Promise Canyon (Virgin River #13)(76)

"I said, forgiven. Let's move on, please."

"Not until I understand," she begged.

"I told you there was a woman and you treated her with disrespect. It wasn't what you said so much as the way you said it, laughing at her, as though she's nothing. Some little Indian girl. Shame on you, Isabel. I expect that cruel side from Frederik, but not from you."

"Ah. So an apology won't quite get it with you. Clay, you know I'm not savvy with these Native American issues, the vernacular. Come on, give me a break here. We were together a long time and we talked about this stuff a lot, but I didn't grow up in the Native community and--"

"It isn't about the Native community, Isabel. It's about mocking another human being."

"And she heard you say you'd always love me, she's angry, and you're upset. How can I help that?"

"Somehow you knew who she was before I even arrived at the clinic," Clay said. "You made sure she was aware that our relationship didn't exactly end with our divorce. Was that to taunt her? To anger her enough so that you'd get what you want out of me? Ah, never mind--what goes on between Lilly and me isn't your concern, so just drop it. Is there anything else you need from me?"

She sighed audibly. "The stable vet and trainer disagree with your recommendation for Diamond."

"Not the first time there's been a difference of opinion," he said impatiently.

"Will you please come? Just for a weekend? Talk to them?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible, but if you'd like me to ask Dr. Jensen if he's available for a quick trip to L.A., I could do that."

"You know it's not Dr. Jensen I need right now. I'll pay. Top dollar."

Clay leaned his elbow on the desk and applied his thumb and forefingers to his temples. "You never understood about that, did you, Isabel? I'm not for sale."

"You have your son there now," she said. "Your son and your girlfriend."

"Gabe is working in the clinic and living with my sister in Grace Valley. He told me he talked to you briefly before you left, so I'm sure you already know those details."

"And the girlfriend?"

He was silent for a long moment. "Do you want to talk to Dr. Jensen about a consult?"

"I want you to stop treating me as though I'm some horse breeder you don't know! I have a problem with a very valuable quarter horse."

Clay stayed stoically quiet for a moment. "Yes, I know. I think we addressed that problem. Didn't we?" There was no answer on the line. "Do you need the doctor?" he asked.

"I thought I was clear. I need you."

"I'm no longer available to you."

"What about my horse?" she asked indignantly.

"The doctor has given you a course of treatment. If you'd like to discuss it further, I'll call him to the phone. Otherwise, good luck."

The sound of the phone slamming several times against a hard surface answered him. Then there was a dial tone. He stared at the phone for a moment, then the door to the office opened and Nathaniel stood looking at him.

"You didn't step all that far out," Clay commented.

"Landlord rights," he said. "And maybe the only way I'm going to find out what's going on around here." He nodded toward the phone. "What's that all about, Clay?"

Clay put the cordless on its base. "That is proof positive that material wealth does not guarantee happiness. Isabel has many needs, and right now what she needs is to have me at her beck and call." He shook his head and didn't smile. "Poor Isabel."

"She's having trouble with the horse?"

"Possibly, but more likely she's having trouble accepting the fact that I moved on. This is my fault, Nathaniel. I thought patience was the way with Isabel. Patience and understanding. But I only enabled her."

"Enabled her to do what?" Nate asked.

"I've always seen her as a woman who needs love and acceptance, who needs reassurance that love wouldn't be withdrawn, that it would be permanent. But there's more to her. Isabel was raised by an abusive man and I can't even imagine the extent of that abuse. There are things she's never been able to talk about. I do know that as a child she was treated too harshly--affection was continually withheld. Earning a kind word from Frederik was impossible, even when she became an accomplished adult. And I see now there's a side to her that's...that's very like the man who raised her. It's not something I witnessed often, but her many needs can push her to behave as a selfish, self-pitying bigot. And I should have been clearer when I left L.A. that I was permanently leaving her and our relationship. Like I said--my fault."

"Bigot? A bigot who married a Native American?"

"Exactly. If Isabel is a bigot her father is a full-blown racist. It suited them to have a Native farrier and stable manager--it was interesting for them. I was a conversation piece, more so when I married Isabel. It escalated again when we divorced but I stayed on at the stable. This move was long overdue."

"This used to be a happier place," Nate said. "No one's happy these days. What are we going to do about Lilly?"

"We?"

"It's not just you and Lilly who are unhappy. My Annie is down--Lilly isn't ready to talk about this whole mess. Annie had just found herself the perfect training partner and had big dreams for what they could do for young girls when you and Lilly fell out. I used to have a much more content assistant. And poor Gabe--he walks around like he's afraid to sneeze. So, what are we going to do?"