Becoming a Scott

Chapter 9

"Wake up," someone called from Christina's bedroom door, "we have plans today."

"Huh?" She lifted her head from her pillow, looking over to find Uncle Joel peering his head in.

"I thought you'd be awake by now," he explained in a serious tone. "Was I wrong to think you were a morning person?"

"No, it's just," Christina let out a yawn and scratched at her neck, "Last night was a bit wild." Her uncle raised a brow, "I stayed up trying to convince Riley not to smother Michael with his own pillow."

"They had a fight?"

Christina let out a shallow laugh as she got up from the bed. "You didn't hear the screaming? They went at it for a good twenty minutes after we got back. Grandmother had to send Isabela to tell them to shut up."

Uncle Joel hummed in understanding but didn't say anything else.

"Where are we going? Do I have to go? I feel like I need to sleep for three months after everything my cousin's put me through yesterday." She sighed.

"It's about time the two of us spend some time together," her uncle explained from the door. "I would like to get to know my latest niece."

"Fine," Christina let out though she was happy to see one of her family members was actually interested in getting to know her. "Where are we going?"

"The race track."

An hour later Christina and her uncle walked past the sliding glass doors and out onto the bleachers with the dusty race track ahead of them. "My dad said that betting on horses was his biggest vice. Mom always had to make sure to steer him away from the race tracks back home. It got so bad he started sneaking out to bet on the chicken fights."

Uncle Joel turned to her, "Those are illegal."

She frowned, "Yeah, they are."

"Unlike my brother," he started as he lead her through the stands, "I have a good eye for winners."

"Funny, he used to say the same thing." She sat down in her seat. "I recall a story about how his brother Joel had once bet his hand in marriage to a horse winning."

Uncle Joel blinked before a big grin broke over his lips. "I lost that one pretty bad, married the daughter of the man I was betting against and got a swift divorce. She's still getting alimony."

"Serves you right, but here you are again. There are better things to do if you want to spend time with me."

"Next time we'll go do something you want." He waved for one of the attendants carrying cold beer up the stands. "We'll take turns."

Christina smiled, satisfied with his comment. This is what she had expected when word came back from her grandmother months ago. Her father's side of the family announced that they were happy to watch over her while she attended University on the mainland. Christina had assumed she would stay with her grandmother in small house at the outskirts of town and spend the first two weeks before school started getting to know her.

But things were different that what she imagined and she was spiteful towards her father who hadn't even bothered to explain things to her. Christina had been naive and caught off guard by the wealth they had, but now that she had an opportunity to change her family's life she needed to work extra hard. If her grandmother formally acknowledged her as Riley and Michael's equal she could pay off her father debt, pay for her sisters education, get her mother to quit her cleaning job, and buy them a big house where they could spend the rest of their lives in.

Her family's happiness was just within reach, she just needed to convince a man to marry her. Shouldn't be too hard.

"I sure hope it doesn't rain today," Her uncle grumbled. "I hate the smell of wet horse."

Christina let out a laugh, "I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that."

"That they hope it doesn't rain?"

She shook her head with a smile as the horses and the jockey's began to be called out to the track. "So, who's the winner today, Uncle Joel?"

He pointed over to a brown horse with white spots, "Number thirteen, Dreams of the Wind."

"I hate these horse names," Christina sighed, "My father once bet on one called Pit Stain."

Her Uncle glared down at her, "You lie with such ease."

She shrugged, "Believe or not, but somewhere out there exists a horse with the name Pit Stain."

"Prove it," Uncle Joel sat up in his seat.

"No," she smiled at him before turning her head to the side. People were beginning to settle into their seat now that a race was about to start. "Everyone here looks," she searched for the right word, "rich."

"Cause they are, this is a private venue, the public has access through broadcast."

Christina furrowed her brows, watching a young woman her age. The woman had a bright orange dress with feathers and she blew a kiss to one of the jockey's. "How much do ticket's cost?"

"Don't worry about that."

The woman in the orange dress was with a massive group, all of them dressed as if they were going to a New Year's party. Christina sunk down lower in her seat, suddenly self conscious of just how crappy she looked. Uncle Joel had barely given her fifteen minutes to get ready so she put on a long sleeve shirt and some jeans without much thought.

She stared on blankly, too distracted by her thoughts, and then someone from the group met her eyes. Christina blinked and looked away before the person's face became more clear in her mind, she knew exactly who she had just made eye contact with. "God, this man is everywhere." Christina said under her breath as she sank even lower into her seat.

"What'd you say?" Her uncle asked absently as he focused on the horses that were being loaded into the starting gate. 

"All Christina Scott seems to do want to do is ignore me." Ander said from behind her, he placed his hands her shoulder. "She gives me no other choice but to leave my companions and give her my full attention so that the world can be righted again."

"Vivaldi," Uncle Joel called out gleefully as he got up from his seat and stretched out his arm to greet him. "It's a pity I couldn't attend your party the other night."

Ander shook his hand, "We both know you wouldn't have enjoyed yourself in the slightest. Would you two mind if I joined you?"

"I mind," Christina grumbled but her Uncle spoke over her. "No need, go have fun with all your friends."

Ander shook his head and looked over his shoulder to the group. "They can do without me for a couple of minutes. Plus, none of them placed bets on my mother's horse but I know you're much smarter than all of them combined."

Her uncle nodded in pride, "Count on it, Vivaldi."

Christina frowned, unamused by what she had just learned. Surprisingly, her opinion of Ander had just worsened. "You named your horse Dreams of the Wind?"