Racetrack Romance BOX SET (Books 1-3) (51 page)

Voices rocked the barn. She stepped from the stall, frowning. Mark liked it library quiet; no one was supposed to ever yell or disturb the horses. Tonight though, two ladies with designer leather purses, Italian shoes and pink scarves giggled in the aisle as they followed Mark and Maria.

Must be the two owners who’d waved from the box. Maria said they always visited Missy after a race, bringing peppermints and insisting on taking the filly’s connections for dinner. Apparently they enjoyed the day and, win or lose, relished every moment of the experience.

Jessica grabbed a rake, her mind scrambling as she tidied the already-spotless aisle. Maybe they’d invite her to tag along. It was always unbearably lonely in the evenings—she often raked five or six times just for something to do—and the thought of another meal of canned beans made her stomach churn.

“Our horse looked wonderful today, Maria. You braided her beautifully,” the taller lady said.

Both Mark and Maria looked at Jessica.

“She helped with the braids.” Maria shuffled uncomfortably and pointed at Jessica. “Showed me how to do it.”

“It was no problem.” Jessica paused and leaned on the rake. “Took a couple hours, but the extra time was worth it.” However, she automatically rubbed her shoulder because the braiding had left a slight ache in her arm.

“Oh, dear. Missy didn’t hurt you, did she?” The shorter owner stepped closer, studying the abrasions on Jessica’s face.

“Oh, no. That wasn’t Missy,” Jessica said quickly, seeing the concern in the nice lady’s eyes. “She’s a very sweet horse.”

“Well, I hope you join us for dinner. We really love the braids. It was such a nice touch.”

Mark raised a sardonic eyebrow, but Jessica ignored him. Missy had looked beautiful and her owners liked it. Besides, Jessica really needed to be with people tonight. Mark didn’t understand what it was like, isolated in the barn, alone with the horses. He always had people tagging after him, hanging on his every word, clamoring for his attention.

“I’d love to come.” She quickly hung up the rake, hoping Mark didn’t mind.

“Maybe Jessica should take us for dinner,” he said softly. “She made all the money today.”

She shot him a quick look of reproach. He seemed to think she was rich. Had yelled at her when she’d presented a sheet with ten horses’ temperatures and asked if there were any more jobs she could do. Sometimes she didn’t understand him at all. But at least he was letting her come.

“I just have to grab a sweater from my room,” she said, gesturing over her shoulder, afraid they might leave without her.

“You actually sleep in there?” The ladies stared past her at the dark room, their revulsion almost comical. The tall one rallied quickest and turned to Jessica. “That is so sweet. Sleeping here with the horses, keeping our Missy safe. Mark is lucky to have an experienced horseperson like you.”

Jessica glanced at Mark, wondering if he would announce she was totally inexperienced and, in fact, was only allowed to handle Buddy. However, his expression remained inscrutable although the corner of his mouth twitched.

***

Mark had made reservations at an Italian restaurant and bar across the street, and Jessica spotted many familiar faces when she stepped into the savory-smelling room. Clearly it was a track hangout with the requisite horse equipment and framed pictures decorating the walls. She detoured to the bathroom, lingering over the spotless washbasin, the endless supply of warm water and the sweet-smelling soap.

When she emerged, Dino leaned over a stool at the end of the bar.

“Mark said you’re buying,” he said with a grin, “and that I should drink as much as I want.” His flushed face and the way he squeezed the smiling blonde beside him suggested he was diligently following Mark’s advice.

“He’s joking,” Jessica said. “And you already owe me. Remember our bet on my very first day?”

“Yeah. I still can’t believe he hired you.” Dino shook his head. “You’re not even flatulent.”

Jessica stared in confusion, then edged away. She liked Dino—everyone did—but she’d learned long ago it was impossible to understand a drunk. She brushed past the giggling blonde, who seemed totally entranced by every word that came out of Dino’s mouth, then rushed to Mark’s table before he announced to the entire room that drinks were on her. Paying for the pizza tonight wouldn’t be a problem. She’d made a lot of money betting and having company tonight was totally worth it, but she had a business to start. She couldn’t afford to pay for everyone’s liquor.

Maria, Mark and the two owners were already seated at a corner table.

“So nice of you to bring us here, Mark,” the shorter lady was saying, glancing around at the horse pictures. “We feel like part of the racing community now.”

“We definitely have the most handsome trainer,” the tall one added, playfully squeezing his arm. “One we want to get to know much better.”

Mark nodded but his smile was tight, and he looked at Jessica with obvious relief. “Ah, there you are. Where’s Dino? Thought he was joining us.”

“Thanks to your directive, he’s guzzling his ‘free’ drinks at the bar, along with a little friend,” Jessica said. “So you have us ladies all to yourself.”

“Just the way I like it.” But there was an edge to his voice, and she guessed the affable Dino usually served as Mark’s buffer. Maria would certainly provide no help. She’d buried her head in the pizza menu, studying it with a concentration more appropriate to a five-star restaurant.

Mark stiffened every time the tall lady, Hilda, touched his arm, and Jessica’s empathy surged. It was an awkward position. He had to please his owners but wasn’t the type to flirt and definitely wasn’t the type to enjoy trite conversation. Yet he’d always been kind, always fair, despite that moment of discomfort by the rail. She could certainly help him out tonight.

She leaned forward with a bright smile, distracting the lady hanging on Mark’s arm. “Is that gorgeous scarf a Hermes? I love the color. It totally matches your silks.”

It was a cinch to redirect the conversation and soon Mark’s big shoulders relaxed, and even Maria lowered the menu and smiled shyly. The two ladies were delightful, and Jessica discreetly swiped her eyes when she learned they donated all Missy’s race profits to the Cancer Society.

By the second bottle of wine, they confided they lived together as a couple. After that announcement Mark looked far more comfortable when they hugged his arm. At one point he even held Hilda’s hand, comforting her when she spoke of her ex-husband and how he had fled following her breast cancer diagnosis.

“I’ll braid Missy pink every race,” Maria promised as the owners prepared to leave. Jessica scooped up the bill before Hilda could take it, but Mark overrode them all.

“I’ll look after it,” he said, extracting it from her hand. “Thanks, Jessica.” He gave her shoulder a grateful squeeze before turning and calling Dino to the table.

“I’m driving Hilda and Dorothy to their hotel,” she heard him say. “Don’t let Jessica and Maria walk back to the track alone.”

“I won’t,” Dino said, but he looked disappointed and shot a rueful glance at the bar.

“We’re fine. Maria and I can walk home together,” Jessica said as Mark headed toward the exit. Her shoulder still tingled from his touch, and she was absurdly disappointed when the door closed behind him. She wished he wasn’t leaving yet; all the vitality seemed to seep from the room. She jerked her head away, afraid Dino and Maria might notice her growing interest in their boss.

“No, I’ll walk you home.” Dino sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Even though I planned to invite that blonde with the nice laugh over to my apartment for a quick drink.”

Maria snorted. “Some quick OTS, more like it.”

“OTS?” Jessica frowned. She thought she knew all the racetrack abbreviations but couldn’t remember ever hearing that one.

“Off-track sex,” Maria said. “The only kind Mark allows. But since he told Dino to take us home, he’ll have to postpone his party plans. Tough luck, Dino.”

“Damn Mark’s puritan rules anyway,” Dino said with a good-natured wave to the girl propped on the stool. He linked his arms around Jessica and Maria. “No problem. I’ll just switch to plan B.”

“But it’s after hours,” Jessica said, feeling a little sorry for the blonde left at the bar who, despite her laugh, now looked quite forlorn. “Surely Mark can’t tell you what to do?”

“Surely he can,” Dino said. “He always worries about his employees. Which means we’re heading back to the shedrow where there’s no drugs, no alcohol and, unfortunately for you,” he paused to give them both a quick squeeze, “no sex.”

“But we don’t want sex,” Maria said, so loudly the people at the next table cranked their heads and stared. “Besides, Pedro just came so I’m staying.” She pushed Dino’s arm away and headed toward a smiling man in a red shirt.

“Let’s go, Jessica,” Dino said. “Maria and Pedro are practically married, so you’re stuck with me. If you behave, I might let you cop a feel when we cross the infield.”

She rolled her eyes, but it was impossible not to laugh at his totally irreverent grin, and they were both smiling when they left the restaurant.

***

A silver dollar moon lit the night. Still, Dino stumbled twice once they left the smooth walkway and cut across the track.

“Squeeze through the hedge,” he said. “Then we can cross the infield. They know we use this shortcut. If this was Texas, they’d leave some lights on for us.”

He was very drunk, Jessica realized. Probably wouldn’t notice if she steered the conversation around to Mark, who was more interesting than any more ramblings about the state of Texas.

“So you left Texas and moved up here. How long have you worked for Mark?” she asked, ducking under the inner rail and stepping onto the turf course.

“We were both trainers in Texas. Mark was successful. I wasn’t. My wife couldn’t handle the hours. Up at four, asleep by eight, no parties, no vacation. Always about the horses. She hated the life. Hated the unreliable paycheck too.” He hiccupped. “When your horses don’t win, you don’t eat and owners drop you for the next hot trainer. She took our ranch and I got a horse…and my roping saddle.” He stopped so abruptly she bumped into his back. “Oh, man, what a lady.”

“What lady?” She peered past him, straining to see through the gloom. Dino had more lady friends than any man she knew, but she’d never heard such admiration in his voice.

“Ruffian.”

Of course. A horse. Jessica filled her lonely nights reading Mark’s supply of racing magazines, and now knew all the illustrious Thoroughbreds. She edged up to stare at the headstone encircled with horseshoe-shaped shrubbery. “Is that the grave of the famous filly?” she asked. “The horse that never lost?”

“Yup. The only Thoroughbred champion buried at Belmont Park. She has her nose pointing to the finish line.” Dino gestured to the left. “Broke down over there. Racing can be such a fucking heartache.”

His voice was rough with emotion, and Jessica patted him gently on the arm. According to rumor, Dino had been a dedicated husband and she suspected he was thinking of his ex-wife just as much as Ruffian. “Smells like they’ve been doing some recent digging too,” she said, trying to distract him. “Or using fertilizer.”

“I don’t smell anything. Come on. Watch out for the lake.”

Jessica glanced at the fresh earth around the flowerbed then straggled after him. “So once you…left your ranch, you became a hotshot trainer.”

“No, Mark came to Texas, cleaned me up and dragged me here.
Then
I became a hotshot assistant trainer.” Dino’s usual flippant tone had turned serious, and she peered through the gloom, trying to see his face. “He saved my ass,” Dino added. “If it wasn’t for his damn hiring policies, I’d probably never go back to Texas.”

Jessica stiffened. She didn’t think Dino resented her presence; he was nice to everyone. All the staff grinned when he walked into the shedrow, especially the girls. When Mark entered, they leaped to attention. “You hate that he hired me?” she asked in a small voice. “I guess you know who my grandfather is.”

“Aw, Jessica, I’m glad he hired you. I love all women, every age, shape and size.” Dino stumbled then laughed at his clumsiness, sounding more like his typical carefree self. “But Mark does skew to big staff.”

“Why is that?” she asked. “At first I thought it was to better control the horses, but there are lots of little grooms in the other barns.” Pretty little grooms too, she thought, especially that gorgeous Trish who paraded past Mark’s shedrow every morning, tossing her hair and wiggling her butt. “So why is that?” she repeated, straining to see Dino’s face.

“We like big women. Charlie’s Angels, don’t you see,” he said. “Just a minute. Gotta piss.”

She blew out a resigned breath, waiting as he turned and noisily relieved himself in the dark. He was definitely drunk—and the more he talked, the less sense he made. To her right, lights twinkled, marking the barn area. Fortunately they were almost there.

Dino stumbled from the gloom, adjusting his belt. “Charlie’s wife was the first one to feed me dinosaur chicken,” he said as though the conversation had never stalled. “Mark gave me my nickname. Everyone’s called me Dino since I was eight, even Charlie.”

“Charlie was Mark’s dad?”

“Yup. Hired me to muck stalls.” Dino’s head dipped as he struggled with his buckle. “All the girls wanted to work for Charlie, and he couldn’t refuse any of them. They weren’t the best with horses, but his office saw lots of action. Hard on Mark though to know how his dad screwed.” His voice turned hopeful as he swept a clumsy hand over her hip. “Mark doesn’t mind what goes on out here. That’s why I like to cut across the infield. He just doesn’t tolerate sex in the barn.”

She pushed his arm away, trying to think. It was clear now she liked grooming horses much more than dogs but it seemed she’d have to gain weight, a lot of weight, for Mark to want her as a permanent employee. But something Dino had said earlier in the bar was puzzling. “What did you mean about that flatulence thing?” she asked.