8.
When Cindy pulled through the gates at Saratoga's backside, she refused to look at the clock. She knew she was outrageously late, and part of her didn't want to care. The other part was shaking so badly she had to grip hard onto the steering wheel to keep her fingers from trembling.
"This is ridiculous," Cindy admonished herself as she drove straight past Lucas' stable and on to barn 24. "This is just Ian and Josie. They're the two people you love the most. They're family. Stop it."
Cindy steered the Audi down the gravel stretch between stables, the tires splashing in the shallow puddles along the way. While it wasn't raining, everything looked as if it had seen another rainfall. The gravel wasn't kicking up much dust, and the plants hanging along the stables were covered in small droplets of water.
When she turned down the gravel row of barn 24, there was no van waiting outside. Cindy frowned and parked her car next to what looked to be a rental, and got out, taking a deep breath of the track air. Everything smelled like rain, and it wasn't nearly has hot. Smiling at that one pleasure, Cindy shut her car door and walked into the open air barn, looking up and down the row of horses. A few horse head appeared to peer at her, but Cindy turned on her heel and walked down to the office.
"Hello?" Cindy called, knocking on the door and opening it. The office Whitebrook used when they were at Saratoga was empty, and Cindy scowled at the vacant space before turning around and running straight into Josie.
"Oh my God!" Cindy jumped, taking a step back and laughing as she saw the grin on her cousin's face. "You scared me!"
"Sorry," Josie laughed, giving Cindy a hug as the two women walked down the aisle of the stable. "I just heard you from the feed room; I'm getting hay nets set up for the horses. Where have you been?"
Cindy sighed and put a hand to her forehead, running it over her pulled back hair. "On my way up from Belmont," she said. "Lucas wanted me to work a horse."
"Must be a special horse," Josie commented, and before Cindy could tell her about the new colt, her father walked in with three bridles and a saddle draped over his arm.
"Cindy," Ian said in surprise, smiling at the sight of his daughter. "We were starting to wonder about you."
"I'm sorry," Cindy apologized again. "I had Belmont obligations all of a sudden. I just couldn't get back in time."
"You didn't speed, did you?" Ian asked her, giving her a one arm hug as he handed off the tack to Josie.
"Are you turning into mom now?" Cindy asked him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Not in the slightest," Ian shook his head. "But I still worry about you."
"Nothing to worry about," Cindy shrugged. "I got back in one piece, didn't I?"
"You did this time," Ian said, patting her on the back before helping Josie with the tack.
"When did you get in?" Cindy asked, following her dad into the small room off of the office.
"About thirty minutes ago," Ian said. "The flight was pretty uneventful. We had to knock a few of the horses out. Hero and Angelica aren't too pleasant in close quarters. They certainly don't help the other horses."
"How many did you bring?" Cindy asked, turning to look down the row.
"Six," Ian said as Cindy walked down the line of stalls. "Our three big guys, and three of our allowance runners."
Cindy nodded, running her hands over the taped names on the doors before she ran across War Hero. She looked inside the stall and saw the smoldering dark bay colt glaring right back at her, his compact body hidden partially in the shadows. Josie walked by and attached the hay net to the peg by the colt's stall, and Hero gave out a low grunt before he ambled up to the stall door and shoved his dark muzzle into the hay.
"He's definitely filled out," Cindy said, not touching the colt as he nuzzled the net, ripping out hunks of hay and tossing scraps to the floor. The colt was a basic dark bay in the shadows of the overcast day and the stable, but Cindy knew that with his breeding he would probably glow a deep shade of brown and burgundy red in the sun. Many of the darker decedents of Ashleigh's Wonder tended to have a little mixture of red in their coats.
"I think the last time I sent you photos of him was when he was a yearling," Josie said. "He was pretty gangly back then. But, you know his parents were that way too when they were young."
Cindy nodded. Wonder's Warrior was a huge horse, and the colt's dam, Pleasantries, had been one of the largest fillies Whitebrook had ever raced. Both had taken some time to find their legs as two-year-olds, and when they did they skyrocketed to the top of their class.
Josie ran her hand over the small star on the colt's forehead, but Cindy still didn't touch him. Instead she shoved her hands behind her back and watched as the colt lowered his head for Josie to scratch his ears.
"Angelica is right there," Josie said, nodding to the chestnut filly hanging her head out of her stall door, her dark brown eyes concentrated on the other hay net Josie was holding. When Cindy turned around to give the chestnut a once over, the filly let out a deep whinny and stamped at the stall door. Josie grinned and left Hero to hang the hay net next to the filly's door, stepping back to let the filly dig in.
Next to her, another chestnut head appeared to survey what was going on in the walkway. Cindy noticed the word "Heliacal" taped to the other chestnut's stall, and smiled at the son of Townsend Princess.
"God, they're gorgeous," Cindy said, walking up to the chestnut colt and running her hand over the large star between his eyes. "When are they running?"
"Hero is in the Saratoga Special this coming weekend," Josie said, standing between Angelica Tree and Heliacal. "We're waiting a little longer with Heliacal and Angelica before we start putting them in stakes. I know Ian and Ashleigh were talking about the Hopeful and the Spinaway. There are tons of races to consider, really," Josie shrugged, giving the chestnut filly a pat on the neck.
Cindy nodded, stroking Heliacal's amber neck as the colt pricked his ears at the filly. Angelica pinned back her ears and snapped at him, making Heliacal jump back.
Cindy laughed and raised her hands as the colt drew himself up and flicked his ears back and forth as though he couldn't make out the filly stabled next to him. Angelica merely went back to her hay net, letting Josie rub under her chin.
"Now, that's a daughter of Fleeting Angel," Cindy laughed, giving the clueless colt another pat on the neck before stepping back with Josie, heading back to the office.
Josie grinned and nodded. "You really have no idea."
Soon after the Whitebrook horses had been settled in their stalls, Cindy caravanned back to the summer house with her Josie and Ian following closely in their rented Honda. When Cindy pulled up in the driveway, Ryan and Laura were outside in the front lawn playing catch. Cindy gave them a confused look as Laura accidentally let the baseball go early and wound up chucking it over the driveway and straight into the pine tree that grew on the other side of the lawn.
"Sorry!" she heard Laura call as Ryan went to retrieve the ball.
"What's this?" Cindy asked, ducking as Ryan threw the ball over her head and back at Laura, who deftly caught it with her glove.
"We're just killing some lazy summer afternoon hours," Laura said, smiling at Ian and Josie as they climbed out of their car. "There weren't any races today."
"Well," Cindy said, wincing as Laura threw the ball again. There was something that didn't allow her to trust Laura with a baseball around her car. "I'm just going to get my family out of your range," she joked at Laura, who smiled sweetly and put her glove down in the grass to meet Ian and Josie again. Laura had accidentally met all of Cindy's family at the Breeders' Cup two years ago, and since then she had run into them repeatedly at different tracks.
"It's nice to see you guys again," Laura said, giving Ian and Josie wide smiles.
"Likewise, Laura," Ian said, shaking her hand as Ryan helped Josie haul her things toward the house. Cindy smiled and pulled her duffle out of her trunk before following behind the entourage.
The rest of the day went along easily. Josie and Cindy went swimming in the pool, cooling off when the summer heat beat off the mild air the rainstorms had provided that morning. Ashleigh had called and spoke specifically to Ian about plans for their horses. Laura wanted to know everything that was to be known about Whitebrook's runners, and Cindy leaned back on the side of the pool and sunbathed as Josie told her everything she could.
By the end of the day Cindy was happy to see everything going well. Dinner had even been pleasant and she found herself later on that night on the phone with Jack, telling him how it all went.
"So you might say that you went a little overboard about them coming up there?" Jack asked, and Cindy chuckled into the phone as she sat on one of the lawn chairs, watching the clear pool water rippling under the small, artificial waterfall.
"Maybe," Cindy said. "But it's only the first day, and I know Ashleigh wants to point her horses toward some serious preps for the Breeders' Cup."
Cindy had already told him about Whitebrook's impressive runners. War Hero was a Wonder's Warrior colt, and Heliacal was impressively bred as well – a Gone West colt out of Townsend Princess. Both would be shooting at the big races that Wonderment would be pointed to at the end of the Saratoga meet. Angelica Tree was also going to be a giant for Hansea to battle. The two fillies were fiery and big for their age, but Angelica Tree was not only out of Fleeting Angel, a Dominion mare, she was also by AP Indy and therefore had Secretariat running in her blood. Just thinking about those two lines meeting in one horse made Cindy shiver.
"Don't worry about it," Jack said, sounding tired. Cindy didn't know what time it was, but looking at the full moon rising up in the sky she figured it must be fairly late.
"Easier said than done," Cindy responded, not wanting to get off the phone, but knowing better. She quickly changed the subject, trying to get him to wake up. "How's Silvan?"
"Pretty good," Jack responded. "We're going to walk him around the shed for a couple of days and then put Micky on him. He'll need one more breeze before the Fourstardave."
"Am I coming down there for that?"
"Looks more like I'm going up there with Silvan for that," Jack said, and Cindy smiled unconsciously.
"Great," Cindy said. "When are you coming up?"
"About August 20th or so," Jack said, and automatically Cindy didn't feel so wonderful. That meant she had over a week to wait, and as much as she found the feeling of her heart sinking annoying she couldn't stop herself.
"Yeah?"
"Uh-huh."
"No way you could come up sooner?" Cindy hazarded, and Jack automatically started to laugh. Cindy frowned tightly and gripped the phone, kicking herself.
"If I could, I would, Cin," Jack said. "Believe me. But Silvan is training well down here, and someone needs to hold down the ship."
"Right," Cindy said, wishing she wasn't so stupid sometimes. Then she muttered, "You're right, because you're heading Belmont down there, and I'm working up here, and that's how things are going to be for right now."
"Cindy?" Jack asked, sounding a little confused. "What?"
"Nothing," Cindy said quickly, suddenly wanting to end the phone call. She looked back at the dark house and closed French doors. "Nothing. Actually, Josie just came outside. I've got to go."
"Okay," Jack said a little distantly, to which Cindy said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone. She laid the phone delicately at her feet and looked back at the dark house. She could hear the rippling water in the pool and the soft summer breeze ruffling through the trees, but other than that everything was quiet. Cindy sighed and turned back around, folding her arms over her knees and curling up on the lawn furniture, wishing she could just disappear.
The sun didn't waste time climbing the horizon the next morning, and Cindy was already a sweaty mess by the time she was on her fourth horse. Hansea wasn't making it any easier. The dark bay filly was hauling on the reins, dancing on her toes and refusing to concentrate on anything. The Oklahoma training track at Saratoga was teaming with horses, and Hansea was completely distracted.
"Hello," Cindy grunted as she tugged back on the reins, pushing Hansea into a canter. "Listen, girl. We're not going to get many chances to repeat this today."
Hansea only cocked one ear Cindy's way and then pricked them again, bursting out into the first wild strides of a gallop as Cindy rose in the saddle. The bay filly was heaving after her second turn around the track, but she still wouldn't settle and Cindy found her arms aching and begging for the workout to end. Cindy gritted her teeth silently and moved the filly away from the inside rail, letting her kick and dance her way across the track. Hansea still had her head craned up and was snorting loudly out of wide nostrils, looking as if she had never set foot on the track before. Finally the work ended as Cindy ground the filly to a halt a few strides past the gap and turned her to be taken off the track.
"Please tell me you have a race for her soon," Cindy said as she walked off the track and right up to Hero's Medal, who stood casually as Hansea roared by, dragging her groom along with her.
David smirked and shook his head. "Orders are to run her in the Spinaway next."
Cindy groaned and let him give her a leg up onto Medal. "But that's at the end of the month."
"We'll give her a long breeze tomorrow," David said. "That please you?"
"If you were riding her, you'd know," Cindy pointed out, gathering the colt's reins and taking him out to the track.
"You see, Cin," David said as she stopped by the fence and looked down at him from the back of the bay colt. "That's the point. You ride, I stand and decide what you do."
"Great, David. Thanks for keeping me updated on my duties."
"You're very welcome," David said, smiling and running a hand through his sandy blond hair. "Take Medal around two laps. He's working up to the Hopeful, but he's not ready for a breeze."
Cindy nodded her understanding and was gone, Medal prancing eagerly under her. Cindy rose up in the saddle with the colt as they bounded into a trot. It wasn't hard to hold Medal; he was fairly obedient on the track. Usually after riding Hansea Cindy got a ride on Medal to cool off, and he provided an excellent trip almost guaranteed. This time was no different.
Extending out into a canter, Cindy glanced to her inside when she heard another huff of a working horse and saw Josie pull up beside her on War Hero, the dark bay glistening burgundy in the morning sun.
"Morning, Cin," Josie smiled over at her, looking picture perfect even though Cindy could tell she had a very firm hold on the reins. War Hero was attempting to steal the bit, and had his mouth gaping open as he worked to gain the upper hand.
"Hey, Jo," Cindy said. "He's looking a little rank."
"He's excited," Josie said. "He gets like this when he's at a new place."
"He'd better get used to it," Cindy said, letting Medal ease into a gallop coming into the far turn.
"No kidding," Josie said, moving along also. The two girls galloped next to each other the entire course, their horses huffing excitedly at the chance to outdo each other. Hero was obviously the more impressive specimen, but Medal wouldn't allow himself to be outdone and by the end the plucky, smaller bay had pushed his head in front as they slowly galloped up to the gap.
Cindy leaned back and let the colt slow down and walk the rest of the way as Josie had a harder time pulling Hero up. The dark bay colt was tossing his head up and leaping, his burgundy-bay body shimmering with sweat in the muggy day.
Patting Medal's neck, Cindy walked along the outside rail with the colt, watching as Josie fought with Hero in the middle of the track. The young colt took two steps forward before unleashing several high rearing strikes at the air, jarring Josie so hard Cindy watched in shock as her cousin slid right off the colt's back and landed in the dirt behind him.
Hero then came down to all fours and snorted, pawing at the dirt. Medal came to a hesitant halt, his muscles bunching in anticipation as Hero snorted again and let out a strangled scream.
"Don't worry," Josie said, rolling over and getting up, walking quietly to the colt's head before taking his loose reins in her fist.
"You've got to be kidding me," Cindy said, staring at Josie as Hero grunted and looked away, as if he had lost all interest in being a brat.
"He's usually all bluff," Josie said, tossing the reins over the colt's head and walking with Cindy back to the gap, Hero ambling along next to her with a spring to his step. "Nothing like Warrior, really. He'll put up a royal fit just to get a rider off of him, but once he's accomplished that the show is over."
"All bark and no bite?" Cindy asked, watching the colt happily tug at Josie's arm as they stopped at the gap.
"Not all the time," Josie laughed, getting a let back up into the saddle by Ian.
"Take him around again," Ian said. "The last thing we need is to let that become a habit."
"Sure," Josie nodded, and was off, leaving Cindy and Ian both to watch War Hero leap down the track, his flashing coat red between shadows.
After Cindy had completed the morning works she stood in the sun, letting the air dry her hair. She had just come from the showers, and in the heat she had figured that blow-drying her mass of blond locks would just be a mistake. With her hair half dry, she pulled it back into a ponytail and wandered into Lucas' barn and right into David, who was walking out.
"Hey," he said, stopping in the gravel outside the barn. "Where are you going?"
"To get my stuff before races start," Cindy informed him.
"Want to get a bite to eat first?" he asked, and Cindy paused. He hadn't asked her to do anything with him since she had turned him down before the Amsterdam. He smiled at her and she frowned, but he seemed to catch on before she could ask him anything.
"Lunch, Cindy," he said. "You know. The track kitchen. They have sandwiches there that, while not so wonderful, might help nourish the body, or, if anything, make you feel full."
Cindy smiled at that and shrugged, following him down the track and to the kitchen, where several grooms and outriders were massing to eat. At that moment, Cindy felt her stomach demand food and she foraged thorough what was being offered, coming away with a turkey sandwich, a small carton of yogurt, and a diet Coke.
"Wow," was all David said when she walked outside with him, sitting at the last bench in the shade. "You're going to get fat, you know."
"Right," Cindy scoffed, nibbling at the sandwich. "I'm just blessed with high metabolism."
"Cindy, I don't think high metabolism has anything to do with it."
She smiled at him and ate in relative silence, feeling the breeze that fingered through the trees and over the track. It was one of the only things that felt good on the track during the summer. Whenever she felt that breeze she would always rip off her helmet and enjoy it while she could.
"Who were you riding with today?" she heard him ask, and she swallowed quickly.
"Josie Taylor," Cindy said. "She's my cousin."
"Cousin?"
"Uh-huh," she said, sipping at her Coke. "My dad and cousin are in town with three of Whitebrook Farm's big two-year-olds."
"Right," David said, nodding. "I always forget you worked for Whitebrook."
Cindy was silent for a minute, secretly a little shocked that anyone could forget that. Most people knew that much after just catching one glimpse of her or her name.
"Well," she cleared her throat. "They'll be in Saratoga until the end of the meet. They're staying with me."
"That sounds great," he said.
"It is," Cindy nodded, opening up her yogurt. "A little disconcerting, but it's nice."
"It will be interesting to race against them," David added. Cindy gave him a blank look.
"You did say they brought their two-year-olds, right?"
"Yes," Cindy said, frowning.
"The colt Josie was riding today," David said. "He was something else."
"Yes, he was," Cindy said, sighing.
"It will be interesting," David said, shrugging. "That's all."
Cindy only smiled and nodded. She did not want to think about riding against Josie or Whitebrook. The concept made her nervous and edgy. Whitebrook wasn't just Whitebrook when Cindy was racing against it. For some reason it became more, and Cindy was sure she could never be comfortable with that.
So she shrugged, took another sip of her Coke and said, "It will be."