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“Of course.” Frankie patted his chest, then walked with Earl back to the truck, saying over her shoulder, “If you need us, you know where we’ll be.”
Moments later, the engine cranked and Jo stood by the tailgate a minute longer, holding Brooks’s sad gaze and absorbing the vibrations of the metal bumper against her palm. Then she pushed off the tailgate, walked over, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her cheek to his chest just as Cheyenne had.
His heart pumped rapidly beneath her cheek, each strong beat coming in time with the shallow breaths rasping between her lips. “I’m going to miss you.”
His lips, soft and warm, pressed against the top of her head, and his big hands tightened around her back, pulling her closer. “No more than I’ll miss you.”
The catch in his normally steady tone made her heart squeeze. She lifted her head from his chest, rose to her tiptoes, and pressed her mouth to his. He kissed her back, his mouth moving with slow tenderness against hers until she reluctantly pulled away.
“Everyone’s waiting for me,” she whispered brokenly. Forcing a smile, she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and repeated Frankie’s words as she walked away. “You know where we’ll be.”
CHAPTER 15
One and a half weeks later, Brooks stood near the dirt racetrack at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the track.
The chirps of birds enlivened the warm, morning air as Another Round galloped around the track while traffic sped by in the distance. Engines roared sporadically amid the rustle of trees, the pounding of hooves, and the quiet chatter of a nearby tour group viewing Another Round’s morning training session. The atmosphere was infused with a vibrant blend of admiration, anticipation, and excitement that should have stirred a sense of pride in Brooks. Instead, he found his gaze straying from what should be his sole focus and caught himself staring blankly at the highway in the distance, his attention lingering on the cars, trucks, and SUVs as they disappeared from view.
You know where we’ll be.
Jo’s words had stayed with him every day and night since she, Cheyenne, Frankie, and Earl had driven off in the direction of Lone Oaks Crossing, leaving him, Nancy, and Lee to proceed to the next destination of the Triple Crown on their own. He’d known it would be difficult to continue the journey and undertake the next competition without Jo, but he hadn’t realized exactly how difficult it would be.
“He looks like he’s having a tough time out there.”
Nancy’s voice tugged him out of his regretful daze and he refocused on Another Round, studying the thoroughbred’s movements as the horse continued around the dirt track.
“His time is good,” Nancy continued, “but it looks like something’s off out there.” She turned her head, shielding her eyes against the sharp rays of the morning sun as she squinted up at him. “Don’t you think so?”
Reluctantly, Brooks nodded. “ ’Fraid so.”
Another Round had performed well but not at his peak ability, and it hadn’t escaped his owner’s notice that the thoroughbred seemed a bit tense—on edge, even.
“He’s still adjusting to the track,” Brooks said. “And to his new surroundings. It’s expected that he’ll take a couple days of workouts to settle in.”
Though he wasn’t sure if that would turn out to be exactly true. It was clear Another Round missed Jo and Cheyenne’s presence. The thoroughbred’s normally outgoing and friendly personality had been lackluster and standoffish of late. Even Lee had commented on Another Round’s change in demeanor, stating he thought the horse seemed a bit morose.
“Of course,” Nancy agreed. “But . . . we’ve already been here three days and I haven’t seen much improvement. He still seems uptight.” She shrugged. “I suppose he’s feeling the tension in the air, too.” She waved an arm toward the other thoroughbreds being groomed, walked, or prepped for their training. “Considering the competition warming up and the small crowds already touring the grounds to catch a glimpse of the horses, we can’t blame him. Another Round’s probably feeling the pressure more than we are.”
“More than likely.” Brooks glanced around, taking in the tour groups strolling around the racetrack, their laughter and chatter mingling with the noise of nearby traffic. “Things are very lively here. I used to love coming to Pimlico, but everything seems different this time around.”
Nancy laughed. “Yeah. You own a Derby winner. Everyone wants a piece of you.”
Brooks tried to smile. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“I would.” Her laugh faded. “And it seems like everyone else is more excited about your win than you are.”
Brooks remained silent for a moment, considering this. Nancy was right that he was not as enthusiastic about his win as he’d imagined he would be. All he could think about was Jo and Lone Oaks Crossing.
“Brooks?” Nancy was studying him, a concerned gleam in her eye. “Things haven’t quite been the same since Jo left, have they?”
“No.” Brooks cast a reassuring look in Nancy’s direction. “But I don’t want you to think that you haven’t done a fantastic job, because you have. Without Jo and Cheyenne, we just aren’t the same team we were.” A sad smile rose to his lips. “Or without Earl and Frankie, for that matter. It feels like a huge part of us is missing, and I imagine Another Round is feeling the same way.”
Nancy nodded. “I won’t argue with you there.” She fell silent, watching Another Round gallop around the track and hit the home stretch. Soon, he was done with the workout and the pony horse and rider joined Another Round and Lee to escort them back to the stable. “So, what do you want to do?”
Brooks frowned. “What do you mean?”
“What do you want to do about Another Round?” she asked. “I could spend some extra time with him this afternoon. Let him out for a while and give him a chance to walk out his nerves?”
Brooks straightened as Another Round and Lee drew closer. “No. I doubt that would do it.” He lifted his hand, motioning for Lee to draw Another Round to a halt. “Nice workout, Lee.”
