“What’s changed your mind about Oak Brook?”
“Facing my own mortality and seeing clearly what really matters.”
Kate swallowed back the tears. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, honey. And good luck.”
“I’ll need it.”
“I have a feeling you won’t.”
Kate’s mother wasn’t talking about winning a horse race. She was talking about winning at love, something she’d never been able to do.
“Good-bye. I’ll call you after the Derby.”
“Bye. I’ll be watching.”
Kate hung up the phone and stared at nothing for what seemed like hours—and maybe it was.
Chapter 24—Around the Far Turn
Hunter walked into the lobby of the hotel he’d booked near Churchill Downs.
On the eve of the Kentucky Derby, he was throwing a ball for his investors, family, and friends. He wasn’t much for this type of thing, but Lilli and the other women insisted on it.
Lilli and Cam sat on a plush couch holding hands and looking way too much in love. Hunter frowned and squashed irritation with the mallet of common sense. Lilli needed someone, and that someone appeared to be Cam. Regardless, if her true love wasn’t Cam, Hunter couldn’t dictate her life for her, as much as he tried.
“You two look ready for a party.”
Cam wore a tux and blue-and-green bow tie in the SeattleStrong Syndicate’s racing colors. Lilli wore a blue sequined evening gown with touches of green. She smiled at Cam as if he were her world. Truth pinched his heart. These two were destined. He’d been too selfish to see it before, but now he did.
“Ready?” Cam asked. He stood and helped Lilli to her feet, not that she needed assistance, but Hunter appreciated his buddy’s gentlemanly gesture on Lilli’s behalf.
“I have an errand to run first. I’ll meet you there.” Hunter tugged on his green bow tie wrapped around his neck in a stranglehold.
Lilli frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing.” He could tell by her expression she didn’t believe him one damn bit. He couldn’t blame her.
Saluting Cam and kissing his sister on the cheek, he ignored their curious stares and quickly exited the building. He caught a cab to the track and headed for Sid’s stall. Sid might just be a horse, but he deserved to know what Hunter was doing and why.
His investors would be pissed, but he’d make them understand, and they’d forgive him—eventually. Hopefully before the hockey players decided to prepare the ice with him as a human Zamboni. Those hockey guys could be a primitive bunch, and they liked to fight.
Hunter sighed. He had to do this. Kate would be pissed, but once she got beyond her anger, she’d recognize his sacrifice for the grand gesture it was. Hopefully she’d soon be in his arms thanking him for loving her enough to save her beloved farm and make her mother happy. When it came down to it, Hunter couldn’t let Kate’s mother die thinking she’d lost her beloved ancestral home. Hunter understood losing one’s homeland more than most. His proud ancestors had lost theirs to the white man, and along with it a large part of their culture and heritage. He didn’t wish such losses on anyone.
And if he were being honest with himself, most of all, he would do it for Kate. For love.
He walked up to Sid’s stall and reached into his pocket for a carrot. Sid put his head over the stall and nickered, happy to see Hunter and his carrots—mostly the carrots. Sid’s heart belonged to his stomach.
Finishing the carrot, he frisked Hunter for another. Hunter laughed and patted Sid’s broad forehead.
“So, big guy, what do you think about not racing tomorrow?”
Sid snorted and stamped his feet, shaking his head.
“Not wild about it, huh?”
Sid watched him with unreadable brown eyes. He should’ve brought Lilli with him. She could communicate with animals better than he could. He could feel animals, but he couldn’t exactly communicate to them in concrete ideas or thoughts.
He held another carrot out to Sid, who lipped it off his palm.
Sid probably wouldn’t care if he raced or not, even though lately he enjoyed running.
“What’s up?” Carl asked, walking toward him. “Giving the boy here a last-minute pep talk?”
“Not exactly, but you could say that.”
“He’s ready to run. I can see it in his body language. I groomed for a few other Derby winners, and each one of them had the same attitude the night before—cocky and on top of the world. He’ll be ready come race time, this one will.”
Hunter nodded. “I’m sure he will.”
Carl’s wise old eyes narrowed. “You’re not thinking of scratching him, are you?”
Fuck, talk about reading minds. Hunter met Carl’s gaze. “I am. Kate needs this more than I do.”
“You’re a noble man, Hunter McCoy. As much as I’d like to talk you out of it, I won’t. It’s a decision only you can make. Sid’s going to win. I’m certain of it. The only way that pretty little girl of yours wins is if he doesn’t run. As much as I’d hate to see a fine place like Oak Brook with all its racing history destroyed, I’d hate to see this boy lose his chance to write a chapter in that history book.”
Hunter nodded grimly. “Later, Carl. I have a ball to attend.”
“Better you than me.”
“Can’t disagree with you on that point.” Hunter sketched a mock salute to the old man and headed toward the racing steward’s office.
Indecision weighed heavily on his heart as he contemplated letting down his investors, his family, and his horse or letting down Kate and her mother.
He didn’t know which was the lesser of two evils or where his loyalties should lie. He’d been so certain of his decision a few short hours ago.
Then he’d seen Sid. Now he was as conflicted as ever.
* * * *
Kate paced outside the racing steward’s office on a fine Friday night, wearing her evening clothes. She stopped and stared a long time at the door. A few people came and went, casting curious glances her way.
If she didn’t get inside soon, the press would catch wind of Jet’s owner standing outside the steward’s office. There’d be myriad rumors as to the health of her horse.
She had to do this—for herself and for Hunter. And for a shot at their future. He’d be furious, but she didn’t care. On some level, he would understand the gesture for what it was—a supreme sacrifice of all she held dear in order to prove her love to him. She was giving up the farm for him and her inheritance.
She thought back on what her mother had said. Kate had to do this. For love. As a symbolic gesture to Hunter, because Hunter was a symbolic kind of guy. He would understand this better than anything she could say to him.
Kate gripped the door handle and yanked open the heavy door with a resigned sigh. She would do this for love.
She stopped dead. Hunter stood at the end of a short line. For a moment, she drank in the sight of him, thirsty for a look at his chiseled features, broad shoulders, and incredible body. His black hair hung loose about his shoulders instead of the customary ponytail he usually preferred.
She didn’t know how long she stood there, but he must’ve sensed her because he turned and their gazes met. Alarmed, she rushed forward. “Is Sid okay?” The only fathomable reason he could be in the steward’s office this late on Derby eve would be to scratch Sid.
Hunter narrowed his eyes and assessed her with a warrior’s shrewdness. “I could ask the same of you.”
“I asked first.”
He nodded slowly and moved out of line, letting another man ahead of him, just as Hunter’s turn came up. “I’m going to scratch Sid.”
“No.” The anguish in her voice surprised even her. She held her hands up to her mouth and gasped. “Is he hurt?” Sid couldn’t be hurt. She’d come to love Hunter’s opinionated horse. Now that she’d given up winning the Derby, she couldn’t stand the thought of Hunter’s horse not winning.
Hunter shook his head and continued to stare at her in that unnerving manner he had. “Why are you here?” He spoke quietly, in that mesmerizing voice of his. Before she could answer, he took her arm and led her outside to a private bench in a small garden area.
He sat down. Kate stood, needing what little advantage she could get over him. He wrapped his fingers around her hand and tugged gently. She didn’t resist, as if she could, and sat next to him.
“So, tell me. Why are you scratching Jet?” His brown eyes searched hers, and she looked away before he stripped every protective layer and saw into her soul, and even worse, her heart.
“Because I love you.”
His gaze was direct, penetrating, and completely unreadable.
Fine, two could play at this game. She schooled her own face into an undecipherable mask; after all, she’d had years of pretending it didn’t bother her when her father excluded her from everything from skating outings in the park to being a part of one of his businesses. Despite her words, she’d keep Hunter guessing until she figured out his angle.
“Why are you scratching Sid?”
Hunter looked away. He stared at his feet and shuffled them uneasily. “I—I—” He raised his head and met her gaze, all pretenses gone. The shutters opened wide, and she could see right down into that secret place he hid from the world, that place where he was vulnerable and unsure of himself.
“You what?” She wasn’t letting him off that easy. The best things in life were worth fighting for. She needed him to fight for them.
He turned toward her and framed her face in his hands. “I love you, too. You need this win more than I do.”
She had to smile, then she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight. He hugged her, too, burying his face in her hair.
Finally, she pulled back, still holding his shoulders. “You love me?”
“Yeah.” She could swear he was blushing.
“What about Talia?”
“She’s not right for me. You are. I can see that now.”
“You mean the man who could see things couldn’t see us?”
“Crazy, isn’t it? All this time I swore my destiny was with Talia, with one of my people.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Nana helped, but she left the decision up to me. I’ve been miserable ever since that night. I want you back, Kate. I want you to work with me side by side to make life better for my people and others who need our help.”
Kate squinted at him. “Are you proposing to me?”
He grinned and shrugged. “I guess I am.”
“You’re quite the romantic.”
“I’m a football player. What did you expect?”
“Exactly that.” She laughed and fell into his arms again. Right where she belonged.
“I apologize for being such a bastard at times.”
“I apologize for being a bitch at times, but what about Sid?”
“I’m going to scratch him.”
“No, you are not. May the best horse win.”
“But you could lose Oak Brook. I don’t want that to happen. The farm is your legacy. It’s also one of the last of the old bluegrass horse farms.”
Kate shook her head. “If it’s sold, it’s sold. Let Sid and Jet decide the outcome.”
“All right then.” He watched her for a moment, his dark eyes assessing her. “But I warn you, Sid is going to kick Jet’s ass.” Hunter grinned widely.
She smiled. “We’ll see. You look like you’re dressed for a party.”
“I am, and so do you. How about we do the rounds of the Derby eve balls?”
“Let’s do it. Mint juleps, here we come.”
He grabbed her hand, and together they walked to the grandstand.
Chapter 25—Down the Homestretch
Kate leaned against the front of their box seats. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. As the horses emerged from the tunnel onto the track, Sid danced to the sounds of “My Old Kentucky Home.” His feet barely touched the ground. Kate blinked back tears. That song did that to her. Jet shook his head and snorted, even rearing a little.
“I’ll be damned. That animal of yours does have a personality.” Hunter turned to Kate and winked.
“We’ve been working on that.”
The boxes around them were packed with large, muscled athletes clad in everything from a top hat and coat for Cameron to a polo shirt and jeans for Cooper Black, the Sockeyes team captain. The women were dressed to kill with some of the most incredible hats Kate had ever seen. You could lose somebody in a few of those hats. Kate adjusted her own black hat with the colorful flowers and netting. She smoothed out her elbow-length gloves and brushed some hay off her black sheath. She’d gone for elegant and understated except for the hat. Lilli wore a curve-hugging navy dress with a green scarf. Her navy hat’s broad brim smacked Cam in the head every time she leaned in to tell him something, but he never complained once. Hunter wore navy pants and a tunic of navy blue with green Native American-style eagles embroidered on it. His dark hair was slicked back into his usual ponytail.
The gang was definitely all here and then some. Excitement and anticipation reverberated throughout the twin-spired grandstand.
“So what did Sid say? Is he ready to run?” Kate asked.
“I was afraid to ask him.” Hunter shrugged sheepishly.
“You never talked to him?”
Hunter shook his head. “Lilli did, but I told her to keep whatever it was between them.”
“I see.” She looked down at the horses as they paraded by. Sid was definitely wound up. Hunter’s horse glanced up into the stands. Kate could have sworn he looked straight at her and winked as if to say I’m taking no prisoners today.
This would be Sid’s race. He was ready. And not a horse here could catch him if he chose to run his race, not even Jet.
She whispered in Hunter’s ear. “He’s going to win.”
“Jet?”
“No, Sid.”
He furrowed his brow at her. “How do you know?”
“He told me.”
“Okaaaay.” Hunter stared at her as if she’d lost her mind and dragged him down with her.
“You just wait.”
“You seem awfully cheerful about that.”
“Of course I am. After all, they’re both our horses.” She watched for his reaction. A slow smile crossed his face, reaching his eyes and lighting them up with joy.
“Yes, they are, until the day they pass on to that great pasture in the sky.”
“Absolutely.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
He squeezed back; love lit up his eyes, but then the light dimmed somewhat. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with Sid winning, assuming he does?”
“He will. And yes, I’ve come to terms with it. I’d probably sell Oak Brook even if Jet won. It’s time to move on, and my future isn’t in Kentucky. It’s wherever you are.”
“I hope you don’t mind rain.”
“I don’t. I won’t melt.”
“I hope you’ll melt for me.”
“Always.”
“You two are fucking disgusting.” Tanner glowered at both of them.
Emma smacked his arm. “Tan, don’t be such a butt.”
“You like me that way.”
Emma rolled her eyes and smiled apologetically at Hunter and Kate, who both grinned back. Tanner was all talk. Underneath the alpha bluster, he was a good guy.
Kate held the binoculars up to her eyes and scanned the track for her familiar bay horse. She found him cantering easily toward the starting gate as his jockey warmed him up. She moved the binoculars and found Sid. He, too, was doing a warm-up canter, but he was fighting Jose every step of the way. He shook his head, leaped into the air, and twisted, but couldn’t unseat Jose.
“Sid is being a pain in the ass,” Cameron told Lilli.
“I know,” Lilli said with one of those faraway smiles. “He’s mad at Hunter for wanting to pull him from the r
ace.”
“How did you know about that?” Hunter gaped at his sister, and she cocked a brow at him. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. I hope he’s not going to be a stubborn ass and refuse to run just to get even.”
Lilli’s knowing smile indicated she knew something they didn’t. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
Hunter scowled at her answer but turned his attention back to the track. The track conditions were fast and the sky was bright blue.
Kate pushed away a twinge of regret. If Sid won, she’d say good-bye to the farm, and she’d need to help her mother find another place to live. She’d made plans with Hunter to visit her mother at the farm after the Derby. Her mom was watching from home, too weak to attend.
Kate glanced up to find Hunter looking at her.
“You’re sad.”
“A little melancholy.”
“It’s not over yet. Sid is unpredictable, and Jet is Mr. Reliable.”
“Too bad we couldn’t combine the two horses.”
Hunter chuckled at the thought. “We’d have a racehorse to equal American Pharoah, Secretariat, or Man o’ War.”
“Sid could be that.”
“If he wanted.”
Together they turned back to the track. From where they were sitting they couldn’t see the back of the starting gate except on the big screens suspended from the ceiling. Hunter reached for Kate’s hand and held it.
In post position number three, Jet walked easily into his stall and stood quietly. When it came Sid’s turn, he threw another tantrum, lifting the poor gate attendant right off the ground. Another man rushed to help. Sid stamped his feet, but as Sid was prone to do, calmed right down and walked into the gate as if nothing was amiss.
The other horses were loaded quickly and efficiently by the experienced crew.
Seconds later the starting bell sounded and the horses bolted from the gate. Alter Ego, a champion sprinter, sprang to the lead, setting a blistering pace. Sid raced after him, ignoring Jose’s desperate attempts to save his energy for the stretch run. Sid was having none of it. He wanted to run. Back in the pack, Jet ran easily and conservatively, saving himself for the end.
Game Changer: Seattle Steelheads Football (Game On in Seattle Book 7) Page 22