I'll Find You

Waiting

Sinking embers glow
Melting icy snow
I am waiting here
Waiting for you to come home
----Waiting, Norah Jones

December 10, 2017

Coach had given them the day off. The finals break was upon them, no games for ten days, and Grayson was still pissed about losing to BC. His cheek bone was swollen and bruised which didn't help his mood.  And he was bored. He only had three classes and one had a paper that he'd already written.  That left him with two finals later this week, but he knew he could pass them.

He'd gotten up early enough to watch Cait's second run.  She was just as good as she'd been the day before.  And she won.  Grayson was so proud of her, happy for her. But at the same time he couldn't help but wonder if she would eventually change her mind about retirement.  She looked so happy when she won.  He realized he hadn't ever seen her smile quite like that before.  This smile was new, at least to him.  It was the smile that showed she was proud of herself.

They'd talked for a bit, Cait worried about how he was feeling after the loss and frankly upset that Javin stepped on him and marred his pretty face.  But now she was on her way to France. She had two days of Downhill training, then had both Downhill and Super G next weekend, before she headed back to Durham. He knew she was working on her independent study course too, determined to finish it up before she got home to him.

He needed to go see Jose to get his eye checked out again and he decided to go get some shots up and try to just relax. He knew that once they hit January, the real grind would begin.

In just over a week, finals would be over.  His last finals at Duke, in all likelihood, since he probably wouldn't finish the grad classes he was taking in the spring to remain eligible to play basketball.  And Cait would be back.  Back in his arms, back in their bed.  He couldn't wait.  He needed her.
*****
December 12, 2017

Cait opened the package with a smile.  Her cousin Brian had come through and helped with her Christmas shopping. 

Brian O'Donnell was a distant cousin, but in Ireland there were no such things as distant relations.  And he was Cait's business partner.  She'd invested in a thoroughbred farm with him.  Brian was now an established horse trainer and their horses practically owned The Curragh, the famous track in County Kildare. 

But more importantly, Brian was able to follow directions better than most men and had shipped her exactly what she'd requested.  He'd asked if her boyfriend was some kind of bloody giant, since she'd had to have the sweater specially made to accommodate Grayson's height. But she couldn't wait to give it to him. And to give him the papers to the star yearling that Brian was training.

She knew Grayson knew nothing about horses and that he liked it that way.  He even avoided the stables at the ranch. But this horse was a racehorse. He could just be an owner. He frankly never had to lay eyes on it if he didn't want to. Brian had pointed out that a silent owner was the best kind in his opinion, a veiled suggestion to Cait that she pretended to miss. But this would be something she and Grayson could share, a small stake in one of her business interests, just for him.
*****
December 14, 2017

Finals week was still pretty boring. Grayson studied, worked out, spent plenty of time in the gym. They had practices. He made sure the freshmen were studying and that they ate and slept and still got their work in. He nagged them as much as he could without being totally annoying.