Jack cleared his throat, "Well."
Marion looked at him, skeptically. There was something he wasn't telling her. "No problems."
Jack pursed his lips, shaking his head, "Not a one." And headed off toward the house.
Marion cocked her head. Something was definitely going on with her dad. She turned, approaching Aztec's stall.
Marion picked up the leadrope from next to his stall and went to open the gate. Immediately the horse ran at her, reared in the air and struck at her head.
Though shocked, Marion held her ground, remembering what Lisa said about Aztec getting over confident. She didn't want to give him a reason to get more egotistical. He ran, mouth agape at her throat, as if he was going to bite her.
Again, Marion held her ground. Then he turned and double-barrel kicked at her head. Marion jumped out of the way slamming against the stall wall. Knowing that if she had not jumped out of the way, he would have taken her head off. Marion was breathing rapidly. This was going to be a lot more difficult than she had imagined.
That night after dinner Marion called Lisa, while Amy did the dishes and Jack sat sipping on a glass of whiskey and working on a crossword puzzle. Marion wished she could have some privacy, since she didn't much favor her dad and daughter listening in on the details of what happened with Aztec earlier that day. But she had to deal with it, since she didn't have a phone line installed in her office in the barn or a cell phone like Lou kept telling her she needed for business.
The phone rang, "Fairfield Stables," Lisa answered.
"Hi, Lisa, this is Marion." Marion said.
"Hi, Marion, how did things go today with Aztec?"
"Not so well," Marion admitted.
"Are you okay?" Lisa asked, concerned.
"Yeah." Marion replied, and she could feel her father's eyes on her. "When I tried to get him out of the stall, he attacked like you said."
"I'm so sorry." Lisa said. "It's not your fault." Marion continued, "You warned me what would happen. He tried to bite me, and strike at me, and finally he double-barrel kicked at me."
Jack turned from his newspaper and glared at Marion.
"But you got out of the way?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah. I had to jump to the side. I hope I didn't make him worse." Marion said.
"No, I've had to do that myself a few times." Lisa replied, "One time I jumped into his haunches to avoid having my head kicked off."
Marion laughed, "Yeah, I can see that. Would you mind coming over in the morning to help me work with him? I was thinking that maybe since you said he's not quite as bad with you, then it might help having you here."
"I'd be happy to. I have a few meetings here later in the day, but my head groom Harry can oversee most of the things that need to be done in the morning. Unless you need me to bring Harry too, since Aztec's pretty good with him?"
Marion looked at her dad, if she was going to get him to agree to keep Aztec at Heartland, she was going to need to use any interest he had in Lisa Stillman in her favor. "No, just bring yourself." Marion said.
"I'll see you in the morning then." Lisa said, "Around 8 okay?"
"That's fine. See you then." Marion said.
Marion hung up the phone and saw that her father was staring at her.
"When were you going to tell me that horse tried to kill you?" Jack asked.
"Dad, don't be dramatic." Marion said, looking at Amy. "I've dealt with worse."
Jack's eyebrows shot into his hairline skeptically. "I could, however, use your help in the morning." Marion continued.
"I'd be happy to help, mom." Amy offered, taking a bite of apple, "I could stay home from school."
Jack and Marion replied, "You will do no such thing!" and "You will stay away from that horse" at the same time.
"If you ask me, that horse probably needs a beating or a bullet between his eyes." Jack said harshly. At Amy and Marion's protestations, he added. "But, I'll do what I can. And now I'm turning in." And with that he headed off to his bedroom.