Twenty-Seven
No matter how many races I’d watched with a horse I wanted to win, I still got nervous at every single one of them. The anticipation of watching the colts line up at the start. Then waiting to see how your horse would move out of his stall and onto the track. Not to mention if an injury happened during the race—that was enough to tear up your stomach.
What made today worse was seeing Tuck disgruntled. He wouldn’t tell me if it was due to Dream’s work earlier that week or his shoulder. Then again, having screws in your shoulder and only over-the-counter pain relievers probably tipped the scales in that direction.
I got it. He hurt. But he didn’t have to take his negative emotions out on me. I wanted to shake him—That’s gonna hurt him more—but I settled for glancing at him occasionally and furrowing my brow.
“Darlin’, you do that one more time, and we’re gonna duke it out old-fashioned style.”
“You can’t race me to the water hole. Doctor’s orders.” I barely restrained myself from sticking out my tongue. Barely.
His eyes flashed fire. “Doc’s not here.”
“I’m here.”
He muttered something that suspiciously sounded like “Women.”
“Tucker Hale, you better tell me what got stuck in your craw, or I’ll...” What? Tell his mama? Wag my finger at him? Take an idea from a rom-com and tell him to leave?
Seriously, why were the female leads always making the guy go when they knew they wanted him to stay?
“You’ll what?”
“Kiss you silly.”
“Is that a kiss you comma silly, or no comma?”
I sighed. “You’re impossible.”
“Is that better than incorrigible?”
I grinned, thinking of the captain’s children in The Sound of Music introducing themselves to Fr?ulein Maria. “No fair. You made me smile.”
“Then I’m definitely incorrigible.” He winked.
I placed the palms of my hands on his cheeks, then placed my forehead against his. “What’s going on inside that head of yours?”
He closed his eyes, his breath fanning against my lips. “I’m a little antsy. My shoulder itches and hurts. How it’s possible for it to do both, I don’t know, but it’s making me slowly lose touch with reality.”
He paused.
“What else?” I asked. I don’t know how I knew, but he was holding something back.
Tuck pulled away and shrugged his left shoulder, a trace of pain tugging at his mouth. “Nothing that needs to be talked about before the race.”
“Do you want me to pray for you? Maybe the whole shoulder thing has you a little off-kilter this morning?”
“You’re probably right.” He kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ve already prayed over the situation, but sorry I didn’t pray not to be a grump.”
“Everyone’s allowed a bad day.”
I studied his profile. What was going on that he wasn’t sharing? We shared everything.
You both kept mute about liking each other as more than friends.
True. I bit my lip.
But ...
“The horses have reached the starting gate.”
Tuck and I both sat up in our seats, and my brain immediately switched from its focus on him and proceeded to be nervous with anticipation for the race. I scanned the number two stall and smiled at how still Dream was. He was probably already envisioning the commands Gabe would give him. My Thoroughbred reminded me of Secretariat in that regard. Only he was nowhere near the dream horse Big Red had been.
The bell went off, and the horses sprang out of the gate. The two in the last stalls bumped into each other, and one stumbled so hard he tossed his rider.
Lord God, I hope he’s okay. Please don’t let him have any serious injuries.
Fortunately, the other horse and jockey regained momentum but trailed the rest of the colts. My gaze jumped back to the front, searching for Dream. Only, AlwaysaWinner was leading, not my colt.
“Come on, boy. You got this,” I whispered.
But something was wrong. Dream looked lethargic, and the distance between him and AlwaysaWinner increased. No amount of cajoling or anyone yelling “Come on!” made him go any faster. Though the race wasn’t a long one, time slowed until he finally crossed the finish line.
He placed sixth. Sixth. The race was merely to keep him in top form, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect.
“I’m so sorry, Piper.” Tuck wrapped his left arm around me.
I shrugged. “We can’t win them all.”
“No, but I know how much we wanted a good race to keep the momentum going.”
“What place for the Derby did he fall to?” Thank goodness there was an app to show the twenty horses going there. We’d been in tenth place, but I wasn’t sure how far this would drop us.
Tuck checked his phone. “Hold on. The app is updating.”
I held my breath as I waited for the verdict.
“Eighteenth place.” He blew out a breath. “Maybe he’s not feeling well?”
My eyes drifted close. It wasn’t what I wanted going into the Derby, but the more important thing was that Dream would go. “Okay. I’ll call Mordecai and ask him to look him over when we get home.”
“Somehow it’ll all work out,” Tuck rasped.
I nodded, squeezing his hand. Right now, he looked like he needed encouragement more than I did.
Tuck came to his feet, wincing as he reached for his shoulder.
“Need that ice pack again?” I asked as we walked away from the track.
“Yes. Hopefully that tiny freezer kept it cold.”
The freezer in the hotel mini-fridge was pretty compact. “I’m sure it did.”
Before I could formulate another thought, a flash went off, blinding me, and questions flung about. It was almost reminiscent of the last race we attended.
“Ms. McKinney, how do you feel about Dream’s performance today?” a reporter asked.
I drew in a calming breath. “I’m a little disappointed but thankful he’ll be in the Derby.”
“Ms. McKinney, what do you think of his competition? Do you think there’s a better horse than Dream?”
What kind of question was that? Seriously, how did he expect me to answer? I conjured up a serene smile. “I’m sure racing at the Derby will answer those questions.”
“Ms. McKinney, Robert from KLA News. Did Dream do poorly today because you stopped giving him illegal substances?”
“Excuse me?” It took everything in me not to lose my temper. “I have never given my horses anything illegal.”
“How can we be so sure of that? After all, you are a McKinney.”
My cheeks were on fire. I licked my lips. “The RMTC has already been to Maisha Farms and cleared us of any wrongdoing. Maybe you should do your due diligence before flinging accusations that could get you sued for libel.”
His face blanched, and he stepped back.
I took the opportunity to push through the reporters, and I vaguely felt a palm on my back. Part of me relaxed at Tuck’s sure touch. His presence gave me the strength to keep walking with my head held high instead of curling up in a ball and crying.
By some miracle, the reporters all seemed to fade into the background, allowing Tuck and me to walk side by side.
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this, Piper.”
“Sometimes life stinks.” I glanced at him. “Make sure you text Lamont and tell him to do something to gain media attention and take the heat off us.”
Tuck laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure he’d be willing to jump back into the fray after the reporters have finally stopped hounding him.”
“What do you mean stopped? They were just talking about Nevaeh having a supposed baby bump at some gala, suggesting they’re no longer celibate now that they’re engaged.” Reporters.
“What business is it of theirs what they do? They need to talk about actual news,” he grumbled.
“We don’t have a royal family to harass in this country, so we might as well put celebrities under the spotlight.”
Tuck sighed. “I get it, but it annoys me.”
“I’m pretty sure media annoys everyone they target until they need it to work for their good.”
“I hate that you’re right.”
I threw a fist in the air. “About time I get to use prevailing logic to get under your skin.”
“You’re adorable.” Tuck stopped walking and pulled me to him with his left arm.
I had to admit, there was something sexy about being close to a man with a sling. Did that make me weird or just horribly in love? I wrapped my arms around his neck, careful not to jostle his right shoulder. “At least you didn’t say cute.”
“I almost did,” he whispered.
“Then I wouldn’t kiss you. I can’t kiss a man who would dare call me cute.”
He kissed my nose. “What about beautiful?”
“That works.” Why was my voice so airy?
“Stunning?” He kissed my eyelids.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Lovely?” he rasped.
“That one is perfect.”
Kissing Tuck was becoming my favorite activity, but I didn’t want to do it anywhere paparazzi might spot us. Not because I was ashamed but because it was none of their business. I stepped back, letting my arms drop to my sides.
“I’m pretty sure it’s against the rules to kiss before a date.” Tuck had been wonderful about taking me out each night since we got here. Though with his recent moodiness, I wondered if the strain of being my boyfriend might be too much, like he’d rather go back to being friends.
You’re overthinking it.
“Darlin’, we’re dating. Pretty sure that means I can kiss you whenever. Plus, you did say it would make me behave.” His lips crooked in a half-smile.
“You said that, Tucker Hale. I just agreed for the benefit of feeling your lips against mine.” I pointed my finger at him, a mock scowl on my face.
He simply kissed the tip of my pointer. I stared at the digit, surprised at the tingles erupting from such a small finger and from such an innocent gesture.
“See you later for our date?”
I nodded, coming out of my stupor. “Where are you taking me today?”
“You’ll see.” He winked.
My stars! That man was doing that on purpose. I couldn’t remember Tuck being much of a winker before we started dating. “’Kay.”
If he wanted to wine and dine me under the guise of romance, I wouldn’t stop him. I loved seeing this side of him. After our first date, he told me he intended to take me on as many dates as I could handle.
Nevaeh convinced me to go shopping in celebration—online ordering and curbside pickup for the win, because she said I had a figure that could wear anything. When I mentioned my underwhelming bust size, she merely said a sheath dress would enhance what I did have. Thank goodness for girlfriends who understood body insecurities. And one who answered an endless number of texts with photos of me trying on outfits for her opinion.
It was really too bad she didn’t live in Kentucky. Maybe I needed to make another friend in Eastbrook. People weren’t unfriendly there, but I let my insecurities keep me a little distant from my peers. Maybe it was time to stop that.
Something to think about later.
Maybe I should focus on whatever made Tuck upset earlier and what I could do to help. I didn’t want dating to create distance and room for secrets. I wanted to tear down walls and build a fortress around us. The whole us against the world thing. Idealistic maybe, but the dream of my heart regardless.