The Girl in the Window (26 page)

For herself, there was no question.

This was Josh’s dream. A different driver would change that. Either Fair would make it or he wouldn’t, but Josh deserved the chance to try as much as Fair did, to race his dream horse in his dream race.

The horses rounded the turn and one of the name horses was boxed in at the rail.

Another horse was pushed out, his driver trying to find a place for him, a hole.

Josh threaded Fair through a gap, gave them some room.

They had to place well or have an extraordinary time in this race and in every race to come if they were to succeed.

It was still a long shot for a novice horse who’d been through what Fair had suffered.

But long shots happened.

As they came out of the corner the pack stretched out, some fell behind, others strove to move forward.

Josh was in the thick of it and then he found a hole so narrow Beth’s heart nearly stopped as he took Fair through it.

They were free of the pack now, in the clear to go after the leaders.

Like a fly-fishing line the whip sailed out, asking Fair for more.

Fair answered, stretching out a little more, his pace quickening now that he had room.

He started to gain on the fourth place runner as they came out of the turn and then he put him behind them.

It somehow seemed effortless, inevitable, as Josh and Fair closed on third and passed him.

There was only second, and the horse in second was slowing, easing up.

Beth’s breath caught in her throat.

She wasn’t even aware she clutched at Russ’s arm, her other hand locked tightly in Tyler’s.

Grinning himself, Will could only watch in amazement.

As the horse in second dropped back the driver of the horse in front, secure in the idea that he’d won, made the critical mistake of not asking for more speed and then Fair and Josh were just that much closer behind him that he didn’t see them until it was too late.

Once more Josh sent the whip flicking out, asking for more, and Fair gave it.

He passed the front runner by a head to win the race.

The reality of it just wouldn’t penetrate.

Even as Josh pulled slowly up to a slower pace, brought the grand horse around, he couldn’t believe they’d really done it.

It just stupefied him.

They had a chance, a real chance at running in one of the biggest races in the country.

He was grinning like a fool as Beth, Russ and Tyler joined him in the winner’s circle and then he had Beth tucked under his arm, laughing up at him as he shook Russ’s hand so tightly he could swear he could feel the bones crunch. Neither of them noticed it, they were so giddy.

The race the next day was for the pacers.

None of them had much time to think, there was only time to pack the horses up – even Bella had done well, taking a second in the filly run.

There was only time to sleep, and then move on to the next race.

 “One more race and then we can really celebrate,” Russ said. “Will’s getting Chord harnessed up right now.”

Chord had started to show real promise with some competition from his new stable-mate. Adagio was setting times that would get her a chance to race as a Jugette in The Little Brown Jug race, the premier race for pacers.

Josh wasn’t going to deny any of his horses their chance to shine.

“Got it, give me a second,” he said, and pulled Beth around to look at her. “One more step, baby.”

Beth smiled up at him. “Getting closer.”

He only had a moment.

Gently he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, caressed her cheek, and then kissed her softly.

“Dinner out tonight,” he said.

Beth laughed. “Dinner is out every night we’re on the road.”

“True,” he said, and grinned in return.

Maybe he wouldn’t wait, maybe he’d give her the ring at dinner. Perhaps Russ was right, after all, why wait?

Was there a chance or any way they could get married at or just after the Hambletonian? He’d have to check.

He gave her another quick kiss, excitement filling him.

If he’d had the ring, he would have given it to her then and there, but he’d already given it to Russ for safekeeping.

“Be right back,” he said.

Shaking her head, she called after him. “Love you.”

“Love you, too,” he said, and spun on his heel to go back for one more kiss. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Beth watched him go, a tall lean and handsome man. Sunlight glinted off his rich brown hair. It still amazed her that he was hers.

The announcer was calling the race as they gathered in the stands once again.

Everyone was rooting for Chord. He’d come a long way, had started to show his lineage, his blood lines, since Josh had bought Fair.

He was such a great gallant horse.

This would be a testing ground for him, too.

It would be something if Chord won this race, too, a banner day for all of them, putting  him in contention for The Little Brown Jug, too.

Chord had become Will’s baby and he’d brought the horse along beautifully.

The horse proved it, too.

“And they’re off,” the announcer said, as the gate pulled away and the horses hit their stride.

Josh loved this, he loved all of it.

To him the crowd didn’t exist, there was only the muted thunder of hooves, the sound of the horses blowing, and some of the riders calling encouragement, the smell of horses and the track, and the sheer glory of beautiful horseflesh moving as it was meant to move, running. It was a delicate ballet of men, horses and bikes, of split-second timing.

Then he saw it, saw the inevitability of it as one horse got crowded out and an inexperienced driver made a crucial, and nearly fatal, mistake.

In that one moment, he saw what was about to happen and regretted all the things he hadn’t yet done even as he tried to pull Chord out of it, turn him aside. In a surge of muscle, Chord answered, tried evade, but it had been too late from almost the first moment.

Horses and bikes connected, collided…

Wheels locked, the legs of horses tangled, drivers were thrown. They tumbled into thrashing legs, arms curled around their heads.

A hush swept through the stands, the sound of a collective breath was caught, as disaster, as horror, struck, and brought Beth’s eyes to the track from where she’d been making a comment to Mary, Tyler’s mother.

She couldn’t see Josh’s colors amid the chaos.

Out on the track one bike, moved outward into the path of the others as bikes tangled with horses in an explosion of motion, of bodies tossed to disappear among thrashing animals and a melee of metal.

It all seemed to happen in a horrifying slow motion.

Stunned, frozen, Beth could only stand and watch. As did everyone.

And then she was running as the crowd cried out at the immensity of the disaster.

The track was crowded with emergency medical personnel, track employees, and veterinarians, all doing triage at once, all trying to save who and what they could save, move what they could move and battling to find a way to reach what they couldn’t. People hustled across the track carrying canvas stretched over metal poles to erect barriers that would hide the view of the carnage already there and the carnage yet to come from those in the stands.

Another enclosure was placed around Chord, his legs thrashing, and Beth cried out in denial, in grief, knowing what it meant. Some part of that beautiful horse had been permanently and irreparably damaged. Valiant Chord couldn’t be saved.

Tears burned in her eyes.

Where was Josh? Where was her Josh?

Track employees had formed a wall that wouldn’t let her pass.

Ambulances rushed onto the track as EMTs did triage.

“Josh,” she cried.

Bodies were loaded onto stretchers.

Russ said, “I’ll find him.”

He ran off.

She looked to Will, his face stricken as he watched, too.

Please
, she begged silently.

Taking Will’s hand in both of hers, she held it, but even she flinched at the sound of the bolt that ended Chord’s life. Tears slid down her cheeks, nearly blinding her.

In her mind’s eye she could picture Chord fighting for position.

Now he was gone.

If Chord was there, and down, where then was Josh?

Fear sent panic racing through her veins like wildfire. Terror threatened to overwhelm her.

Still she, Tyler, and Will kept walking, looking around frantically.

Voices shouted, called to her.

They couldn’t be saying what she thought they were saying. Darkness hovered at the edges of her vision. Hands pointed, called to her.

Please no.

Then Russ shouted, gestured to the medics crowded around a still figure in familiar colors.

Beth cried out.

Josh.

He was so pale, so still.

Even as they arrived the EMTs were hustling him into an ambulance as Russ caught her. Held her.

They followed, Will staying behind with Fair and Adagio. Both horses had seemed to sense that something was wrong. They were still, watchful.

A thousand memories crowded as Beth watched them roll Josh past her into the emergency room, a place she could not go until someone told one of the nurses something and then suddenly they let her in where at least where she could see him. See what they were doing to him.

Russ’s arm was tight around her shoulders as Tyler clung to her hand.

She supposed watching was better than not knowing, as they cut Josh’s clothes off to examine the damage. There were marks on his forehead from where a hoof had clipped him. Far more serious was the bruising around his ribs, and his leg was canted at a strange angle until they carefully straightened it.

There was so much blood. His face was so pale, almost gray.

Tubes and wires were attached to him, IVs and such.

Without being aware of it Beth’s hands were clenched in Russ’s sleeve on one side, in Will’s on the other. Tyler had moved to join his mother.

Beth vaguely remembered crying out when they said that Josh was among those who had been badly injured, and her knees had buckled.

It had been Will who had caught her, held her, whispered gently, “He’s gonna need you, girl.”

Even in the face of his own grief, his own loss. That beautiful horse. Chord. She wept at the loss.

Chord had been so beautiful, so strong.

Her breath caught at Will’s words but they were enough to put strength into her knees again.

Josh needed her.

She had looked at Will, looked deep into his dark eyes. Turning, she glanced at Russ, his own brown eyes soft and sympathetic and then she had nodded, understanding, and somehow she’d found the strength to stand. She had to be strong, for them, and for Josh.

Desperately, somehow she held it together.

They hooked up monitors and tubes, assessed vitals, did emergency x-rays.

Josh’s eyes never opened.

The emergency room doctor stepped away, nodded as his team hustled to disconnect and reconnect and began to push the gurney down the hallway, moving fast. It wasn’t a good sign.

With two of the other drivers in his emergency room, the E.R. doctor looked tired. Stripping his head covering off, he ran his fingers through his thick blond hair.