Jockeys and Jewels Read online

  “When what?” She pounced on his mistake.

  “We better go,” he said. “We’ll talk about it later.” But not much later. With any luck the case would wind up smoothly. For now, though, he planned to enjoy her company. She made him happy, and he hoped to return the favor.

  Kurt pushed open the door of the tack room, almost hitting a restless Ace who stood only inches away. “Glad you got him ready, Martin,” Kurt said mildly, “but next time keep him in the stall. That’s why we have tie rings.”

  Martin nodded but didn’t move, his concerned brown eyes locked on Julie. Kurt blew out an exasperated sigh. Adam, Sandra, Blue, now Martin. He couldn’t fault the boy's taste, but Julie had more than her share of protectors.

  “Saddle Cisco for me please, Martin,” he said, as he legged Julie onto Ace. “I’m riding today.”

  Within minutes he joined Julie, and they guided their horses toward the track. A bushy-faced terrier darted from beneath a feed truck, yapping indignantly. Ace leaped sideways but Julie didn’t move, her seat so still she seemed glued to the saddle.

  “Glad you like the wild ones, Julie,” a familiar voice called. “Can you take my young horse out next?”

  Kurt glanced over his shoulder and saw Cody leaning by the rail, a white cup wrapped in his hand. Probably not coffee, judging by the man’s too-wide grin.

  “Sure, right after this guy,” Julie said as they walked the horses through the gap and onto the track.

  Possessiveness drove Kurt. He edged Cisco closer to Ace, so close his leg rubbed Julie’s knee. “Just getting Ace used to some jostling,” he said when she shot him a puzzled look. Cody could bring coffee and doughnuts every morning, but he wasn't going to touch her. No way. Not while Kurt was around.

  “After we warm up, I’ll put Cisco a few lengths in front,” he went on, “and you and Ace can chase us down. I’ll come back on the outside and run with him. What’s wrong?”

  . “Think you can stay with us?” She shot a dubious look at Cisco who plodded along, head low and relaxed, oblivious to the racehorses pounding past.

  “Don’t let the spots fool you,” Kurt said. “Up to four furlongs, Cisco can run Ace into the ground.”

  Julie laughed. “Now I admit he’s smart—unusually smart—and he is pretty good on a trail.” She shot the horse a look of grudging approval. “But he's just an App. With your weight and western saddle, there’s no way he can keep up with a Thoroughbred.”

  “You just concentrate on putting Ace on the proper lead,” Kurt said, grinning back. “Help him stay balanced, or he’ll blow the turn. I’ll worry about my poor little App.”

  They were both trash talking as they cantered in tandem around the track. She made one final adjustment to her goggles. “Now we’ll see if Easterners can ride as well as they talk,” she called over the gusting wind.

  Her voice lifted in challenge, and Kurt felt a rush of adrenaline as he asked Cisco for more speed. Both horses accelerated into a gallop. Ace didn't seem intimidated by Cisco’s presence, and his stride was steady; he was clearly up in the bridle and eager to run. But let's see how he reacts when he feels some dirt, Kurt thought.

  He shook his reins, and Cisco burst into high gear, passing Ace and kicking up a spray of dirt. Julie yelled something, but her words splintered in the wind. He glanced under his arm and saw her tap Ace on the shoulder. Her horse smoothly changed leads. Kurt stopped worrying, knowing Ace wouldn’t blow the turn if he were on the left lead.

  The red and white quarter pole was a blur. Ace's nose edged up; Julie slipped past on the inside, but Cisco was much too stubborn to let a horse gallop by and he fought back, inching up to Ace's shoulder. Kurt leaned forward and let him run, relishing the speed, knowing Cisco loved a good fight as much as he did.

  Julie’s arms pumped with determination, and it was clear she didn’t like to lose either. She pushed Ace down the stretch, rising in the stirrups as they crossed the finish line, half a length in front.

  Ace hauled at the bit, ears pricked, looking like a winner as he searched for another horse to challenge, but Cisco galloped steadily beside him and both horses soon slowed to a long-reaching trot. A perfect work, Kurt thought. The duel would freshen the gelding and make the horse more aggressive for his first race.

  Ace had made it around the turn without any trouble too. Julie might only need to give him a shoulder tap and remind him to switch leads.

  “Good job,” he called, more than happy with her riding. “We’ll go over to the paddock and let Ace mellow out.” He stiffened when he saw her flat mouth. “What’s wrong?” Maybe she thought Ace wasn’t ready. Maybe the gelding hadn’t handled the turn as well at it had appeared. But her solemn question surprised him.

  “Could Cisco have caught us?” she asked.

  Ah-ha. So that was it. “What does your horse say, Julie?”

  “Well, Ace thinks he won. He’s still strutting.”

  “And that’s what we’re working on today,” Kurt said. “It’s all about attitude.”

  “It’d be nice to have some speed with the attitude.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Cisco. “We should have beaten you by a lot more. Please tell me you painted on those spots and that Cisco is really a Thoroughbred.”

  Kurt’s lips twitched. Cisco was seven-eighths Thoroughbred, but his appearance and personality were all Appaloosa. “You’ll do fine in the race,” he said, keeping a straight face. “Cisco had to work hard—really hard—considering he's only an App.”

  “Guess I underestimated him,” she said, leaning forward and giving Cisco’s neck an approving pat. “He’s an awesome horse. Doesn’t seem to be anything he can’t do.” Her dimples flashed with mischief when she looked at Kurt. “So you could have beaten us but realized I’d be a sore loser?”

  He reached over and tugged her ponytail but didn’t deny it.

  They passed the grandstand and walked into the saddling enclosure. She stopped grilling him about Cisco’s bloodlines; the conversation shifted to the best places to eat. He preferred steak over sushi, but with Julie racing tomorrow he knew she’d want a lighter meal.

  “Sushi would be great,” he said, enjoying her open expression, the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke, the contentment he felt when she smiled. He didn’t care where they went. Would have been happy with a hot dog.

  “There’s a Japanese restaurant in the south end. You’ll be happy to know they also serve an excellent rib eye.” She gave him a perceptive smile and slowed Ace. “Want me to dismount?”

  He shook his head. “Just ride him around the walking ring until he's seen everything. Martin and I already schooled him in the paddock.”

  Julie guided Ace around the small ring while Cisco rested a hind leg, happy to relax. Kurt dragged his gaze off Julie and tried to concentrate on the two-year-old. Ace seemed braver now, making no objection when Julie rode him away from Cisco. A maintenance man clanked a garbage can, and the gelding didn't even react. So far Ace was training nicely, much better than Lazer—

  “Kurt!” A sultry voice sounded behind him.

  He placed a hand on Cisco's rump and swiveled in the saddle, watching as Tiffany rushed across the concrete, her spiked heels rapping a keen staccato.

  “I thought that was you.” She pressed against the rail, and it was apparent she favored low-cut blouses. “Is that your horse, the one you entered yesterday?”

  “Yes, and that’s Julie West riding him,” he said.

  From his vantage point in the saddle, it was impossible not to notice Tiffany’s generous cleavage, but Julie shot him such a mocking smile he averted his head and cemented his eyes on Tiffany's face. Cisco had no such inhibitions, however, and shoved his head into her chest; Kurt snapped a rein and straightened his nose.

  “Your horse must be male.” Tiffany giggled up at Kurt, turning her back on Julie. “About your earlier dinner invitation, turns out I’m free tonight.” She had a lovely dulcet voice that carried beautifully, much too beautifully.
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br />   “I’m sorry,” Kurt said, “but I’m busy now.”

  Tiffany gave a pointed smile. “I hope you found the man who wants to buy your trailer.”

  He shifted uneasily in the saddle, aware he did owe her a favor but also aware Julie had halted Ace ten feet away. And she was no longer smiling.

  “I’m sorry, but I already made other plans,” he said. “Another time would be better. Maybe lunch tomorrow?”

  “Gosh,” Julie said, her eyes shooting green shards. “I just remembered I have a prior commitment. So you don't have to worry about those other plans.” Her shoulders set in a rigid line, and she headed past them toward the exit.

  “Hey,” he called. “You can’t go yet. Ace isn’t finished. Walk him around a couple more times.”

  Her cheeks flamed at his rebuke, but she resumed circling. Tiffany gave a loud laugh, and Kurt wished he’d just let Julie leave. But, dammit, Ace had his first race tomorrow, and Julie knew the plan. She couldn’t quit because she didn’t like the railbirds.

  Cisco's nose edged back to Tiffany's chest and Kurt tightened his rein, afraid the App might stain her blouse.

  “It's okay,” Tiffany said. “It can be dry cleaned.” She didn’t step back, although he noticed she didn’t pat Cisco either. Her interest in horses was clearly from a distance.

  “I’ll pay for any slobber marks,” Kurt said to Tiffany as Ace and Julie circled past.

  “Watch out for hickeys too,” Julie muttered.

  “What did you say?” he asked.

  She shot him a mutinous look but continued circling.

  Tiffany raised an amused eyebrow. “If it turns out you're free, Kurt,” she said, not bothering to lower her voice, “just give me a call. I’m in the office until four. And you already have my home number.”

  She turned and clicked back to the race office. Cisco swished his stubby tail in disappointment. No peppermints from her. Kurt consoled his horse with a pat and rode toward Julie. “I told her I was busy tonight.”

  “You won’t be busy with me.” She stuck her nose in the air.

  He blew out a sigh. He didn't like to pussyfoot and had little patience for games, but if she needed him to grovel, he would. Just a bit. “This business with Tiffany is work. She did a big favor for me—”

  “And you pretended you were selling your trailer so you could get to know her?” Julie shook her head in disgust.

  He considered pulling together a trailer story—he was pretty good at on-the-spot fabrications—but didn’t want to dish out any more lies. “I want to be with you. Just you and no one else.” He held her gaze, hoping she'd feel his sincerity. “That’s all that really matters.”

  “No other women.” Her voice shook, and she looked spitting mad. “That's what you said, only a half-hour ago. I gather Tiffany wasn't free so you needed a stand-in. Well, now that your first choice is available, I’ll do us both a favor and back out. Is this horse finished now?”

  At his reluctant nod she turned and headed toward the barn, letting Ace cover the ground with his long-reaching stride. Kurt followed at Cisco’s more ambulatory pace, and the distance between them widened with every step.

  Dammit. He refused to trot. Didn't have the time or inclination to chase women, and he certainly wasn't going to chase after his jockey, especially in this instance when he hadn't even done anything wrong. It was ironic that whenever he tried to be honest he looked more like a liar.

  However, Cisco seemed to sense his ambivalence and broke into a spirited trot, and Kurt reached the barn right behind Julie and Ace. A welcoming Martin appeared by the door with Ace’s lead and a red cooling sheet draped over his arm.

  “I’m not feeling well, Martin,” Julie said. “Would you take care of my saddle for me?” She rushed away, not looking at Kurt, but the choke in her voice twisted his gut.

  Martin looked at Kurt with accusation in his wide eyes. “She didn’t even take her saddle. The special one that was her mom’s. She never gallops in anything else.”

  “I’ll take it to her,” Kurt said, knowing she’d want it for her next ride.

  Martin just stared with hound-like forlornness, and Kurt’s gut gave another twist.

  “Hey. Want to use Cisco to pony Ace?” Kurt asked. “You can ride behind the barns. Both horses need cooling.”

  “Oh, yeah!” Martin nodded, full of instant forgiveness. “I’ve never ponied a racehorse before.” He snapped his mouth shut, as though afraid Kurt might change his mind.

  “You’ll do fine. Just keep them away from other horses.”

  Kurt barely had time to dismount before Martin edged in, stuck his toe in Cisco’s stirrup and scrambled into the saddle, so eager to mount he didn’t bother to shorten the stirrups. Just snagged Ace’s lead rope, flashed Kurt a thumbs-up and vanished behind the barn.

  Martin was happy again, and heck, he deserved a chance to ride. Julie and Sandra had been giving him lessons on Okie, and Cisco was savvy enough to keep them all out of trouble. But Kurt feared it wouldn’t be that simple to appease Julie. He dragged a hand over his jaw and headed off to find her.

  A horse pounded behind him. He stepped to the side of the path, checking over his shoulder.

  “Where’s Julie?” Sandra called as she slowed her horse.

  He shrugged and held up Julie’s saddle. “I'm looking for her. She was planning to ride a couple more, but we finished quicker than expected.”

  “Damn. I wanted to help her with Cody's horse. That animal’s so rank he makes Otto’s mare look like a puppy dog.” Sandra clucked at Okie and trotted away.

  Kurt circled the barns. It was nine thirty a.m.; the track closed at ten, and most serious trainers had finished for the morning. He turned and headed to the oval. Spotted Julie’s vest and helmet as soon as he stepped up to the rail.

  She rode a tall chestnut with a white face and four white legs. The horse had no martingale but clearly needed equipment to keep his head down. His nose was in the air, and he sidled, crablike, across the track.

  He looked green, very green, and broke into an awkward canter, cross firing and clinging to the outside lead. A delivery truck rumbled around the tall grandstand, and the horse leaped sideways, then shoved his nose out and charged forward.

  A horse galloped by on the inner rail; the chestnut bolted after him, his steps frenzied. Julie braced her feet, trying to stop him with a pulley rein, but the chestnut pounded into the clubhouse turn, unbalanced and clinging to the wrong lead.

  Something scared the horse—oh, shit, Julie’s saddle had slipped—and the chestnut veered sideways, almost clipping another horse.

  “Man, those two horses nearly went down,” someone said.

  Kurt stared helplessly, unable to look away, his throat too tight to talk. The rider behind Julie was still swearing about the near miss even as an intrepid pickup rider galloped after her. But the outrider was thirty lengths back, gaining too slowly, and the chestnut careened around the turn, ears flattened, his fear intensified by the galloping horses.

  Just keep him on the track, Julie, Kurt willed. He’ll stop sometime. But the horse's eye rolled toward the barn, and it was apparent he was going to duck out.

  “Get that rail up!” Kurt yelled to the dolts standing by the gap.

  Too late. The chestnut dropped his right shoulder and scooted sideways through the opening. Julie’s slim body catapulted. She smashed into the dirt, almost impaled by the tip of the jutting rail.

  His stomach caved. Please let her be all right. Please, please, please. He dropped the saddle and rushed to her crumpled body.

  He heard a ragged gasp—she was alive, at least—and dropped to his knees, crippled with fear. She’d hit the ground so hard. Her back, her neck…

  “It’s okay,” he said, pretending a calmness he didn’t feel. “Breathe in. Now out. Good girl, just like that.”

  Her eyes opened. She gripped two of his fingers as she fought to breathe, fought to suck air into her clogged lungs, and the frantic look o
n her face made him ache.

  “Breathe in again. There you go.” His voice sounded so level, it surprised him.

  She managed a shallow breath, her panicked eyes holding his.

  “In and out again,” he said. “Good girl, another breath.”

  He heard steps and looked up, pushing the curious bystanders back with a protective glare. His expression softened when he turned around. Her breathing seemed to be steadying, and already the grip on his hand had loosened. She straightened her legs.

  “Don’t move yet, honey.”

  Still winded, Julie stared up at him, filled with despair. He was so kind. So capable. So gorgeous. Naturally he enthralled her—and every other woman around. But she couldn’t compete with Barbi dolls like Tiffany. Didn’t want to.

  He must have seen the pain in her eyes. “Where does it hurt?”

  “Everywhere,” she said. Especially my heart. “But I don't think anything's broken. See?” She wiggled her arms, her legs, her fingers.

  “Don’t move yet,” he said urgently. He ran his hands around her neck, over her back. “What do you feel? Any pain there? How about here?”

  She just stared, murmuring short replies, her thoughts as scrambled as her body. He must have had comprehensive first-aid training. His hands were knowing and unexpectedly gentle for such a tough-looking man. But of course, she knew all about his special touch. She quivered at the memory and fought the urge to dip her head into the comfort of that hard chest.

  “I’m okay,” she said. She had to get away, especially now, when both her body and emotions were bruised. “I just need to sit up so I can breathe.”

  He helped her to a sitting position, supporting her in his arms. “You scared the shit out of me,” he said, his voice close to her ear.

  Thump, thump. The hammering of his heart surprised her. He seemed so calm, so composed.

  “Scared me too.” Her mouth wobbled. “I never had much control. Cody’s saddle slipped, and then things really went downhill.”

  “We always land in trouble after our little arguments,” he said.

  “They don’t seem so little to me.” She prayed he didn’t hear the catch in her voice.