Jockeying for You Read Online Free PDF

Carter,” the older man said in gruff acknowledgment before glancing back at Ryder. “He hiring you?”
    “Yes, he is. Handsome Dancer is going to stay with us for a while.”
    Lenny nodded and directed himself to Jake. “If anybody can train ’em, my girl Ryder can.” Taking Handsome Dancer gently by the reins, the man left without a further ado. “I’m going to walk him around. See how he takes to me.”
    Ryder apologized as soon as the old man was out of earshot. “That’s Lenny Godfried. He’s been in this business for forty years. He’s like a father to me, although I’m sorry he was a little gruff.” Despite the light chastisement, her affection for him seemed as deep as it was sincere. “He’s a wonderful person, although he does seem tough. He’s like your horse. People mistake him for being difficult when he’s really a softy down inside.”
    Jake’s mouth hung open at her words. Maybe Ryder was capable of reading more than horses. Maybe she could read people, too. If so, she would be a rare find. Someone willing to pierce the depths instead of staying superficially at the surface. If he knew more people like her, maybe he would be more accepted himself. Accepted for who he was instead of what he had. He was so much more than merely a man with money. “All right, we’ll do the paperwork, and then I’ll leave Handsome here. That is assuming you have a stall ready for him.”
    “I don’t, but I can probably have one ready for him in a few days, if that’s acceptable. I’ll have to speak to the track.”
    He noted her pallor seemed ashen. He knew stalls were at a premium. Getting an extra one was no easy task. “If I get you a stall by tomorrow, can you start with Handsome then?”
    She audibly gasped. “Well, sure. But . . .”
    “No buts . If you’re willing to do it, the problem of getting space is mine.”
    He almost laughed at her wide, open-mouthed expression. “Let’s get on with the paperwork, shall we?”
    “Why, yes. Of course. Thank you for entrusting Handsome Dancer to me.”
    He nodded. Heck, at this pace, he was tempted to trust himself to her, too.

Chapter 3
    The next morning, Ryder had put Golden Child back in his stall when an even more impressive stallion appeared. The sight almost took her breath away. She unconsciously lifted a hand to smooth down her blond bob and ran her tongue quickly over her teeth. Finally she cleared her throat to get out words without gasping. “Good morning, Jake.”
    For some reason he kept shifting around. Odd, since his casual slacks and collared tee shirt should be comfortable. And expensive. The polo pony on his chest fit right in with the horse motif.
    “Anything wrong?” she inquired.
    “No. Do I seem antsy? I’m waiting on Emanuel Velazquez to get here. He’s due in a few minutes.”
    Ryder went through a mental roster of names but came up blank on this one. “Who’s Emanuel Velazquez?”
    “The jockey I want for Handsome Dancer. He rides mostly out in the California tracks. Spent last year at Santa Anita. He’ll be a good bet for Handsome. He’s known to have a calm, sure way with skittish horses. Gets them to focus and do their best. I want to see how he and Handsome interact. If I’m going to make a go of this, I’ve got to see that all my players are in place.”
    I feel like a chess piece. Ryder nodded but said nothing. The jockeys around here wouldn’t be thrilled to have an outsider riding a good horse, especially for a wealthy, well-connected horse owner. The better the horse, the better their own potential purse since a jockey would claim ten percent of a race’s prize money for placing first. Since trainers picked the jockeys, Ryder reasonably guessed she’d become unpopular fast. Sure, she could blame Jake for the selection, but that would mean throwing him under the bus. The idea didn’t sound appealing either on a personal or a professional level.
    “I’ll be happy to meet him,” she answered with a