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Today has been a lot. Mostly good. Waking up with Lennon this morning, having her come to practice, introducing her to my teammates. But I worried about what she’d say about the money the whole drive to Landry. And then stressed about running late the whole trip back to Clarkson.
I’m exhausted.
“I’ll stop inviting Sophie out,” Drew says quietly.
“It’s fine. She’s your friend.”
She’s my friend too, which makes this more complicated. Before I moved to Landry for high school, Sophie and I were close. Our parents were—are—best friends. When we were younger, there were a few times when I thought about making a move. But I never did. And then I met Lennon. Sophie and I are never going to happen, and I wish she’d accept it.
“I’m not going to pick a girl over you, Winters. No matter how hot she is.”
The bartender comes over to take our order. Thankfully, Drew remembers everything. Between the two of us, we’re able to carry the bottles and glasses back over to the table.
“Caleb!” Maggie calls as we return. “We were just talking about you.”
“Oh, yeah?” I ask, a little wary.
“You’re from Landry, right?”
“Right.” I smile but no one else catches the joke, the way anyonefromLandry who knows me would.
There was a time when I never would have claimed it as my hometown. Landry is tied up in a lot of complicated feelings for me. Resentment toward my grandfather. Annoyance toward my parents. Special memories shared with Colt, Luke, and Jake. Love of Lennon.
“I’ve heard Landry is amazing,” Maggie gushes. “Like some sort of posh resort town?”
I shrug. “Yeah, sort of.”
“I’m going to Landry this weekend for the Landry Cup,” Sophie says. “You can come with me, Maggie. See it for yourself.”
I look over at Sophie, surprised. “You’re going to the Cup?”
She nods. “Your family invited mine. I’ve never been, and Coach gave us this weekend off. You should come.”
“Not my thing.”
“Doesn’t your family have horses running?” Sophie asks me.
“I think so,” I reply, shrugging. “I don’t really follow any of the racing stuff, honestly. My grandfather had a whole team of people running it all for him, and my dad has kept them on to manage everything related to the horses. I’m not involved.”
“You grew up in Landry and you don’t follow horse racing?” Jessica asks incredulously. She’s the only fellow Kentuckian at the table.
“I didn’treallygrow up there,” I respond. “I just visited in the summers and went to high school there.”
“Still. You know it’s basically Horsetown, USA, right?”
I nod. “That’s what Lennon calls it. What little I know is thanks to her.”
“Her family has racehorses?” Jessica asks.
“Yeah.” There’s no family now, though. They’re Lennon’s.
“Are any of them racing on Saturday?” Maggie asks.
“No, they’re not,” I reply.
I don’t know if revitalizing her family’s racing legacy is something Lennon wants. Most of the responsibility involving the horses was foisted on her. I don’t know if she wants it to remain part of her life.
I guess I’ll add it to the list of things we still need to figure out.
