➵ ｒａｃｉｎｇ ｈｅａｒｔｓ

Secretive, domineering and consuming, the world of horse racing is as gritty as it is exclusive. These beautiful creatures are reserved for the elite. It is obsessive, with everything coming down to numbers and percentages: breeding, racing, winning -- everything is a gamble.

As dangerous as it is, the rewards are unparalleled, as waitress Clara Reid well knows. An avid horse fan, Clara spends what precious time she has helping out at her local stables. Working her job, caring for her younger sisters and nursing her sick mother, she sure as hell knows the importance of money, power and time, the three things she does not have in abundance.

Jude Castillo, son of the mighty horse trainer Fredrick 'Freddie' Castillo, is your typical rich boy. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his father's many wins have allowed for his family to have a more than comfortable lifestyle in the 40 acre property of Larkbridge House. Now he walks in the footsteps of his ancestors, dividing his time between training upcoming Thoroughbreds and racing on the circuit. But Jude holds his own secret, one that could put his family's reputation at risk, which leads him to need a new groom... one that he can trust with his life.

Can Clara and Jude find their way in the web of lies of the horse racing sphere? Or will the stakes be too high for the pair to be honest with the world, and more importantly, each other?

-- (Originally titled 'Equanimity')
-- Started 03/04/2018
-- This is an ONGOING project and the chapters may be reworked multiple times before I am happy with the finished version!