conspirators. Then Raul’s young brother Placido, an up-and-coming jockey, left the laundry and joined them.
What was going on? Cat wondered as the three men walked off together.
After Jack had married her, he’d given up the few horses he’d been training to “help” her run Clarke Acres.
Was he back in the game?
Was that why he’d gotten with Simone? So that her father would hire Jack to train some of his racehorses?
Or was something else at stake?
Thankful her ex-husband hadn’t seen her, Cat backed off when they disappeared between buildings. She headed for the cafeteria, where she immediately spotted Aidan at a table with Nadim.
“Did you find your cell phone, then?” Aidan asked.
“I did, thankfully.”
She slid into a chair next to him. Nadim was having coffee, Aidan a bottle of water.
“Can I get you something?” he asked.
“No, nothing for me, thanks. So?” She glanced from him to the exercise rider.
“I am more than happy to ride the colt in the morning workouts,” Nadim said, “assuming he likes me.” He turned to Aidan. “Assuming you hire me, I can find a groom and anyone else you need.”
“Good,” Cat said. “Then all we have to do is find the jockey.”
Hopefully Aidan could do that himself when he moved Mac here, Cat thought. Her mind was drifting off. She longed to be out of here, back at her place, where she could mourn George in peace.
“You need a jockey, you don’t have to look no further.”
The voice coming from behind Cat made her start. “Placido.” She looked around to see if Jack was there, too, but her ex-husband was nowhere in sight.
“Raul told me about Mac Finnian. Said maybe you’d give me the ride.”
“Raul shouldn’t have promised any such thing.” Thinking again about seeing him with Jack and Martin, Cat looked to Aidan. “This is Placido Ayala, Raul’s brother.”
“Why should we consider you?” Aidan asked.
“Placido is an excellent candidate,” Nadim said. “Last year, he was top jockey here, made the most money at this track.”
“In the graded races?” Aidan asked.
“Some,” Placido said. “I worked hard all winter, and I deserve a shot like this.”
He was staring at her, as if she owed him something, Cat realized. “We haven’t talked jockeys yet, Placido. We’ll let you know.”
“You’ll hire me if you want to win the upcoming stakes race,” Placido said before strolling off.
To her ears that sounded like a threat, rather than a promise.
Of course that was ridiculous. She hardly knew Placido. He didn’t come to the farm to see Raul very often, and she didn’t hang out at the track. He had no reason to have something against her. It was just some macho posturing, she was sure.
“So I should meet you at the shedrow tomorrow at noon?” Nadim asked Aidan.
“That’s the soonest we can get Mac in?”
“You can probably settle him in earlier. Call management and make certain the maintenance is finished.”
Standing, Aidan offered the exercise rider his hand, and they shook on it. Cat was relieved that he was ready to go. This had been a difficult day and she wondered what more might be waiting for her when she got home.
As they walked to the car, Aidan asked, “What do you think about Placido as a jockey?”
“His record is good. Other than that, I don’t know.”
What she couldn’t get out of mind was seeing him with Martin and Jack and then him approaching her, almost like Jack had put him up to it.
What could her ex-husband be up to now?
Chapter Ten
The drive back to the farm was filled with silence. Cat appreciated Aidan letting her have time to chill out, but the first thing she looked for through the deepening gloom when she was back on her own property was police vehicles. Thankfully, they seemed to have all left.
She drove straight to the barn, and as she and Aidan got out of the SUV, Bernie came out to meet them.
“Police are gone,” he said.
“Did they talk to everyone?” Cat
What was going on? Cat wondered as the three men walked off together.
After Jack had married her, he’d given up the few horses he’d been training to “help” her run Clarke Acres.
Was he back in the game?
Was that why he’d gotten with Simone? So that her father would hire Jack to train some of his racehorses?
Or was something else at stake?
Thankful her ex-husband hadn’t seen her, Cat backed off when they disappeared between buildings. She headed for the cafeteria, where she immediately spotted Aidan at a table with Nadim.
“Did you find your cell phone, then?” Aidan asked.
“I did, thankfully.”
She slid into a chair next to him. Nadim was having coffee, Aidan a bottle of water.
“Can I get you something?” he asked.
“No, nothing for me, thanks. So?” She glanced from him to the exercise rider.
“I am more than happy to ride the colt in the morning workouts,” Nadim said, “assuming he likes me.” He turned to Aidan. “Assuming you hire me, I can find a groom and anyone else you need.”
“Good,” Cat said. “Then all we have to do is find the jockey.”
Hopefully Aidan could do that himself when he moved Mac here, Cat thought. Her mind was drifting off. She longed to be out of here, back at her place, where she could mourn George in peace.
“You need a jockey, you don’t have to look no further.”
The voice coming from behind Cat made her start. “Placido.” She looked around to see if Jack was there, too, but her ex-husband was nowhere in sight.
“Raul told me about Mac Finnian. Said maybe you’d give me the ride.”
“Raul shouldn’t have promised any such thing.” Thinking again about seeing him with Jack and Martin, Cat looked to Aidan. “This is Placido Ayala, Raul’s brother.”
“Why should we consider you?” Aidan asked.
“Placido is an excellent candidate,” Nadim said. “Last year, he was top jockey here, made the most money at this track.”
“In the graded races?” Aidan asked.
“Some,” Placido said. “I worked hard all winter, and I deserve a shot like this.”
He was staring at her, as if she owed him something, Cat realized. “We haven’t talked jockeys yet, Placido. We’ll let you know.”
“You’ll hire me if you want to win the upcoming stakes race,” Placido said before strolling off.
To her ears that sounded like a threat, rather than a promise.
Of course that was ridiculous. She hardly knew Placido. He didn’t come to the farm to see Raul very often, and she didn’t hang out at the track. He had no reason to have something against her. It was just some macho posturing, she was sure.
“So I should meet you at the shedrow tomorrow at noon?” Nadim asked Aidan.
“That’s the soonest we can get Mac in?”
“You can probably settle him in earlier. Call management and make certain the maintenance is finished.”
Standing, Aidan offered the exercise rider his hand, and they shook on it. Cat was relieved that he was ready to go. This had been a difficult day and she wondered what more might be waiting for her when she got home.
As they walked to the car, Aidan asked, “What do you think about Placido as a jockey?”
“His record is good. Other than that, I don’t know.”
What she couldn’t get out of mind was seeing him with Martin and Jack and then him approaching her, almost like Jack had put him up to it.
What could her ex-husband be up to now?
Chapter Ten
The drive back to the farm was filled with silence. Cat appreciated Aidan letting her have time to chill out, but the first thing she looked for through the deepening gloom when she was back on her own property was police vehicles. Thankfully, they seemed to have all left.
She drove straight to the barn, and as she and Aidan got out of the SUV, Bernie came out to meet them.
“Police are gone,” he said.
“Did they talk to everyone?” Cat
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