A couple days later, she found Jorge standing alongside a fence, watching another ranch hand introduce a horse to the saddle. She made her way up to Jorge, and, in a business-like manner, folded her arms on top of the fence.
“Jorge, did I hear you correctly the other night when you said that the Vargas ranch was having a horse race as part of their birthday celebration, and that the winner got a box of gold coins and pick of any horse on their property?”
“Si, Señora. That is correct.” Jorge didn’t move or turn his head as he answered.
“That’s a pretty good deal. For the winner, of course.” Elizabeth paused for a couple of seconds and then asked another question. “Do you know if they still have that horse—the stallion by the name of Floro, that big black one?”
“Si, Señora. I saw him in a pasture when I went there a couple days ago. I have heard he is producing some talented colts and fillies. He would be an excellent breeding stallion. If someone were … looking to acquire him.”
Elizabeth dropped her head, laying it on her arm. “Damn!” she muttered under her breath. He was right, and she felt the noose closing around her. The prize money was a fortune, and a new stud in her barn…
Raising her head again, she pretended to watch the person saddle the horse. “Muchas gracias, Jorge.” Thens he turned and walked back to the house. Her path, it seemed, was opening up in front of her.
*************************
Later than night, after all her chores were complete and supper was finished, Elizabeth found Pilar down in the barn, sitting with Prince, telling him stories that Elizabeth herself had told Pilar when she was a baby. When Prince nickered at the new presence in the bar, Pilar stopped talking and turned her head.
“Buenas Noches, Mama! I was just telling Prince a story. Do you remember this story that you used to tell me?”
“I do. I remember telling that to you many times. Does Prince enjoy the story?”
“I think so. Or maybe he likes the sweet apples I give him while I’m telling him the story.” Pilar smiled at her joke, and Elizabeth pulled a chair toward where Pilar was sitting.
Pilar glanced up, and frowned at what Elizabeth could feel was a serious expression on her face. “Do you have something to tell me about, Mama?” the girl asked softly.
Elizabeth smiled. “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”
“Nope! We think a lot a like.” Pilar scooted a bit closer to her mother, and glanced up at her again.
Elizabeth leaned down, with her elbows on her knees, and took a deep breath. “Honey, you like to ride Prince, don’t you?”
Pilar’s face lit up. “Oh yes, Mama! I love to ride Prince. He’s my favorite horse! We’ve been practicing a lot, with the other riders here on the ranch. Jorge has been showing me a lot of new techniques, and ways to rope and turn and jump and ride fast.”
“That is very nice of Jorge.” Elizabeth smiled to herself, thinking that Jorge might have been doing it out of his hopes for the ranch, rather than just generosity. The hands all had a stake in the breeding program, and anything that increased their chances of success became priority amongst the men. Pilar had, it seemed, become their new champion.
“Jorge has said that I will be a very fast rider someday, and breed great horses.” Pilar stopped, looked up at Prince, and gave him another bite of an apple.
Elizabeth nodded. Since her husband’s death, she’d been breeding horses for speed and intelligence, and Pilar would take over when Elizabeth could no longer manage the ranch. That much was true. The girl’s instinctive love for horses would make it even easier for her to do so. “I know you will be, Pilar. I know you will be.”
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
Elizabeth took another deep breath. This was it, then; once she told Pilar the news, there would be no way to stop the girl from entering the race. It would break Elizabeth’s heart to try. She’d thought long and hard about this, though, and had come to the conclusion that this was the best answer for her own ranch. And for the girl herself. “I heard from Jorge that his cousin’s ranch, the Vargas Ranch, is having a big birthday party for their grandfather.”
Pilar jumped up. “A party! With dancing and music and food and people? It’s been such a long time since we had one, Mama!” She started to dance around with an invisible partner, laughing. “Maybe I can learn some new dances and sing some new songs!”
“Yes, dear, I have no doubt that you can.” She watched the girl dancing with her fake partner, and smiled. “Pilar, they are also going to have a horse race,” she said, her voice emotionless.
Pilar stopped mid-step and her mouth dropped open. She opened and closed her mouth several times before whispering, “A horse race? A horse race? A real live horse race with other riders and other horses, not from this ranch?”
Elizabeth slowly nodded. “A real horse race with horses and riders not from this ranch. Jorge told me about it last week.”
Suddenly Pilar’s face drew down into a frown. “Jorge knew about this, and he never said anything to me? He kept that from me?”
Elizabeth got up and walked over to Pilar. “Don’t blame Jorge. I told him not to say anything to you. I said I wanted to think it over and then ask you if you wanted to go.”
“Do I want to go? Of course I want to go!” Pilar was about to start jumping up and down when she realized that Elizabeth wasn’t saying she could go. Instead of jumping, she put on her best puppy-dog eyes. “Can I go with Prince? Can I? I promise I’ll be really careful and be a safe rider. I’ve been practicing a lot with Jorge, and will practice more before the race.”
Elizabeth paused for a moment, but she’d already decided on this particular issue. “Yes, you can go if…”
Pilar jumps up and down, screeching, and ran to Prince. “Yippee! We’re going to be in a race! We’re going to be in a race!”
Without waiting to hear what else Elizabeth had to say, she turned and ran out of the bar, straight to the small house where Jorge lived, and pounded on the door.
When he opened the door, Elizabeth could see that he’d been asleep. “What’s going on?” he asked groggily.
Pilar took him by the shoulders and said, “We’re going to be in a race! We’re going to be in a race!” Then she gives him a huge hug around his waist.
Jorge looked over Pilar’s shoulder and saw Elizabeth coming from the barn with an exhausted smile on her face. He smiled at her and hugged Pilar back. He smiles back as Pilar continues to hug him.
“When can we start training?” Pilar asked.
“Tomorrow morning, after school. Now go home and get some sleep. We have a lot of work to do before that race, and you’re going to have to ride more than you’ve ever ridden in your life.”
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