it to him before they moved to a retirement home in Florida. He’d turned it into a horse stable before that, though. They got out of the dairy business when my dad was in college, but they kept the place and let him turn it into a boarding stable.”
“A boarding stable?”
“Yeah. Lots of people own horses but not a place to keep them. So they board them at other stables.”
“When did he start training racehorses?” Dustin asked, looking over at him.
“College, I think. My grandpa trained, so my dad started working with him, then started taking over for him. Not many people were willing to give him a shot, being so young, but he proved himself. He’s had three horses in the Kentucky Derby, one that won and the other two placed. Plus he’s had some in other big races. Then he and Mom decided to have kids, so they came back here. That’s also when he started this place and cut back on race training.”
“How’d he meet your mom, if he was doing all this training? Sounds like it involves a lot of travel.”
Vince laughed. “He hired her as a groom and exercise rider. Said she was the only woman he’d ever met who could put up a fight with any man or horse.”
“I thought you were never supposed to date the boss,” Dustin joked.
“Where’d you get that idea?” Vince laughed as he pulled Zeus up next to a large tree branch across the trail. “This is why we’re out here,” he pointed out, dropping down off his horse’s back.
Dustin followed him, and they managed to drag the branch, which was nearly twenty feet long and heavier than Vince had expected, off the trail. Both Justin and Zeus stood waiting patiently for them, probably because Zeus was that well trained, but Vince was impressed that Justin hadn’t moved more than a foot. Vince had a feeling it was because of his love for Dustin that he didn’t wander off. He’d been prepared to give Dustin a lesson in catching a loose horse when he’d instructed him to leave the reins on the saddle horn.
Instead, he was just saddened by again realizing that bond would eventually be broken.
“There’s a good boy,” Dustin murmured with a smile, kissing Justin’s forehead. As he went to mount again, he saw Vince watching him and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Vince sighed and motioned to Justin. “You know my dad’s going to sell him… right?”
Dustin nodded sadly and patted Justin’s neck. “I know. Anna and Mia keep reminding me.” He shrugged and hugged the horse. “I figure he deserves to have someone to love him while he’s here.”
“I just thought I’d make sure,” Vince said quietly. “I didn’t want you to get attached if you didn’t know. Since you know, I guess that’s your choice.”
They got back in the saddle and rode on quietly for a few minutes. Finally, Dustin asked, “Have you ever gotten attached to a horse you had to sell?”
Vince shrugged. “A couple of times. Dad had this really sweet mare when I was probably about sixteen. I loved the hell out of her, but she went to a young girl who needed a therapy horse. Her parents wanted her to have a pony, but the girl loved that horse as soon as she met her. I couldn’t tell my dad not to sell the horse to a girl trying to learn how to walk again. That was probably the hardest. There were a couple of other times when I got pretty close to a horse, but none ever hurt like that one.”
Dustin sighed. “I know he’ll be leaving,” he admitted, “but I like having this bond. Never had it with a human, but I have it with this guy. He’s not going to let me down. Even if I know it’s going to end, why not enjoy it while I can? Isn’t that why people get in relationships? It always ends somehow—break up, divorce, someone dies… but they enjoy it while they can.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Vince told him quietly. “Xander is my best friend. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who understands what that’s like.”
“It’s nice to know
“A boarding stable?”
“Yeah. Lots of people own horses but not a place to keep them. So they board them at other stables.”
“When did he start training racehorses?” Dustin asked, looking over at him.
“College, I think. My grandpa trained, so my dad started working with him, then started taking over for him. Not many people were willing to give him a shot, being so young, but he proved himself. He’s had three horses in the Kentucky Derby, one that won and the other two placed. Plus he’s had some in other big races. Then he and Mom decided to have kids, so they came back here. That’s also when he started this place and cut back on race training.”
“How’d he meet your mom, if he was doing all this training? Sounds like it involves a lot of travel.”
Vince laughed. “He hired her as a groom and exercise rider. Said she was the only woman he’d ever met who could put up a fight with any man or horse.”
“I thought you were never supposed to date the boss,” Dustin joked.
“Where’d you get that idea?” Vince laughed as he pulled Zeus up next to a large tree branch across the trail. “This is why we’re out here,” he pointed out, dropping down off his horse’s back.
Dustin followed him, and they managed to drag the branch, which was nearly twenty feet long and heavier than Vince had expected, off the trail. Both Justin and Zeus stood waiting patiently for them, probably because Zeus was that well trained, but Vince was impressed that Justin hadn’t moved more than a foot. Vince had a feeling it was because of his love for Dustin that he didn’t wander off. He’d been prepared to give Dustin a lesson in catching a loose horse when he’d instructed him to leave the reins on the saddle horn.
Instead, he was just saddened by again realizing that bond would eventually be broken.
“There’s a good boy,” Dustin murmured with a smile, kissing Justin’s forehead. As he went to mount again, he saw Vince watching him and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Vince sighed and motioned to Justin. “You know my dad’s going to sell him… right?”
Dustin nodded sadly and patted Justin’s neck. “I know. Anna and Mia keep reminding me.” He shrugged and hugged the horse. “I figure he deserves to have someone to love him while he’s here.”
“I just thought I’d make sure,” Vince said quietly. “I didn’t want you to get attached if you didn’t know. Since you know, I guess that’s your choice.”
They got back in the saddle and rode on quietly for a few minutes. Finally, Dustin asked, “Have you ever gotten attached to a horse you had to sell?”
Vince shrugged. “A couple of times. Dad had this really sweet mare when I was probably about sixteen. I loved the hell out of her, but she went to a young girl who needed a therapy horse. Her parents wanted her to have a pony, but the girl loved that horse as soon as she met her. I couldn’t tell my dad not to sell the horse to a girl trying to learn how to walk again. That was probably the hardest. There were a couple of other times when I got pretty close to a horse, but none ever hurt like that one.”
Dustin sighed. “I know he’ll be leaving,” he admitted, “but I like having this bond. Never had it with a human, but I have it with this guy. He’s not going to let me down. Even if I know it’s going to end, why not enjoy it while I can? Isn’t that why people get in relationships? It always ends somehow—break up, divorce, someone dies… but they enjoy it while they can.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Vince told him quietly. “Xander is my best friend. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who understands what that’s like.”
“It’s nice to know
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