Bloodless Day

First Race

On second thought, being a jockey probably wouldn't be the best idea.

"How are you not freaking out?" I asked, flashing a look at Jack over BD's wide, shining back. He was leaning against the wall of the stall, watching me brush the stallion amusedly.

With the irritating slowness of someone forming words as he spoke, Jack replied, "I've ridden maidens before, so there's no nerves there. You and I are the only ones who ride him, so they can't take me off if I do badly, and they're not expecting much of him anyways. Odds are twenty-to-one. There's no reason for me to be 'freaking out'."

My stomach fluttered. "Twenty-to-one!" I couldn't decide if that made it better or worse. BD turned his regal head and studied me with dark eyes, nosing my elbow. Though it was a gentle gesture, he was still large enough to push me back a step, but only a step. I still stumbled. "What are the other odds?"

"Alehouse is five-to-one, and he's the favorite. Maidens are an uncertain thing." Jack reminded me, deciding to detach from the wall and pick up a brush, making himself useful.

That they were. But I so badly wanted BD to win.

My hands were shaking as I fumbled for my phone to check the time. We were an hour from post- or was it saddling? Maybe I'd gotten the time wrong, we could've missed it by-

"You're emoting," Jack said teasingly, stepping fearlessly behind BD to brush at his silky tail. He peered around the horse to look at me with laughing eyes. I glared back, trying to calm down.

"BD's too smart to listen to my emotions," I countered, setting down my brush. BD was as clean as he was going to get- or was that dust? I picked up the brush again and found a hand on top of mine.

"Anna," I glanced up and met Jack's steady gaze, disconcertingly close. His proximity froze me in place- though I considered us good friends, this was new. "You're getting all worked up for nothing, alright? Go sit down and take a deep breath, I'll finish with Mr. Already-Clean."

"I'm the groom, though!" I protested immediately as he withdrew, catching my breath. Jack responded with a joke.

"Who's the bride, then?"

"Lilac." My mind flashed back to when I first met her, the little joke that had faded over time, and then in consequence to the first time I had met BD. We'd come so far. Just racing was a victory, really. Something in me stilled and my nerves dissipated.

Jack looked confused but laughter exploded from two stalls over. "We've come full circle!" BD pricked his ears and raised his head, then, as a blonde ponytail came bobbing past the stall and emerged over the door in the form of Lilac. "Jack, go get dressed. It's nearly time to head up."

Nevermind. My nerves returned full-blast as Lilac tossed a leadline at me, shining leather shank that did not go with the halter at all. BD tossed his head in protest as I clipped it under his chin, lifting his front feet off the ground, but he steadied at the flick of my hand. By that time Jack had vanished and Ned was fussing over a filly that was going into the eighth race of the day. BD was running number four. So it was Lilac and I that walked slowly out of the barn and towards the saddling area, where other horses and trainers and grooms were milling about. My eyes zeroed in on the favorite, Alehouse, a blood bay that threw his head and reared slightly, hooves clattering on the cobblestone. His eyes were bright and eager, and then they were gone as blinders were pulled over his head. I studied the favorite, noticing his powerful haunches and muscled neck.

"This is his third maiden try. His first one he stumbled badly at the gate and was left behind, but he caught up to the pack and finished a close third, not even winded. His second run he lost by a headbob. Jack's gonna have to watch out for him." Lilac echoed the discussion Jack and I already had. I shook my head.