They genuinely wanted to do things the way she said. She walked with them down to the barn she knew she needed to take time to get to know them on a personal level. She couldn’t just support them financially and call it a day. They would need her emotional support as well. She needed to take time to be with them. She decided they’d do their riding lessons together, hers were to begin today after she saw Damon’s cousin do practice runs. She and Cody had decided they’d let her run Heartbreaker, simply because he was retired didn’t mean he couldn’t get enough speed up for them to judge her riding ability. She had sent the twins off to the barn’s office to prepare for their days work when she saw her grandfather’s car pull up.
She wondered what Jamison was doing here. When he climbed from the car, she noted her other grandfather got from the car as well. They had a serious expression on their faces. She asked, “What brought about this visit?” Her grandpa Jamison said “I just heard you brought your brothers here. Are you sure you’re ready for this because your grandparents are more than willing to, step in. Angel took a step back and said coolly “Excuse me” her look encompassing both men as she said “First, no one, and I mean that, no one will be taking those boys from this house. Do I make myself clear?” at their shocked nods she continued as she looked at Harrison “Furthermore you should be ashamed of yourself. You didn’t do a good job with our mother but think you can do better than I did? Bear in mind I raised myself sir. Don’t you ever step onto my property and tell me I’d be better off without my brothers are we clear now?” she’d noted that Damon with her father and his cousin had arrived in the middle of this conversation. Her father was staring stunned at both men, so she knew he hadn’t been a party to it. She said coldly “You know the way out.”
She had known from the second they’d mentioned the twins the boys had hidden and been listening behind the barn door. The minute she’d vehemently claimed her right to them they’d taken up their stance behind her, glaring at both men. Angel turned to Grant and said, “You can see them out now.” Grant himself was glaring at her grandparents who looked as if they had been hit over the head. Her father turned his back on his father, not even acknowledging him. All her hands had stopped where they were staring angrily at her grandfathers.
She turned to Carlos and said, “Bring Heartbreaker to the practice track please.” Carlos nodded and headed into the barn. She hadn’t seen Cody exit the barn, but he too was staring at her grandparents who looked as if they had never dreamed her reaction would be this severe. She turned to the twins and said “I’m sure it’s about time to give the twins their supplement” she turned to Brady and said “Show them how to mix it and where to get everything and then how to feed the twins. While they’re in the barn during the day, taking care of the boys is their job on top of taking care of the office work.” Brady nodded and led the twins inside.
Angel mentally shook herself then walked to her father, Damon, and his cousin and holding out her hand said, “Hello nice to meet you Jada. I’d like you to meet our trainer here, Cody this is Jada, Jada this is Cody he runs this place for me.” They shook hands and Angel motioned for everyone to follow them out to the practice track. When they arrived Jada literally looked as if she were in love. Angel listened as Jada breathed out in disbelief “That’s Heartbreaker.” Angel laughed and said “Yes, that is Heartbreaker.” Jada turned stunned eyes on them and asked, “You want me to ride Heartbreaker?” It was Cody who stepped in and said “Heartbreaker is retired and is being used for stud only, but as an exercise rider as well as jockey here you’d be riding all the horses. Heartbreaker included we’d like to see how you can handle him.” They watched as Jada walked over to Carlos and Heartbreaker, she seemed to be acquainting herself as well as Heartbreaker to each other. By the time they gave her the signal to go, Angel was sure they’d found their jockey. By the end of the ride, she knew they had. She caught Cody staring at the stop watch in his hands and asked, “You okay Cody?” he nodded absently then looked up at Angel and said “He’s been retired for two years, it makes no sense.” At her look he said “He’s faster than he used to be. Maybe it was just a fluke and because he hasn’t run in a while.” By the time Jada had run him two more times and his times consistently seemed to improve they knew Heartbreaker was telling them he wanted to run.
While Cody worked out the contract with Jada with the help of the boys in the office. Hunter pulled his daughter aside and asked, “What the hell was going on here this morning?” Angel sighed deeply and said “Apparently Harrison went to Jamison and told him I’d been awarded custody. I knew my grandmother was put out by that fact, but I didn’t think they’d drag your parents into it. Though I can’t see Grandma Belle standing by while Jamison did that.” Hunter nodded and said “No, I’m sure my mother will flay him alive.” He saw how uncomfortable she was, so he let the subject drop and watched as she re-entered the barn.
He walked to the paddock fence and pulled out his cellular calling his mother. When she greeted him happily, he felt badly about bursting her bubble of happiness. He said, “Are you aware your husband was just kicked off my daughter’s property.” He could tell from her stunned gasp she was shocked. He filled in all the details, and from the angry silence on the other end of the line he knew she was furious, but it was the dead calm in her voice that told him how furious when she asked, “He did what?” Before Hunter could say anything, she continued saying “And, you’re saying you think Marigold put Harrison up to asking your father to step in?” At his affirmative answer she said coolly “Well I’ll handle this problem, and he better hope my grandchild still allows me at her home or I’ll rip him to pieces.” When she hung up Belle didn’t think she’d ever been so furious in her whole life. Jamison had done some unbelievably stupid things in their marriage, and she’d always stood by his side, but she wasn’t so sure she could let this one go. He’d hurt her grandchild, their grandchild who’d already been hurt enough. How dare, they all try to manipulate her grandchild. She was on the phone with Marigold within moments, and by the time the conversation ended they each knew where they stood. Marigold kept saying it was for Angel’s benefit for them to raise the twins. It wasn’t until Belle told her point blank how blind she was being and not considering what those boys needed and only her own needs that Marigold had realized in her need to prove she could be a good parent she’d alienated, all of her grandchildren.
Jamison knew the minute he entered his house there was trouble. There in the foyer stood his wife and she had two suitcases standing next to her. He listened as she said “Franklin, please carry my bags out to the car.” Jamison watched stunned as the man did just that, but it was his wife’s words that stopped him cold as she said “In all the years we’ve been married you’ve made some stupendous mistakes. You’ve never crossed a line I couldn’t forgive before, until today. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to look you in the face again knowing you hurt our grandchild after she’s already been through so much pain. How you can live with yourself I’ll never know. In their drive to prove their good parents Harrison and Marigold have, alienated all of their grandchildren as you have alienated Angel. I won’t be kicked from her life as you all have been. You allowed yourself to be manipulated and now you’ve lost everything that mattered to you. I can’t speak for the girls, but Hunter won’t be speaking to you, and neither will I.” He watched in horror as his wife, the only woman he’d ever loved walk out of his life. He knew it was his fault, he’d brought it on himself, he’d allowed what Marigold and Harrison said to color his view without going to the source first. He’d just assumed like most nineteen-year old’s his granddaughter wouldn’t want the responsibility, but he’d forgotten just who his granddaughter was.
This would be the first holiday since he met Belle, he’d spend without her and his family. Belle sat in the back of the car fuming, she wasn’t sure where she’d go, but she knew she had to apologize to her granddaughter for her husband’s behavior. It was just coming up on noon when Angel who true to Kyle’s words turned out to be a natural rider saw her grandmothers’ car pulling up to the barns. She had a natural seat Cody and Kyle told her, it turned out her brothers were as natural in a saddle as she was. She didn’t stop her riding she and her brothers continued to ride around the ring. Belle walked up to hear Hunter, Damon, Cody and Kyle saying, “She has a natural seat, she rides like she’s been doing it for years.” They turned towards her when Belle said, “She’s graceful in everything she does.”
Hunter arched his brow and asked, “What brings you out mother?” Her words stopped all four men in their tracks as she said, “I’ve left your father.” Hunter blinked rapidly surely, he’d misheard, but his mother continued and said, “If he can be a party to hurting my granddaughter then I don’t want to be near him.” Hunter closed his eyes and began to count slowly before opening them and asking, “Where are you going to stay?”
Once again, they were surprised as it wasn’t Angel who spoke but her younger brother Kaleb who said, “She can stay here in the guest room, or what would be the guest room when Deanna finishes it.” No one said a word and as if by plan Angel and Jackson joined them, Angel listened as Kaleb filled her in and she nodded saying “Grandma Belle is always welcome in the house. Jackson you can go call Deanna, see if she can get the things needed for the guest room.” They all watched as no questions asked Jackson dismounted and walked into the barn to do as his sister had instructed. Belle nodded she knew her granddaughter could handle these boys. She said, “While I’m here I’d like to get to know your brothers Angel.” Angel and Kaleb dismounted and handed their horses over to Carlos and James who were standing by.
It was at this point that Grant’s two ways went off announcing there was more than one delivery truck at the gate with packages. She sighed and said, “No rest for the weary.” At their curious looks she said, “Christmas presents have arrived, and I still have to go buy more at some point after all Christmas is in three days now.” Everyone had apparently been as wrapped up in the mornings activities as she was, they had forgotten all about Christmas. Belle sighed and said, “I’ll direct them where to put the packages, are you going to have a get together Christmas for your workers Angel?” Angel was the one to sigh next and say, “I’ve never planned a party and I don’t have the time.” Belle smiled and said, “You leave it to me, I’ll arrange everything.”
She was exiting the ring when she saw her aunt pulling in, she as well as her stunned father listened as Ellen described everything that was going on with the Kingsley holdings. She told Angel that the bank had foreclosed on his home this morning that it had been in the offing for a while, but that Kingsley had held them off in hopes he’d make big at a race. She informed them that everything from the house to the cars and horses it all was mortgaged and had been taken. Hunter looked at his sister then his daughter and asked, “When did you do this?” When they told him everything he was stunned, if you wanted revenge that was a sure fire way to, go about getting it.
Angel said evenly “I want to buy the property.” At their stunned looks, she said “I know it sounds stupid, and more headache than anything, but I want it. We can expand and maybe at some point in the future if they want it, my brothers can make it into their own place.” Logic wasn’t lost on any of them; the boys would always be right next door. Ellen nodded and said, “I’ll get in touch with the bank.”
Kaleb brought her from her thoughts as he said, “Me and Jackson needed to do some Christmas shopping as well.” Angel glanced at Grant and said, “We need to go to the mall.”