Off to the Races

Vaughn groans when he reads the message and suddenly understands Billie’s change of mood. However, he plans to continue pursuing her, as their night together left him eager for more. He ignores Billie’s attempts to brush him off and promises to return after a quick shower. On the way home, he calls his mother and tells her to stop setting him up on dates, though he worries that this will fracture their tenuous relationship. His mother reluctantly agrees to abide by this new boundary.

Billie avoids Vaughn for days, and he grows increasingly anxious about his plans to woo her. He feels “out of his depth” and struggles emotionally as Billie’s distance exacerbates his own history with abandonment (229). He is relieved when she texts him, asking to talk, and then feels disappointed when she wants to discuss work. Billie wants Violet to be the next jockey who rides DD, and she champions the younger woman’s virtues, seeing DD’s trust in Violet as being far more important than Violet’s inexperience as a professional jockey. When Billie asks Vaughn to trust her, he agrees, though he must forcibly push aside his awareness of his grandfather’s betrayal to do so.

When he asks if she would like to spend time with him that weekend, she claims to have plans, and he recognizes her evasion as a way to cover up her hurt feelings. He reaffirms his commitment to proving himself to her.

Billie laments the foolishness and cowardice that compelled her to lie about having plans. She dislikes the fact that Vaughn never spoke to her honestly about his date, and she feels hurt. She finds Violet and shares the good news about her promotion to the role of jockey, which she reminds Violet was earned through hard work. She then urges the younger woman to spend time with her the following evening. They plan to go to a local bar to celebrate Violet’s promotion.

Billie enjoys dressing up to go out with Violet the next day. They talk late into the evening and get to know one another better. Upon returning to the ranch late, Billie is annoyed to find Vaughn waiting at her house. They snap at one another; Billie explains that she was out with Violet, not on a date, and Vaughn reports that he didn’t attend the fundraiser. He also explains that he told his mother not to set him up on any more dates. Billie protests that they should keep their relationship professional, but she lets him push her gently inside.

Vaughn outlines his desires for their relationship: that they work together professionally and have a romantic relationship. He regrets “backing off” the previous week, but he promises to leave her alone if she tells him that she doesn’t want to be with him. She doesn’t deny wanting him, though she still fears that a romance between them will end poorly. She feels validated that Vaughn has “chosen” her—something that nobody else in her life has ever done.

They kiss, promising not to keep any more secrets from each other. As they have sex, they declare how much they want one another. Billie feels safe enough to be emotionally vulnerable with Vaughn.

Vaughn wakes after a night of sex with Billie. He worries that her unpredictability will one day compel her to leave him, though he understands why she struggles with trust. When she wakes up, they have oral sex and then sex without a condom, which Vaughn finds pleasurably intimate. Over breakfast, Billie asks that they keep their relationship quiet for the time being so that she can temper the professional repercussions of having a sexual relationship with her boss. Though Vaughn dislikes the idea, he is willing to do “whatever it takes” to support Billie’s career (262).

Vaughn’s phone rings. He assumes that another reporter is calling, so Billie answers on his behalf. The caller identifies himself as Stefan Dalca. He is a wealthy and enigmatic man who recently appeared out of nowhere in the close-knit horse racing community. (Billie’s narration reveals that Dalca tried to get information about the ranch from her previously, but she refused to tell him anything.) Dalca implies that he wants to buy DD, but Vaughn brushes him off; he doesn’t want to work with this “shady” man. When Dalca claims to have worked with Dermot, Vaughn grows angry and hangs up on him.

Billie combs DD, reflecting that Vaughn didn’t officially confirm whether or not he plans to sell DD. Though she knows that he doesn’t owe her an explanation, she plans to have an honest discussion about her issues with trust, and she also wants to explain that their romantic relationship will make their professional dealings more complicated. When she is finished grooming DD, she heads over to see Vaughn, recognizing that Dalca’s call rattled him.

Vaughn explains that Dalca emailed an offer to buy DD, but it’s “not enough” to tempt Vaughn, particularly given Dalca’s implication that he has damning information about Dermot. Billie confides that her childhood was spent “being groomed to make someone a gracious wife” (272), and Vaughn jokes that this would be a terrible role for her. Billie goes on to reveal that her parents were more concerned with image than with what Billie wanted to do in life. Her father’s scandal broke when she was 17, and Billie left her family on her 18th birthday. She hasn’t spoken to them since, save for her elder brother, Rich. She believes that forcing someone to cover up for your mistakes is antithetical to love, and she declares that although people have frequently disappointed her, horses never have. Vaughn earnestly tells her that he does not want to disappoint her; Billie is hopeful that he won’t. That night, when they have sex, Billie reflects that she and Vaughn now understand one another better.

When Billie heads to the track early the next morning, a grumpy Violet is already riding DD. Vaughn brings Billie coffee, a long-standing habit, but Violet recognizes that the energy has shifted between them. She asks them about their relationship; Billie asks about Violet’s bad mood. Neither answers. Violet and DD’s practice run goes well, leaving Billie optimistic about their upcoming race. Hank praises Billie for becoming an extremely skilled trainer. His approval pleases Billie.

Billie spends several busy weeks training DD and other Gold Rush Ranch horses. She feels increasingly optimistic about DD’s chances at a race that weekend; this would be the horse’s final chance to qualify for the Denman Derby. When her anxiety swells, she confides in Vaughn, whom she considers “too good to be true” (283); she is still “waiting for the other shoe to drop” (284). Vaughn reassures her that his feelings for her are real and that he wants a long-term relationship with her. He urges her to focus on her upcoming race, as she has earned this professional accomplishment.

On the morning of the race, Billie is nervous, but Hank and Violet are calm. She considers hiding in the barn during the race, but Hank urges her to watch DD’s moment of triumph. She carefully prepares DD for the race.