Shay studied her for a few minutes, then asked quietly, “Do you do that sort of thing on the track?” At her furrowed brow, he smiled. “When you race, do you picture where the other horses are on the track, and what path you need to take yours?”
“Of course, doesn’t everybody?”
He smirked. “No clue, since I’ve never raced before.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s what I do. I practice racing the horse, then watch films on the other horses competing in the same race. I know what my horse can do, and the films help me know what the others can do, along with how the jockeys treat their own horse, and interact with the other racers.”
“How so?”
“I have them packed in my stuff, but I’ll show you one night after work.”
“Speaking of, when are you going to start?”
Instead of answering, she looked at the clock on the microwave and then at him. “It’s almost seven, do you think it’s too late to call Cole?”
“It shouldn’t be. Do you have his number?”
“Yes.” She found her phone that Shay had plugged into the charger by the toaster, and dialed. It was answered on the third ring.
“Cole, it’s Faith.”
“Ah, I was wondering whose number this is. What’s up?”
“Shay and I are home. I was wondering if I can take tomorrow to unpack my trailer, then I’ll report to work the next day.”
“I don’t have a problem with that. How did Shay make out?”
“Good, the coloring is about the shade of pukey yellow. He’s ditched the crutches, but still wears the brace. He’s even stopped taking all pain meds.”
“Good, have him take tomorrow off with you, and both report in my office at the barn the next day.”
“Thanks, Cole,” Faith hung up, plugged her phone back into the charger, and turned to tell Shay what was said. While she’d been on the phone, Shay had picked up from their dinner. When everything was done, she looked around, a little lost.
“What now?”
“Now,” he said with a grin. “Either you or I can put your clothes from the washer to the dryer. I know you mentioned this morning that you had put on your last clean set of clothes. I grabbed your case from the truck, because you don’t have clothes here, they’re still in the trailer, so I threw your clothes in the washer when you and Tony were getting the groceries.”
“Thank you,” she said, then looked at him with a grin. “So, where’s the washer and dryer?”
“Behind the bi-fold doors beneath the stairs.” He chuckled as they walked together in that direction. After tossing the clothes into the dryer, they settled in the living room, and she looked around with a thoughtful look on her face. “You don’t watch TV?”
He laughed. “Yeah, I do, and yes, I’m a football type of guy, but that can wait until late fall and winter. That’s really the only sport I like to watch. However, when I moved, a bunch of new recruits helped me pack my U-Haul.”
“Uh oh, I sense a story.”
“Yeah, one of them wasn’t paying attention, and he was carrying my fifty-five-inch flat screen by himself. He tripped over a small step, something like two inches tall, it took me a good three months after I moved in not to stumble over it. He tripped, and tried to catch himself, but must have forgotten he carried the TV. When he crashed into the wall, the TV crashed to the floor.”
“Shit, did he offer to pay for it at least?”
“I refused to take it.” At her look, he shrugged. “He was an eighteen-year-old kid, he joined the Guard to get a break on college tuition, and he worked two jobs while attending classes and still doing his Guard duties. I couldn’t take any money from him.”
“You’re a softie.”
“I never would have believed it, but yeah, I probably am.” He chuckled, then shook his head. “How big was your TV that Pedro and I boxed up?”
“Fifty-five inch. We can set it up tomorrow, but I’m also going to want to set up my VCR. I know that’s old school nowadays, but that’s how I watched the races of the other horses. Or I did, I don’t know if any of them are still racing.”
“How can you find out? And how old are horses when they race?”
