Taking Chances: Centerfold's Chance

“You should be sound more excited,” Bo told me as I was tacking up Silver’s dam Risky. Every day after school I took mother and daughter out on the trails for exercise. This kept both of them in great shape and helped Silver get used to being ponied.
“I am excited,” I said, keeping the phone wedge between my ear and my shoulder. “How’s Centerfold?”
“Fine,” Bo said a little too quickly.
“Bullshit,” I said.
“Well he would be fine-”
“But what? Did he hurt himself?”
“Physically he’s fine. But it’s been raining down here.”
I put my forehead against Risky’s neck. “Shit.” Centerfold had many odd quirks. One was extreme caution on a wet track. It wasn’t that the colt couldn’t run-it was that he wouldn’t.
“Pretty much. And the rain isn’t going anywhere soon.”
“So are we scratching The Fountain of Youth?”
Bo sighed. “Your Dad wants to run him. He’s never run on mud before and he thinks he’ll perk up in a racing situation.”
That was another quick of the colt’s. Centerfold would run alone, but only when I made him fight for his head. He ran much better against another horse and even better against a group of horses.
“Has he been running with anybody?”
“Every couple of days. He does alright.”
“What’s happening this weekend?”
“Nothing exciting.”
“I’ll get a ticket and fly down-”
“Kay you hate Florida in the winter,” Bo pointed out.
“I know,” I said grudgingly. There were too many tourists in Florida any time of the year but they were especially bad in the winter. It showed just how much I was willing to do for this horse. Last year, I had been fighting myth father buying him, convinced he would never be anything but an allowance horse. But the colt had proved everyone wrong on and off the track.
“Well I’m not going to try and stop you,” Bo said. “Text me your flight information and I’ll come pick you up.”
I smiled as I finished tightening Risky’s girth. I plopped my helmet on my head. “Yes sir. I’ll call you later.”
“Alright baby. Have fun on your ride.”
“Always,” I said as I hung up.

“This horse had better appreciate this,” I muttered as I shuffled out of the terminal at Miami International Airport. The plane had been packed, people had been rude, and I just hated Florida on principle. My mood got worse when I stepped out and Bo was nowhere to be seen.
I cursed him under my breath as I turned my phone back on. There was a voicemail from him apologizing profusely and explaining that two grooms were sick and one of the horses had coliced. Which got him off the hook for not meeting me. But then who-?
Before I even finished the thought, someone called, “Kayla?”
I didn’t recognize the voice and peered cautiously at its owner, a girl with long luscious brown locks and brown eyes. She was tan and preppy-looking, wearing short jean cut-offs and a tight tank top with bug-eye sunglasses perched on her head. The only thing that didn’t match the outfit was her paddock boots-a barely broken-in pair of Ariats. I disliked her on sight.
“Uhh-that’s me.”
She turned and looked at me. I saw the once over she treated me to followed by the look of disinterest before she masked it. “I’m Rachel. My Dad keeps a few horses at Stopwatch. Queen’s Revenge and Expressway.”
She said it like it was something to be proud of. Honestly, they were two of my father’s worse horses.
“Nice to meet you,” I said without offering my hand.
“Bo asked me to come get you because I was the only one without my hands full.”
Gee thanks Bo, I thought bitterly.
“Thanks,” I said instead.
“Oh it’s no problem,” she said over her shoulder as we headed towards baggage claim.
“Oh this is all I have,” I said, indicating my carry-on.
She looked at me incredulously. “Really?”
“Uhh-yeah. I’m only here for like, two days.”
“Oh.”
And it was shaping up to be a very long two days.

We pulled up at Gulfstream in Rachel’s BMW a half an hour later. Throughout the ride I had liked the girl less and less as she’d gone on and on about her father’s two horses which she obviously knew nothing about. What had bothered me even more-her going on and on about Bo. That boy had some explaining to do.
I got out as soon as she parked the car and headed for the row Stopwatch had had at Gulfstream meets as long as I could remember. There was no one in sight so I homed in on Centerfold’s stall. The big black horse was dozing on the far left wall. At my approach, his eyes opened and he looked over at me.
“Morning sleepyhead,” I said.
The colt came instantly awake and nickered at me. He came to the front of the stall and sniffed my hair. He lipped at it and nudged me.
“Did you miss me boy?” I asked, scratching his forehead.
“He’s not the only one,” I heard right before someone covered my eyes. “Guess who?” he whispered close to my ear.
I instinctively grabbed the hands even thought I would know Bo’s voice anywhere. “Channing Tatum?” I asked hopefully.
“Guess again,” he said, lips against my ear.
“Ian Somerhandle?”
He laughed and uncovered my eyes. “Sorry sweetheart you’ve got to settle for me.”
I turned around and beamed at him. I reached up and twined my arms around his neck. “Damn,” I said, feigning disappointment.
“So now what are you going to do since I’m not Magic Mike or Damon Salvador?”
“I can’t do that in public,” I whispered in his ear.
I felt a rumbled low in his chest before he lifted me off my feet and fit his lips to mine. “Tell me more,” he demanded between kisses.
“Now what fun would that be; ruining the surprise?” I said breathlessly.
“Jeez you two. Get a room,” I heard a new voice coming down the shedrow.
Bo broke the kiss and looked over at the new comer. “You’re just jealous Anderson.”
“Nope, just an overprotective big brother,” Mik said, taking the teasing in stride. “And it’s my turn.”
Bo set me down just so Mik could scoop me up in a bone-crushing hug.
“This is why I should finish high school online. You guys miss me too much.”
“Yeah but that just makes it better when we see you again,” Mik said as he set me down.
“Besides, it’s your last year,” Bo said, snaking an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close.
“Yep. This time next year ya’ll’ll be sick of me.”
“Your Dad’s not making you go to college?” Mik asked bitterly.
“No. Why?”
“Mine is.”
“What?” I demanded. “I thought he was going to let you wait.”
“He did. A year. He wants me to sign up for the fall semester or he’ll withhold my interest in the farm until he dies.”
“What the hell?”
“I used more colorful vocabulary but that was basically my reaction too.”
“Why?”
“Well probably,” Mik said with a sigh. “Because all his buddies have been bragging about their sons going to Harvard and Yale and Columbia and blah blah blah.”
“My brother went to Yale,” Rachel piped up, suddenly appearing at Bo’s side. She looked over at Bo like she wanted to say something. Seeing his arm holding me close though, she froze. I knew it was a bitch move, but I snuggled closer to his side. Then I completely ignored her.
“A lot of trainers and owners didn’t go to college,” I pointed out.
“It doesn’t matter. Dad’s obsessed with impressing his friends.”
“Reputations. Sounds familiar,” Bo muttered.
Mik rolled his eyes in agreement.
“It will look better if you go to college though,” Rachel argued. “And not some community college,” she said on a shudder.
It was like having Mik’s ex Becky back again. Speaking of which-. “Wasn’t Becky supposed to be going somewhere in California for school?”
“She changed her mind and is going somewhere closer to home so she can be near her precious Off the Record,” Bo said sarcastically.
“Not that she actually goes to any classes. She’s down here annoying us.”
“Why?” Then a horrible thought struck me. “Please tell me he’s not running in The Fountain of Youth.”
Bo grimaced. “I won’t tell you, but you’ll find out eventually.”
“Damn it all to hell.”
“Centerfold has beaten him before. He can do it again,” Rachel said, making me hate her a little less.
“Not if the track stays this muddy,” I muttered.

“So what’s your professional opinion?” I asked later that night as Bo and I said snuggling and watching a movie.
“That your Dad was right to get you your own room.”
“Not about that.”
“I’m assuming you’re talking about your horse and The Fountain of Youth.” At my bland look, he continued. “It’s going to be a difficult win. But Rachel’s right. He’s beat Off the Record before.”
“There’s another subject we need to discuss.”
“Hmm?” Bo said, distracted by the movie.
“A certain brunette that seems to have the hots for you.”
“Well I knew that.”
“And?” I demanded.
He finally looked at me. “What? I got Jose to cover my night shift so we could spent the night together didn’t I?”
“I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about Rachel.”
“Hey I’ve been good,” Bo said, holding his hands up. “Yeah she flirts but it never goes beyond that. I don’t let it.”
“Good to hear. Why didn’t you tell me about it?”
“Because it wasn’t-and isn’t-a big deal.”
“Well,” I said, “I can’t really blame her considering what a dish you are.”
He flashed me a smile.
“Wipe that stupid grin off your face.”
“But that’s part of my dishyness.”
“I should have left you sleeping in the barn.”
“But that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun,” he said as he tackled me.