Chapter 6
“Morning,” Cole said as they entered his office, and as the others joined him, they made the introductions.
“All the people you met yesterday work for Erin. These are the people that work here on a permanent basis. There’s me, Clem, Ann, Faith, Shay, and Tony.
The men that work over at Broken Wheel come over here to help out when they have time.
Ann and Tony take care of the horses here in these two barns.
We’ve built a barn out by the track, and that’s where the horses are that we are racing to get their stats. ”
He rose and went to the coffee pot, but everyone declined his offer of a refill. “Pedro, and Myrna, you’ll be going with Shay and Faith over to that barn. Pedro, you know what to do, Myrna, you’ll be working with Shay on what he does. You’ll be helping him.”
“Can I see Sally first?”
“Absolutely, we’re not keeping you or Pedro from your horses. We only ask that you don’t let them out of their pen until they get a clean bill of health from Lorissa or Tom.”
“That’s fine,” Pedro said. He looked over at Faith and grinned. “I hope you have some paperwork for me to read, Kid.”
“Yep, we have our own office, and I’ve got everything all set up for you.”
“Good.” They all disbanded and Faith went with Pedro and Myrna to see their horses while Shay said he was heading over to the track. Once they checked on Sally and Cocoa, Faith had them follow her over to the other barn in their truck.
When they exited, she walked up to them, and they walked over to the track.
Pedro nodded as he approached, then went over, climbed through to reach down and actually pick up some of the dirt and run it through his hands.
While he did that, Shay came out to get Myrna and take her into the barn.
After giving her a quick tour, they both started mucking out the stalls of the horses there.
“What do you think?” Faith asked Pedro.
“I like it.” He looked at her and cracked a smile. “Where are the horses?”
“In the barn,” she laughed, then turned on her heel to lead the way. “You can read the files, and see the stats we’ve documented on the wall. We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”
“I want to see the horses for myself.”
“Okay, do you want any commentary as I introduce you to them?”
“No, let me come to my own conclusions.” He looked at her and scowled when she smirked at him. “What?”
“Nothing, I’ll let you figure it out yourself, since you want to come to your own conclusions.”
Pedro looked at her funny, but shrugged and continued toward the barn, listening to her commentary as they walked.
“We start here around seven in the morning. Tony and Ann take care of the horses over at the other two barns, while Shay and I take care of these.”
“Why are they separated?”
“Based on their age, and their readiness to start training. Cole and Naomi thought it was better to bring the ones we’re training closer to the track.”
Pedro nodded, then stopped to turn to look at her. “Tell me again the hierarchy of the ranch.”
Faith launched into what Erin Riceman had accomplished since her accident years ago, and how New Double came about. They had paused as she talked, and Pedro nodded the entire time.
“Okay, thank you. It gives me a better understanding of how everything is run. This question isn’t relevant, but do you ever go over to Broken Wheel?”
“Not really, it’s not like I’m not invited, but I’m really busy here.”
“Got it.” Pedro nodded and they started forward again.
Faith explained about the set up and instead of going into the barn, they walked around the outside, and he could see the horses inside their stalls.
He liked that this barn had upper doors cut out so that the horses could look out, but still be in their stalls.
Inside the barn, he stood and looked around nodding his approval.
Not that he had any say in how things were run, but he liked what he saw so far.
He paused when there was a slight scream, then a woman’s laughter. It hit Pedro in the center of his chest at the sound of pure joy. He looked at Faith when she giggled, and she waved her hand in front of her face. She reached out and gripped his forearm to stop him from going to investigate.
“Before you go, I have to tell you something.”
“Okay,” Pedro said with a frown when a male’s laughter joined the woman’s.
“What’s going on back there?”
“It’s probably Ball Buster doing his antics.” She giggled more, then had to scrub her face with both hands to try to stop her giggles. “You know how every horse has their own personality?”
“Of course, that’s what makes them unique.”
“Exactly, anyway, Ball Buster has two personalities.” She quickly shook her head at his look.
“Good ones. I know you didn’t want me to tell you about the horses before you met them, but when Buster, that’s what we call him, isn’t on the track, he’s a jokester.
If you have anything in any pocket, he’ll take it.
If he can reach you, he’ll try and blow raspberries on your neck, or cheek.
” She giggled when she saw Pedro’s expression.
“What about on the track?”
“That’s when his second personality comes in.
He has to run third, he refuses to go on the track until after I’ve run Champ, and Diablo.
He wants to be at the staging area and he is so focused on their running, it’s like he’s plotting in his head.
” She shook hers, and sighed. “When it’s his turn, the only thing I can do is hold on tight.
As soon as the gun goes off, he’s gone. He’s neck and neck with the Champ and Diablo with the times.
Because I’m only one person, we haven’t been able to run the three of them side by side yet.
” She looked at him, and shook her head again.
“What is it?”
“I might have stepped on your toes here, but when I was hired Naomi said that she had someone interested in purchasing Champ, but she doesn’t want to sell him.”
“That is her right. Was there anything in writing?”
“No, not even a verbal confirmation from her to the potential buyer. She did say that she couldn’t make an informed decision until she saw his stats, just like the guy interested in him. These horses in this barn are the ones that are of the age they need to be run.”
“Okay, what’s your gut telling you?”
“They’re all good, all twelve of them, however, if Naomi wants to keep any, in my personal and professional opinion, I would tell her to keep Champ, Diablo, and Buster. Those are their nicknames, not registered names.”
“Do you have an office?”
“I do.” She turned on her heel and headed to the barn. As soon as they stepped inside, they both paused to let their eyes adjust to the dimness, and as soon as he could Pedro looked around.
He walked over to the first stall and inspected the horse there. It took two hours to go through all twelve horses, because he went into their stalls and ran his hands over them, talked to them, and got to know them in his way.
When he reached the last stall, he stood there, looking at the horse, and he would later swear on a stack of bibles that the horse was measuring him.
Pedro saw the sign beside the door that this was Ball Buster.
As he approached, he held his hand out and was surprised by how friendly the horse was.
When Pedro got closer, the horse laid his head into Pedro’s neck, and actually blew raspberries on it.
Shocked, but not offended, and because it tickled, Pedro threw his head back and laughed.
When Buster reached for the pen in his pocket, a hand suddenly covered it, and Shay’s voice told the horse no.
The horse actually gave Shay the stink eye, and blew raspberries in the air at him.
Both men chuckled at the horse’s antics.
“Is he always like this?”
“Yes, but when he’s out on the track, he’s a totally different horse. Both Faith and I are wondering if his antics here are to blow off steam before he races.”
“It could be,” Pedro said with a thoughtful nod.
He opened the stall door, and slowly stepped inside.
He talked to the horse, the same as he had with the others, and ran his hands over him.
At one point, he felt Buster nuzzling his butt, but didn’t think anything of it, until he looked up and saw his wallet hanging out of the horse’s mouth.
He looked at Shay with a shocked expression.
“Seriously,” he asked the horse firmly as he took his wallet back. They stared at each other, and Pedro laughed when Buster kissed him. He shook his head and stepped outside the stall, making sure the door was firmly latched. He looked at Shay with a shake of his head. “Is he always like this?”
“According to Ann and Tony, he didn’t do this when he was over in the other barns, we didn’t notice it until he started racing.
Did Faith tell you that he has to be third?
It’s weird, but if he’s not out there, saddled, and standing to watch Champ and Diablo race, then he refuses to even allow you to put a saddle on him. ”
Pedro studied the horse as Shay talked and nodded. “Thanks, anything else I should know about with any of the horses?”
“No, but that Ball Buster lives up to his name here in the barn, and he’s totally different out on the track.”
“What happens if you put them all out in the pasture together?”
“Nothing, no fights, no competition, if anything, Buster stays in his own little corner, but I’ve seen him off to the side looking at the other horses. It’s an eerie feeling, but it’s almost like he’s studying them.”
Pedro didn’t answer, other than a nod of his head. “Where’s the office?”
Shay led him there, and as soon as he entered, he went directly to the coffee pot, poured himself a cup, and saw Faith sitting at one of the two desks there. He also saw a stack of files on the empty one.
“How often do you race the horses? Are you going to today?”
“Every day,” Faith said, and took her time looking up. “We didn’t today for two reasons.”
“Which are?”
“One, you’re here, two, it’s supposed to rain today. I haven’t seen the track when it’s wet. I don’t know what the conditions will be, the drainage, or anything. I thought I’d hold off racing them until we see the track.”
Before Pedro could answer, they looked at each other with raised brows when they heard what sounded like golf balls hitting the roof. While still holding his mug, they walked to the front entrance of the barn and saw the heavy downpour. He turned to her with a smirk.
“I always knew you were smart. Are you sure you don’t want my job?”
“Nope, I still want to be a jockey. I’ve only been doing your job with Cole until you could get here.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, you’re doing a bang-up job.”
“So,” Faith asked, tongue in cheek as they headed back to the office. “What did you think of the horses, especially Buster?” She grinned when he snorted a laugh. “He’s going to be a handful.”
“Yeah, but a good one. I’ll let you read the files on all the horses in this barn, I left them on your desk. The stats for the last two weeks are written on the board on the wall across from your desk. The last entry was yesterday’s.”
He nodded and sat down at his desk, and picked up the first file, ignoring the numbers on the wall across from him for as long as he could.
He didn’t want anything to give him any undue influence on the horses in the file.
When he looked up at one point, he nodded when he’d seen a sheet had been placed over the numbers.
He glanced at Faith and she only shrugged.
“I know how you are.”
“Thank you, Kid.” He went back to reading, not looking up until Myrna walked in, holding a bag out to him.
“What’s this?”
“Lunch,” she said as she set it on his desk. “Laurie returned with my order, and we went over to the house to unload it. I didn’t tell you, but I had her pick up some groceries while she got me other things. I hope you like roast beef?”
“Love it,” he said as he reached for the bag, and he saw three sandwiches, chips, and cookies inside.”
“I’m hungry, but not this hungry.”
“Good, because I packed enough for both of us.” She pulled up a chair, then jumped to her feet and filled a mug of coffee for herself and refilled one for him.
As they started to eat, Pedro felt a calm come over him.
He hadn’t felt this comfortable with someone in like ever, not even Faith.
They continued to eat in silence, and after he finished one sandwich, he picked up the next one and saw she was done.
“Would you like more?”
“No, I’m good.” She took her coffee mug and settled back in her chair, looking at home there.
“Can I ask you something?” Pedro asked several minutes later.
“Sure, what do you want to know?”
He had seen her tense up, and shook his head. “Nothing personal, that’s for when we’re home, and only if you want to answer. This is something totally different.”
“Oh,” she said, shocked, then looked at him directly, and that’s when he saw the bruising on her face was beginning to fade. “What?” she said to prompt him.
“What did Ball Buster do to you earlier? I was standing outside with Faith, and heard a small scream, then your laughter.”
This time, it went directly to his cock, and he had to adjust his sitting position to make room for his sudden erection. Thankfully, he was sitting behind the desk and she couldn’t see.
“I was in his stall, and he kissed the back of my neck, but it was more like blowing raspberries. It tickled.”
Pedro smiled at the joy on her face, and adjusted his seat again. “Did he steal anything from you?” At her frown, he grinned. “I was in his stall, checking him out, talking to him, and he stole my wallet from my back pocket.”
They shared a laugh, and finished their lunch, then Myrna said she had to get back to work. Pedro watched her leave, and sat there for several more seconds, then sighed heavily, rose to refill his coffee cup, and settled behind the desk to finish reading the files.