Page 56 of Irish Rose
“But, Burke, a thousand dollars.”
“Afraid you’ll lose?”
“No.” She stopped. Then, closing the ticket tight in her hand, she said a quick prayer. “No, of course not.”
The bell sounded. The gate was released. The horses plunged forward.
She recognized the Pentel colt in the lead. He was a fast starter, she remembered, but he didn’t have stamina. With the ticket still clutched in her hand, she put a fist to her breast. The pack was hardly more than a blur, but she could see the green-and-white silks of Burke’s jockey. Rounding the first turn he was in fourth, with Travis’s colt on his left. The crowd was already shouting so that she could no longer hear the announcer. It didn’t matter. With her free hand she gripped the sleeve of Burke’s linen shirt and held on.
“He’s making his move,” Burke murmured.
She saw the whiz of crops, the strain of speed as the jockeys leaned low. Double Bluff moved to the outside. His stride lengthened, eating up distance. It seemed that before her eyes he grew bigger, his coat glossier, his legs longer.
A champion, she thought again, was in the heart. Hers was with the colt. It was more than a race, she knew, more than prestige and certainly more than money. It was Burke’s pride. She understood what it was like to come from little, then to have a chance for everything.
The Pentel colt began to lag. As they came down the stretch it was a race between three, leaving the pack behind. Charlie’s Pride held first, with Travis’s colt and Double Bluff vying for second. She could see the dirt flying and the sweat. All around her there was one huge, bellowing roar.
“He’s going to do it!” She didn’t even realize she was shouting as she watched Double Bluff gain on Charlie’s Pride. They were nose to nose for what seemed forever. And then he was ahead, by a neck, by half a length, by a length, with his speed only increasing. He was two lengths ahead at the wire.
“Oh, Burke, he did it. You did it!” She hadn’t been aware of standing, but found herself on her feet as she turned to throw her arms around him. “Sure and he’s the most beautiful horse ever born. I’m so proud of you.”
“I wasn’t racing.”
She drew back to caress his cheek. “Yes, you were.”
“Maybe I was,” he murmured as he kissed the tip of her nose. He continued to watch as his jockey took the horse around for the victory lap. “Can you manage to stand in the winner’s circle with me?”
“I think so.” People were congratulating them, and though Erin acknowledged them, her thoughts were already moving forward to standing beside Burke as he accepted the win.
Her arms were still around him when the official winner was declared. Charlie’s Pride. Double Bluff had been disqualified.
“Disqualified? What do they mean?”
“We’ll find out.” Taking her hand, Burke moved out of the stands. The murmurs had already started.
“Burke, they can’t say he didn’t win. For heaven’s sake, I saw it with my own eyes. He was well in the lead. There’s a mistake.”
“Wait here.” Leaving her, he walked over to the paddock area where Double Bluff was being held. She saw a bald man in a suit approach Burke, then two other men join them. It looked so official, she thought. The bald man was talking calmly, pointing to the horse, then to a piece of paper. As he spoke, both the jockey and the trainer began to argue furiously, but Burke simply stood, listening.
She began to feel the heat as she stood there, so she moved over into the shade. It was a mistake, of course, she told herself as she removed her hat to stir air into her face. No one would take away what Burke had earned, what he needed, what she needed for him.
“What is it?” she demanded as Burke strode back.
“Amphetamines. Someone gave the horse amphetamines.”
“Drugs? But that’s ridiculous.”
“Apparently not.” His eyes were narrowed as he looked over at the paddock. “Someone wanted him to win very badly. Or to lose.”
Chapter Ten
“What do you mean you’re sending me home? I’m not a package to be wrapped and stamped.” Erin rushed after Burke as he strode from the parlor to the bedroom of the suite. “You’ve barely said a word to me since we left the track, and now all you can say is you’re sending me home.”
“There’s nothing else to say, not at the moment.”
“Nothing to say?” Because she was breathless after struggling to keep pace with him, she sat. “Double Bluff was just disqualified from one of the most important races of the year because someone gave him drugs. That’s plenty to talk about to start.”
“It’s not your concern.” He pulled a suitcase out of the closet and set it open on the bed. “Pack.”
