Hope everyone's weekend is going well. Enjoy the new chapter!

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The next month or so was a blur, and Alec kept busy working with Storm Front. After a significant amount of time, his gate work was finally improving, and he had finally gotten to a point where getting a bridle on him was no longer a two-man job. Henry kept him updated on Pam's Song, and they were getting closer to deciding to enter her in the Kentucky Derby. The spring meet was quickly approaching at Belmont, and Henry wanted to get Pam's Song into a couple of races there to see if her Florida Derby performance had been a fluke before he made that final decision.

Alec and Sarah occasionally crossed paths on the training track and at the house, and had developed something of a friendship. She was, as it turned out, a highly accomplished rider who had ridden at race tracks in Louisiana before moving on to Florida. This was her first time so far north, and so far she wasn't fond of the rainy and cold days that spring in New York so often brought. But she was tough as nails, and she continued working with Pam's Song, and their bond was apparent. Alec couldn't help but feel a little jealous, even as he knew that Henry had been right to sideline him. And besides, if he could get Storm Front ready to race, perhaps he would be ready to ride him by then. In working with the colt, he was rediscovering his love for riding, although he knew it would be different once the pressures of earning prize money were upon him again.

On this day, Alec decided to ask Brian to ride Storm Front so that he could gauge the colt's progress. Pam's Song was on the track as well, going through some fine tuning workouts to sharpen her before the spring meet. The sun was out for a change, and the track wasn't quite as muddy as it had been for the last two weeks.

Alec and Henry stood in the infield of the track, each with their stopwatches to track their respective horses. It was odd to Alec to stand side by side with the man who had taught him everything he knew about the sport they both loved, only now as a trainer himself and not a rider.

Alec watched as Sarah guided Pam's Song through her workout. He could see from Henry's expression that the older trainer was pleased with the filly's progress, although he still couldn't tell what the final word would be. Alec recalled these debates and discussions over Black Minx, that they hadn't made that decision until the week before Derby Day. Pam's Song's progress had been clearer, as they had raised and trained her from birth. There were no bad habits that needed to be broken, and the filly had exceeded even their high expectations for her.

"So is it the Derby or the Oaks, Henry?"

"Still thinking." Henry responded mildly. "Leaning toward the Derby. Sure would be something if she turned out to be a Triple Crown filly."

Alec nodded in agreement. It would be an astounding achievement.

"How's your boy coming along?" Henry asked, gesturing toward the gate.

"Better. He's improved a lot." Alec answered. "We've finally got him to break a little quicker from the gate. He's got some speed, but he still takes a while to get going. Maybe he's not quite a sprinter like I thought."

"Nothing wrong with that." Henry replied. "You could still make a miler out of him."

"I wanted to get him to break properly out of the gate before I moved any further with him. If he can't break decently, no amount of training is going to make a race horse out of him."

"You're doing the right thing." Henry nodded. "He's still pretty young, he's got plenty of racing life in him."

"And he hasn't been in any one barn long enough to really develop." Alec added.

Henry shook his head. "Damn shame how they treat some of these claimers. Damn shame."

After a solid morning's work, the two men went their separate ways. In a few days, Henry would pack up Pam's Song and head over to Belmont for the spring meet. Alec would stay behind to take care of farm business and continue working with Storm Front and Night Sky. It would be a lot quieter without them here, and Alec had to admit that he missed not going to Belmont this time. Perhaps he would go up for a few days to see for himself how Pam's Song was performing, even if he wasn't actively involved in her training.

He and Henry had always been a team, and now they weren't. Alec felt a pang of sadness. But time marched on, and it was probably time for Alec to strike out on his own anyway. Growth was always painful, and these last few months had been more painful than Alec cared to admit. But he was getting through it. Throwing his energy into training Storm Front had helped a lot. Most nights he was too worn out to remember his dreams, only waking up occasionally with the faintest memory of what had occurred. Surely that was better than the vivid nightmares he had been experiencing all this time. Wearing himself out every night wasn't exactly a solution, he knew, but it was good enough for now. Time heals all wounds, his mother always told him. At the time, he didn't think that would ever be true.

But something more was happening. Maybe he was finally accepting the finality of Pam's death. Maybe he was too worn out to give a damn anymore. And maybe, just maybe, spending the little bit of time around Sarah was helping, too. Not that he was actively pursuing anything with her, oh no. But she was attractive and fun to be around, and a damn good addition to the farm crew. Alec hoped she would stay around after the Belmont season was over, but he knew that was unlikely, given the nature of jockey work. Jockeys went where the action was, and Alec knew it was likely Sarah would go back to Florida, Louisiana, wherever she could find steady work.

Alec was still deeply ruminating at his desk when an unusual noise caught his attention. He rose from his desk and stuck his head outside the office door to find Sarah there.

"Something you need?" Alec asked as casually as he could.

"Oh, hey." Sarah replied quickly. "I was gonna knock."

Alec chuckled. "I'm not used to getting visitors out here. Usually it's just me and Mike."

Sarah nodded. "I ran into him on my way in here. Nice guy."

"One of the best."

They stood across from each other, appraising each other. After a moment, Alec gestured toward the office. "Come on in. You want coffee?"

"Sure."

Alec grabbed a mug from near the coffeemaker, along with his own, and filled both mugs. "Do you take anything in it?"

Sarah shook her head, and Alec handed her the mug, watching as the young woman wrapped her hands around the warm mug and took a sip.

Alec was slightly amused. "It's a little chilly today."

"Just a bit." Sarah nodded with a slight smile. "Forgot my gloves before I headed out. I'm still not used to it being so chilly."

"I don't think anyone really does." He gestured toward Mike's chair. "Have a seat. I assume there's a reason you're here."

Sarah laughed a little behind her mug. "I thought I did. Now I don't know."

Alec was baffled. Surely she hadn't just been wandering around the farm.

"I really wasn't expecting anyone to be in here." She confessed. "Guess I was just kinda giving myself a tour of the place. I haven't seen much beyond the house and the track."

"I would have given you a tour if you were really interested." Alec answered, still a little confused. "All you had to do was ask."

"I didn't want to bother you, or anyone else, really." Sarah replied. "I figured I'd just do my work and stay out of the way."

Alec smiled a little. "We're like a big family here. Once you're here, it's like you've been adopted."

"Oh, I wasn't planning on staying." Sarah said quickly. "Not for long, anyway."

"I kind of figured." Alec's suspicions had proved correct, and he was glad he had kept a bit of a distance from Sarah. "As long as you're here, though, you're one of us."

"Well, I appreciate that." Sarah smiled. "Riding can be a lonely business, especially for us girls."

"Sure." Alec nodded. Even when he had been riding, he hadn't felt the same bond with other jockeys. He could imagine it would be even harder for the few women. "Anyway, whenever you're ready, we can take a walk around if you want."

Sarah took a long drink from her mug, setting it aside and rising from the chair. "Let's go."

Alec slipped his coat on and found a pair of gloves, handing them to Sarah. They were a little big on her, and they had a good laugh as Sarah comically flopped her hands around.

"Well, you've already seen my office, so I guess we can move on." Alec started. "Mike works in here with me, he takes care of the stallions. He lives in the apartment over the barn."

Sarah glanced around the office, her eyes landing just above Alec's desk. "What's that?"

Alec followed where Sarah pointed, the weathered piece of wood with "HOPE" emblazoned across it. "Oh, that? It's a piece of the trailer I wrecked out west a few months ago. Seemed like the only part worth saving at the time."

Sarah looked alarmed. "Lord, sounds like one hell of a wreck."

"I mean, we survived."

"We?"

"The Black and I."

"Your horse."

"Yes, my horse."

Sarah was briefly silent. "Henry says you two have...a special bond."

"He's right." Alec replied quietly. "I wouldn't be here without him. I guess you could say we saved each other."

"Awful lot of stories going around the tracks about the two of you. You and the Black, I mean. Sounds like the stuff of legends."

"I guess it would sound incredible if you weren't there." Alec nodded. He knew many of the stories that had gone around the track for so long had been exaggerated.

"Word is you lost your mind for a while."

Alec felt his shoulders slump. Was this the real reason Sarah was nosing around? "Says who?"

"Lots of folks." Sarah responded, her tone suggesting she knew she had pushed a little too far. "It don't matter. People like to talk, you know."

Alec sighed as he glanced up at the piece of trailer above his desk. "I mean, maybe they're right. Just not in the way they think."

"Sometimes, when folks are under pressure for so long, they just...break. Ain't nothing to be ashamed of."

"That's not what did it." Alec answered sharply. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Let's move on."

The two walked in silence out of the office and out of the barn. Alec gestured to the pastures. "Here's where we turn out the stallions. Everyone has their own pasture. That way they don't fight each other."

"Stallions can get nasty." Sarah nodded. "They're beautiful, though."

They walked on, visiting with the mares and yearlings as the spring sun rose higher in the sky. Eventually Sarah took off her gloves and handed them back to Alec.

"Keep them." Alec told her, a bit more firmly than he'd intended. "You never know when you'll need a spare."

Sarah tucked the gloves inside her coat pockets. "I didn't mean to upset you earlier."

"I know." Alec glanced down at the ground as they walked. "It's just...with everything that's happened, everyone treats me like a china doll."

"You seem pretty tough to me." Sarah told him as she slipped an arm through his.

A brief flash of panic went through Alec at the gesture. He placed his hand over hers, not sure how to respond. "I...appreciate that."

Sarah responded by covering his hand with her own, and they continued walking arm in arm around the farm. Alec was starting to relax a bit, and even enjoy the contact. It had been ages since he had allowed anyone so close to him, and even if there was no possibility of anything really happening between he and Sarah, there was nothing wrong with enjoying...whatever this was. He knew better now, that getting too attached would only lead to getting his heart broken, and he didn't know if he could stand going through that again.

They walked around until they returned to the house. "I guess you've seen the whole place now."

"I guess so." Sarah gave him a smile, rubbing Alec's hand. "Thanks for the tour."

"Happy to do it."

Sarah slipped her arm out, facing Alec. Before he knew it, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. Stunned, he slowly returned the hug, lightly rubbing her back.

After what seemed like forever, Sarah finally stepped away. "I should go. Henry wants to go over some race films this afternoon."

"Right." Alec answered softly.

Sarah tilted her head. "You still mad that I'm riding your filly?"

Alec wasn't sure how honest to be with her. It wouldn't do any good to be upset at Sarah for doing her job. "Not mad at you. You seem to do well with her."

"She's a good filly." Sarah answered. "One of the best I've ever ridden. You and Henry sure put a lot of work into her."

"And now you get to be part of it." Alec replied with a lightness he didn't feel. "Lucky you."

"Yeah, lucky me." Sarah reached out to squeeze Alec's arm. "See you later."

Alec didn't respond as Sarah turned and headed back toward the farm. He let out a heavy sigh as soon as she was out of sight. He had no business falling for her, not now, not when he still felt as if he might fly apart at any given moment. He was nowhere near as tough as Sarah seemed to think he was, but he'd be damned if he'd let her know that.

At any rate, he had work to do. It was better if he just put Sarah out of his mind and focused on his tasks at hand.