North Oak, Book 1 - BORN TO RUN

Chapter 10: Silent Majority

SILENT MAJORITY

Steven sat across from his breeding manager, Cade Showman, and Joe in North Oak's main office. "I've called you both here to discuss the future of Venus Galaxies and North Oak. You both know that I want to breed her in the spring, but certain financial hurdles have come up, and I may have to sell her."

"Financial hurdles, pah," Joe grumbled.

"Let's be frank here," Cade said. "We're talking about Alex."

Steven tilted back in his office chair and rubbed his temples. "The bail is considerable."

"Let her sit in jail and learn her lesson," growled Joe.

Steven sighed. "If I post bail, we can bring her home and move on with our lives."

"She'll still have to stand trial," Cade said.

"I know that, but at least she'll be safe with us. She'll be kept out of trouble."

"So what's the plan?"

Steven looked between them. He folded his hands on his desk and hunkered down. "I'm thinking of selling Venus Galaxies in order to pay the bail."

"You can't be serious." Cade was on the edge of his seat. "You and Angelina spent years cultivating that mare, and you're just going to throw it all away?"

Joe shook his head. "Honestly, I'm not surprised. The horse is an asset. It makes sense to sell her and keep us all afloat."

"Afloat?" Cade stared at him. "You call throwing a dream away 'afloat'?"

Joe ignored him, his eyes fixed sternly on Steven. "Look, son. While your dad was alive we learned a lot from each other. Now he was a smart business man, but he valued family above all else. Let me tell you a lesson I learned the hard way: every horse in the world has a price tag. Venus Galaxies is worth an awful lot, and anyone who buys her is bound to get a return on their investment."

Joe leaned forward in his chair, gripping the arms. "I don't know why you want that girl home so badly. I think she's trouble. Brooke never shuts up about her. If you plan to use Alex for some crazy dream your sister never fulfilled for you, if you want to keep the farm going, in whatever capacity that may be, sell the mare." Joe pushed himself out of the seat. "I don't care anymore. I keep tryin' to talk sense into you, son, but it's like talkin' to a wall. Your father never would've put up with this."

Cade and Steven both watched him leave, and when he was long gone, Cade looked to Steven with earnesty. "I know you love your family. I know you love your horses. If you sell it'll be a short-term gain, and a long-term loss. We've talked about the kind of foals you want from her, but you and I both know that an untried yearling is going to sell for a lot less than a proven racer. If you keep that mare, and anything half-decent she throws, you'll earn more. Hang on to Venus Galaxies. Hang on to your dream. I know in my heart we'll get Alex back. She's no killer. Have faith that the court will see that. Think of North Oak. Not just the farm, but all of us as a family."

The chair rolled back from beneath Cade as he rose quickly and left, leaving Steven alone in the office. He gazed at the winners circle photos on the wall of his sister on the back of Venus Galaxies as a two-year-old. He sank his teeth into his fist. What am I going to do, Angie?

Cade and Joe both had their points. The mare was Angelina's legacy, the last tie Steven had to her. Yet he couldn't ignore the fact that selling her would solve a lot of his financial problems and potentially secure Alexandra's own future. 

His chest tightened. It's all just potential.

Nothing was certain. Not even tomorrow was a given. Could he really risk losing the mare and Alex if the girl was found guilty?