Jockeying for You (4 page)

“So you think the problem with him so far has been personality conflict?”

“I don’t want to be rash or too harsh in my assessment, but I think it’s a real possibility.”

“As far as I know, no one’s mistreated him.”

“I’m sure they didn’t. But again, horses are like people. Haven’t you ever met anybody you just didn’t like? For whatever reason? The minute you saw that person you instinctively wanted to turn around and leave?”

Jake did his best to mask his expression.
If she only knew the half of it
. “I might know what you’re talking about.”

“If you want me for the job I’m up to it. Handsome Dancer and I are sure to have more than a working relationship. We’ll have a
real
relationship.”

As if on cue, Handsome snorted and took a step closer to her. Ryder lifted a hand and stroked his face.

Jake had to admit he was a bit envious. “You’re hired,” he said, words flying out without thought or hesitation.

She put her hand on her chest as if surprised. “Glad to hear it,” she said after a moment, then smiled. “Let’s go back to my office to complete some paperwork.” She called out Lenny’s name.

Lenny appeared with his usual soundless pop-up aplomb. “What?”

Jake scrutinized the older man’s expression, gratified when recognition took hold.

“Mr. Carter,” the older man said in gruff acknowledgment before glancing back at Ryder. “He hiring you?”

“Yes, he is. Handsome Dancer is going to stay with us for a while.”

Lenny nodded and directed himself to Jake. “If anybody can train ’em, my girl Ryder can.” Taking Handsome Dancer gently by the reins, the man left without a further ado. “I’m going to walk him around. See how he takes to me.”

Ryder apologized as soon as the old man was out of earshot. “That’s Lenny Godfried. He’s been in this business for forty years. He’s like a father to me, although I’m sorry he was a little gruff.” Despite the light chastisement, her affection for him seemed as deep as it was sincere. “He’s a wonderful person, although he does seem tough. He’s like your horse. People mistake him for being difficult when he’s really a softy down inside.”

Jake’s mouth hung open at her words. Maybe Ryder was capable of reading more than horses. Maybe she could read people, too. If so, she would be a rare find. Someone willing to pierce the depths instead of staying superficially at the surface. If he knew more people like her, maybe he would be more accepted himself. Accepted for who he was instead of what he had. He was so much more than merely a man with money. “All right, we’ll do the paperwork, and then I’ll leave Handsome here. That is assuming you have a stall ready for him.”

“I don’t, but I can probably have one ready for him in a few days, if that’s acceptable. I’ll have to speak to the track.”

He noted her pallor seemed ashen. He knew stalls were at a premium. Getting an extra one was no easy task. “If I get you a stall by tomorrow, can you start with Handsome then?”

She audibly gasped. “Well, sure. But . . .”

“No
buts
. If you’re willing to do it, the problem of getting space is mine.”

He almost laughed at her wide, open-mouthed expression. “Let’s get on with the paperwork, shall we?”

“Why, yes. Of course. Thank you for entrusting Handsome Dancer to me.”

He nodded. Heck, at this pace, he was tempted to trust himself to her, too.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Ryder had put Golden Child back in his stall when an even more impressive stallion appeared. The sight almost took her breath away. She unconsciously lifted a hand to smooth down her blond bob and ran her tongue quickly over her teeth. Finally she cleared her throat to get out words without gasping. “Good morning, Jake.”

For some reason he kept shifting around. Odd, since his casual slacks and collared tee shirt should be comfortable. And expensive. The polo pony on his chest fit right in with the horse motif.

“Anything wrong?” she inquired.

“No. Do I seem antsy? I’m waiting on Emanuel Velazquez to get here. He’s due in a few minutes.”

Ryder went through a mental roster of names but came up blank on this one. “Who’s Emanuel Velazquez?”

“The jockey I want for Handsome Dancer. He rides mostly out in the California tracks. Spent last year at Santa Anita. He’ll be a good bet for Handsome. He’s known to have a calm, sure way with skittish horses. Gets them to focus and do their best. I want to see how he and Handsome interact. If I’m going to make a go of this, I’ve got to see that all my players are in place.”

I feel like a chess piece.
Ryder nodded but said nothing. The jockeys around here wouldn’t be thrilled to have an outsider riding a good horse, especially for a wealthy, well-connected horse owner. The better the horse, the better their own potential purse since a jockey would claim ten percent of a race’s prize money for placing first. Since trainers picked the jockeys, Ryder reasonably guessed she’d become unpopular fast. Sure, she could blame Jake for the selection, but that would mean throwing him under the bus. The idea didn’t sound appealing either on a personal or a professional level.

“I’ll be happy to meet him,” she answered with a smile she hoped wasn’t too unsure.

“Good. I’m pleased to tell you I got you your stall. Handsome Dancer should be arriving here around three o’clock.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “He is? You did?” She felt herself wince and immediately shut up.
I must sound like a moron.

Instead of treating at her with derision for her childlike outburst, he gave a large grin. “You’re impressed, huh?”

“Quite frankly, yes. You can pull off the impossible. It must be good to be king.”

He roared with laughter. “Quite.” He composed himself after a minute and gave her a look that seemed rich with meaning. “No queen though. Yet.”

Ryder felt her face flush. Not knowing how to respond, she chose the business route. “I’ll be here at three o’clock sharp to get Handsome set up. And please tell Emanuel to find me when he gets the chance.”

“Will do.” Jake walked away before she had a chance to babble on, which was good. Unfortunately, his fast departure left her feeling surprisingly empty.

“Will do what?”

Ryder was startled at the sudden question and whirled around to find Mindy standing there. “Can you stop doing that?” Ryder demanded.

“Doing what?” Mindy blinked innocently.

“Popping up out of nowhere.”

Mindy shook her head. “You’re mistaking me for Lenny. He’s the one who pops up out of nowhere. Me, on the other hand, I walk over to you in these big ol’ boots, noisy as all get-out. You’re just too caught up in Mr. Gorgeous to have heard me.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t it. We were talking business.”

“For someone talking business you were looking pretty misty-eyed. Admit it. Jake Carter is hot.”

True to form, Lenny appeared from around a corner. The dark, wet spots on his denim shirt and pants made it clear he’d been washing down horses. “Mindy, don’t you have something to do? I know Ryder does. She’s got a ton of business to attend to.
All
business.”

“Good luck with your chastity belt, Ry,” Mindy quipped before turning to go.

“That lady’s got some nerve,” Lenny muttered as Mindy took off in a jaunty strut, no doubt to annoy Lenny even more. “If she costs you a professional relationship with an important owner like Jake Carter, Mindy will have to answer to me.”

“It’s okay, Lenny. You know Mindy likes to joke around. There’s not a lot of females here to spar with, so she likes teasing me.”

Lenny placed his muscular arms on his hips and frowned. “I don’t like her talking to you so much. Or me, for that matter. That gal is trouble.”

Ryder put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re getting grouchy in your old age, you know. She’s only having fun. I don’t mind if it’s at my expense.” She dropped a kiss on his forehead and practically felt his mood lighten. When she let go he took off with a strut in his step.

Ryder was less happy. She had winced at Mindy’s words. Was her friend right? It had been quite a while since she’d had a date, but that didn’t mean she wore a chastity belt. Did it? She’d gone out with Pete a year or two ago. That counted, right? Not that there had been more than a handful of dates. Pete was a nice enough guy, but when he needed too much of her time she had bolted. The only thing that mattered was getting herself established as a horse trainer. To finally be a success at
something
.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a purposeful cough from a little man with light brown skin and dark brown eyes. His brown hair was cropped tight to his head, a mere whisper of a crown. From his diminutive stature, Ryder guessed he was a jockey. Currently dressed in denim, the man no doubt felt more at home wearing racing silks. “Excuse me, I’m here to see Ryder Hannon. Do you know where she is?”

There was a faint trace of Spanish accent in his voice. It made his words melodious.

“I’m Ryder Hannon.” She turned her head and called out, “Lenny!”

The old man was back in an instant. He folded his arms across his chest and raked his eyes over the newcomer to size him up.

The smaller man extended his hand. “Emanuel Velasquez.”

Though he had offered the handshake to Lenny, Ryder decided to shake it herself after Lenny let it hang in the air. “Emanuel, this is Lenny Godfried. He helps me run everything around here.”

“Which one of you is the head trainer?” Emanuel asked.

“She is,” Lenny grunted.

Emanuel nodded. “It’ll be my first time working with a woman trainer.”

“Get used to it,” Lenny shot out.

“I’m sure we’ll work together fine,” Ryder assured Emanuel.

“Yeah. Sure,” Emanuel said with less conviction in his voice.

“Let’s meet back up at three o’clock,” she said. “Mr. Carter will be back then with the horse.”

“Handsome Dancer, I know. I’ve heard he’s difficult, but I’m sure he’ll be a piece of cake.”

Ryder felt her forehead scrunch up. A too-confident jockey was never a good sign. But one reluctant to work with her would be worse. She blinked back the headache she felt coming on and chose her words carefully. “I hope you’re right but from what I understand about Handsome Dancer we’ll both have our work cut out for us. We’ll need to handle him with great care.”

“Sure,” Emanuel quipped casually. “Not a problem.”

Ryder closed her eyes and hoped she didn’t visibly wince again.

It was a relief to have Lenny clear his throat. “Ms. Hannon will let you know what is, and isn’t, a problem. You are dismissed.” The old man practically puffed out his chest when he spoke.

Emanuel stiffened and gave a curt nod. “I’ll go meet my valet now.”

“That’s a good idea,” Lenny responded coldly.

When Emanuel was out of sight, Lenny narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like that guy.”

She bit back a grin. “I can see that. I’ve got to admit I have my doubts about him, too. He must be a good jockey if Jake hired him, but his confidence level is troubling. Sure I want a jockey who believes he can win, but he has to be able to understand the challenge ahead. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. For now anyway.”

“You going to tell Mr. Carter your concerns?”

“Nope.”

Lenny shot her a squinty-eyed look.

“Don’t do that, Lenny. You know we need this business if we’re ever going to expand. I’m tired of being boxed out of stalls by the bigger trainers. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I don’t do my job well.”

Lenny placed a rough, calloused hand on her bare shoulder.

She almost winced from the feel of his fingers on her sunburnt skin.
I should stop wearing tank tops if I’m going to be in the sun all day.

But Lenny seemed to sense her reaction was emotional instead of physical. “You don’t need to keep proving yourself, Ryder. Anybody who can’t see your talent is a chauvinist. You can do the job.” Lenny cleared his throat. “Your father would be proud.”

When she bit her lower lip, he pressed her further. “Is this about you not racing anymore?”

She shook her head. “No. Not really.”

Lenny crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a flat stare. “You can’t live in the past. You’ve got to focus on the future. And trying to prove yourself to others isn’t going to do that for you. Only
you
can do that for you.” Lenny’s gaze shifted away as a look of disgust crossed his face. “Mindy, why are you always around here? Don’t you have horses to train? If not, that’s too bad because we’re not hiring.”

A large grin spread across Mindy’s tan face. Her trademark long brown braid hung over the left side of her denim shirt. “You’re not? Are you sure? Because I see you had a new jockey in here this morning. I wanted to get the 4-1-1.”

“You can dial 4-1-1 all you want because we’re not picking up the phone,” Lenny shot back. He grumbled under his breath, “If you weren’t a woman, you’d be dialing 9-1-1.”

“Down, boy,” Mindy retorted with an even bigger grin.

“Mindy, stop teasing him. Lenny, lighten up will you?”

“Who you hang around with is your problem,” he groused before walking away.

When he was gone, Ryder put her hands on her hip and gave Mindy a frown. “Why do you tease him?”

Mindy shrugged. “Why not? Anyway, what’s the skinny with the new jockey?”

Ryder answered her and then relayed her concerns. As much as Lenny detested Mindy, Ryder trusted her. Getting input from another trainer could only help.

“I agree you should give Velasquez a little leeway. For now. If he doesn’t snap into place you’ll need to crack the whip.” She grinned. “Just because you don’t like whips on horses, doesn’t mean you can’t use one on a man.”

Ryder laughed.

“In fact,” Mindy added with an even wickeder grin. “Some men like it.” She took the leather crop in her hand, bent toward the ground, and gave the earth a sharp
thwat
.

“You’re terrible,” Ryder answered, not meaning it.

“Joking aside,” Mindy said after she stopped laughing, too, “I heard some of your conversation with the grumpy troll. As usual, I don’t agree with him.”

“Oh? On what?”

“You can’t help living in the past if the past is what you want.” Mindy paused, her expression soft. “Is a part of you upset with the new jockey because
you
still want to be the jockey?”

The question made Ryder’s head spin so sharply it was like suffering a bout of vertigo. “No, no. Of course not. I love being a trainer. Less dangerous. Longer career. It’s a much better bet.”

Mindy arched an eyebrow. “Sounds like your philosophy for your lack of love life, too.”

“Geez, Mindy. It’s just that I don’t need distractions from my goals—”

“I’m not sure you know what your goals are,” Mindy interrupted.

Ryder stood there speechless. “But . . .” Her words trailed off.

Mindy arched a single eyebrow and said nothing for a minute. “I only say these things because I care. You know I’ll support whatever you want to do in life, Ry. Just make sure to be true to yourself.” She gave Ryder a quick hug and headed off in the direction opposite Lenny’s. “See you later,” she called out behind her.

Ryder stayed frozen. Mindy may mean well but she couldn’t be right. Her decision to be a trainer was all about safety. Nothing more. Because horseracing was one of the most dangerous sports in the world. Life as a jockey meant understanding your mortality. As well as the mortality of the people around you. Including the ones you loved most. Like her father. The path of safety was always the best route to follow.

The physical pain from her failed race was long gone. The scars on her body, however, remained. And yet, the residual mental pain she dragged around like oversized suitcases was the worst baggage of all.

She tried to stay optimistic. Moved on with life as best she could. Living life with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Her journey moving forward started when she earned her trainer’s license from the State of New York. Then getting involved in a solid business. One she was successfully growing. Yet still she’d always wonder.

“Bye, Mindy,” Ryder said softly. She didn’t know why, her friend had already gone.

Lenny and Mindy both wanted what was best for her. That much was clear. But they advocated opposite things. Lenny wanted her safe. Mindy wanted her to put herself out there. To gamble. To take a chance on a dream.

If only I knew the answer myself.

When Jake stopped by at three o’clock with Handsome Dancer in tow he practically spun with nervous energy. Nervous as to how the training would go, sure. But also pleased to be seeing her. The woman was beautiful, brilliant with horses and obviously kind hearted. He had the feeling, though, that there were many layers buried under there. Layers he wanted to unearth.