The Long Hot Summer

Four months later...

Ryan sat at the desk in his office when the door opened. Glancing up he saw Mark Charlesworth holding a large vase with a bouquet of flowers wrapped in pale pink cellophane.

"These came for you, Doc."

Rising to his feet, Ryan smiled. "Who sent them?"

"Me." Kelly moved into the doorway, grinning at her husband.

Mark placed the flowers on a table and winked at Kelly as he walked out of the vet's office. Miss Kelly had asked him to carry the vase to Dr. Blackstone, because she did not want to lift anything that was too heavy. The glow in her eyes and her mysterious smile meant that the resident veterinarian was going to receive wonderful news.

Mark had received a bouquet of flowers from Miss Kelly once he received his test results from his college entrance exam. He had received a combined score of thirteen hundred sixty on the SAT. He was going to college! He would miss Blackstone Farms, but knew he would come back one day - as a veterinarian.

Kelly watched Ryan watching her. "Congratulations, Dr. Blackstone."

He moved closer, his gaze fixed on her moist lips. "For what, Mrs. Blackstone."

Reaching for his left hand, she placed it over her flat belly. "For this."

His gaze widened until she saw their black depths. "Are you sure?"

Her lids lowered. "As sure as I am that I'll love you forever."

Gathering Kelly to his chest, he picked her up and swung her around and around until she pleaded with him to stop.

Throwing back his head, he shouted, "Boo-yaw!"

Caught up in his infectious joy, Kelly whispered close to his ear, "Boo-yaw to you, too."

"Now I know you can do better than that with the Blackstone cheer."

Rising her chin, she closed her eyes and shouted "Boo-yaw!"

Ryan lowered his head and kissed her long and deep. They were still locked in a passionate embrace when some of the stable hands came to see what the shouting was all about.

Three men crowded in the doorway to find their boss cradling his wife to his chest. Their gazes shifted to the flowers and they backed away, smiling.

"Something tells me that we're going to have another celebration soon," one said quietly.

And Blackstone Farms had a lot to celebrate. Their jockeys had stood within the chalk markings of the winner's circle in the last five of the six races they had run.

But the best celebration was still to come - with the birth of another Blackstone come summer.