Racetrack Romance BOX SET (Books 1-3) (82 page)

I want to keep him
. The admission rocked her. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms possessively around his neck, sucking in the smell of horse, hay and contentment, knowing now she couldn’t give him away.

She looked up and froze. Mark stood two feet away, his hands clenched on the stall guard, his jaw tight. She straightened, trying to think of something to say. Getting on Buddy had been stupid and impulsive, and she knew it.

Buddy’s head rose as her legs tightened, and he suddenly felt like a giraffe. She squeezed her legs tighter, trying to grip his slippery back, trying to get a handhold between the stupid braids and the mane, but Buddy felt her tension and skittered sideways.
Crack!
His left hoof landed in the middle of the plastic stool. He leaped in panic, but somehow Mark grabbed his halter.

“Whoa, boy. Slide off slowly, Jessica,” Mark said, in the same soothing tone.

She quickly slid off. Mark grabbed Buddy’s leg, freeing it from the jagged plastic. And then Buddy was free but snorting and shying at the straw as though wondering what had jumped up and bit him. Mark ran his hands over Buddy’s leg, rose and scooped up the broken stool.

“Go to your room,” he snapped.

He didn’t look at her as she fled from the stall and stumbled to her room. She closed the door and hunched on her cot, waiting. Minutes ticked by. If he was trying to make her sweat, it was working. This was bad. If an owner had walked in, the professionalism of the entire barn would have been questioned. Worse, Buddy could have been hurt.

She dropped her head in her hands and groaned. Safety was the primary thing Mark stressed. Safety for horses, safety for people. She heard footsteps and lifted her head, but they shuffled past—and besides, the steps were different, tentative, and not at all like Mark’s assertive walk.

She grabbed a
Blood-Horse
magazine and scanned the pictures of the vast farms, trying not to worry about his reaction. Tried to think of something positive. If she could talk her grandfather into buying a small acreage, she’d be able to keep Buddy. Pay back Mark and maybe give a few other Thoroughbreds a home. Gramps would probably agree if she promised to work for Boone the rest of her life.

Or she could just take the dog money and use it for horses, but that wasn’t ethical and it certainly wasn’t their agreement. Of course, that was assuming she could hang onto her job for another six days. She’d definitely given Mark enough grounds to fire her.

Someone knocked, too gently to be Mark. “Come in, Maria,” Jessica said.

The knob turned, and Maria’s excited face smiled in the doorway. “I just talked to the lawyer, and Pedro and I are getting a new apartment! It’s only five blocks from the track, but the lawyer thinks it will help us get interim custody.”

Jessica flipped the magazine shut. “When did this happen?”

“This morning. Mark’s been so busy. He found a nice lady and gave her a list of questions, and Abdul answered them all. He doesn’t have a home, and he wants to stay with me, and the lawyer said he’d be in danger if he returned to Pakistan, so…” Maria blew out a big breath and did a little dance step. “Jessica, I might be able to keep him!”

“You were right,” she went on. “We should have told Mark at the beginning. He’s been so helpful, and he gave me a reference, saying I’d make a good mother. And thanks for pretending it was your idea to hide Abdul. Mark’s not blaming me at all.”

Pain clawed Jessica’s chest, but she forced a smile. “That’s wonderful, Maria. I’ve sorted out the last of those tickets, and we have another sixty-seven dollars. You can use it toward the legal fees.”

“No. Money won’t be a problem. Not now. Belle is running in the Breeders’ Cup undercard. Mark isn’t saying she’ll win but Carlos is, and I know she’ll run a huge race. The bonus from that, well, you can keep all the stooping money. I’ll be rich!”

Maria stepped forward and hugged her, radiating so much happiness it pushed away Jessica’s regret. They both heard the rumble of Mark’s voice and stepped apart.

“Boss still makes me nervous though,” Maria whispered as she scooted from the room and darted to the left.

Two minutes later, Mark walked in, crossed his arms and glared.

“I’m really sorry,” Jessica said. “Getting on Buddy was a stupid thing to do.” She stared miserably at the toes of her boots. They’d been so stiff and spotless on her first day. Now they were worn and creased and comfortable. She peered up. Mark had lowered his arms and propped his hip against the door. Didn’t look quite so pissed.

“We’ve all done it, I guess,” he said reluctantly.

“Really? You did that?” She loved hearing stories about Mark.

“When I was four.”

“Did you get in trouble?”

“Spanked.”

“Oh.” She edged toward the back wall, her hands automatically drifting to her rear.

“With a belt,” he added as he turned and firmly closed the door. “So, your penance is twenty minutes.”

She stared, fixated by his worn leather belt, the tough-looking buckle. She’d never been spanked before, but twenty minutes sounded like an unusually long time.

“Twenty minutes of guard duty.” He stretched out on her cot and closed his eyes. “Don’t let anyone find me, Jess.”

His face relaxed within a minute. He wasn’t snoring, not quite, but she could hear from his breathing that he was already asleep. She gave him a gentle kiss and covered him with her blanket. Someone argued in the aisle, and her sense of protectiveness welled. She hustled out to shut them up, quietly closing the door behind her.

“Jessica, have you seen Mark?” Dino called as he strode down the aisle, brandishing a clipboard. “The shipper screwed up. We got two horses out front and no stalls.”

“A couple of horses left from the barn next door,” Jessica said, edging further from her room, afraid they’d wake the sleeping man inside.

“That’s right.” Dino nodded. “I forgot Bobby sent a load to Gulfstream. Carlos, see if we can borrow two stalls for a couple days.”

“What horses?” Jessica asked.

“The two Mark bought in Keeneland. A four-year-old and a two-year-old. Want to help?”

“I’d love to.” She grabbed a lead rope and eagerly followed Dino to the trailer. She recognized the bay colt immediately, hip 665. She led him down the ramp and held him for Dino’s detailed inspection.

“Damn. This feels like Christmas.” Dino grinned like a kid as he circled the horse. “Look at the shoulder on this fellow, Jessica. Hope he can run like his dad. Lead him around the shedrow for twenty minutes. Let him stretch his legs.”

“Wow, is that the Hard Spun colt?” Maria asked as Jessica led the colt down the aisle. “I wonder who Mark will get to rub him. He likes to see them when they arrive. Checks out their personality. Then he matches them with a groom.”

“He does that? Maria, can you take this guy for a sec?” Jessica asked quickly. “I forgot something.”

She shoved the shank in Maria’s hand, checking her watch as she rushed to her room. Twenty five minutes. She slipped in and shook Mark’s shoulder. His eyes whipped open.

“The two horses arrived,” she whispered. “The ones from the sale.”

“They’re not supposed to come yet.” His arm looped around her, and he tugged her onto his chest. “I can’t remember. Did I give you a suitable reprimand before I fell asleep?”

“Oh, yes.” She wiggled as his hand flattened over her rear. “I’m still sore.”

“Good.” He tilted her chin with his other hand. “You want to ride a horse, you do it right. So how did Buddy feel?” he added with a boyish grin.

“Wonderful, and I love it that you never stay mad.” She reached up and impulsively planted a big kiss on his cheek.

He stiffened at the word
love
, so she scrambled up, determined to hide her feelings. “So, don’t you want to see your new arrivals?”

“Of course.”

But he didn’t seem in too much of a hurry because he tracked her across the room, pausing to give her a lingering kiss before heading out to meet his horses.

Chapter Thirty

Jessica removed Buddy’s hay and water. He seemed to be dozing, as though aware he was going to race and determined to conserve every ounce of energy. She didn’t want to bother him so slipped out of the stall to wait.

Time turned weird on race day. First it dragged as though the race would never arrive. Then it was suddenly time and you rushed to get your horse ready and your heart pounded in anticipation, and you barely had time to tape and bandage.

It was like that today.

“Time to head over, Jessica,” Dino called with a grin. Mark already had two wins so far, and the entire shedrow buzzed.

She grabbed the bridle, cleaned and polished to a soft shine, and eased the bit in Buddy’s mouth. Tongue tie, no blinkers today, rundown bandages, hoof pick and rag in her pocket. All set. She blew out a sigh and kissed his soft nose.

“Grass when you come back,” she promised.
And then you’re mine
. Mark had even said he’d give her a riding lesson on Buddy tomorrow. She was aware of her pounding heart, her sweaty palms. Knew she had to tone it down. Already Buddy arched his neck and jigged as she led him from the assembly barn.

“You’re the man!” someone called. “Eat ’em up, old boy.”

More shouts. “Good luck, Buddy!”

Dino fell in beside her. “Last runner today. I’m going over to cheer on the old fellow. Mark’s on a roll. Bodes well for next weekend.”

She nodded, barely hearing but glad of his company. Maria joined them on the walk over. Jessica gave her a grateful smile, realizing Maria had left Abdul with Pedro in order to watch Buddy run one last time.

Buddy pranced but just the right amount. Didn’t waste a lot of energy, only enough to show he was ready. His ears pricked as they turned into the walking ring, and he bent his head to his chest and preened for the crowd.

“Mommy, look at that pretty horse with purple pigtails,” a little girl said as she climbed on the rail. “He looks like Black Beauty. I like him the best.”

Mark stood by slot four, arms folded, watching her lead Buddy past the confusion of faces. On their second circle, he waved her into the saddling enclosure. She glimpsed Sophie and Devin, but Mark and Buddy dominated her senses.

Buddy chomped at his bit and stared at the other horses. She jigged the reins to distract him while Mark placed the saddlecloth on his back and followed with Emma Rae’s tiny saddle. He tightened the overgirth, picked out his feet, and stretched Buddy’s front legs. Jessica pulled out her cloth and gave Buddy’s nostrils one last swipe.

“Okay,” Mark nodded. “Take him back out. Careful of the three horse.”

Jessica circled Buddy around the walking ring, keeping well back from the three horse, a washy chestnut who kicked out, spraying dirt and delighting the crowd. Riders filed from the jockey room, and she saw Emma Rae’s face. How could the jock possibly look so composed?

She adjusted her grip, feeling her palms stick to the leather line. “Twenty minutes, and you’re mine,” she whispered, stroking his warm neck.

Emma Rae shook hands with Mark, her head bobbing as she absorbed his directions. The paddock judge yelled, “Riders up!”

Jessica’s heart slammed against her ribs. She swallowed, trying to ease the dryness as Mark legged Emma Rae into the saddle. She met Mark’s gaze for a split second then led Buddy past the ivy-framed windows of the grandstand and into the darker tunnel.

“Mark told me to take care of him,” Emma Rae said, looking down at her with a conspiratorial smile. “So don’t worry, honey. I’ll have your horse back in no time.”

The pony rider met them on the track, leaned over and took the lead, and Buddy trotted off in a line of beautiful horses. Jessica watched him go, numb to the crowd. Someone tugged her sleeve, and Dino and Maria pulled her in by the rail, where she had a perfect view as the horses paraded past.

Buddy moved fluidly, purple mane gleaming in the sun, and Emma Rae’s smile radiating confidence. Jessica pressed her hand against the envelope in her front pocket, checking that Sophie’s money was safe. She glanced at Mark’s box and saw Sophie nodding at something Mark said. She averted her gaze. She’d been invited to join them but didn’t want to spoil Buddy’s last race, not with Sophie’s toxic presence.

Dino saw her tight face and gave a reassuring smile. “Two minutes to post, an eternity to wait. Jock’s going to let Buddy coast, and if the old guy wants to run a little down the lane, that’s okay. No one’s going to beat him up, Jessica.”

She nodded and leaned over the rail, straining to see the horses as they disappeared into the starting gate. A familiar arm slid around her waist.

“Buddy’s in. Standing good,” Mark said, giving her a hug.

“Not watching with your owners?” Dino asked.

“Not my owners much longer,” Mark said, and they all laughed. The moment seemed perfect. “The three horse will be scratched,” he added, frowning through his binoculars. Sure enough, thirty seconds later the announcer said, “Scratch the three horse.”

Jessica watched on the infield screen as a horse was led away from the starting gate. Finally the gates snapped open, and the horses broke in a mass of churning color. She swung her head back and forth, watching the screen and the clump of horses on the far side of the track, undecided which gave the best view. Mark stood imperturbed behind her, glasses pressed to his eyes.

“He’s fourth on the rail,” Mark said. “Full of run.”

Jessica bit her lip, mesmerized by the unfolding drama. Emma Rae tried to tuck Buddy behind a front runner but when they entered the turn, Buddy shot through a hole on the rail and his stride quickened.

Dino chuckled. “Looks like he wants to go out in style. Come on, Buddy!”

Jessica clenched her fists and leaped up and down, unable to contain her excitement. Buddy had jumped from twelve thousand claiming to eighteen. He wasn’t supposed to be this good—
The Racing Form
had merely written ‘overmatched’—but clearly Buddy didn’t share that opinion.

And even though Emma Rae had a stranglehold on the reins, Buddy surged up to challenge the leader, a pricey bay with red blinkers and half his age. They swept by the eighth pole with the bay half a length in front and Buddy a gritty second. The bay faltered, seemed to be tiring. His jockey raised his stick, striking him on the right side.