Authors Note
Guess what? Guess what? Guess what? GUEESS WHAT? I GOT AN AUTHENTIC, SIGNED PICTURE OF DAVID AKERS! EEEEEEEHHHHHHH! – squeals and falls off of chair—OMG! OMG! I am so excited! If you at all doubt that in anyway just ask Shawna, she had to listen to my excited-ness when I got it! Hehe. But OMG! I'VE BEEN WANTING A SIGNED DAVID AKERS PICTURE FOR SO LONG! EEEEEEEEEHHHHHH! Sorry if this chapter seems a bit off topic, I've got all these good ideas in my head for Baldwin Prince, CIC's sequel and I just HAVE to do something about it. Review! –Steph
Question: The Breeder's Cup comes AFTER the Triple Crown races, right? I'm pretty sure it does but not positive. And if so, how long after the Belmont is the Breeder's Cup?
Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brooke.
Commander In Chief
Chapter 18
Ty's POV
"Do you require any assistance with Commander In Chief, Mr. Baldwin, Junior?" Andy, the groom I'd sent to pick Chief up from Heartland asked me as I helped him lower the trailer's ramp. Andy was the head groom here at Baldwin Ways. And he had taken to calling me Mr. Baldwin, Junior a few years back and now it was the favorite name for me around the yard. I'm not a 'junior' to anyone in my family though. It just came because they knew that someday I would be their boss just like my dad was now.
"No thanks, Andy," I said as the ramp touched the black pavement. "I can take it from here."
"Of course," Andy said with a kind smile. The corners of his hazel eyes crinkled in the corners. Before he left he patted Chief on his powerful, bay rump. Chief's tail twitched and he tossed his head around. I smiled, he knew he was home.
Andy walked back off down the path towards his office.
I entered the trailer through the small side door and grinned broadly at Chief. Chief whickered at me gently.
Once he was back inside his stall I hugged him around his neck. I patted his neck fondly and then rubbed the white star on his forehead, my good luck charm. Chief snorted and swayed his head around; his big, brown eyes sparkled with excitement. He shuffled around his stall and munched contentedly on the fresh hay the filled the black rack on the side of the stall. Then he snuffled at the water in the trough next to the hay and splashed some around.
He then pranced back across the width of the huge stall, his hooves sinking lightly into the fresh, soft bedding. He stopped directly in front of me and tossed his large head in the air and let out a piercing whinny. He was greeted with answering whinnies from his old friends in the stable.
"Show off," I said clearly to my horse. Chief just craned his neck around to look at me and made a noise that I would have sworn sounded just like a laugh. "Come on," I said with a laugh. "Let's get those traveling wraps off of you," I told my horse. Chief was still wearing that padded shipping halter, hunter green leg wraps, and hunter green traveling New Zealand blanket. I marveled at the way the Baldwin Ways logo and name danced across his back.
I folded the blanket over the stall door and placed the leg wraps over it. I retrieved Chief's normal winter blanket from the rack on the side of his stall and buckled it on Chief's back. The blanket, like all the others at my stable, was hunter green and a white border and silver piping. The Baldwin Ways crest was spread proudly across Chief's back and his name was stitched onto the side.
"You had an interesting month, didn't you, buddy?" I mussed out loud and patted Chief's strong shoulder through the thick winter blanket. Chief lowered his to my height and fixed his intelligent, brown eyes on me. I sighed.
"Ty! Are you in here?" my dads voice boomed through the barn. None of the horses so much as twitched at his loud entrance.
"I'm here!" I called over the stall door.
Dad caught sight of me in Chief's stall and walked down the wide aisle to stand in front of Chief's door. Chief stuck his head over the half stall door and dad patted him fondly.
"Haven't seen you in a while," dad said to Chief. "Nice to have you home." With a final pat to Chief, dad turned back to me. Chief wandered over to the window at the back of the stall and stuck his head outside. The breeze ruffled his mane and forelock as he called greetings to his other friends in the surrounding stables.
"What's up, dad?" I asked in wonder.
"Are you busy right now?" dad asked, barely containing the excitement that was present in his green eyes.
"Uh, no," I answered unsurely. I was going to call Amy later and see if she might talk to me again though, after what happened today at school I wasn't so confident.
"Good," dad grinned. "We're just about to take The Prince out for a workout. Come and watch."
I shook my head at my dad's obvious display of excitement. "Okay," I said to appease him.
"Good, let's go. The Prince is down on the track already." I hurried after my dad as his long stride carried him down the barn aisle swiftly. I reached his side as we exited the barn.
"You know," I said conversationally as we walked towards the full sized track that I could just see forming in the distance. "You've never had this much interest in me liking a horse before."
"What are you talking about? I've always wanted you to like the horses," dad said with a hint of a smile evident on his face.
"Yeah," I agreed, "But never this much. I'm watching Prince's workouts everyday."
"Hmmm," dad said next to me.
"Any particular reason?" I inquired casually.
Dad glanced at me. "You're almost 18, Ty," he stated. I would turn 18 on May fifth, only about six months from now. My birthday was always hectic because it fell on the day the Kentucky Derby was run, the first leg of the prestigious Triple Crown races. "In the not too distant future," dad began, "You will be taking over Baldwin Ways, I'm just preparing you."
"Okay, yeah. I understand all of that; dad, but I've known how to run the place since I was ten," I reasoned, feeling like there was some hidden agenda my dad wasn't sharing with me yet.
"Baldwin Prince is a great animal, one of the finer since The Baldwin Way," dad spoke fondly of the horse that had first earned him his fortune; spread his name through the horse world and the earned the name of the stables. "An important horse, for more reasons then the obvious," was all dad said. I frowned, what was he talking about?
"You mean as a racehorse?" I clarified.
"In more ways then the obvious, Ty," dad cryptically said again. "Oh good, we're just in time," we were just walking down a short pathway that led to the track.
Zach, dad's best friend and head trainer ever since The Baldwin Way was leaning against the white fencing that stretched around the whole track.
"Hey, Uncle Zach," I greeted the trainer as I stopped by his side. Dad stood on his other side. Zach wasn't really my uncle but he was like a part of our family and I'd called him uncle for as long as I could remember.
"Hey, Ty," he responded friendly.
"So, what's The Prince doing today, Zach?" dad asked.
Zach grinned widely, the same excitement reflected on his face as dads. "We're going to try The Prince with some other horses," Zach said, gesturing slightly down the track to the shinning, new starting gate. Already, there were six horses, the jockeys perched high in the saddles waiting to be led into the gate. "We'll just take them once around the track, I just want The Prince to get a feel of running in a pack of other Thoroughbreds."
"Brilliant, Zach," dad slapped his best friend on the arm. "How do you think The Prince is going to run?"
Zach's brows furrowed together in concentration. "He should come out of the race fine and I'd like to think that he'll run strong the whole time. He's got a great stride on him and the track is particularly fast today so he should knock out a decent time. We've run him with one or two other horses but never with a whole pack. We'll get a feel for how he likes to run, does he start in the back or does he like it up front? Knowing The Prince, I think he'll be a front runner."
Dad nodded his head in agreement. He looked down the track back to the starting gate where Prince was prancing around eagerly. His haunches quivered in excitement and his head was carried high. I could tell that he loved running with just one glance.
"Watch him now, Ty," Zach told me.
I looked back to The Prince. The jockey pointed Prince towards the third slot on the starting gate. Despite his previous high-spirited antics, Prince's concentration focused as he walked calmly into the small space. He didn't even move a muscle as the gate attendant shut the doors at his rump. The jockey stroked The Prince's sleek, muscular black neck and his lips moved in soothing words to the young colt. Prince's ears flicked backwards at the sound of his riders voice.
"You like that?" Zach nudged my arm.
"He's great," was all I could think of to say in reply. I didn't know if I'd ever understand why my dad and even Zach were taking such painstaking steps to ensure that I like Baldwin Prince. Of course I liked him! I'd liked him ever since he was a little newborn foal.
Now he was almost two years old. He stood over 17 hands high. He was perfectly fit, his shoulders and neck were strong and the power behind his haunches was unfathomable. He was long and lean. His head was large and finely chiseled with two deep set, dark brown eyes and two perceptive ears. His black coat was jet black and it shone in the sunshine. His deep black mane and tail flowed. On his forehead there was a single white strip, almost like a crown. Baldwin Prince really was a fine animal.
I turned back to Zach.
Zach raised his arm into the air and then let it drop back down to his side. He took his stopwatch firmly in hand.
The starting bell rang out clear across the track and the gates flew wide opened in unison. Six powerful Thoroughbreds surged onto the track. Prince got a good start and flew forwards with a mighty push from his haunches. He soared forwards, momentarily airborne. When his hooves hit the sand once again he surged forwards.
"Isn't he going too fast for the beginning?" I asked Zach in confusion as I watched Prince shoot to the front of the pack like a black bullet.
"Just watch," Zach replied simply.
I turned my attention back to Prince. He was running abreast with a bright chestnut. The lead volley back and forth between the two horses.
Then I noticed something that practically had my eyes bugging out of my head. The jockey was clearly fighting with Prince to hold him back and Prince was none to happy about it. He was fighting for head the whole while but still managed to take the lead by a half length.
The pack of horses surged around the first turn and were then thundering down the straightaway.
"Let him out NOW!" Zach yelled as the horses swept around the last turn. Even though I knew the jockey had no way of hearing Zach it was almost as if he had. As soon as the command had left Zach's mouth, the jockey gave the reins and Prince eagerly stretched his long neck out.
Prince gave a little triumphant buck before he shot in front of the other horses, the chestnut included. Every impossibly long stride Prince took carried him further and further away from all the other horses.
The black tail streamed behind him like a banner. The jockey moved deftly with The Prince's movements. Every sinew in Prince's body stretched and muscles bunched together. He was already fourteen lengths in front on the rest of the field and yet he still seemed determined to win at a higher margin.
As Prince soared in front of us, at least twenty lengths ahead, Zach pushed a button on the stopwatch and the jockey stood in his short stirrups and eased Prince back down to a canter. Prince seemed almost reluctant but in the end he obliged to his jockeys commands.
A full five seconds later, the rest of the horses swept across the finish.
"Incredible," dad breathed as he stared after The Prince's black rump. "What was his time?" he turned to Zach.
When Zach didn't immediately respond I turned to look at him too. Zach was starring at the screen on the stopwatch in shock and amazement. Zach took a deep breath before he spoke and when he spoke he spoke slowly and deliberately. "Baldwin Prince, just ran the mile in," here Zach paused and looked back at his stopwatch, "38 seconds (a/n: I'm just guessing here, I don't really know what a good time would be) flat."
My mouth fell open. My dad looked just as stunned as I felt. Zach looked the same.
Finally, dad turned to me and a huge smile broke out across his face. "What did you think about that run, Ty?" he surprised me by asking.
Dads excitement was infectious and I found myself grinning insanely too. "I think," I began carefully and loudly to make sure that everyone near could hear me. "I think that we have our next Triple Crown winner."
Commander In Chief
Dinner was a joyous affair that night. Zach, his wife Marie and their twin daughters Marissa and Gabriella who were 12 and his 16 year old son, Jeff had been invited to join us. Zach and dad retold the story of The Prince's lengthy win over and over again. Mom was beaming in happiness and pride. It was almost as though Prince had just won the Kentucky Derby, not a small race at Baldwin Ways.
"The Prince is going to regain our Triple Crown fame," dad announced confidently as dessert was served. We'd lost the Triple Crown last year and the year before. The horses had been great, but we just hadn't made the cut. Each only lost one of the Triple Crown races but one was enough to whisk the glory away from Baldwin Ways. "The Prince will restore the Baldwin name!" dad said enthusiastically. "And none of it would possible without my fabulous trainer and my best friend, Zach Anderson." Dad raised his wine glass to Zach. "To Zach!" he declared and the others echoed him.
"To Zach!" I returned jubilantly and took a small sip from my glass.
Zach blushed slightly but laughed it off. He nodded his head in acceptance.
"I'd like to make another toast," dad declared and everyone silenced to see what he would say. "To Ty," he surprised me by saying.
"Wha…" I started to object.
Dad looked over at me and I stopped. "To Ty," he repeated and everyone waited in an intrigued silence to see what he was going to say. "To Ty. You'll be 18 in no time at all and then graduating high school. And then in four short years it will be you running this farm, and I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that you will take Baldwin Ways to new and great places. You will carry on the legacy of the Baldwin name. I wish you luck in times to come," dad concluded and I noticed mom and Zach nod in agreement. "To Ty," he raised his wine glass to me and the red liquid sloshed around lightly inside of the glass.
"To Ty," seven voices chorused back to me in perfect unison.
After dinner, I retired to my library and left the adults to talk.
I collapsed onto the plush, soft leather couch and picked up the remote to the almost wall covering Plasma TV in front of me. I flipped it on and a second later the black screen dissolved into colors and an infomercial on an acne cream blared through the room. I quickly changed the channel. I surfed through the channels until I found a channel I liked. I settled on watching 24, one of the few shoes on the air that I liked. The show Commander In Chief was… entertaining. I mainly watched that show because of the name, it was interesting. But 24 was a good show, the show was just starting and they showed clips from earlier shows in the season. I'm glad I got here in time. Last weeks episode ended with the President being told that he had to blow up the plane. (a/n: I love 24! And on Monday I had a band concert at school and my step-dad and I had to like drag my mom to the car so we could get home in time to watch. We got there on time and got to see what happened to the plane! EH!)
The hour whirled by in an exciting whirlwind of event. Sometimes it's hard to believe that every episode of 24 takes place in the span of one hour and every season is one day.
I resorted back to flipping channels when the show was over.
A little while later I was still flipping channels when the door opened and Marissa and Gabriella entered.
"Hey, Ty!" Gabi chirped. "Are you busy?"
"Hey Mari, hey Gabi," I turned of the TV and they sat on the couch with me. "What's up?" I asked in interest.
"Nothin' really," Mari replied. "We just got bored."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. No one ever got bored in my house.
"Lee's showing Jeff his new drum set and mom and dad are talking with Brad and Liz," Mari clarified.
"Right," Gabi agreed with her sister, "And we thought that you might be more entertaining."
"What do you want to do?" I asked the twins.
Gabi and Mari exchanged a mischievous glance. "Let's go play…" Gabi trailed off and pretended to think about it. "… Sea monster attack!" she yelped giddily. Sea monster attack was a game I used to play with them all the time when they were younger. We'd play it in the pool and Mari and Gabi would each get an inflatable horse pool toy and I'd have to try and flip them over.
"Sea monster attack?" I asked incredulously. "When's the last time we played that?"
"A long time ago," Mari giggled. "Come one, Ty! Let's go play!" she made her gray eyes open wide and blinked rapidly for a few seconds before she burst out laughing and lent against Gabi's shoulder for support.
I eyed the two giggling girls and laughed. "Alright fine," I resigned and threw my hands in the air. "Let's go."
I got off of the couch and led them down hallways.
As we passed the living room, den, family area… whatever you want to call it, voices wafted out towards us.
We walked passed our parents and down some more hallways until we made it to a door on the side of the house. I opened the door and we walked into the huge field house. Mari and Gabi skipped off towards the locker room to change into bathing suits and I went into another changing room. I pulled on a pair of black board shorts that had a dark blue stripe down the sides. Despite the cold fall weather outside, the whole field house was heated and unlike public pools or locker rooms, the floors and the whole place for that matter, were immaculate and clean. Forgoing a towel I walked barefoot through another set of doors and into the indoor pool area.
The indoor pool was just as big as the outdoor one and there was a large hot tub off to the side.
Mari and Gabi were just dragging two big, inflatable horses towards the pool. They dropped them into the water and after tilting slightly, the inflatable horses stopped and stayed upright. Mari and Gabi each hopped on their respective horse and pushed away from the side of the pool.
"Ha-ha, Ty!" Mari called over to me. They were already in the middle of the pool and I was watching from the edge.
"Come and get us!" Gabi called to me in a challenging voice.
I swiftly dove into the pool. The warm water engulfed my body as I dove to the bottom of the pool. The deepest end was twelve feet, I think. I glided underwater towards where two dark shapes bobbed on the surface. I broke to the surface a few feet away from them to take a breath. I quickly swept the hair out of my eyes.
Then, with a mischievous grin and a wink at Gabi and Mari, I disappeared under the water again. I swam under Mari's horse and placed both my hands on the bottom of the inflatable horse. Then, with a push I lift the whole thing from the water and flung Mari and the horse a few feet away. Mari screeched and landed with a splash.
When she resurfaced she treaded water and burst out laughing.
I turned towards Gabi. I swam in her direction.
Gabi screeched in laughter and tried in vain to get farther away from me. I grabbed her leg and she squealed as I pulled down and into my chest. She flipped of the horse raft. I picked Gabi up and tossed her over to where Mari was still laughing. The two sisters huddled together and started talking quietly, only being interrupted from time to time by short bursts of hysterical laughter.
I pulled myself up onto the nearest inflatable horse. The rafts were big and could support a large amount of weight, so I didn't cause the whole thing to sink. I dangled my feet in the water and the horse drifted into deeper water.
"Ready?" I heard Mari's voice behind me. "One… two… THREE!" she screeched and suddenly two set of arms attached themselves around my shoulders. We all splashed backwards into the pool.
When I resurfaced I pulled Mari and Gabi up too. "I'm going to get you!" I said threateningly. Both girls squealed and took off in the opposite direction. I swam after them.
Commander In Chief
I had just gotten out of the shower and after I put on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, I sat on the couch that was set along the wide window in my room and toweled off my still dripping hair.
I looked out over the vast expanse of land that my father owned and that I would own too someday. Someday not to far from now.
Somewhere along the line my thoughts drifted back to Amy. Once again I wished I hadn't said anything that day when I broke up with her. I hadn't even realized what I was doing at the time but it wasn't as though I could act like it didn't happen. I tried that at first, though, it didn't work very well. I'd tried to talk to Amy but she didn't want to or just wouldn't listen to me. I should have called her back, it was stupid to not have and I'll always wonder why I didn't.
But I knew that I cared about her… hell I loved her too much to just accept that everything was over.
I dropped the towel to the floor and a brilliant idea came to me. I picked up the phone that was lying on my desk and deftly punched in Amy's home phone number.
It ringed four times before Alex answered. "Hello?"
"Hi, Alex. It's Ty," I said just incase he didn't know that it was me already.
"Oh hi, Ty," Alex said. I heard a screech in the background and almost laughed. Almost.
"Is Amy there?" I asked.
"Uh yeah, hold on," Alex said. "Let me go get her." I waited a minute and then Alex returned. "Sorry, Ty, but she's busy right now."
I sighed; I knew she wouldn't want to talk to me. "Okay, fine. But can I ask you something Alex?" I stuck with my original plan even though I wasn't talking to Amy.
"Sure," Alex agreed and I could almost see him shrugging his shoulders.
"You know that show that's in a couple weeks?"
"Yeah," Alex said instantly. "What about he?" he asked in interest.
"Well, I was wondering… is Amy going to be there?"
a/n: weird chapter, I know but I didn't know what else to write. Hope you liked it anyway and maybe you can see where I'm going with whole Ty/Amy thing now? TP is next up for an update, maybe Saturday. Review! -Steph