Free Keeping the Peace by Hannah Hooton

You mean you high-tailed it up to Doncaster to pull your horse out of the sale, quit your job in London to slave for his training fees whilst living in a dump, all on a suggestion ?’
    ‘You missed out that I had to steal a car to get to Doncaster.’
    Jack’s face fell and Pippa batted her hand at him.
    ‘Long story. Anyway, it was more than a suggestion. It was a dream. Is that so wrong?’
    ‘Some dreams are just pie in the sky.’
    Pippa folded her arms and locked Jack in a stern gaze.
    ‘How long have you wanted to train racehorses?’
    Jack’s eyes flickered away from her and he fiddled with his pen.
    ‘Since I was a boy if you must know. I wanted to ride them first, but...’
    ‘But?’
    Jack looked up.
    ‘I grew too heavy. So I got into training. I went from work rider to head lad to assistant trainer to having my own yard.’
    ‘And now you’re champion trainer. From what I’ve learnt only in the last few hours, you also have two champion racehorses in Virtuoso and Black Russian. I bet you dreamt of this when you were younger. Didn’t you?’
    Jack shifted in his seat and flicked at the pages of a notebook in front of him. When all he did was shrug, Pippa carried on.
    ‘And I bet at the time some people probably considered that dream to be pie in the sky.’
    ‘Yes, but –’
    ‘But?’
    ‘This is different. I was a boy, I was unproven! Peace Offering has been racing for five years now and he is proven. He’s proven that he can’t win a National!’
    ‘How? Has he run in it before?’
    ‘No, but –’
    ‘So, how do you know then?’
    ‘I just do!’ Jack exclaimed, throwing up his hands. ‘I train the bloody animal, I should know. He’ll be ready to run in a couple of weeks’ time. Then you can see for yourself!’
    ‘Jack,’ Pippa said firmly.
    ‘What?’
    ‘I’m not going to change my mind. I’ve done this whole thing in order for Peace Offering to have a crack at that race – everyone thinks I’m crazy for doing it – so I’m not going to let you talk me out of it.’
    Jack glared at her, considering whether to challenge her obstinacy.
    ‘Which leads us to the next thing. I’ll give you a discount on training fees, but you’ll still need to pay for his shoes, his transport and his entries and vets bills, if any.’
    ‘Okay. The money which I got from Astolat’s sale can go towards that.’
    ‘It won’t leave you with much to spare on Dave’s house.’
    ‘There isn’t a mortgage to pay and I’ve got a loan approved so what I get paid from you will go towards that and repairs. I’m also intending to sell some paintings while I’m out here to bring in a bit more.’
    ‘You’re an artist?’
    Pippa tipped her head from side to side, non-commitally.
    ‘Some might say so. I kind of lost my inspiration these last couple of years living with Ollie – living in the city, I mean – but now I’m out in the country, I can feel it coming back.’
    Jack gave her a lazy smile.
    ‘Is there no end to your talents, Miss Taylor?’
    ‘Not now that you mention it...’ Pippa grinned.
    ‘Not interrupting anything, am I?’ a cool voice from the open doorway said. A tall willowy blonde woman tapped on the door twice for effect before breezing in. Jack stood up and came round the desk to give her a brisk peck on the cheek.
    ‘Melissa. I wasn’t expecting you.’
    ‘We were going to have lunch before the races this afternoon. Remember?’
    ‘Dammit, sorry. Completely slipped my mind.’
    ‘You used to have everything in your diary – oh, Gemma kept that, didn’t she?’
    She gave Pippa a slow smile, reminding her of a cheetah, the smile always present, but the hunter wholly apparent.
    ‘You must be the new girl.’
    ‘Melissa, this is Pippa, my new secretary. Pippa, this is Melissa, my, er – my –’
    ‘ Girlfriend is the correct term, Jack. Although sometimes I wonder.’ She winked at Pippa in false sisterhood. ‘It seems I have to make an appointment to see him