< Down the Alley>
A Western Star Novella
Mary Kit Caelsto
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Want Free Stories?
Also By The Author
Down The Alley
Preview: Spins Are Wild
Fox Hunt Inn Sign Up Backmatter
Preview: Steady On Course
About the Author
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Permission is granted to make ONE backup copy for archival purposes.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DOWN THE ALLEY
Copyright © Mary Kit Caelsto, 2021
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cover Art ® 2021
Cover art by Epona Author Solutions
Book formatting by Epona Author Solutions (http://www.eponaauthorsolutions.com)
Electronic Publication Date: February 2021
This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.
Please support horse rescue and rescue organizations. You may just find your next best friend.
Want Free Stories?
Visit https://marykitcaelsto.com/newsletter and sign up for Mary’s newsletter. She offers free serial stories – one equestrian and one fantasy – to her subscribers.
Get even more free stories by becoming a Patreon at https://patreon.com/marykitcaelsto.
Also By The Author
Equestrian Women’s Fiction
Noble Dreams Series
Steady On Course
Standing On Course
Correction On Course
Walking On Course
Course Perfect
Shadbelly Faults
Husband On Board
Double Clear
Riding Double
Rompers & Rosettes
Crossed Rails
International Obstacles
Baby Green
Mare Stare
Future Courses
Western Star Series
(women’s fiction w/ romantic elements)
Spins Are Wild
Turn And Burn
In The Chute
Back In The Saddle
Winning It All
Sweet Equestrian Romance
Shiloh’s Second Chance
Equestrian Romance (Mildly Sensual/Mainstream)
Racehorses & Romance Series
Racing Home
Claiming His Irish Trainer
His Irish Proposal
Fantasy/Magic Realism
Radio Arcanum/Musimagium
Hidden
Tonic Chords
Of Songs & Horns
Songs & Paperwork
Chasing Neptune’s Cat
Draco Magus
Radio Arcanum
The Pegasus Enchantment
The Pegasus Project
Pegasus In Flight
Pegasus Gathered (coming soon)
Rota Rising~Tyche
From The Deep
Bad Luck Titan
Racing Luck
Healing Luck (Rota Rising Book 1 - coming soon)
The flow of unloading at a show had a rhythm to it, a weave and dance down the aisles with tack trunks and horses, dodging wheelbarrows full of manure from those who had arrived a day or so earlier. Lora led Badger to his stall next to Lolly, with a tack stall between her horses and Clint’s. He shook the last bit of shavings into the stall, then stepped out just in time for her to turn the gelding loose inside. She stepped back, shut the door, then turned to him. “Great teamwork.”
“We all good?”
“Yep. If you want to stay here and keep an eye on things, I’ll go park the trailer.”
“Sure thing.” He turned to the tack stall, and she took a moment to admire his backside in the jeans, before going to her truck. She parked in the lot with the rest of the RVs with trailers, or as in her case, trailers with living quarters, since they’d be staying there for the duration of the weekend. She hadn’t talked to Clint about sleeping arrangements yet. They were adults. They could make it work. She kept an air mattress in one of the cupboards in case she trailered for someone else and they needed a place to stay. One of them would sleep there. She’d done it before. It wasn’t the most comfortable in the world, but it worked.
Thinking about being in the close confines of the trailer with Clint set her nerves tingling. This was their first show together since he’d moved into her basement apartment. With the space of the farm, and the house, they’d been dancing around one another, and their mutual attraction. Now, in a space smaller than her bedroom…it’d be difficult to ignore the truth.
As she walked back to the barn, she thought about her ex. Thinking about Billy certainly cooled any heated thoughts she had about Clint. Then again, two people, stuck in the living quarters of a horse trailer during a storm, that’s how their relationship began. It seemed to be a pattern that she invited Clint to the show with her and said he could sleep in her trailer.
She smiled when she saw her friend, Arden, chatting with Clint. She neared them, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. Arden saw her and motioned her over. Her friend waited until Lora stood next to Clint.
“I don’t want to upset you, but Billy’s here with Tammy.”
“She must have come back to him. Last I heard she’d left him because he was willing to let me have my horses and the rig. Guess she changed her mind.”
“Rumor has it that she thinks if she wins here, especially if she beats you, he’ll change his mind. They’ve been on-again-off-again for a while now. I wouldn’t let it bother you. We both know you’re better off without him.” Arden smiled.
“Oh, most definitely. I appreciate you telling me though. Will take the sting out of things if I run into them.” Lora turned to Clint. “You okay with all of that? I don’t want to put you in the middle of something you don’t deserve to be in.”
Clint shrugged. “I’m good.”
Arden glanced from him to Lora, then back again. “I need to check a couple of things, but I’m just in the next aisle if you need anything.”
“Thanks. And you know where to find me.” Lora exhaled. “I normally like to walk the venue. Get the feel of things while the horses rest before I do a bit of riding. You’re welcome to come with me.”
“I’ll stay here. I have my own way of getting the feel of an arena.”
“I’ll be back soon. If you need to leave or something, text me.”
He nodded and went back to the tack stall where she thought she saw a yoga mat. Maybe he meditated or something. Some riders had different techniques for calming down. Lora strode down the aisle, and into the alley way leading to the arena. The gate was closed, a tractor working the surface to prepare it for the coming events. She glanced at the seating, at how the chute was configured. It’d be a tight turn to the straight away, and while she didn’t have any trouble with her horses, that might be a good thing for some of the horses who got worked up at the entrance. She retraced her steps and found her way into the seating area where a few people were eating hot dogs and hamburgers from the concession stand. The arena felt good as she remembered with lots of space. Some arenas she ran in felt cl
austrophobic as you entered, with the people smashed down by the barrels so it was almost like you were at the bottom of a fishbowl. This one had that effect, but the open areas for the chutes at the other end of the arena and the fact that the double rails kept people from leaning into the open space kept it open. She circled it, getting a good feel for the alley and where the barrels would be set up, before returning to the barn.
“I think I’m good,” she said when she paused by the tack stall.
Clint lay on a makeshift pallet on the ground, his hat over his face catching a nap. She admired him, from his long legs to the shirt stretching across his chest. She waited a few moments longer before opening her mouth to say something.
“You going to stand there and admire me all day?” Clint sat with a grin and put his hat back on his head.
Heat colored her cheeks.
“It’s okay. I’d admire me too. I’m a handsome man.”
His words only made her blush harder.
“So where to now? I overheard someone say it’ll be another hour or so before the warmup arena is available.”
“Lunch?” Lora suggested. Anything to get her thoughts away from Clint’s teasing.
“Sure. Shall we walk over to the fast-food place I saw by the entrance or get something from concessions?”
“Let’s walk. I feel like stretching my legs after the long drive.”
Clint locked the tack locker, then they walked across the parking lot in companionable silence. By the time they reached the restaurant several people from the event had arrived and the place was packed. Lora exchanged greetings with several riders she knew, and several of Billy’s friends. She didn’t see her ex, but no doubt word of her arrival with Clint would travel fast and soon, they’d be the talk of the circuit once more. Thankfully, the barrel racing event was adjacent to, but not running at the same time as the rodeo. With the barrels running in the afternoon and the rodeo being the prime-time event, hopefully they’d avoid one another. She’d just have to hope.
~* * *~
Lora sat cross-legged on the bed eating the last of her lunchmeat sandwich. Probably not the supper of champions before a show, but she’d packed plenty of food for them to eat and it seemed silly to spend the money eating out when they had food there. A plastic bowl held some potato salad she’d mixed up along with some cole slaw from the tub she’d bought at the grocery store. An open bag of chips sat on the counter, some of which had made it onto her plate.
Clint sat at the small table, and if he thought it odd she didn’t sit there with him, so close their knees would have touched, he didn’t say anything. They’d gone over their plans for tomorrow, with early morning warmups, then waiting until his classes, followed by hers. She’d run in the final event before the bull riding. Double entries didn’t hurt and would keep her and Lolly especially in the standing for some awards. Silence filled the living quarters. Other than her pointing him toward the air mattress and letting him know she had a pump for it, they hadn’t discussed sleeping arrangements.
“I’m going to check on the horses one last time.” Clint tossed his trash into the container and then headed out of the trailer. The door closing sounded extra loud to her ears, or maybe she was sensitive.
Taking the opportunity, Lora jumped in the shower, rinsing off before slipping into her long night-shirt. She crawled up the ladder and into bed, wanting to make sure she was there and in place before he returned. She called herself several kinds of coward for doing so, but this made it easier, or so she hoped.
Clint returned twenty minutes later. He glanced in her direction, gave a quick nod, then opened the cupboard for the air mattress. The sound of it filling only served as a reminder she had a queen size mattress with plenty of room to spare. Except, if he crawled up the ladder to join her, she couldn’t be certain they’d just sleep.
Lora rolled over as he rolled his sleeping bag over the air mattress.
“Seems comfortable enough. I’ve certainly slept on worse. Good night,” Clint said. His husky voice slid down her spine and tingled in all the right places.
“Good night,” she replied, hoping she kept her tone light. She rolled over and tucked the blanket around her. Let him think she kept things platonic between them. After all, they’d barely kissed and hadn’t made love yet, though she knew he wanted to. She certainly did.
With her back to him, she couldn’t see if he stood there staring at her, but he must have moved because the door to the bathroom closed. When it opened again, he’d showered, and she tried to ignore the mental image of his naked body with water running over his chest. The low light over the counter turned off, then his air mattress creaked as he crawled into his sleeping bag.
Well that was that then. They were going to bed like two adults sharing the same room. She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. It was a long time before she drifted off and judging by the sounds of him tossing and turning on the air mattress, he had the same issue.
~* * *~
Lora walked alongside Clint in the lineup as he waited his turn to go. “It looks like the arena is riding a bit small today, so keep an eye on his shoulder.” She patted the horse. “I’m seeing the first barrel go down a lot, so if you can get past it, I think you’ve got as good a chance as anyone.” She kept her focus on Clint, ignoring some of the whispers she heard in the alley behind her. That’s Billy Caughley’s ex. I heard she tried to take him for everything, even his NFR buckles in the divorce. She ignored the lies. She knew the truth, as did Clint, and that was all that mattered.
Arden turned and looked over her shoulder. “She’s read the arena right. One of my students hit the first barrel. That wall looks like you’re going to run into it. Just keep your nerve and you’ll be fine.” She nodded and inched her young horse up a spot in the running.
“Thanks,” Clint called. He reached down and patted Lora’s shoulder, as if she needed reassurance like the horse did. “You’re good. We’re almost there.” He glanced at the four riders in line ahead of him.
A groan erupted in the arena; a barrel must have gone over. They couldn’t quite hear the announcer give the time but judging from the look on the rider’s face it looked as if that had happened. By the time she arrived behind the chutes, the next rider was finishing her round to a thunderous roar of applause.
Then it was Arden’s turn. Not that Lora wanted her friend to knock over a barrel, but if Clint could win, or at least hit the board, that’d be a nice check for this event for him. He needed the winnings just as much as she did. Lora moved into the chute to watch as Arden ran back down the alley. Clint moved into place and a moment later he was off.
She had few opportunities to watch him ride, so witnessing the fluid motion of him and his horse was a rare treat. They worked so well together. She easily imagined them in the roping arena, header or heeler either one, and catching a calf in four seconds flat. She knew he and the horse had that kind of partnership. She wondered why they ran barrels, when they could be doing anything else, and events that were far more financially lucrative.
They headed for the first turn. As Arden had said the wall came up quickly. She feared he’d turn too soon and hit the barrel, but almost as if she were reading his mind, he made a slight adjustment with his seat and the horse turned around the barrel with barely an inch to spare. A textbook perfect turn. She grinned as he bolted across the arena, her gut telling her his run was fast—smokin’ fast.
His turn was the perfect mirror image of the first and then he eased out and to the third barrel. His horse glided over the deep ground. Where and how they found fresh running room she wasn’t sure. This arena was notoriously deep with tough footing. They reached the final barrel, and he could have been putting on a clinic. Time slowed. The horse arced around the barrel, bending his body in the perfect angle. Clint remained tall in the saddle, not bending too far in or out, but always over the horse’s center of gravity. They exited the turn, straightened, and boogied for home.
Lo
ra cheered with everything she had, along with the spectators in the arena. When Clint and his gelding passed the timer’s eye, it stopped at the fastest run so far. Grinning, she emerged into the aisle to meet him. “Congrats!” she said as he rode into the box next to where she’d been standing to watch the rest of the competitors. “That was a damn fine ride.”
He smiled and tipped his hat.
And her knees melted right there in the chute.
“Now you need to go do us better. Go get Lolly and show them how it’s done.”
“Yes, sir.” She winked and hurried back to the stall where Lolly stood tied with the saddle loosely cinched in place. She tightened the cinch and traded the halter for a bridle, then led Lolly down to the arena.
The mare pranced in place, eager to begin her run. Lora double checked the saddle, then swung aboard, getting into line. She’d drawn a spot in the middle of the pack. The top ten riders would come out after the heats and compete here, and then they’d get a second chance in the event tonight. She and Lolly had to do well without burning out or using up too much energy. It’d be a delicate dance, one she’d seen bigger name horse and rider pairs fail. The arena remained set up the same as it had been for the previous runs. The pattern never changed, only the times grew faster as the rounds continued.
“You ready?” Arden asked.
“I am. Let’s do this. One two again?” Lora smiled.
“As long as we’re in the final, I’m good. Though the extra prize money paid to first through third here wouldn’t hurt. No buckles or anything. Cheap event.” She shrugged as if she didn’t already have a drawer full of buckles won at various other places, including some NFR round winners.
“Well they all can’t be a cowboy Christmas,” Lora replied, referencing the informal name for the National Finals Rodeo. The line queued up and Lora moved into place two behind Arden. The woman rode like a mad person, with horses in nearly every event. How she managed to do it—well Lora knew. Arden had a staff of three exceptional grooms, and they moved like one well-oiled machine. As one horse finished, another was being prepped for the next round. Arden owned the mare she was on, a pretty buttermilk buckskin, but the others all belonged to people who paid her rather handsomely to ride and train their horses to the top of their game. Then, they’d sell them, reaping any profit, or turn them over to teenage daughters to wipe the arena with their competition at local shows. People like that didn’t care to lose to anyone, and it didn’t matter how much they spent to get their way. It was a nice business, though Lora had never been comfortable with it.
Down The Alley Page 1