Erin and Sydney arrived at the race track where they were tasked with purchasing a horse and speaking with their suspect/witness, Lucas Burnett. 'Which horse are we considering?' Sydney inquired, examining the paper in Erin's possession. 'Voight specified any horse, but Lucas has one prepared for us,' Erin replied.
Leading Sydney to the stable designated for their meeting with Lucas, Erin stated, 'Here we are,' before approaching a sandy-haired male engaged with a black and white horse.
'Lucas?' Erin called out to gain the young man's attention, to which he responded, 'Yes?' while focusing on the two detectives. 'We are here to acquire a horse and discuss the matter we are investigating,' Erin stated, extending her hand for the horse to sniff.
'Ah, I recall,' Lucas acknowledged. 'Is there a specific horse you seek?' he inquired, initiating a conversation about the illicit substances and the drug lord involved.
Erin acknowledged his words and considered them while observing the four available horses. The options included a bay mare with white markings, a gray gelding, a brown and white paint mare, and a jet black mare.
Evaluating each horse, Erin approached them cautiously, pondering aloud to Lucas which one he thought she should choose.
Lucas suggested she first determine which horse would likely suit her best. He then handed her some carrots to offer to each horse, encouraging her to gauge their reactions.
As Erin approached the black mare and extended a carrot, the mare showed interest in her, prompting a positive comment from Lucas about their potential compatibility.
Lucas offered to prepare the mare for a closer inspection and possibly accompany them to the round pin for a ride. Erin was about to agree when their primary suspect approached them and inquired about the potential new buyers.
Lucas introduced Erin and Sydney using their undercover names, Miss Katie and Jane Mitchel, as sisters. Dan expressed his pleasure in meeting them and asked if any horse had caught their interest.
Erin selected the black mare, despite Dan's preference for the paint horse. Following this, Lucas was instructed by Dan to give them a tour of the racetrack and fulfill their requests.
Erin observed as Dan departed and turned her attention to Lucas, advising him, 'You should not allow him to address you in such a manner.' She spoke gently, now understanding why Lucas wanted to distance himself from Dan, as he was not someone to be taken lightly.
Lucas merely shrugged and proceeded to prepare the black mare for their outing by gathering the lead rope and halter. 'Let us make our way to the round pen and complete this task so we can attend the race,' he suggested.
ยท Justin P.O.V*
In the meantime, Justin had left Erin's apartment to run some errands on her behalf, intending to purchase groceries since it appeared she rarely did so. He planned to surprise Erin with a homemade dinner, aware of the challenges she had faced over the past two months and wanting to bring her some joy through the meal.
Justin pondered as he received a text from Erin informing him of her undercover assignment at a horse race track, amused by the revelation that Erin had ventured into the world of horses, which seemed to intrigue her.
'I should consider Erin's preferences,' Justin mused to himself as he navigated through the market in search of ingredients for their dinner.
Informing his decision based on the steaks available at a discounted price, Justin selected two packs along with a poultries assortment for future use. After acquiring the meats, he proceeded to the produce section to acquire lettuce, tomatoes, and assorted fruits.
Subsequently, he acquired side dishes for the dinner comprising of corn, mashed potatoes, and a dessert item, adding candles for a quaint dinner setting. Pleased by the sight of parents with their babies in the store, Justin pondered on the prospect of fatherhood, contemplating a conversation with Erin on the matter.
Upon completion of his shopping errand within ten minutes, Justin drove back home to store the groceries and commence cleaning the somewhat disheveled apartment. He conscientiously stored the purchased steaks in the refrigerator for later preparation.
Justin proceeded to approach Erin's radio and activate it to listen to music while he cleaned, as the man with dark hair disliked cleaning in silence. Subsequently, he initiated the task of tidying the kitchen by washing the dishes that appeared to have been neglected by Erin for several days.
Humming to himself during the chore, he pondered regretfully about the possibility of preventing their current situation if only he had communicated with Erin beforehand. Despite her being a detective, Justin blamed himself for involving his girlfriend in danger, a thought that lingered even after everything had concluded.
Upon completing the kitchen cleaning, he turned his attention to tidying up the bathroom and disposing of the trash.
While tidying Erin's sink, his hand brushed over a box of birth control. Intrigued, Justin inspected the box only to find it completely full, prompting him to reflect on their recent intimate encounters with a sudden quickening of his heart.
Justin pondered whether Erin was considering the possibility of getting pregnant, as he noticed that the birth control box was still full. 'She is probably not on that box yet,' he remarked, placing it back down. He harbored a secret desire to become a father one day with her, although he understood that Erin might have reservations about parenthood.
Justin completed cleaning the bathroom, placing new soaps by the tub and a fresh towel above the toilet. He proceeded to tidy up her bedroom when his phone rang. 'Hello?' Justin answered, picking up dirty clothes and putting them in the basket. 'Hey, babe,' Erin's voice greeted him from the other end of the phone.
Justin smiled upon hearing Erin's voice. 'Hey, baby, how are you?' he inquired, as he sat on the bed and retrieved a photo album from the nightstand to look through while speaking to his girlfriend.
'I'm doing alright, just thought I'd call since I'm on break right now,' Erin mentioned over the phone. 'That's good,' Justin replied.
Erin inquired with curiosity as Justin flipped through the pictures and smiled upon seeing the image of him and Erin embracing, 'May I ask what you are presently engaged in?' Justin responded while taking a pause from tidying up the apartment, 'I am just on a break from cleaning the apartment,' he replied, causing Erin to gasp.
'Do you really clean?' Erin asked playfully, prompting a chuckle from Justin. 'Hey, I do clean sometimes,' he defended. 'Yes, I didn't have anything else to do, so I thought I'd lend a hand with cleaning up the place,' he added as he closed the album. Justin grinned upon hearing Erin laugh.
'Ah, well, I appreciate it. I was planning to clean soon,' she mentioned. 'Don't worry about it, baby. I wanted to clean and have you return to a tidy apartment,' he assured her. Erin chuckled and mentioned, 'Anyway, I must depart soon. I am about to evaluate this horse to determine if we are compatible.'
Justin smiled and replied, 'Alright, I will catch up with you later. Have a pleasant time, and take care.' Erin reciprocated, 'I will; you must also take care.' 'Love you,' Erin whispered before ending the call, leaving Justin smiling at her words as he settled down on the bed.
