Summary: After winnig the race Kris must face the reality of Junior actually being gone. Within the next year she has to plan a wedding, train, and deal with life without Junior. Can she handle it?
Chapter 1: Please Come Back to Me!
"I know, I just miss you," Kris said her her fiance, Junior. She laid her head back on the bed and sighed.
"I know. I wish I could have been there today, too. I feel like I'm letting you down," he replied over the phone. "But it's only for a year. And I'll be back to visit as much as possible," he promised.
Kris nodded with tears pushing the back of her eyes. "I know, and I'll come see you, too."
"Good, well we are about to land. I'll call you in the morning, alright?" he said.
"Yeah. Night," Kris rolled over.
"I love you, Kris," he stated.
"I love you, too, Junior," she said. She waited for the click signalling Junior had hung up. When she heard it, she laid her Blackberry down. She got up slowly and made her way to the bathroom. Ken was letting her stay in Junior's room while he was gone. She was also using his car. She plugged her phone up the black charger and looked in the mirror. She got out a hand-towel and her face wash. She got off all her make-up and made her way back to Junior's bedroom. She changed into sweatpants and one of Junior's old t-shirts. She held the white fabris to her nose and took in it's sent. With tears brimming, she laid down in the king sized bed. She turned the lamp off on the bed-side table and looked up at the ceiling. 1 day down, 364 to go.
--
"That time wasn't good, what's on your mind?" Pablo asked Kris two weeks later.
"Nothing, I'm fine," Kris stated. She was aboard Nakia.
"Kris, I'm not an idiot. I know you miss Junior," he said.
"Well, maybe a little," she smiled hearing his name. "He is coming home Saturday, he'll be here for a week."
Pablo laughed at her. "Good, cool Kia off. There is someone that wants to meet you later today."
Kris nodded and jumped off the chesnut colt. She looked out and saw Wildfire in the pasture. She was so happy he was her's name. Pablo and Jean had given him to her after the race. She lead Nakia to the barn and untacked him. She asked Clay, a stable-hand, to cool him off. She left and went home, to the Davis' house.
"Hey Kris," Ken said as she walked in the door to the mansion.
"Hey," she replied. She quickly turned her head and jogged up the marble steps and entered her room. She took off her riding clothes and changed into some light jeans, a red t-shirt with a silver K on the front and her red converses. She pulled her hair out of the low ponytail and made a new one higher on the crown of her head. She looked in the mirror on the dresser and exited the room. She snuck back down the stairs and out of the mansion, hoping to avoid a confrontation with Ken again. Although he was finally accepting her, she felt awkward around him without Junior there. She hopped in the silver Porsche and made her way back to Raintree.
--
"Kris, this is Randy Johnson," Pablo said introducing Kris to the tall, grey-haired man with a gentle face and big brown eyes.
"Hi," Kris smiled shaking his hand.
"I'll let you two talk," Pablo said leaving the barn office.
"Hi Kris. You probaby are wonderng who I am," he chuckled. Kris smilied and nodded her head putting her bangs behind her ear thinking she needed a hair cut. "Let's just say I'm a huge fan of your's," he began, "I have been following Wildfire and your career since the Sandpiper, and I was so happy to see you two back on the track together. Will there be anymore races?" he asked kindly.
"No sir, he is now officially retired," Kris responded slowly with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Well, that's too bad. There is a race coming up, the Olympiad Stakes, and the race is going to be the best horses in the world. There are only twenty spots," he stated.
"What are you getting at?" Kris asked a little confused leaning foward.
"I'm a member of the commitee to select a horse. Because I'm the head chairman I get to select two horses, and Wildfire is my top pick, and when I talked to Pablo he said it would be up to you, because you are now the owner."
"So you want to put Wildfire in a race with 19 other thoroughbred's from around the world?" she asked trying to get this straight.
"Yes, you're my top pick, as I said before. Would you like to know the rules and how everything works?" Kris nodded so he began, "There are nineteen people on the commitee. Each person, besdies me, gets one pick of a horse from anywhere around the world, it's like the olympics of horse racing, hence the name. The horses must meet certain qualifications. They have had to won a big race, Breeder's, Kentucky Derby, anything like that, and have won atleast 90 percent of all their races. So this race will be very competitive, and I think that you have a great chance of winning it."
Kris sat there in shock. She didn't know what to say.
"But Wildfire is a lot older than most race horses," Kris stated.
"I know, but I woudn't ask if I didn't think you could do it," Ralph said.
"I'll have to think about it, and talk to my fiance about it," Kris said.
"Great, here is my card. Please contact me soon. I need to know within the next three weeks. The race is on October 4th, that give you exactly four months," he said before leaving the office.
"What am I going to do?" Kris questioned herself out loud.
--
3 days later... Saturday evening
Kris was sitting in Wildfire' stall. Junior's plane was suppose to land at 9:30. Kris heard her phone start playing I'm Only Me When I'm When you by Taylor Swift, which played when Junior called. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and hit Send.
"Hey," she said smiling.
"Hi," he said in a not so happy tone.
"What's wrong?" Kris asked knowing something was wrong with Junior.
"I just talk to Court, and he needs me to help him with some interviews and such for the press," Junior told her.
"So that means?" she asked him.
"I'm not going to be able to leave until tomorrow night, all the press stuff is in the morning," Junior told her.
"Oh," she sighed, "alright."
"I'm really sorry. I didn't know about this," he resonded.
"I know, it's okay. I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow," she said hanging up before she began to cry. She looked up and Wildfire and stroked his nose before leaving the stall.
--
Kris was sitting in the king sized bed that night looking down at her engagement ring. She had a notepad on her crossed legs and a pen on top of that. She was beginning on the wedding plans. So far she only had the location, Raintree, the maid-of-honor, Dani, and the best man, Matt. She was too tired to do this, especially without Junior here to help her. She never thought she would be the type to want a real wedding, but for some reason, she did. She placed the note-pad on the bed side table and picked up one of the two magazines lying on top of the alarm clock.
The front read HORTON HOLMES HOMES. Kris flipped it open and began looking at all of the different house designes. Because Junior didn't want to live with his father, and the Raintree was full, they decided they were going to by the land in between the two and build a house there. They were hoping to have it built by the time Junior got finished with his work up in Alaska. They needed the house design to their arcitect, Arny Moss, by the end of the month. She flipped through the book, but her mind wandered. She gained her focus back and pick her top ten out of the thousands in the magazine. She placed the house magazine back on the Bridal magazine and looked at the clock, it was 1:32 a.m. She had been looking at house for almost two hours! She flipped off the lamp and snuggled down into the sheets and drifted to sleep.
A/N-Okay! The first chapter is complete! Tell me what you think of it! I couldn't think of a good title! SO I hope this one id okay for now! I thought of it last minute!
