Elmo grinned. “He had more in him.”
Excitement fluttered his nerves. He did the calculations in his head and whistled. “You sure?”
“’Course I’m sure.” Elmo gave him a frown. “Blinkers remove demons. No more distraction. Now we go win more.”
Aidan looked at Harper, who kissed the horse’s nose. “Hear that, boy? This is only the beginning. If you want it, you can take it. We all believe in you.”
He was transfixed by the sheen of tears in her eyes and the conviction of her voice. He had just stepped in a few months ago and was hopelessly attached to the horse’s success. But Harper had been the one to rescue him and heal his battered soul step by slow step. She’d been the one to save him. To give him a chance to leave his past behind and live in the light.
His gut stirred. Harper’s complete bond with the animals she saved fascinated him, and he sensed another battle going on beneath the surface, as if her own past was one she’d fought through and conquered on her own. The questions burned in his mind, but he knew it would take a lot for Harper to bare her secrets. Maybe he’d never know what truly drove her.
But now wasn’t the time to linger on the past or painful secrets buried deep. It was a time to celebrate Phoenix and his victory.
Sensing his thought, Phoenix nibbled at his mistress’s hair, bumping her cheek, and they all laughed together, feeling like anything was possible.
Later that night, they all gathered around the laptop in the hotel room. The minibar had been raided, and bottles of liquor lay scattered on the glass-top table. Room service was burgers and fries and chocolate-mousse cake for dessert. The television blared low in the background. Papers and charts littered the excess spaces.
“After this win, he’ll be watched,” Aidan said, rubbing his temple. “We’ll need to rest him enough before the Champagne.”
Elmo flipped through the printouts. “Not sure yet where competition will lie.” He pointed to a massive chocolate-brown horse that seemed regal, even at two. “This one dangerous. Wicked Wind. Won last week. Much power.”
Harper tapped her finger against her lip. “Intimidating, but Phoenix has a speed and agility that can overwhelm sheer power. If he can’t see him directly moving up on his right or left, he’ll focus on getting the job done.”
“Agreed,” Aidan said. “Phoenix is a speed runner, but he also flips back and forth from a stalker to a pacesetter. It’s a great talent to be flexible.” He frowned, his brain ticking through the endless competition. “We keep stats on all the potential threats. Famous trainers Pletcher and Baffert will be in the mix; they’re always trouble. I think we’re smart to tackle the Champagne at Belmont rather than the American Pharoah. First, we don’t have to travel to Santa Anita Park, and he needs the experience at Belmont. We work on building his stamina slowly and rest him.”
Harper nodded. “I’m comfortable with that. I’d rather keep him fresh.”
“Me, too. We attack the Champagne in October, then the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November.”
One of the biggest race days of the year was the Breeders’ Cup—an all-day feast for gamblers and racetrack aficionados, along with the occasional betters who liked to win a pretty penny. A strong showing in the Juvenile would put Phoenix on the map straight toward the Triple Crown, and it was less than two months away.
“We win the Champagne,” Elmo said firmly.
Aidan laughed and shook his head. “Dreaming big, huh? You know how hard that is.”
“Aren’t they all hard?” Harper asked.
“The Champagne is one mile, and the competition is ruthless. It’s a challenge race. Whoever wins gets their fees automatically paid to compete in the Breeders’ Cup. It’s called the ‘Win and You’re In.’”
Her gaze narrowed with a ruthless intensity that simply turned him on. “Then we win it.”
“Yes,” Elmo said. “He fastest horse I ever seen. He can do it.”
Aidan loved their confidence and belief, but the real problem was the hope. It scratched at him from deep in his gut, clawing its way upward with an agonizing fierceness and strangling his breath. He had so much at stake on Phoenix. They all did. But at the end of this whole road was just a flesh-and-blood horse who’d try his best. Sometimes Lady Luck got pissed and shit all over a hopeful. Bad weather. A bad post position. A bad break from the gate. A bad mood. The numerous obstacles were overwhelming, and it all came down to two lousy minutes and one shot at victory.
Maybe that’s why he loved the race world so much. It was like entering the lottery on a regular basis and getting close enough to try again. And again. And again.
“Elmo, what do you want to do when we win the Triple Crown?” Harper asked.
The jockey gave a half grin. “I see Fiji.”
Aidan cocked his head. “Huh? Figured you’d want to build a big house somewhere and invest in your own horses.”
“Don’t need stuff. Want to sit on beach and drink rum from coconuts and watch sunset.”
Harper reached out and took the jockey’s hand. And damned if Elmo didn’t treat her to a gentle smile and return her grip. “I love that. What about you, Aidan?”
Return to Ireland like a king. Take his pick of training any horse he chose. A new challenge. A new farm. A new road to travel.
The words floated in his brain but wouldn’t transfer to his tongue. It all felt . . . false. Instead, he shrugged. “Anything I want. On my terms.”
She nodded, but her gaze dropped from his and she busied herself with the endless folders. Had he hurt her by his smart-ass answer? And why did that idea hurt him? “And you, Harper? If Phoenix wins the Crown and you come into big money, what’s your dream?”
Elmo leaned in with curiosity, waiting for her answer.
She lifted her gaze, and Aidan’s breath seized in his lungs. He tumbled deep into an ocean of sea green and sank below the surface, seeing the truth gleaming bright and true. “This,” she said simply. “Don’t you see? I’m already living my dream. We’ve won, even if we lose. Phoenix is healed, I got to go on an incredible journey, and I met you both. What more could I want?”
He remained speechless. There was nothing he’d be able to say—not when she so clearly spoke from her heart. He sat silent, mulling over her words, not wanting to show how much she affected him.
Finally, he said the only thing he could. “Bullshit.”
Elmo cut him a hard glare. Harper narrowed her gaze.
“You’d save a hell of a lot more animals.”
Elmo and Harper shared a glance and began laughing.
“When you’re right, you’re right, Irish,” she said.
Elmo got up and stretched. “I go to bed now.”
They said good night. The soft click when the door closed behind him echoed in the sudden silence.
He looked at her, but she was staring at the laptop with a mad focus. Her hand trembled slightly over the mouse. A touch of red heated her cheeks. Did she ache for him as bad as he did for her? Or was she just tired and overheated, and he was the only one with this raw hunger? Pissed off at the surging need chopping through his body, he stood up. “I guess I should go, too. I’m next door.”