friends. That would be my choice. You’ll want to keep training Sutter’s Mill, not have him lolling in the field with a mare. Plus, you’ll want to decide when to breed her. With the lighting, she might come into season early, Dad.”
“I’m good with that plan,” his father said, “and I’ll be trusting you to keep your pony well tethered.”
He snorted. “You keep your stallions away from my side of the farm. You’re the one who’s had a few break through their stalls at the smell of a mare in heat.”
“Not anymore.” He glared at him. “I keep the mares well away, and with Legend down this far, none of my stallions are likely to scent her. It’s all been brilliant so far. I don’t see any reason why that shouldn’t continue. I’ll bring down the lights and the timers then.”
Good fortune was shining on them. But he was going to keep everything buttoned up on his end, per their agreement. He had a lot riding on it.
Once he had his own land, he would be free of his father’s hopes and he could live his own life and build his new family a home.
“I’m thinking we’ll need to find Legend a new stall. My other ponies won’t appreciate the extra hours of light when winter is upon us.”
His dad stalked to the stall at the end of the shed and popped the door open. “This one should do. I don’t see a problem with you emptying the stall next to her.”
Legend loved her pony friends, but Kade knew they would continue to nicker at each other even if she was in the far stall. “Fine, then.”
“Fine,” his father repeated. His gaze turned speculative. “Son, I’m glad we’re working on this. Together. With you getting married soon and having a family, I hope you might consider helping me more with the breeding. For your future. As you can see, there isn’t much to it when you have the right partner, and we work well together. It’s thanks to you that I found Sutter’s Mill. I’ve already arranged for him to stud twenty horses in the coming season. And I’m working on arrangements for Red Zephyr as well.”
Twenty was a lot in terms of stud fees, and they both knew it. “I’m glad for you, Dad. Even unproven, your reputation for knowing your horseflesh is evident.”
“Sutter’s Mill is going to sire champions.” He walked over and stroked Legend’s mane. “I’ve never been more certain. You think on what I said.”
He wished his father could be content with their current arrangement. Except he knew better. Perhaps he was like his father. Hadn’t he dug his feet into the earth time and time again to pursue what he wanted and make a name for himself? “I can’t make that promise, Dad.”
His father stroked his jaw. “You might change your mind after you marry. A man’s priorities shift when he has his family. Didn’t I stop going to all those horse shows and watching my own stallions at the races? I wanted to be home for supper with your mother, you, and your sister. I made sacrifices—ones I don’t regret. So might you. Only a stupid man thinks he has all the answers before he’s walked a mile in another’s shoes.”
He could feel a tugging on that invisible chain that his dad liked to pull, the one that filled him with frustration. He took a step back and leaned against the closest stall, not taking the bait. “Dad, all I’m focusing on is enjoying my engagement and the woman I love and the boy who’ll be my son. I’ll face each day like I do now. With an open heart. It’s worked for me so far.”
“An open heart.” His father let out a sigh. “Talking to you is sometimes like talking to the wind. But I will say again how happy your mother and I are about you finding Megan and the boy. You all suit each other, and I’ll be glad to call them family. I’ll leave you now.”
His father left the shed. Winston let out a gusty neigh, making Kade laugh. Duke appeared from under Winston’s stall. “Is that where you were hiding?”
He picked up the dog and rubbed him behind the ears. “How about we go and lend some support to our girl? She’d loading the kiln as we speak.”
Last night, she’d been as up and down as the tides during a storm. He’d made dinner as Ollie ran around the small kitchen chasing Pip, who loved it when the boy raced after him. After putting Ollie to bed, they’d sat on the settee, and he’d simply held her, sensing her distraction and disquiet.
In the morning, he’d reminded her everything was going to go fine with the kiln this time. The sprinklers had been changed out for ones set to a higher temperature, and she’d taken the extra precaution of meeting with Caisleán’s fire brigade to walk them through the kiln process, pointing out the difference between a perfectly working kiln and one actually on fire. Lastly, he’d helped her put a padlock on the kiln.
