by Ann Hunter
Alex bit her lip, walked backwards a few steps, and flipped her off. She and Brooke were supposed to be a team. She was supposed to be home helping Venus Nights turn into a racehorse. Why was everyone leaving Alex now?
Watching Promenade load onto the van that would take him upstate didn’t help her mood at all. She could barely stand watching Brooke lead Morning Glory up the ramp as well. The next few months had super suckage written all over them.
Alex skulked off, trying not to let the empty stalls hit her in the feels. It didn’t get better when she saw Dejado loading his gear into the bed of his truck. Alex supposed he was leaving her too. At least one person she trusted would be with Promenade.
“You headed up to Saratoga?” she asked glumly.
He smiled over his shoulder at her. “Thought about it,” he admitted. “But I’m not so certain The Graveyard of Champions is where I want to be right now.”
“So… what? Aqueduct?”
Dejado shook his head. “Home.”
A spark went off in her chest, but she didn’t want to believe it. “Going back to where you came from?”
“You could say that.” He pulled his keys from his jean pocket. “Home is wherever your heart is. So I’m headed back to North Oak.”
Alex lurched toward the passenger door of his old, blue truck. “Can I ride with you?”
Dejado paused from getting in the cab. “I don’t think your mum would be very happy with me if we did that. Much as I’d love to have your company.”
“Please? Don’t make me get back into the sardine can.” Didn’t the fact that she was willing to spend ten hours in a rickety truck instead of flying home say anything to him?
He started the truck, but Alex didn’t let go. “I wish I could, Ishmael.” Dejado leaned across the seat to roll up the window. He smiled down at her. “I’ll find you where your heart is.”
***
The flight back to Louisville was only slightly less insufferable. Knowing what to expect at least gave Alex a basis to work from. But facing a lonely summer wasn’t something she looked forward to. It would be a day or two before Dejado got home even.
How was she supposed to fill her time outside of exercising horses, and mucking stalls? It’s not like training on Speedy with Joe was pleasant, even if it did make her a better rider.
And, gulp, she still hadn’t told anyone about Promenade’s little romp with Venus Night’s dam. That was probably going to make the summer little better than interesting. Now with the Belmont over, maybe it would end the colt’s career and bring him home.
Alex pushed the thought away. That would be selfish to bring him home because she wanted him there. Either way, a racehorse’s time on the track was limited. Promenade’s perhaps a little more so.
When they were finally back to North Oak, Alex stood in the doorway of her room, staring blankly. The weekend seemed like a weird dream, only now she was waking to the inevitable fact she’d have to go to North with what she knew.
She flopped onto her bed, washed in a soft glow of sunset from her window. She’d deal with it all in the morning.
Alex sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her unopened suitcase on her window seat. The morning workouts had provided a decent enough distraction, but now she had the rest of her day to fill. Some optimist would thrill to the gills with all the things she could do, but Alex sighed listlessly.
She still needed to unpack from her trip to New York. She had only grabbed what she needed from her dresser for bed last night. Now daylight glinted off the zippers of a pregnant suitcase.
There was still the matter of her secret about Promenade’s little romp to deal with. And tracking down Joe to either back yearlings, or nag him into training her for jockeyhood.
She pursed her lips. So… this is summer.
Alex raked her fingers against her scalp. She finally tipped forward, reaching for her bag, and sat beside it. Once open, the Belmont Stakes program slipped from the inner mesh pocket toward the window, as though it were drawn to the rest of North Oak. A fleeting thought that she wished Katie had been there to enjoy the race with her and Carol reminded Alex she should try to call her again. However, the corner of a white envelope peeking out from the edges of the program swept her away once more.
A younger Alex would have literally taken the money and run; grab a bus ride to Saratoga, stolen Promenade, and galloped into the sunset with enough money to buy a pet-friendly home. But this Alex took the envelope, and rose, walking away from her suitcase. She paced a little, tapping the envelope against her fist, wondering what to do with it. Why hadn’t Dejado wanted it? There had to be at least a cool two-hundred grand inside.
A thought struck her. Would it be enough to buy a share in Promenade? It would be a lot easier to go to North with the news of Venus Galaxies’s mating with a bargaining chip already in hand. Something she would simply call her shush money. North would give her part ownership of Pro, and she’d keep her mouth shut about the breeding to the rest of the world. Alex was sure he wouldn’t want news like that getting out with Promenade back on course for the Champion Three-Year-Old title. She sure didn’t.
She nodded to herself. Their interests were aligned. This could work. Funny how a little money and a fast horse could give you courage to face your fears.
Alex marched toward her bedroom door, envelope tightly in hand. Unpacking and laundry could wait. She scampered downstairs, and headed to North’s office without delay.
She was about to knock on his door when she heard Hillary talking inside. The door was slightly ajar.
“It’s not too late. I know the breeding season is winding down, but you could still breed her for a May foal next year.”
Alex heard North’s chair creak as he leaned back. She peeked through the opening. He folded his hands over his stomach. A scowl darkened his face, like thinking took effort.
“Venus Galaxies has earned her rest this year,” he finally said.
Alex winced. This could be very bad if they tried to breed the mare. Or, worse, if they decided not to and Venus Galaxies started looking super fat in six months.
Alex’s insides went cold with the possibilities. She had to say something.
“Well, it’s your call,” Hillary conceded.
Alex nudged the door open. “Actually it’s not.”
North raised an eyebrow, and Alex was painfully reminded they were related. She’d seen the same look on her own face. “She may already be in foal,” she held her breath momentarily, then blurted, “and Promenade’s the sire.”
Hillary’s expression turned to something that looked like Alex had committed treason. “What are you saying?”
Alex swallowed. The chill inside her formed into a singular pit in her stomach. “I saw him cover her in the open a few weeks ago. He must have gotten loose or something.”
She glanced at North, who appeared as though he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or launch a nuclear missile at her. Her shoulders fell, along with her gaze. Even her paddock boots looked pretty crappy right now. Horse turds.
“And you said… nothing?” Hillary asked hoarsely.
A million thoughts raced through Alex’s mind. She knew this would be bad. And how could she expect Hillary to have her back? Especially since this only made Hillary look more irresponsible than not catching the virus before it started killing horses.
North’s voice spidered across the room darkly. “Ultrasound. Now.”
Alex stood by with the same grimace Hillary had as Venus Galaxies was prepped for ultrasound in the broodmare barn. Seeing Hillary shoulder-deep in a mare’s behind was not how Alex pictured this going.
She watched the monitor with Hillary as North stood by outside the stall, arms folded, pacing like an expectant father. The sound of his dress shoes resonating on the aisle floor was the only sound filling the silence for several moments.
“I’ve got a heartbeat,” Hillary announced. “Wait. It’s a bit off.”
North paused in the ai
sle. “Off how?”
“Double time, except with an extra beat right after.” Alex watched the monitor as Hillary repositioned the device inside Venus Galaxies. Her expression became grim. “It’s twins.”
Alex’s eyes widened. Oh, Mylanta.
“Twins in a pregnancy isn’t safe for a horse. You should know that,” Hillary said.
North nodded. “What do you suggest, then?”
“I advise nipping one, or aborting the pregnancy altogether.” Hillary pulled her arm and the ultrasound device from the mare’s hind end, and had her assistant help her clean up. “You were just mentioning how you’d like to give her a year off anyway.”
“Any other options?” North asked.
“Wait and hope one of the foals kicks the other one out of residence?”
North rubbed his temples.
“What do you want me to do?” Hillary asked.
Alex bit her lip. What had started as going to North with a bargaining chip and a tiny bit of unpleasant news was spiraling into the future lives of four horses at stake.
North finally looked up after a long while. “Spare no expense. We’re having twins in April.” He rounded on his heel, stalking back toward his office.
Hillary glared at Alex, with death in her eyes. “You’re grounded til school starts!”
“What!” Alex yelped. “You can’t seriously mean that.”
“Oh, I seriously do. Summer equals non-existent. Welcome to Sucktastica, population you.”
Alex stared at her, still not believing her ears. She turned to leave, fingering the envelope she had folded into her back pocket.
“What’s that?” Hillary asked before Alex could get too far away.
Alex glowered over her shoulder. “It’s my way out of this hot mess.”
Hillary schlepped her gear into her bag faster than a runaway Thoroughbred. She drilled after Alex with more questions, but Alex couldn’t bear waiting any longer to talk to North about the real thing that worried her.
She barged back into his office, startling him from a haunched-over position where he’d been rubbing his temples while braced against his desk. Two manila folders lay before him, open to Promenade and Venus Galxies’s lineage and statistics.
“Are you gonna retire Pro?” Alex asked in one breath.
He looked up, worry clearly etched upon his middle-aged face. The twitch at the corner of North’s eye told her he had some devious plot going on in his head.
North sighed. “It’s more complicated than that. Think how it will look if he retires, and he’s already got a pair of juveniles running the next spring.”
“You don’t want it getting out, do you?” she asked.
North stopped in his tracks, looking too tired for this conversation.
Alex slapped the envelope onto his desk.
There was that eyebrow hike again, the one that showed North’s interest, and Alex thought maybe at least part of her plan might not go so badly.
“What’s this?”
“The money Dejado gave me. You don’t want word getting out what happened here.”
North slowly raised the envelope to the light, noting it was still sealed.
“I want to buy a share of Promenade in exchange for keeping quiet,” Alex said. She folded her arms, punctuating her assertion.
A smile crept to the corner of North’s mouth. He started to laugh. “You can’t blackmail me.”
Hillary’s hand closed around the back of Alex’s neck, like a dog’s teeth into a scruffy ill-behaved pup. “Of course not.”
How could Alex have forgotten Hillary had been right behind her this entire time? Suddenly the cold pit in her stomach turned into a Snowball in Hell.
Even though her cheeks were going cherry, Alex went on. “What if the foals do well? Imagine what that would do for Promenade’s stud career. Knowing his babies already perform well early on could be a good thing.”
“And given that,” North said, “why would I sell any part to you?”
Even though she never thought herself the entitled type, Alex still thought because he’s mine anyway. “One percent. That’s all I’m asking.”
He walked past her, leaving her contemplating the fact that hindsight was 20/20. Alex should have thought this through more.
But even if it was only one percent, she’d take Pro’s breath, his heart, his spirit. She didn’t care which part was the one percent. A part of him would be hers forever.
“You have some nerve.” North shook his head, his smile only growing. “But I suppose that’s your mother in you, the North side.”
Hillary’s grip tightened on Alex’s neck. “May I see her outside for a moment?” She asked, pulling Alex back outside.
Alex shut the door. The good ship Fiasco was going down the whirlpool in a big hurry.
“Alex, you should have told us right away. What did you think would happen?”
Alex chewed her lip. “I was worried North would retire Promenade. With everything that had just happened, I didn’t want to deal with more bad news.”
“You could have put them both in danger, not just Promenade. Do you have any idea how much this could cost the farm?”
Why would it cost them anything? It’s not like Promenade had a stud fee, and North owned him anyway. But a year of breeding lost on Venus Galaxies, especially after her colt had died….
“How could this be a bad thing?” Alex asked, defending herself. “They’re both Breeders Cup winners. That should count for more than just me not speaking up.”
Hillary huffed as though Alex didn’t get it. Feeling a bit blown off, Alex thought how she had been right.
Hillary yanked the office door open. “A trust fund.”
“Pardon?” North asked.
Alex got shuffled between them, Hillary’s grip now firmly on her shoulders. “Take the money and set up a trust fund. When Alex is old enough, she can withdraw and make you the offer for Promenade again. Compound interest included, it will be more than she’s offering you now.”
North straightened his tie, and lowered himself into his chair. His smirk was still visible behind his folded hands. “I’ll consider it.”
Hillary lowered her head to Alex’s ear, whispering, “Consider it a start, Miss Audacious.”
GROUNDED
A wash of relief filled Alex as she walked away from the office behind Hillary. The truth was out in the open, and it didn’t seem like Promenade would be immediately retired. So why did she feel sleazy too?
“Exactly how grounded are we talking about?” Alex asked.
“You get chores and lessons,” Hillary answered plainly. She rolled her eyes toward Alex, with a wry smirk. “I can’t believe your audacity back there.”
“Can I go to Katie’s track meets?”
“There it is again!” Hillary said, looking shocked.
Alex frowned. “I promised we’d hang out over the summer. I tried to call her before we left for the Belmont, but she never picked up.”
When Hillary didn’t say anything, Alex added, “Please?”
Hillary sighed. “I suppose. You were helping eachother train for one another’s sport. I’ll chalk it up to that.”
As soon as they were in the house, Alex called Katie, but to no avail. She asked to borrow Hillary’s tablet so she could look up school events. Katie needed to be tracked down. The next practice run was scheduled for this weekend, which meant Alex had to figure out how to spend the next few days grounded.
***
After morning workouts, Alex sought out Joe to see if she could help back any yearlings like Brooke and she had planned to. He wasn’t hard to find; busy in the training barn as the last of the racers came in from exercise.
She watched him take Dejado aside, exchange a few words, then clapped him on the back. Dejado continued down the aisle and slipped into one of the stalls, while Joe grabbed a few lead lines. Alex stepped up to him.
“Need any help with the yearlings?”
“Nor
th’s been harping on me about being behind schedule.” The old man didn’t look up from his task. He sorted out the lines in his hands, and passed her one. “Take that and go find Burrito.”
Alex cocked an eyebrow. “Burrito?”
“The Mexican I just sent down to Pepper’s stall.”
He must have meant Dejado, with all his dark hair and olive skin. Except Dejado was British as far as Alex knew. She shook her head at how Joe only bothered to learn the horses’ names, and headed off.
She didn’t think much of the job at hand on the way. She’d been prepping yearlings with Brooke for two years prior. But when she saw Dejado, she was suddenly hitched with an instance of both giddy and guilt. Hillary said she was grounded. How was Alex going to avoid him?
He turned his head toward her. With one look, it all went away. She had forgotten how that smile of his could make the fireflies go all hyper inside her. Then she set aside her feelings, reminding herself this totally counted as chores. Bonus.
She slipped into the stall, clearing her throat. “I’m glad you made it home safely.”
He stood at the coal-gray filly’s head, blowing softly on her nose. Pepper’s nostrils flared and contracted, taking in the scent as he spoke quietly to her. There was something in his touch, in his manner, that hypnotized the filly.
“Would you like me to hold her, or back her?” he asked Alex.
She passed him the lead line and approached the filly’s side. “You seem to have it in hand.”
Dejado clipped the lead to the filly’s halter.
Alex ran her hand over Pepper’s shoulder, and placed it on her back. Pepper’s ears flicked, aware of Alex. “Ready?” Alex asked Dejado.
He nodded.
Alex leaned against the filly’s side and started bouncing, as though getting ready to pull herself up onto Pepper’s back. Pepper skittered to the side, tossing her head.
“You’re okay, baby,” Alex crooned.
Pepper craned her head, blinking. Her breathing calmed. With a swish of the filly’s tail, Alex tried again. The practice was to get the horse used to having more and more pressure applied to them over the course of a few days, until a rider could balance across their back. Exposure was the first step.