By Chance Page 2

  Vince walked beside him toward the trailer, smiling when he heard Mark behind them mutter, “You’re crazy.”

  The kid looked like he was happy for the first time in a long time, so Vince asked, “Did you want to work here because you thought it would be easy to get a job here, or do you like the horses?”

  “Both, I guess,” Dustin answered with a shrug. “Seemed like someone would take me in. I mean, I hear more Spanish around here than English, and I doubt that’s a coincidence. But I like the horses, too. I’ve always liked watching them move, and I wondered what riding one would be like.”

  “Well, we’ll get you on one soon enough,” Vince promised. “Thoroughbreds aren’t usually my idea of a beginner’s horse, but we have some who are super laid-back. This guy’s pretty good actually. His name’s Justin.”

  Dustin looked at the chestnut horse and asked, “Why can’t he race?”

  “Here, watch.” Vince took the lead and led the gelding away, then back. “See how he’s moving? He’s lame right now. According to the vet, even if he’s moving normal later, racing will just make it harder and harder for him to move.” He handed the lead back. “He’ll be okay for light riding, but anything high-energy wouldn’t be good for him.”

  Dustin nodded. “So you’ll train him for that?”

  “Then find him a new home,” Vince agreed. They got to the trailer, and Dustin watched him unlatch the door and lower the ramp. “I can lead him in if you want.”

  “I can do it,” Dustin said with a shrug.

  Justin was a little antsy about the trailer, but Dustin wasn’t fazed. He led him in like he’d done it a hundred times, then waited for Vince to secure him.

  “Are you sure you’ve never handled a horse before?” Vince asked as they shut the trailer. “You put that stud chain on him like you’d done it before and hardly cared that he was fussy about loading in the trailer.”

  Dustin just shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve watched a lot.”

  When Wes joined them a moment later, he shook his head at Vince. “Hope this kid works out for you,” he said quietly enough that Dustin, who was rubbing Justin’s face through the trailer window, couldn’t hear.

  Vince smiled. He didn’t know why he had such a good feeling about this, but he wasn’t going to deny it. “He will. Just look at him.”

  “I thought you were crazy when you begged me for Xander, but now I know you are. That kid is a runaway, whether he admits it or not.”

  Vince shrugged. “If it doesn’t affect his work and he’s a legal adult, does it even matter?”

  His father sighed. “All right, let’s get going,” he said, this time loud enough for Dustin, who turned away from the trailer.

  “Can I ask a question?” Dustin asked as they pulled out of the racetrack’s back exit and onto the main road.

  “Ask as many as you want,” Vince replied, turning to look back at him from the passenger’s seat.

  “Okay. What does OTTB stand for?”

  “Off-track thoroughbred,” Wes answered. “Racehorses are thoroughbreds, at least the ones we work with around here. So an OTTB is a retired racehorse.”

  “What other horses race?” Dustin asked, and he sounded genuinely curious.

  “Harness racing uses Standardbreds,” Vince explained. “Quarter horses also race in places. This track doesn’t have racing for those breeds.”

  “Why do you take horses who can’t race?”

  “Someone has to,” Wes answered seriously. “I used to be one of the top trainers in the country. I had at least one million-dollar earner every year and rarely had a horse who couldn’t place in almost every race. Then I had this one horse, we called him Onyx, who was on his way to the Kentucky Derby, but two months beforehand, he ran another race and ended up hurt. The vet said he’d never run again, but he still had a good quality of life if he was retired to a nice green pasture. They couldn’t breed him because he was a gelding, so instead of retiring him, they sent him to an auction for horses that no one wants. I wasn’t told what they were doing with him, and I didn’t find out until later what had happened to him. That horse, who was one of the sweetest thoroughbreds I had ever met, ended up at a slaughterhouse. All because he couldn’t run and he couldn’t breed.”

  Wes took a deep breath. “I was devastated when I found out. I almost left racing altogether. But I started Anderson Stables that same year. Now I train a couple horses for racing every year, and I retrain the retired ones with the help of my son and my five stable hands.” They pulled in to the driveway of the farm, and he added, “Welcome to the family.”

  Vince watched as Dustin looked out the window at the farm, which in the summer could be quite amazing. His sister insisted on landscaping, and it was made very affordable by the fact that she was engaged to a “landscaping professional.” In the first week of April, however, it was a muddy mess; the gravel on the winding driveway had been plowed away over the winter to leave gaping potholes, and the trees were still bare.

  When they pulled up outside the barn, the other four hands appeared, and Vince grinned as he stepped out of the truck. “The trip was successful,” he announced, then introduced Dustin to everyone.

  “I’m glad you found us some help,” Anna said as she shook Dustin’s hand. “We could use it.”

  “You want me to take the horse?” Chris asked.

  “I want Dustin to do it,” Vince replied, shaking his head. “Might as well start working now.”

  He helped Dustin open the trailer and watched as he backed Justin out, again almost as if he’d done it before. Vince walked with Dustin into the barn, where he found the empty stall the others had prepared. When the horse was inside, investigating his new stall, Vince gave Dustin a quick tour of the barn, then walked him to the cabin he’d be living in.

  “Basically, Dad doesn’t pay much, just a little more than minimum wage,” he explained as he unlocked the door with his master key. “But it’s because you live here for free. Each of these houses comes with heat, electricity, water, and even cable. You basically only need to buy your own food, clothes, and toiletries—but my sister always stocks these places after someone moves out. I’m sure you have enough soap and toilet paper to last a year.”

  Dustin was standing in the middle of the little living room, looking around with wide eyes, taking in the clean, freshly painted space. “I get to live here for free?”

  Vince smiled. “Basically, yes, that’s what I’m saying. You get this furniture, plus there’s a stove in that little kitchen over there, and a dishwasher. If you open that entertainment center, you have a small TV. I’m sure there are a couple of box fans in the closet somewhere, too. The only downside is that you don’t have air conditioning in the summer, so you need fans. Or we can get you a window air conditioner. There should be a washer and dryer off the kitchen, too. I’m sure you have some laundry soap and all that, too, so don’t worry about that.”

  “These are the only clothes I have,” Dustin admitted quietly.

  Vince nodded thoughtfully. “How about you hop in the shower, and I’ll go find you some clothes? After the evening feedings, Jane and I will take you to Walmart or something. You can get some clothes and some food. I’m buying,” he added when Dustin started to argue, probably that he didn’t have the money. “And don’t worry about paying me back. You can’t work if you don’t have clothes or food. But you’re on your own starting next week when you get paid. And if you ever need to go anywhere, I would be happy to take you.”

  Dustin nodded, and Vince swore the kid was fighting tears. “Thanks.”

  Vince just smiled. “Go on and take a long shower if you want. I’ll get you some clothes and leave them outside your bathroom door.”

  “Thanks,” Dustin repeated, nodding. He walked in the direction of the bathroom, wiping his eyes with one hand when his back was to Vince.

  “YOU AND your rescue missions.”

  Vince jumped at the sound of Jane’s voice. She was standing in th
e doorway to their bedroom, watching him dig through his dresser for something he could give Dustin to wear—the kid was a good three inches shorter than him and much thinner, which was understandable given the fact that he had been living in the woods all winter.

  “Is there something wrong with that?” he asked, finally deciding on a pair of sweatpants and a plain sweatshirt.

  “No,” she answered. “I love you for it. So tell me about him.”

  “I have to get him some clothes first.” He grabbed a pair of socks, then paused before shutting the dresser drawer. “Is it weird to give him my underwear?”

  She laughed. “Kind of, yes.”

  He shrugged and headed toward the door with the clothes he’d chosen. “Want to go shopping with us tonight? He needs food and clothes.”

  “Sure,” she answered as she followed him. “Did I hear your dad say he was homeless?”

  “Yeah,” Vince answered. “I couldn’t just watch him walk away and have nowhere to go. Mark basically told him to scram, and I didn’t want to think about what might happen to him. And I knew we were short a hand.”

  They left the house and started on the short walk to the trailer Dustin was living in, and Jane asked, “Would he like to have dinner with us? I mean, if he doesn’t have food to eat on his own, he can eat with us. Then you can show him how to do the nighttime feeding, and we’ll go shopping.”

  Vince nodded. “I’ll ask. I’m sure he’ll be glad of the offer.”

  When they got to Dustin’s trailer, Vince unlocked the door again and was almost instantly hit by the warm air and scent of soap from the small bathroom down the hall. The kid must have taken the hottest shower he could possibly stand, and Vince didn’t blame him. He had smelled quite a bit, not that Vince was one to talk after spending as much time in a barn as he did.

  While Jane waited outside, he walked to the bathroom door. He didn’t hear any water running, so he knocked and called, “There’s clothes out here for you. When you’re ready, you can come out to the barn but take your time. There’s no hurry.”

  From the other side of the door, he heard a muffed, “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He walked back toward the door, stopping to put the key to the cabin on the small table beside the door, before stepping out and locking the door behind him.

  “So are you looking forward to Mandy’s wedding?” Jane asked.

  Vince shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m not a party person; I think you know that. But Jeff’s a good guy to have for a brother, I guess. Keeps this place looking good.”

  He didn’t want to mention the fact that his sister’s impending marriage made him think about how he was expected to do the same thing as her—go off and get married and have kids and all of that. He really liked Jane, and they’d been together for two years, but the thought of marrying her just felt weird. Two months ago, he’d gone to the mall and picked out a ring, but he hadn’t had the courage or even the real desire to propose. It was just something he knew he had to do at some point, before she got sick of waiting and he was left on his own for probably a very long time. If he had a chance at a future that wasn’t lonely, he should take it, even if part of him said he was settling for what he could easily have but didn’t really, truly want. So until he got the nerve to ask her, the ring would stay buried at the bottom of Xander’s tack box, where Jane never looked for anything.

  “Yeah, for much less than he would charge if he wasn’t dating the owner’s daughter,” Jane agreed. “That’s what matters. Your dad saves a ton of money there.”

  “And you know just how much,” Vince added. They had met when Wes hired Jane to be the farm’s bookkeeper, and she had made it a point to get to know how the place was run and not only who the people were, but the horses, too.

  “Basically,” she replied with a grin.

  He shook his head as they entered the barn. “I’m going to lunge Star, if you want to watch. Just keep an eye out for Dustin for me.”

  Star was the newest horse before Justin, and she was still trying to settle in. The big gray mare was jittery all the time, so Vince was trying to do something with her everyday to get her used to working in her new environment.

  The mare was finally starting to settle down and trot more calmly around the ring when Vince noticed Dustin standing at the rail talking to Jane. Vince halted Star and took her over to the fence.

  He was stunned by how different Dustin looked. His hair was more red than brown, and he’d found a razor to shave the scruffy beard from his face. Scrubbed clean and dressed in clothes that lacked holes, he looked good.

  “Guess I should have given you some boots,” Vince commented, glancing at Dustin’s very beat-up sneakers.

  Dustin shrugged. “That’s okay.”

  “You need boots to work, though,” Vince replied. “We’ll get you some tonight.”

  “Dustin’s joining us for dinner, too,” Jane told him with a smile.

  Vince nodded. “Sounds good.” He noticed Dustin looking up at Star, who was looking around with her ears pricked forward and her nostrils flared. He patted her neck and explained, “This is Star. She’s a bit more high-strung than Justin.”

  Dustin admired her for a bit longer, then held out a hand for her to sniff. Star sniffed him, then decided he definitely wasn’t worth the effort and went back to surveying her surroundings.

  “I can show you the other horses if you want,” Vince offered.

  Dustin smiled. “That would be cool.”

  So Vince let Star out into the pasture, where she took off running like she was still on a racetrack, and headed to the barn with Dustin. After watching how interested Dustin clearly was in meeting and learning about the horses, Vince officially decided that he liked the kid.

  They got to Xander’s stall last, and Vince rubbed the gelding’s nose to get him to relax when he saw Dustin. “This guy’s mine. His name is Sir Galaxy, but we all call him Xander. He’s a little nervous about meeting new people, especially men.”

  “Why’s that?” Dustin asked as he held out a hand for Xander to sniff.

  “We’re pretty sure he was abused,” Vince answered, watching as Xander cautiously sniffed Dustin, who gave him one of the treats Vince had slipped him when they’d first entered the barn. “Dad and I found him at the track six years ago. Someone had left him in one of the stalls Dad had for his own horses; I don’t know if they knew he took horses that couldn’t race or what, but they never told him they had left the horse there. We have no idea how he survived, because he was obviously there all winter. The humane society came and seized him, but they didn’t have much hope for him. He could hardly stand, he was horribly thin, dehydrated… I was eighteen, and Dad told me I could have my first project horse at eighteen, which is what we call the horses we retrain. I was adamant that I wanted this horse. I kept going to the rescue place where they had him. He was obviously terrified of people, but I had this feeling I could help him. Dad kept telling me that my first project should be an easy one, but I kept telling him I needed this horse. So he’s what I got for my nineteenth birthday. I’d say he’s improved since then. I spent all my spare time with him. Sometimes, I would just sit in his stall with him. He was never violent toward people, and by that time, he knew me well enough not to be as afraid of me as he was everyone else. I brought him food, after all, and he appreciated that after a winter of starvation.”

  Vince laughed as he went on, “One night, I actually fell asleep in his stall, and everyone panicked when they couldn’t find me. They knew I had to be with Xander, but they were afraid he’d killed me or something. My mom actually managed to take a picture when she realized I wasn’t dead; I was sitting on the floor with my back against the wall and this great big horse was lying next to me with his head on my lap. The camera flash didn’t even wake him up, just me.”

  “Sounds like a cute picture,” Dustin commented absently, rubbing Xander’s forehead.

  “It’s sitting on a shelf
in Dad’s house,” Vince replied. “That and lots of other ‘farm history’ pictures. You’ll be over there at some point.”

  Dustin kept rubbing Xander’s face, and Vince was impressed by how easily the horse accepted the new guy in his space. Even with Vince standing there, it usually took much longer for Xander to fully relax like he was now.

  “Do you name all these horses?” Dustin asked after another quiet moment.

  “Not usually,” Vince answered. “They all have their racing names, which we didn’t give them. Most of them have their own nicknames when they come to us. I gave Xander his nickname, but the rescue he went to first found out his racing name.”

  Dustin looked genuinely curious when he looked at him. “How?”

  “In order to race, horses have to be registered, and they get a tattoo under their upper lips. I’d show you his, but it’s probably too dark in here to see it. The lip tattoos identify each horse, and you can use it to look them up with the Jockey Club.”

  Dustin gave Xander another treat and rubbed the white star on the horse’s forehead. “You know, I lied. I’ve always wanted to be around horses. I always liked driving by farms and seeing them. I always wondered what it would be like to be close to them. Now I know, and I like it.”

  Vince grinned at him. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Chapter Three

  “YOU KNOW, that kid has been here less than twenty-four hours, and already you guys have a budding bromance.”

  Vince rolled over in bed to face Jane and snorted. “Bromance? He’s a good kid. He’s really interested in the horses and what we do. He’s got potential. Of course, I’m going to take him under my wing if he’s that interested.”

  “You just spent three hundred dollars buying him food and clothes, even when he kept saying he didn’t need it all,” she pointed out as she got settled in bed. “He probably feels like he owes you now.”

  “I told him working hard is paying me back enough,” Vince argued. “And that next week, once he’s been paid, he has to buy his own stuff, but I’ll gladly take him anywhere.”