Picture Of Perfection. Kristin Gabriel

a toll on every aspect of her life. She couldn’t prepare for a gallery showing with the lack of sleep she was experiencing. That wouldn’t be fair to her or to Jon.

      She’d tried sleeping pills in the past, hoping they’d prevent the nightmares or, at the very least, stop the debilitating aftereffects. But the pills only seemed to make things worse. The tranquilizing effect had made it harder for her to waken from the nightmare and left her shaky and dizzy.

      Gillian opened the center drawer of the desk and pulled out a slip of paper with a phone number on it. Her best friend had given her the name of a respected hypnotherapist over a week ago, but she’d been putting off making the call.

      She stared at the telephone on her desk, wondering if she’d be strong enough to let someone take her back into the past. The nightmares were already painful, but this time she’d be volunteering to relive the heat of the fire, the smoke-filled air, and the panic-stricken terror that had engulfed her that horrible night.

      Taking a deep breath, Gillian picked up the receiver and dialed the number.

      Five

      The earthy scents of horses and hay greeted Carter the next morning as he walked into the stables at the Del Mar racetrack. He’d spent a restless night in his king-size bed at the hotel, Gillian’s angry words echoing in his head. He’d risen before dawn to make the twenty-mile trek from San Diego to the seaside city of Del Mar.

      As the sun broke over the horizon, it cast a golden glow on the long rows of stables located at the north end of the track. The premier racing facility had stalls for a thousand horses and even at this early hour the place was already bustling with grooms, trainers, jockeys and other racing personnel.

      This would be home for the next two weeks as Quest Stables had six horses running their maiden races. This week the Quest trainers would put the horses through their paces, then they’d begin racing next week. Carter’s trip to California would culminate with watching the big race, the Pacific Classic, that had everyone talking.

      A shadow of irritation dimmed the bright morning for him as he headed toward the stalls designated for the Quest Stables horses. Before the scandal broke, Leopold’s Legacy had been slated to run in this high-stakes race and Carter knew the horse would have been the odds-on favorite to win.

      But those odds didn’t matter anymore. Leopold’s Legacy had been banned from racing, and if they didn’t resolve this scandal very soon, the local and regional racing commissions all across North America could decide to ban all the other horses majority-owned by Quest from racing.

      Carter couldn’t let that happen. His job, and his reputation, depended on it. He had too many people counting on him that he didn’t want to disappoint. If only Gillian had listened to reason…

      He shook that thought from his head as he reached the first stall. It wasn’t Gillian’s fault that he’d approached the situation all wrong. He should have been honest about his intentions from the beginning. Of course, then he might have missed that walk out to the gazebo. Missed spending time with the most fascinating woman he’d met in too long to remember.

      He bit back a sigh, tired of feeling sorry for himself. He’d learned a long time ago that regret was a useless emotion. It was better to move forward and resist the temptation of pondering what might have been.

      He needed to forget about Gillian Cameron. Forget the sound of her laughter the way her green eyes sparkled in the sunlight. The way her body curved in just the right places and how her long, chestnut hair looked softer than silk.

      “Yeah,” Carter muttered to himself. “Just forget about her. Easiest thing in the world.”

      “Hey, Phillips, are you talking to yourself again?”

      Carter looked up to see Troy Daley, a fellow veterinarian, approaching him. They’d shared more than a few beers and horse stories on the racing circuit. Carter respected his skills as an equine specialist and they often consulted each other on difficult cases.

      “Isn’t it a little early for you to be up and about?” Carter asked, reaching out to shake his hand.

      “One of my horses is running his first race after battling a bowed tendon for the last six months. I need to keep a close eye on him and make sure he’s ready to go tomorrow.”

      Carter nodded, knowing the best treatment for inflammation of the flexor tendon was a long period of rest. He also knew that less than half of the horses who suffered from a bowed tendon came back successfully, which was a testament to Troy’s skills.

      Troy cleared his throat. “I want to say how sorry I am that Quest Stables has been caught up in this scandal with Leopold’s Legacy. It must be pretty rough on you.”

      Carter gave a brisk nod. “Rough is one word for it. Frustrating is another. I was there when the mare, Courtin’ Cristy, was bred to Apollo’s Ice. Hell, I was there for the birth of Leopold’s Legacy. I’m still trying to figure out what happened.”

      Troy leaned against a wooden post. “So no luck there yet?”

      Carter shook his head. “I thought I had a lead, but…it didn’t pan out.”

      He was reluctant to tell Troy about Gillian and her determination to keep Picture of Perfection from having a DNA test. Rumors spread faster than wildfire on the racing circuit. Even an innocent comment by Troy could lead to someone questioning Picture of Perfection’s lineage and qualifications to run in the Pacific Classic.

      “Well, I hope it all works out for you,” Troy said. “If it was me…” He shook his head. “Well, if it was me, I might be tempted to take that teaching position I was offered last month.”

      Carter looked up. “A professorship? Where?”

      “At Texas A&M University. They’re looking for an equine specialist. Hell, we could get a job practically anywhere, given our experience on the circuit.”

      “How much do they pay?”

      Troy cocked his head as he looked at Carter. “Why? You interested?”

      He hesitated, then shook his head. He had too many responsibilities to even think of pursuing that dream. “I’ve got my hands full at the moment.”

      Troy grinned. “I had my hands full last night with a cute redhead I met on the beach. That’s what I love best about Del Mar—the beach and the babes in bikinis. It truly is Where The Turf Meets The Surf.”

      That was the racetrack’s slogan and half the betting crowd usually wore beach attire to the races. He wasn’t surprised that Troy had already hooked up with one of the locals. The Texas vet was famous for his road trip relationships. Carter had never been tempted to indulge in temporary trysts—until he’d met Gillian Cameron.

      Troy pushed himself away from the wooden post. “I’d better get back to work. Maybe we can grab a beer some night soon and I can tell you all about my adventures with the redhead.”

      “Sounds good,” Carter replied, then he turned around and continued his trek down the center aisle of the long stable.

      The whispers and sneers had died down, but Carter still found it difficult not to rise to the defense of Quest Stables whenever he heard someone make a snide comment. With the foul mood he was in today, Carter was itching for an excuse to punch someone.

      When he reached the Quest stalls, he was relieved to see that all the horses were eating. It was a sign of a healthy animal, though many horses often went off their feed for a day or two after making a cross-country trip.

      Quest Stables transported them in a custom-equipped airplane. A few highly strung horses were given sedatives, but Carter liked to avoid that whenever possible.

      As he surveyed the six horses, he couldn’t see any lingering effects from the flight. He credited the fresh sea air and the beautiful weather. The fact that Del Mar was situated right on the coastline made it one of his favorite venues.

      Another