Saratoga Sunrise (19 page)

She knew he was sincere, and relief washed over her like a tidal wave. That's what she wanted to hear.

"I'd be proud to marry you, Jack."

Jack pulled her toward him and kissed her again. It was light at first as if he were afraid she'd break, then it deepened. She felt her knees weaken, but he held her tight.

"Ahhhh...Jack...it feels divine when you kiss me. More."

He obliged. And she heard a moan, only it wasn't hers this time.

"Did you hear that?" Sara asked. As she saw the hay move, she reached for the pitchfork, but Jack beat her to it.

She pushed it away as she saw the colors of the Peterson silks. "It's Toady."

Toady groaned as Jack pushed the hay from around him.

"He's hurt. Fordice must have knocked him out."

Sara knelt down. "Toady? Toady, are you all right?"

She pulled out a handkerchief, dipped it in a nearby bucket of water, and pressed it to the bloody gash on his head.

"There are two of you, and three Jacks," Toady said, squeezing his eyes shut and chuckling. "It's a full house."

"I'll get a doctor," Jack said, halfway out the door.

"No!" said Toady. "I have to ride."

"You can't ride. You're injured," Sara insisted.

"But it's the Travers," Toady said.

A thundercloud dimmed Sara's happiness. Without a jockey, they would have to withdraw from the race. They couldn't find another at this late time. Her dream would have to be postponed again, but she still had Jack and her friends, and that was the important thing right now.

"Sara, you can ride Seawind," Jack said with conviction.

Shock, mixed with excitement, made her tingle. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Well, I'm a woman for one."

"So?" Jack shrugged. "That's never stopped you from riding before."

"True, but I'll be disqualified if they find out."

"So then you'll be disqualified."

She smoothed down the folds of her dress. "But I need-"

"Clothes? There's a new pair of silks right here in the tack room." He put his hands on his hips and winked. "And everyone will think that you are Toady. Any other excuses?"

"But Jack, I can't-"

"Nonsense. I know you, and you can do whatever you put your mind to."

He hugged her tight to him, and she could feel his heart beat. "Do it, Sara. Do it! You don't need me. You can ride. Seawind knows you. He'll win for you."

To even consider racing in the Travers was an exhilarating feeling. She felt as bubbly as if she were floating at the spring, the spring that she'd always think of being hers and Jack's. If she won the Travers, she’d be the first woman ever to race. Wouldn’t that be something?

"It's dishonest, isn't it?" she asked, knowing full well the answer.

"It depends on how you look at it. Seawind's your horse. You should be allowed to ride him if you want. It's only because you're a woman that it's not allowed. Maybe some day women jockeys will be allowed."

Sara shook her head. "I don't think that'll ever happen."

"But in the meantime, what do you think?"

"I've always dreamed of racing at Saratoga," she said, knowing she just had to try. "I'll do it!"

"That's my Sara!" He swung her around and she laughed, then he sobered. "Keep your hat on and your head down, and ride like you ride at the practice track. And have fun!”

“Let's do it!"

# # #

High on top of Seawind, Sara scanned the crowd for Porky and Mike. Finally, she saw a cloud of thick cigar smoke and knew that Porky couldn't be far away.

She spotted him checking out each horse that went by and scribbling notes on a piece of paper with the stub of a pencil. Mike wasn't far behind him, holding up his pants with one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other.

She dismounted from Seawind and led the horse to the lawn near them. Immediately a crowd gathered around Seawind. She turned her face toward the saddle and fussed with the stirrups for no reason other than to wait for Porky and Mike to come closer.

Finally, they did. She motioned for them to come around to the other side of the horse.

"Porky, Toady is calling to us."

"Huh?"

Mike motioned with his hand. "Get over here, Porky."

The two men walked toward her. "It's me. Sara." She put her finger over her lips, so they wouldn't give her away.

"Why I'll be hog tied...it's my sweetie!" Porky whispered, aware that he was going to be privy to a big secret.

"Sara, whatcha' doin' dressed like a jockey?" Mike said, in a loud whisper.

"Shhh! I am the jockey."

Porky took his hat off, put his papers in the bowl of it as he always did, and put it back on his head. "Ya' don't say!"

"I do say, and I'm going to win. So please don't tell anyone."

Porky just stared at her. "But you'll be disqualified."

"Maybe no one will find out."

"Well, no one will hear it from me," Porky said.

"Me either," echoed Mike.

"Are you going to win this thing, Sweetie?"

"Just watch me!"

Porky let out a puff of smoke. "Then our money's going to be riding on you."

She started to give him a kiss on the cheek, but Porky shook his head slightly. Of course, it wouldn't do to kiss him dressed like this. He offered her his hand, and she shook it, then did the same with Mike.

"We'll be cheering for you at the finish line." Porky gave her a leg up on Seawind, and she pulled her cap lower on her face.

As she walked the horse on the track past her father's box, she saw Bea and her father. She tweaked the brim of her cap in acknowledgment. They both waved at her, and she saw Aunt Trixie tip her head as if she was thinking of something. Then Aunt Trixie whispered something to her father, and he looked at her through his binoculars.

She held her breath and turned her head away. If her father found out she were the one on Seawind instead of Toady, he'd stop the race.

She ran her hand down her horse's neck. "You can win it, Seawind. You can win it!"

Sara looked at Bravo Joe. Considering what had just transpired with Monty, she was surprised that the horse was still in the race. Bravo Joe was a fine horse, but she knew that Seawind could beat him.

Henry of Navarre was another fine horse, but she had watched him and knew he wouldn't be able to beat Seawind either.

Soon, the starter's pistol went off with a bang, and Seawind lunged ahead. Sara hung on and let him have his head- he knew what to do.

"Go, Seawind! Run!" she shouted, enjoying the colorful blur of the spectators, the noise of the horses blowing, and the smell of the flowers and grass.

"Go, boy. Go!"

The other jockeys were using their crops, but Sara would never even carry one. She knew that the sound of her voice would be enough to make Seawind race. He loved to run, and so did she.

The wind blew at her face and billowed her silks. She felt free and happy. Riding her horses made her happy. Jack made her happy. The fact that George Wheeler was free and Monty was in jail made her happy.

It was turning out to be a good season after all. Now if Seawind would only win the race. She'd have the money for her dream-a horse farm with Jack.

But if she won, it would be dishonest to collect the money. Women weren’t allowed to race at Saratoga.

Then she thought of all the money she’d given to Porky and Mike to place it all on Seawind to win.

She’d be disqualified and would lose it all.

But she was racing in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, and she’d go down in history, win or lose!

"Go Seawind! Go! You can win, boy. You can do it."

And he did!

He was ahead by three lengths at the finish. Henry of Navarre came in second. Bravo Joe came in third.

"You did it!" she yelled over the roar of the crowd. Seawind bobbed his head in answer. He pranced, acting like a peacock before the crowd. Sara looked around for Jack to share her victory, her excitement. If it weren’t for his encouragement, she never would have had this thrilling experience. Her heart pounded and she took deep breaths to keep herself from screaming "I did it! I'm Sara Peterson and I just won the Travers Stakes!"

Sara spotted the dreaded sisters in the stands along with the rest of Saratoga's society. She knew she would be gossiped about, even shunned-a woman simply didn't compete in a horse race.

She shuddered. She'd be an embarrassment to her father and Aunt Trixie, but she knew what she had to do.

She took her cap off and let her hair tumble out.

A roar went up from the crowd, then rumbling. Then there was silence as fingers pointed at her.

Sara held her breath as her father arrived at the winner's circle.

"Great job, Sara!" he said. "But don't ever do it again." She thought there were tears in his eyes, but she had to be mistaken. "I knew it was you all along."

He knew and he hadn’t stopped the race!

Aunt Trixie smiled and hugged her.

Bond motioned the people away as Jack appeared and reached for Seawind's reins. Sara couldn't help but smiling as he winked at her.

He didn't have to say a word. Not a word. She could tell what he was feeling by the love shining in his eyes.

Breaking the silence, Jack started clapping, loud and steady and eager.

Sara heard more loud clapping.

"You did it, Sara. You did it!" Mike yelled.

"That's my sweetie!"

She waved at Porky and Mike in the front stands. She had no doubt that in spite of their happiness for her, Porky and Mike had bet heavily on Seawind. Sara decided that she'd pay them back as soon as she could, no matter how long it took.

She felt ill when she remembered that her nest egg for her horse farm was gone. There would be no prize-winning horses, no land, no big barns.

But she still had Jack and he was all she needed.

Her father clapped, too, so did Aunt Trixie, and Clara. Soon everyone in the stands were clapping as well as the jockeys and the judges. She felt herself being lifted off Seawind and onto Jack's shoulders. The crowd roared.

In spite of everything she'd lost, she had gained so much.

It was a wonderful day at the Springs.

CHAPTER 12

It was the Travers Ball, and Sara was feeling beautiful as she danced in Jack's arms. Her leg didn't seem to hurt her as much. They had gone bicycle riding up and down Union Avenue after breakfast and then later she watched as Jack worked on building up her shoe, all under the watchful eye of a beaming Aunt Trixie.

Soon Aunt Trixie would become her father's new wife, her stepmother.

If she were any happier, she'd burst!

When the dance ended, Porky and Mike shyly approached them. Porky handed her a lovely wrapped box with a pink bow. "What's this?"

"Open it, sweetie."

Puzzled, Sara glanced at Jack who raised an eyebrow.

"We'll explain," Porky tugged at the tie at his throat, as Mike nodded, grinning from ear-to-ear.

She had to admit that Porky looked pretty dashing with a tuxedo on, but Mike's tuxedo still looked too big on him.

Sara tugged on the bow and lifted the cover of the box. It was filled with money.

Jack laughed when she showed it to him.

"I-I don't understand?" Sara asked.

"It's yer money from all yer bettin.' We just couldn't place that bet. Me and Pork just couldn't do it."

"Don't get us wrong, sweetie. We knew that you'd win, but we knew ya' didn't have it in you to keep quiet and collect the winnings."

"So we didn't place yer bet, Sara. We just knew you'd disqualify yourself."

Sara hugged them both, laughing in pure delight. "But what if I had kept quiet and wasn't disqualified?"

"We would've paid you back, sweetie. We ain't poor you know. We've been making a good living out of this track for many a year."

"No, we ain't poor, Sara," Mike confirmed.

Sara checked the box. "But this seems to be much more money than I had. Much more."

"Well, we bet on Henry of Navarre fer ya'. We knew he'd come in second. When you were disqualified, we knew Henry would be pushed up." Porky said between clamped teeth as he lit up a cigar.

"So did we make ya' happy, Sara?"

"I couldn't be any happier," she smiled, looking up at Jack. But no more gambling for me. I already have a sure thing."

Jack shook Porky and Mike's hand. "Thank you, gentlemen, you've made Sara very happy."

"You just take care of her, Jack Wheeler, or you'll have to answer to us." Porky threw back his shoulders in an attempt to look tough, but it just made his stomach look rounder.

Mike pulled him away. "Come on, you old goat. Let the young people dance."

After they left, Jack hugged Sara. "It's good to see you so happy."

"I was just going to tell you the same thing. I've seen how you keep glancing at your parents." Sara nodded in the direction of George and Agatha Wheeler. They were sitting at a front table surrounded by attentive revelers, among them her father and Aunt Trixie.

Bond summoned them with a wave and they walked over to their table. "I have a business proposition for you both."

"Uh-oh...seems like I've heard something like this before." Jack put his arm around Sara. "Nothing you could say or do would make me leave Sara. I love her. I already told you that I can take good care of her."

Bond stood and put a hand on his future son-in-law's shoulder. "It's nothing like that. It's just that Bea and I intend to do some traveling in Europe, and I'd like you both to oversee the selling of my horses. Get a fair price and all that."

Sara handed the box to her father. "Sold!" she said. "Jack and I want them."

Bond looked into the box. "Sara, if you want the horses, they are yours." He tried to hand the box back to her, but she shook her head. "I'm not selling them to my own daughter and future son-in-law for heaven's sake."

"Bond," Jack said, "Sara wants to buy them from you fair and square."

"But-"

"It's important to her, so it's important to me. So, that's the way it's going to be," Jack said.

Sara loved the way Jack stood up to her father, so tall and proud and handsome. Not many would...or could.